Al Imran: (169-170) And do not think that those...

Know that the discourse addresses those who discouraged the eager for Jihad by saying: Jihad leads to killing, just as they said regarding those who went out for Jihad on the day of Uhud. Killing is something disliked, so one must be cautious about Jihad.

Then, Allah Almighty clarified that their statement—that Jihad leads to killing—is false, because killing only occurs by the decree and predestination of Allah, just as death occurs by the decree and predestination of Allah. Whoever has death decreed for him cannot avoid it, and whoever does not have death decreed for him has no fear of being killed.

Then, the response to this doubt is given in this verse through another answer: We do not concede that killing in the cause of Allah is a disliked thing. How could that be said when the one killed in the cause of Allah—Allah has given him life after being killed—is singled out for degrees of closeness (to Him) and honor, and granted the best kind of provision, reaching the highest ranks of joy and delight? Which rational person would say that such killing is disliked? This is the structure of the passage, and there are several issues within the verse:

Issue 1:

This verse concerns the martyrs of Badr and Uhud. At the time of this verse's revelation, no martyrs existed except those killed in these two famous battles. The hypocrites only deterred the fighters from Jihad so that they would not be killed like those Muslims who were killed in those two days. Allah Almighty clarified the virtues of those killed in those two days to encourage Muslims to emulate those who fought and were killed in those days.

To elaborate: whoever abandons Jihad might attain worldly pleasures, or might not. Even if he attains them, they are insignificant and fleeting. But whoever engages in Jihad certainly achieves the pleasure of the Hereafter, which is immense and, moreover, permanent and abiding. Given this, it is clear that engaging in Jihad is superior to abandoning it.

Issue 2:

Know that the apparent meaning of the verse indicates that these slain individuals are alive. This can be interpreted either literally or metaphorically.

If the literal meaning is intended, it could mean:

1. They will become alive in the Hereafter.
2. They are alive in the present moment.

If the second possibility (alive in the present) is intended, it could mean:

1. Affirmation of spiritual life.
2. Affirmation of physical life.

This outlines the possibilities that can be discussed regarding this verse.

This view was adopted by a group of Mu'tazilite theologians, including Abu al-Qasim al-Ka'bi. He said this is because the hypocrites, whom Allah described, used to say: "The companions of the Prophet (PBUH) expose themselves to death, get killed, lose their lives, and attain no good." They said this because they denied the Resurrection and the promised return. Allah Almighty refuted them by clarifying in this verse that they will be resurrected, provided for, and receive all kinds of joy, delight, and good tidings.

Know that this view, in our opinion, is false, and the evidence for this is as follows:

Argument 1: The phrase, {Nay, they are alive}, suggests they are alive at the time the verse was revealed. Interpreting it as meaning they will become alive later is deviating from the apparent meaning.

Argument 2: There is no doubt that the aspect of Mercy, Grace, and Benevolence outweighs the aspect of punishment and retribution. Yet, Allah mentions that He revived the people of punishment before the Hour for the purpose of torment. Allah says: {Drowned, then admitted into a Fire} (Noah: 25), where the fa' (then) implies immediate succession, and torment is conditional upon life. Also, He says: {The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and evening} (Ghafir: 46). If Allah makes the people of punishment alive before the Day of Resurrection for torment, then it is more fitting that He makes the people of reward alive before the Resurrection for benevolence and recompense.

Argument 3: If Allah intended that they would only become alive in Paradise upon resurrection, He would not have said to the Messenger (PBUH): {And do not think}, since Allah knew that all believers would be so. However, if we interpret it as the reward of the grave, the phrase {And do not think} is appropriate because the Messenger (PBUH) might not have known that Allah would honor the obedient and sincere with this distinction—that He revives them before the Day of Resurrection to convey reward to them.

Objection: Even if the Prophet (PBUH) knew they would be alive with their Lord upon resurrection, he did not know they would be among the people of Paradise. Thus, it is permissible for Allah to give him the good news that they will become alive and attain reward and joy.

Response: The phrase {And do not think} pertains to death, as He said: {And do not think that those who are killed in the cause of Allah are dead}. What removes this assumption is their being alive at that moment, because there is no assumption regarding their becoming alive on the Day of Resurrection. The phrase {They are provided for rejoicing} is the predicate of a subject, and it has no connection to that assumption, so this question is resolved.

Argument 4: The verse states: {and rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty, and they receive good tidings about those who have not yet joined them from behind}. Those who have not yet joined them must be in this world. Their rejoicing about those who are in the world must occur before the Day of Resurrection, and rejoicing requires life. This indicates they are alive before the Day of Resurrection. (However, this line of reasoning has a point of debate that will be mentioned later.)

Argument 5: It is narrated from Ibn Abbas (RA) that the Prophet (PBUH) said regarding the description of the martyrs: "Their souls are in the crops of green birds. They go to the rivers of Paradise, eat from its fruits, roam wherever they wish, and retire to lamps of gold beneath the Throne. When they saw the pleasantness of their dwelling, their food, and their drink, they said: 'Oh, if only our people knew what blessings we are in, and what Allah has done for us, so they would desire Jihad!' Allah said: 'I will inform them about you and convey it to your brothers.' They rejoiced at that, and this verse was revealed."

Ibn Mas'ud (RA) was asked about this verse, and he replied: "We asked about it, and we were told that the martyrs are by a river at the gate of Paradise, in a green dome," or in another narration, "in a green meadow." Jabir ibn Abdullah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Shall I give you good news? Your father, when he was struck at Uhud, Allah gave him life, then said: 'What do you wish, O Abdullah ibn Amr?' He replied: 'O Lord, I wish to be returned to the world so that I may be killed in it once more.'" The narrations on this topic have reached the level of Tawatur (mass transmission), so how can it be denied?

Al-Ka'bi attacked these narrations, saying they are invalid because souls do not enjoy pleasure; only the body enjoys pleasure when it has a soul, not the soul itself. Furthermore, the apparent meaning of the reported narration implies that these souls are in the crops of birds, and it also implies they go to the rivers of Paradise and eat from its fruits and roam, which contradicts them being in the crops of birds.

The Response: The first attack is based on the premise that the soul is an accident dependent on the body, which we will show is not the case. As for the second attack, it is refuted because the intent of such phrases is figurative language (kinayah) signifying the attainment of comfort and pleasure, and the removal of fears and calamities. This concludes the discussion on this possibility.

Those who hold this view differ: some affirm this life for the soul, and others affirm it for the body. Before delving into this, a preliminary point must be established: Man is not merely the sum of this physical structure. Two things indicate this:

1. The components of this structure are subject to dissolution, decay, and change, yet the specific person remains constant from the beginning to the end of his life. What remains is different from what changes. What confirms this is that a person sometimes becomes fat and sometimes thin, and he is small in stature at first, then grows. Undoubtedly, every person feels that he is one entity from the beginning to the end of his life, so what we said is correct.
2. A person can be conscious of himself while being oblivious to all his limbs and parts. The known is different from the unknown. Thus, these two points prove that the self is something distinct from this perceptible body.

After this, it is possible that the self is a specific body permeating this physical form, like fire permeates charcoal or oil permeates sesame seeds, or rose essence permeates the rose. Alternatively, it could be an independent substance, neither a body nor residing in a body. Under both doctrines, it is not unlikely that when the body dies, that entity separates while alive. Even if we say Allah caused it to die, He restores life to it. Under this assumption, all doubts regarding the reward of the grave, as in this verse, and the punishment of the grave, as in {Drowned, then admitted into a Fire} (Noah: 25), are completely removed.

Therefore, what we have mentioned proves that there is no impossibility in this. The apparent meaning of the verse indicates it, so we must adhere to it. The Qur'an, the Hadith, and reason confirm what we have mentioned.

As for the Qur'an:

1. {O tranquil soul, Return to your Lord, content and pleasing [to Him], And enter among My servants, And enter My Paradise} (Al-Fajr: 27-30). There is no doubt that {Return to your Lord} refers to death. Then He says: {And enter among My servants}. The fa' of immediate succession indicates that this state occurs immediately after death, which points to what we mentioned.
2. {Until, when one of you approaches death, Our messengers take him in death, and they do not fail [in their duty]} (Al-An'am: 61). This refers to the death of the body. Then He says: {Then they are returned to Allah, their true Master} (Al-An'am: 62). The word {returned} implies a pronoun referring to his specific life and essence, indicating that this remains after the body's death.
3. {Then, if he is of those brought near [to Allah], Then [for him is] rest and provision, And a Garden of Pleasure} (Al-Waqi'ah: 88-89). The fa' of immediate succession indicates that this rest, provision, and Garden are attained immediately after death.

As for the Hadith:

1. The saying of the Prophet (PBUH): "Whoever dies, his Hour [Resurrection] has already occurred." The fa' of immediate succession indicates that the Resurrection of every individual occurs after his death. The Greater Hour occurs at the time known only to Allah.
2. The saying of the Prophet (PBUH): "The grave is a meadow from the meadows of Paradise, or a pit from the pits of the Fire."
3. It is narrated that on the day of Badr, the Prophet (PBUH) called out to the slain, saying: "Have you found what your Lord promised you to be true?" They said, "O Messenger of Allah, they are dead, how do you call them?" He replied: "They hear more clearly than you," or words to that effect.
4. The Prophet (PBUH) also said: "The friends of Allah do not die, but rather they are transferred from one abode to another." All of this indicates that souls remain after the body dies.

As for Reason (Aql):

1. First: During sleep, the body weakens, but this weakness does not necessitate the weakening of the soul. Rather, the soul grows stronger during sleep, witnessing events and perceiving the unseen. If the body's weakness does not cause the soul's weakness, this strengthens the assumption that the body's death does not entail the soul's death.
2. Second: Excessive thought causes the brain to dry out, and dryness leads to death. These thoughts are the cause of the soul's perfection through divine knowledge, which is the ultimate perfection of the soul. Therefore, what causes the soul's perfection causes the body's deficiency. This strengthens the assumption that the soul does not die with the body.
3. Third: The states of the soul are contrary to the states of the body. The soul rejoices and delights in divine knowledge. Evidence for this is Allah's saying: {Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest} (Ar-Ra'd: 28). And the Prophet (PBUH) said: "I spend the night with my Lord, He feeds me and gives me drink." There is no doubt that this food and drink are nothing but knowledge, love, and illumination by the lights of the unseen world. Furthermore, we see that when a person is overcome by joy from serving a ruler, winning a position, or reaching a beloved, he may forget food and drink, and even feel aversion if invited to eat or drink. The Gnostics deeply immersed in the knowledge of Allah find that when some of those lights shine upon them and some of those secrets are unveiled, they do not feel hunger or thirst at all. In summary, spiritual happiness seems contrary to bodily happiness. All of this strengthens the assumption that the soul is independent in its essence and has no attachment to the body. If this is the case, the soul must not die with the body. Let these persuasive arguments suffice in this context.

Know that once this principle is established, the difficulties and doubts regarding everything mentioned in the Qur'an about the reward and punishment of the grave are removed.

If you know this principle, we say: Some commentators said: The souls of the martyrs are alive, prostrating and bowing every night beneath the Throne until the Day of Resurrection. The evidence for this is the narration that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "When a servant sleeps in prostration, Allah boasts about him to His angels, saying: 'Look at My servant; his soul is with Me, and his body is in My service.'"

Know that the verse indicates this through His saying: {Alive with their Lord}. The word 'inda (with/near) is mentioned here just as it is mentioned regarding the angels: {And whoever is near Him, they are not too proud to worship Him} (Al-Anbiya: 19). If you understand the happiness attained by the angels by being 'inda Allah, you understand the happiness attained by the martyrs by being 'inda Allah. These are words that open the doors of knowledge of the Hereafter to the intellect.

Those who hold this view differ. Some said that Allah raises the bodies of these martyrs to the heavens and to lamps beneath the Throne and conveys all kinds of happiness and honors to them. Others said He leaves them on earth and revives them there, conveying these felicities to them. Some criticized this, saying: We see the bodies of these martyrs being eaten by wild beasts. So, either it must be said that Allah revives them while they are in the bellies of these beasts and conveys the reward to them, or it must be said that those parts, after being separated from the beasts' bellies, Allah reassembles them, reunites them, restores life to them, and conveys the reward to them. All of this is far-fetched. We see the slain dead remaining for days until their organs decompose and pus and fluid separate. If we permit them to be alive, enjoying pleasure, conscious, and knowing, it necessitates accepting sophistry.

We say that the meaning of them being alive is not the attainment of life itself, but rather some metaphorical meanings. This is explained in several ways:

1. First: Al-Asamm al-Balkhi said: If a deceased person held a great status in religion, and his outcome on the Day of Resurrection is joy, happiness, and honor, it is correct to say he is alive and not dead. This is like saying about an ignorant person who benefits neither himself nor anyone else: he is dead and not alive. Similarly, a dull person is called a donkey, and a harmful person is called a beast. It is narrated that 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, upon seeing Al-Zuhri and recognizing his jurisprudence and accuracy, said to him: "One who leaves behind someone like you has not died." In short, there is no doubt that if a person dies and leaves behind beautiful praise and a good reputation, it is said metaphorically that he has not died, but is alive.
2. Second: Some said the metaphor for this life is that their bodies remain in their graves and do not decay beneath the earth at all. They argued with what is narrated that when Mu'awiyah wanted to dig a channel over the graves of the martyrs, he ordered a proclamation: "Whoever has a slain relative should remove him from this place." Jabir said: "We went out to them and removed them, their bodies still fresh. A pickaxe struck the finger of one man, and blood dripped."
3. Third: The meaning of them being alive is that they are not washed like other dead people.

This is the entirety of what has been said regarding this verse. And Allah knows best the secrets of creation.

Issue 3:

The author of Al-Kashshaf said: {And do not think}—the address is to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) or to everyone. It was also read with the letter Yā' (implying "they should not think"). There are several interpretations:

1. The Messenger of Allah should not think.
2. A thinker should not think.
3. Those who kill themselves should not think they are dead.

He said: It was read {tuḥasibanna} (with fatḥa on the sīn). Ibn 'Amir read {qātilū} (fight) with shadda (intensification), while the rest read it with takhfīf (lightening).

Issue 4:

Regarding {Nay, they are alive}: Al-Wahidi said the implied meaning is: "Nay, they are alive." The author of Al-Kashshaf said it was read {aḥyā'an} (in the accusative case) meaning: "Nay, I think them alive."

I say: Al-Zajjaj said that if {aḥyā'an} were read in the accusative case, it would be permissible, meaning "Nay, I think them alive." Abu Ali al-Farisi objected to this, saying it is not permissible because commanding doubt is impermissible for Allah, nor is it permissible to interpret ḥisbān (thinking/assuming) as knowledge, as no linguist has adopted this view.

Al-Zajjaj can respond by saying: Ḥisbān implies conjecture (ẓann), not certainty (shakk). Why do you say it is impermissible for Allah to command conjecture? Is not the obligation in all matters requiring Ijtihad (independent reasoning) based only on conjecture?

I say: This debate between Al-Zajjaj and Abu Ali al-Farisi indicates that {aḥyā'an} was not read in the accusative case. Rather, Al-Zajjaj was arguing that it has a linguistic basis, and Al-Farisi disputed him. Not everything that has a grammatical basis is permissible for recitation.

As for Allah's saying {with their Lord}: There are several interpretations:

1. They are in a state where no one can benefit or harm them except Allah.
2. They are alive with their Lord, meaning they are alive in His knowledge and judgment, just as one says: "This is according to Al-Shafi'i, and contrary to that according to Abu Hanifa."
3. 'Inda means closeness and honor, like His saying: {And whoever is near Him, they are not too proud to worship Him} (Al-Anbiya: 19), and {those who are with your Lord} (Al-A'raf: 206).

As for His saying: {They are provided for, rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty}: Know that the theologians said that reward is a pure, perpetual benefit accompanied by glorification. Thus, {They are provided for} points to the benefit, and {rejoicing} points to the joy resulting from that glorification.

As for the philosophers (Hukama'): They said that when the pure essences of the spiritual souls are illuminated by divine lights, they are delighted in two ways:

1. Their very essence is luminous, shining, and glittering with those sacred revelations and divine knowledges.
2. By looking toward the source of Light, the source of Mercy and Majesty. They said the delight from the second aspect is more complete than the first. Thus, {They are provided for} points to the first degree, and {rejoicing} points to the second degree. This is why He said: {rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty}, meaning their joy is not in the provision itself, but in the bestowal of the provision, because one preoccupied with the provision is preoccupied with himself, whereas one looking at the bestowal of the provision is preoccupied with the Bestower. Whoever seeks the Truth for someone else is veiled.

Then Allah Almighty said: {and they receive good tidings about those who have not yet joined them from behind, [that] there will be no fear upon them, nor will they grieve}.

Know that {there will be no fear} is in the position of khafḍ (genitive case) as a substitute for {those} (referring to the ones who have not yet joined them). The implied meaning is: "And they receive good tidings that there will be no fear nor grief for those who have not yet joined them from behind." There are issues in this verse:

Issue 1:

Istibshār (receiving good tidings) is the joy resulting from good news. The root Istif'āl means seeking an action. So, the one receiving good tidings is like one who sought joy and found it through the news.

Issue 2:

Know that those who affirmed the martyrs are alive before the Day of Resurrection mentioned other interpretations for this verse:

1. First Interpretation: It is said that some martyrs say to others: "We left behind our brothers, so-and-so, in the fighting line with the disbelievers. If they are killed, God willing, they will attain the provision and honor that we attained." This is the meaning of {and they receive good tidings about those who have not yet joined them}.

2. Second Interpretation: It is said that when the martyrs enter Paradise after the Resurrection, they are provided for, rejoicing in what Allah has given them of His bounty. What is meant by {those who have not yet joined them from behind} are their believing brothers who do not have the same rank as the martyrs, because the martyrs enter Paradise before them. Evidence for this is Allah's saying: {And Allah has preferred the Mujāhidūn over the sitters by a great reward Degrees from Him, and forgiveness, and mercy} (An-Nisa: 95-96). So they rejoice in what they see of the dwelling place and the blessings prepared for the believers, and in their expected reunion with them, which pleases their eyes. This is the choice of Abu Muslim al-Isfahani and Al-Zajjaj.

Know that the first interpretation is stronger than the second. This is because the essence of the second interpretation reverts to some believers receiving good tidings about others due to their reunion in Paradise, which is a general matter for all believers. Therefore, there is no reason to single out the martyrs for this. Furthermore, just as they receive good tidings about those who have not yet joined them from behind, they also receive good tidings about those who preceded them in entering, because the stations of the Prophets and the Truthful are higher than the stations of the martyrs, as Allah says: {And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger - then those will be with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favor, of the prophets and the truthful and the martyrs and the righteous} (An-Nisa: 69). Under this interpretation, there is no benefit in singling them out. However, if we interpret the verse according to the first view, there is the greatest benefit in singling out the fighters for this special characteristic, so that is preferable. And Allah knows best.

Issue 3:

Fear is related to expecting a disliked event in the future, while grief is related to the loss of benefits that existed in the past. Thus, Allah Almighty clarified that there will be no fear for them regarding what awaits them of the events of the Resurrection, nor grief for them regarding the blessings of this world that they missed.

7 < {Receiving grace from Allah and bounty, and that Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of the believers.} > 7