Tafsir of Al-Ahzab 33:70-71

Al-Ahzab (33): 70–71

Then the Almighty said:

O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice (or correctness).

He guided them to what ought to proceed from them in terms of actions and speech. As for actions, it is goodness (Khayr), and as for speech, it is truth (Haqq). This is because whoever performs good and abandons evil has feared Allah, and whoever speaks truthfully has spoken words of appropriate justice.

Then, the Almighty promised them two things in return for these two matters:

1. For goodness (the action): The rectification of deeds (يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ). For by fearing Allah, deeds become sound, and righteous deeds are elevated and enduring, thus ensuring the doer remains eternally in Paradise.
2. For the words of appropriate justice (the speech): The forgiveness of sins (وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ).

Then the Almighty said:

And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly achieved a great attainment.

Obedience to Allah is obedience to the Messenger, but they were mentioned together to clarify the high status of the obedient person's action, as he establishes a covenant with Allah and gains favor with the Messenger.

His statement, "has certainly achieved a great attainment" (فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا), is described as "great" for two reasons:

1. Escape from a great punishment: Salvation from a great torment is magnified by the magnitude of that torment. For example, if someone intended to strike another with a whip and then was saved from it, it would not be said that he achieved a "great attainment," because the torment he was saved from would not have caused a significant difference in outcome.
2. Attainment of abundant reward: He reached a vast reward, which is the eternal, everlasting recompense.