Tafsir of Saba' 34:3-4

Surah Saba' (34): Verses 3-4

The verse begins by mentioning the denial of the Hour by the disbelievers: {وقال الذين كفروا لا تأتينا الساعة} (And those who disbelieve say, "The Hour will not come to us.").

Then, Allah refutes them, affirming the Hour's arrival: {قل بلى وربى لتأتينكم} (Say, "Yes, by my Lord, it will surely come to you.").

Allah confirms this by swearing an oath. Al-Zamakhshari noted a potential objection: How can an oath be used for confirmation when they (the disbelievers) deny the existence of a Lord (or at least deny the premise of the oath)? He answered that the oath is not the sole basis for proof; it is supported by the evidence that follows: {إليه مرجعكم جميعا وعد الله} (To Him is your return, all of you. [This is] the promise of Allah).

The Evidence for Resurrection: The reason this statement serves as evidence is that the wicked person might enjoy immediate, fleeting pleasures in this world and die upon them, while the righteous person might endure severe suffering for a long time and die in it. If there were no realm for recompense, the matter would contradict wisdom.

Al-Razi's Interpretation of the Evidence: What I assert is that the evidence mentioned in {عالم الغيب لا يعزب عنه مثقال ذرة فى السماوات ولا فى الارض} (the Knower of the unseen. Not so much as an atom's weight escapes Him in the heavens or on earth) is more manifest. If Allah is the Knower of all things, knowing the components of living beings and capable of gathering them, then the Hour is possible to establish, and since the Truthful One has informed of it, it must occur.

Subtlety in the Scope of Knowledge: The phrase {في السماوات ولا فى الارض} (in the heavens or on earth) contains a subtlety: Man consists of a body (Jism) and a spirit (Ruh). The bodies are in the earth, and the spirits are in the heavens.

• His statement {لا يعزب عنه مثقال ذرة فى السماوات} (escapes Him in the heavens) points to His knowledge of the spirits.
• His statement {ولا فى الارض} (or on earth) points to His knowledge of the bodies. If He knows both spirits and bodies and is capable of gathering them, then the resurrection is no longer questionable.

The Scope of "Smaller" and "Larger": The phrase {ولا أصغر من ذلك} (or anything smaller than that) indicates that mentioning the weight of an atom is not for limitation, but rather that even what is smaller than an atom does not escape His knowledge.

If someone asks, "Why mention the larger things if He knows the smallest (the atom's weight)?" We reply: Since Allah intended to establish the reality of these matters in the Register, if He had only mentioned the smallest, one might assume He only records the minor things, as they are prone to being forgotten. The larger things are not forgotten, so recording them might seem unnecessary. However, the recording in the Register is comprehensive: the larger things are also written therein.

The Recompense: After establishing His knowledge of the minute and the immense, He mentions the gathering and recording of these for the purpose of recompense: {ليجزى الذين ءامنوا وعملوا الصالحات أولئك لهم مغفرة ورزق كريم} (so that He may recompense those who have believed and done righteous deeds. For them is forgiveness and a noble provision).

He mentioned two things for them: Belief (Iman) and Righteous Deeds ('Amal Salih). He mentioned two rewards for them: Forgiveness (Maghfirah) and Noble Provision (Rizq Karim).

1. Forgiveness is the recompense for belief. Every believer is forgiven. This is supported by: “Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that of whom He wills” (An-Nisa: 48). Also, the Prophet (PBUH) said (as narrated through a chain leading to Al-Bukhari): "Whoever says 'There is no god but Allah' and has within his heart the weight of an atom of faith will be brought out of the Fire."
2. Noble Provision is the recompense for righteous deeds. This is fitting, as whoever performs a deed for a noble Master, upon completion of the work, must be favored with a bounty and given food. The provision is described as Karim (Noble/Generous), which we have explained means either possessing nobility, or being honored, or that it comes without seeking, unlike worldly provision which does not arrive unless sought through effort.

Issue 1: The Meaning of {أولئك لهم مغفرة ورزق كريم} (For them is forgiveness and a noble provision) This phrase allows for two interpretations:

1. That this is their direct recompense, which will be delivered to them, based on the preceding statement: {إليه مرجعكم جميعا} (To Him is your return, all of you).
2. That this is possessed by them, and Allah will recompense them with something else. This is because {أولئك لهم} is a complete nominal sentence, while {إليه مرجعكم جميعا} is an independent verbal sentence. This structure is more emphatic in conveying good tidings than simply saying, "So that He may recompense those who believed with provision."

Issue 2: The Lam (ل) in {ليجزى} (so that He may recompense) The Lam here denotes causality (Ta'leel), meaning the Hereafter exists for the purpose of recompense.

• Relevance: Allah intended that His reward should not cease. Therefore, He established an everlasting dwelling (the Hereafter) so that His reward might reach them perpetually. He placed the dwelling of pains and mortality (this world) before it, so that the accountable person might gauge the value of what he receives in the Hereafter by comparing it to what preceded it, and by reflecting upon it intrinsically.

Issue 3: The Qualification of Provision but not Forgiveness Allah qualified the provision with the adjective Karim (Noble), but did not qualify forgiveness. This is because provision in the Hereafter is divided: there is the provision of Zaqqum (bitter tree) and boiling water, and there is the provision of fruits and pure drink. Thus, the provision required distinction due to its potential for division. Forgiveness, however, is singular and not subject to division, so it did not require qualification.