| Verse (45 - 48): And remember Our servants, Abraham...

In this verse, there are several issues:

Issue 1: The Reading of "Our Servant"

There are two main readings for the word referring to Abraham:

1. Ibn Kathir's Reading: He reads it as {عَبْدَنَا} (Our Servant - singular).
   • This reading is also attributed to Ibn Abbas.
   • The justification is that this great honor (being called 'Our Servant') must be reserved for the greatest person mentioned in this context, which is Abraham.

2. The Reading of the Rest (Majority): They read it as {عِبَادَنَا} (Our Servants - plural).
   • The justification is that this description ("Our Servant") has been applied to other Prophets as well:
     • Regarding Jesus: {He is not but a servant whom We have favored} (Az-Zukhruf: 59).
     • Regarding Job: {Indeed, he was an excellent servant} (Sad: 44).
     • Regarding Noah: {Indeed, he was a grateful servant} (Al-Isra: 3).
   • Interpretation based on the plural reading:
     • If read as singular ({عَبْدَنَا}), then Abraham is the specific one, and his descendants (Isaac and Jacob) are then conjoined to him.
     • If read as plural ({عِبَادَنَا}), then Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are all included as examples of "Our Servants."

Issue 2: The Context and Meaning of "Possessors of Hands and Eyesight"

The implied context of the verse is as if Allah said: "So be patient with what they say, and remember Our servants, David... [and so on]... and remember Our servant Abraham."

This means: Remember, O Muhammad, the patience of Abraham when he was cast into the fire, the patience of Isaac regarding sacrifice, and the patience of Jacob when he lost his son and his sight.

Then Allah says: {أُولِي الْأَيْدِي وَالْأَبْصَارِ} (Possessors of Hands and Eyesight).

• The Hand (اليد) is the instrument for most actions.
• The Eyesight (البصر) is the instrument for the strongest forms of perception/cognition.
• Therefore, using the Hand to describe action and Eyesight to describe perception is eloquent.

The human rational soul (النفس الناطقة الإنسانية) has two powers: an Active Power (القوة العاملة) and a Knowing Power (القوة العالمة).

• The noblest outcome of the Active Power is obedience to Allah.
• The noblest outcome of the Knowing Power is knowledge of Allah.

Anything outside these two categories of actions and knowledge is like vanity and falsehood. Thus, the phrase {أُولِي الْأَيْدِي وَالْأَبْصَارِ} points to these two supreme states (action and knowledge).

Issue 3: The Meaning of {إِنَّا أَخْلَصْنَاهُمْ بِخَالِصَةٍ ذِكْرَى الدَّارِ} (We purified them with a pure quality: the remembrance of the Hereafter)

There are two issues concerning this phrase:

1. Reading with Tanwin (Indefinite): {بِخَالِصَةٍ} (with a pure quality).
   • The implied meaning is: We made them pure because of a pure quality, which is the remembrance of the Hereafter (the Dār).

2. Reading with Idafa (Possessive Construction): {بِخَالِصَةِ ذِكْرَى الدَّارِ} (with the pure quality of the remembrance of the Hereafter).
   • The meaning is: We purified them by that portion of the remembrance of the Hereafter which is pure (i.e., sincere remembrance dedicated to Allah). This implies that remembrance of the Dār can sometimes be mixed (for worldly gain), but they were purified by the sincere part of that remembrance.

There are several interpretations:

1. Absorption in the Hereafter: It means they were completely engrossed in remembering the Hereafter to such an extent that they forgot the world.
2. High Status in the Hereafter: It means they attained a noble and lofty remembrance/status for themselves in the Hereafter.
3. Beautiful Remembrance in This World: It means Allah preserved a beautiful reputation for them in this world and accepted their supplication, such as Abraham's prayer: {And grant me a legacy of truth among later generations} (Ash-Shu'ara: 84).

Issue 4: The Meaning of {وَإِنَّهُمْ عِنْدَنَا لَمِنَ الْمُصْطَفَيْنَ الْأَخْيَارِ} (And indeed, they are, with Us, among the chosen ones, the good ones)

• {الْمُصْطَفَيْنَ}: The chosen ones from among their own kind (humanity).
• {الْأَخْيَارِ}: Plural of Khayyir (good one), or possibly a shortened plural of Khayr (good), similar to Amwāt (dead) being the plural of Mayyit (dead).

Scholarly Argument: Scholars use this verse to establish the infallibility ('iṣmah) of the Prophets.

• They argue that Allah has judged them to be Akhyār (good ones) absolutely.
• This absolute goodness encompasses goodness in all actions and attributes, as evidenced by the validity of the exception (if one were made) and the necessity of clarifying the general statement.

Issue 5: Mentioning Ishmael, Elisha, and Dhul-Kifl

Allah says: {وَاذْكُرْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَالْيَسَعَ وَذَا الْكِفْلِ وَكُلٌّ مِّنَ الْأَخْيَارِ} (And remember Ishmael, Elisha, and Dhul-Kifl; and all are among the good ones).

• These are other Prophets who endured severe hardships for the sake of Allah's religion.
• We have already discussed the explanation of these names and the attributes of these Prophets in the commentary on Surah Al-Anbiya and Surah Al-An'am, so there is no benefit in repeating it here.
• This marks the end of the discussion regarding the stories of the Prophets in this Surah.

| Verse (49 - 54): This is a reminder...

{هَٰذَا ذِكْرٌ ۖ وَإِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ لَحُسْنَ مَآبٍ * جَنَّاتِ عَدْنٍ مُّفَتَّحَةً لَّهُمُ الْأَبْوَابُ * مُتَّكِئِينَ فِيهَا يَدْعُونَ فِيهَا بِفَاكِهَةٍ كَثِيرَةٍ وَشَرَابٍ * وَعِندَهُمْ قَاصِرَاتُ الطَّرْفِ أَتْرَابٌ * هَٰذَا مَا تُوعَدُونَ لِيَوْمِ الْحِسَابِ * إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَرِزْقُنَا مَا لَهُ مِن نَّفَادٍ}

This is a reminder, and indeed, for the righteous is a beautiful return: Gardens of Eden, with their gates opened for them. Reclining therein, they will call therein for abundant fruit and drink. And with them will be companions of modest gaze, of equal age. This is what you are promised for the Day of Account. Indeed, this is Our provision, from which there is no end.