Tafsir of Muhammad 47:14

Surah Muhammad (47): Verse 14

[14] Is he who is upon a clear proof from his Lord like one for whom his evil deeds have been made attractive, and who follows his own desires?

Exegesis:

Know that this verse points to the distinction between the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the disbelievers. This is to establish that the destruction of the disbelievers and the victory of the Prophet (PBUH) in this world are certain, and that the situation necessitates the punishment of the disbeliever and the reward of the believer.

1. "Upon a clear proof" (على بينة): This is the distinguishing factor.
2. "From his Lord" (من ربه): This complements the previous phrase.

The Bayyinah (clear proof) being from the Lord makes it stronger and more manifest than a mere intellectual proof, which would suffice to distinguish between one who adheres to it and one who speaks without evidence.

Alternative Interpretation of "From his Lord": It might mean that the proof belongs to the Lord in the sense that guidance belongs to Him, as in the verse: "And what Allah wills, He guides whom He wills" (Al-Muddaththir: 31). Just as we say guidance is from Allah, the proof is attributed to Him.

Similarly, the second part: "like one for whom his evil deeds have been made attractive" (كمن زين له سوء عمله) is the distinguishing factor, and "and who follows his own desires" (واتبعوا أهواءهم) is the complement.

• One for whom evil deeds are made attractive—in contrast to one for whom the clear evidence is manifest and accepted—might still reflect upon the matter and return to the truth, thus being closer to the one who possesses the proof.
• However, if he follows his desires without contemplating the proof or reflecting on the explanation, he reaches the utmost degree of remoteness.

Thus, the Prophet (PBUH) and the believer are at opposite ends of contradiction and maximum divergence from the disbeliever, whom Allah has supported with the clear proof, while the disbeliever has the delusion (الشبهة) and follows his desires, whereas the believer is with Allah.

If we adopt the interpretation that "from his Lord" means attribution to Allah (like saying guidance is from Allah), then "and who follows his own desires" implies a meaning similar to: "Whatever good befalls you, it is from Allah; and whatever evil befalls you, it is from yourself" (An-Nisa: 79).

Grammatical Note on the Second Part: The phrase "like one for whom his evil deeds have been made attractive" (كمن زين له سوء عمله) is in the singular form, referring back to the singular noun (من). However, "and who follows his own desires" (واتبعوا أهواءهم) is in the plural form, referring to the general meaning.

This is because the beautification of evil deeds (التزيين) is uniform for everyone, so it is linked to the singular form (من) due to its proximity in sense and mention. But when following desires (اتباع الهوى), everyone follows their own personal desire, hence the plurality appears, and the plural form is used to reflect the general meaning.

[15] Is the example of Paradise which the righteous are promised—wherein are rivers of water unaltered, rivers of milk the taste of which never changes, rivers of wine delicious to those who drink, and rivers of purified honey—like that of one who will abide eternally in the Fire and be given to drink boiling water which will sever their intestines?