Tafsir of Al-Qamar 54:35

Surah Al-Qamar (54): Verse 35

"A favor from Us."

This means that this salvation (from destruction) was a grace from Us, just as their destruction would have been justice. If God had destroyed them, that would have been just.

The wise say that a diseased limb must be cut off, and a part of the healthy tissue must necessarily be removed along with it to eradicate the corruption completely. However, God Almighty is capable of perfect discernment, so He has a choice:

1. He could destroy those who believed and yet denied (the message).
2. Then, He could establish those who believed among the saved in the abode of recompense.
3. Or, He could destroy those who denied.

The statement "A favor from Us" points to this choice.

There are two interpretations regarding its grammatical position (in the accusative case):

1. It is an object of purpose (maf'ūl lah): As if He is saying, "We saved them as a favor from Us."
2. It is a verbal noun (maṣdar): Since salvation is a bestowal of favor, it is as if God is saying, "We bestowed favor upon them by saving them, as a bestowal of favor."

"Thus do We recompense those who are grateful."

There are two interpretations for this statement:

1. The apparent meaning (held by most exegetes): This means that just as We saved the believers in this world, We will save the Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH) from general destruction and comprehensive calamities, as a promise to them.
2. The sounder interpretation: This is a promise to them of reward in the Hereafter. It is as if He is saying, "Just as We favored them in this world (by saving them), We will favor them on the Day of Reckoning."

What supports the second interpretation is that salvation from worldly destruction is not mandatory (for a believer), whereas salvation from God's punishment in the Hereafter is mandatory due to the threat of punishment. Similarly, God saves the grateful from the Fire of Hell and leaves the wrongdoers therein.

This is supported by His saying:

"Whoever desires the reward of this world - We give him thereof. And whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter - We give him thereof, and We will recompense the grateful." (Al 'Imran: 145)

And His saying:

"So Allah rewarded them for what they said with Gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding eternally therein. And that is the recompense of the doers of good." (Al-Ma'idah: 85)

Since the grateful person is a doer of good (muḥsin), it is understood that the intended recompense here is in the Hereafter.

Then, the Almighty said:

"And certainly, He had warned them of Our might, but they disputed the warnings."