Al-A'raf: (169-170) Then there succeeded them successors...

Know that His saying: {Then there succeeded them successors} (Fakhallafa min ba'dihim khalaf) implies that the first group was praiseworthy, and the second group is blameworthy. If this is the case, then the meaning must be: Successors succeeded the righteous ones among them who were previously mentioned.

Al-Zajjaj said: Khalaf (successor) is what is left to you from what was taken from you. For this reason, the generation that comes after another generation is called khalaf. It is also said khalaf for them. Ahmad ibn Yahya said: All people say khalaf ṣidq (a true successor) and khalaf sū’ (an evil successor), and khalaf is only used for evil.

The essence of the matter is: Some Arab linguists said that al-khalaf and al-khalaf can refer to both the righteous and the wicked. Others say that al-khalaf is exclusively used for blame. Labīd said:

Some say that the khalaf used in blame is derived from al-khalf, which means corruption. Bad speech is called khalf. Hence the famous proverb: "He remained silent for a thousand [years] and spoke khalf (falsely/wickedly)." The thing yakhlufu khulūfan wa khalafan if it becomes corrupt. Likewise, the mouth if its smell changes.

His saying: {they take the transient goods of this lowly [world]} (ya’khudhūna ‘araḍa hādhā al-adnā). Abu ‘Ubaydah said: All worldly possessions are ‘araḍ (with an open rā’), meaning immediate worldly goods that both the righteous and the wicked consume. As for ‘arḍ (with a silent rā’), it is what opposes the eye, meaning dirhams and dinars, and its plural is ‘urūḍ. Thus, every ‘araḍ is ‘arḍ, but not every ‘arḍ is ‘araḍ.

What is meant by {the transient goods of this lowly [world]} is the fleeting enjoyment of this world and what one partakes of it. In His saying {this lowly [world]}, there is a sense of belittling and contempt. {The lowly} (al-adnā) is either from dunuw (nearness) because it is immediate and close, or from the lowness, degradation, and scarcity of its status. What is meant is the bribes they used to take in judgments to distort the speech.

Then the Almighty recounted that they belittled that sin and said: "It will be forgiven for us."

Then He said: {And if a similar transient good comes to them, they will take it}. This refers to informing about their persistence in sins. Al-Hasan said: This is an account of their greed for the world and that they do not enjoy it [truly].

Then the Almighty clarified the ugliness of their action, saying: {Did they not take the covenant of the Book}—meaning the Torah—{that they should not say about Allah except the truth}? It is said that this means they were forbidden from distorting the Book and changing the laws because of taking bribes. Another view is that it refers to their saying, "This sin will be forgiven for us," while persisting in it, which is a false statement.

If it is asked: This statement indicates that the ruling of the Torah is that the perpetrator of a major sin is not forgiven.

We say: They were certain that this major sin was forgiven, whereas we are not certain of forgiveness; rather, we hope for forgiveness. We say that even if Allah punishes them for it, that punishment will be finite, not eternal.

Then the Almighty said: {And they studied what was in it} (wa darasū mā fīh), meaning they remember what was taken from them because they have read and studied it.

Then He said: {And the Home of the Hereafter is better for those who fear [Allah]}—better than those vile, belittled bribes—{Do they not then understand?} (Afalā ya‘qilūn).

As for His saying: {And those who hold fast to the Book} (Wa-lladhīna yamsikūna bi-l-kitāb). It is said: māsaktu bi-l-shay’, tamassaktu bihi, istamsaktu bihi, and imtasaqtu bihi. Abu Bakr read {yamsikūna} (with a light sīn) while the rest read it with a shaddah (doubled sīn).

The proof for ‘Āṣim’s reading (light sīn) is His saying: {then retention with kindness} (Al-Baqarah: 229), and His saying: {Keep your wife to yourself} (Al-Aḥzāb: 37), and His saying: {so eat of what they have held for you} (Al-Mā’idah: 4). Al-Wāḥidī said: The shaddah (doubling) is stronger because the doubling indicates intensity/multiplicity, which is intended here. Also, one says amsaktuhu (I held it), and rarely does one say amsaktu bihi.

Once you know this, we say: Regarding {And those who hold fast to the Book}, there are two views:

The first view is that it is in the nominative case (marfū‘) by way of being a subject (ibtidā’), and its predicate (khabar) is {Indeed, We do not allow to be lost the reward of the reformers} (Innā lā nuḍī‘u ajra al-muṣliḥīn). The meaning is: Indeed, We do not allow their reward to be lost. This is like His saying: {Indeed, those who believed and did righteous deeds, indeed We will not allow to be lost the reward of those who did good work} (Al-Kahf: 30). This view is good because after mentioning the warning for those who abandon holding fast to the Book, He followed it with the promise for those who hold fast to it.

The second view is that it is in the genitive case (majrūr) as an attribution (‘aṭf) to His saying {those who fear} (alladhīna yattaqūn), and the saying {Indeed, We do not allow...} is an additional phrase mentioned to emphasize what preceded it.

If it is asked: Holding fast to the Book encompasses all acts of worship, including establishing the prayer. Why was the prayer singled out?

We say: To show the high rank of the prayer, as it is the greatest act of worship after faith.

{And [mention] when We caused the mountain to hover above them as if it were a shadow, and they thought that it was about to fall upon them. [We said], "Take what We have given you with strength and remember what is in it that you may become righteous."}