Tafsir of Al-Insan 76:24

Surah Al-Insan (The Human Being): Verse 24

فاصبر لحكم ربك (So be patient for the judgment of your Lord.)

This phrase can have two meanings:

1. Patience regarding the ruling on delaying permission for fighting (Jihad): Similar to the verse, "So be patient until Allah judges between us, and He is the best of judges" (Al-A'raf: 87).
2. General patience regarding all divine commands: Meaning, be patient in everything your Lord has decreed, whether it is a specific obligation upon you (acts of worship and obedience) or related to conveying the Message and bearing the hardships arising from it.

Following this, there are several inquiries regarding the preceding verses (which are implied to be about not obeying certain people):

The verse implies: "Do not obey [the disbeliever]... or the great sinner/disbeliever, and remember..." Why mention "and remember" after forbidding obedience, as it seems redundant?

Answer: The first command relates to what must be done (obligations), while the second relates to what must be avoided (prohibitions). Indicating one through the other (implying the opposite) is based on necessary implication (iltizām), not explicit statement (taṣrīḥ). Therefore, explicitly stating both is beneficial.

Answer: The purpose is to demonstrate that people constantly need divine guidance and reminder due to the inherent desires that lead them toward corruption. If anyone were self-sufficient without God's success, support, and guidance, the most deserving person would be the infallible Messenger. Once this is understood, every Muslim realizes their own need to turn to God and supplicate Him to protect them from doubts and desires.

Answer:

• Al-Āthim: One who commits sins, regardless of the type of sin.
• Al-Kafūr: One who denies blessings/favors (ingrate).

Every Kafūr is an Āthim, but not every Āthim is a Kafūr. We say Āthim is general because the Almighty said, "And whoever associates partners with Allah, has indeed fabricated a mighty sin" (An-Nisa: 48), calling polytheism a sin. He also said, "And do not conceal testimony, for whoever conceals it, indeed his heart is sinful" (Al-Baqarah: 283), and "And leave the apparent and hidden aspects of sin" (Al-An'am: 120), and "They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, 'In both is great sin...'" (Al-Baqarah: 219). These verses show that ithm (sin) encompasses all disobedience.

Know that anyone who worships other than God combines both descriptions, as by worshipping another, they have disobeyed Him and denied His favors.

Given this, there are two interpretations of the verse:

1. Specific Individuals: Some scholars said al-āthim and al-kafūr refer to one person: Abu Jahl. Others said al-āthim is Al-Walid and al-kafūr is 'Utbah. Al-Qaffal suggested this is supported by the description of Al-Walid as athīm in the verses: "And obey not every habitual swearer, the defamer..." (Al-Qalam: 10-12). The author of Al-Kashshāf narrated that al-āthim was 'Utbah and al-kafūr was Al-Walid, because 'Utbah was habitually engaged in sins and corruption, while Al-Walid was extreme in disbelief. The first view is preferable as it is supported by the Quran. It is narrated that 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah told the Prophet (PBUH): "Return from this matter until I marry you to my daughter, for I am the most handsome youth of Quraysh." Al-Walid said: "I will give you wealth until you are satisfied, for I am the wealthiest among them." The Messenger of Allah recited ten verses from the beginning of Ḥā Mīm As-Sajdah until the verse, "But if they turn away, then say, 'I have warned you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt of 'Ad and Thamud'" (Fussilat: 1-13). They departed, and one of them said, "I thought the Ka'bah was about to fall upon me."
2. General Terms: Al-āthim and al-kafūr are general terms, not restricted to specific individuals. This is closer to the apparent meaning. Al-Hasan said al-āthim refers to the hypocrites and al-kafūr to the polytheists of Arabia. This is weak; the truth is what we stated: al-āthim is general, and al-kafūr is specific (to the highest degree of disbelief/ingratitude).

Answer: Al-Kafūr represents the most malicious type of Āthim; singling him out is to draw attention to the extreme malice and the furthest distance from God.

Answer: Scholars offered two views:

1. The view of Al-Zajjaj (preferred by most verifiers): If it were said, "And do not obey them both" (wa lā tuṭi'humā), it would permit obeying one of them, because prohibiting obedience to the sum of two people does not necessarily prohibit obeying each one individually. However, prohibiting obedience to one of them necessarily implies prohibiting obedience to both of them, as one is included in the whole. (A counter-argument can be made: A master might tell his servant, "If either of these two men orders you, disobey him," but if they agree, he might not require disobedience.)
2. The view of Al-Farra': The intended meaning is, "Do not obey any of them," whether he is al-āthim or al-kafūr. This is like someone saying to a petitioner, "I will not give you," whether you ask or remain silent.

Know that after mentioning this prohibition, the Almighty immediately followed it with a command:

! 7 < { واذكر اسم ربك بكرة وأصيلا * ومن اليل فاسجد له وسبحه ليلا طويلا } . > 7 ! < (And remember the Name of your Lord morning and evening, And during a part of the night, prostrate to Him and glorify Him for a long part of the night.)