Tafsir of Ash-Shu`ara' 26:83

"Judgment" (al-ḥukm): It means wisdom, or the ability to judge between people with truth. It is also said to mean prophethood, for a prophet possesses both wisdom and the authority to judge among the servants of God.

"And join me with the righteous": This means to grant him success in deeds that will cause him to be counted among them, or to unite him with them in Paradise. God answered him, as He said: "And indeed, in the Hereafter, he is among the righteous" (Al-Baqarah: 130, An-Nahl: 122, Al-Ankabut: 27).

"Disgrace" (al-ikhza’): Derived from al-khizy (humiliation) or al-khizayah (shame/modesty). This is similar to the prophets seeking forgiveness for things that were already forgiven.

"The day they are resurrected": The pronoun refers to the servants, as it is understood, or to the misguided. It implies: "Do not disgrace me on the day the misguided are resurrected, while my father is among them."

"Except for one who comes to God with a sound heart": This is an exception (istithna’) from the phrase "one who comes to God." It is like the saying: "Their greeting among them is a painful blow; their only reward is the sword." The explanation is: If someone asks you, "Does Zayd have wealth and sons?" you reply, "His wealth and his sons are the soundness of his heart." You intend to negate the wealth and sons from him and affirm the soundness of his heart in their place.

Alternatively, you may interpret the speech based on meaning, treating "wealth and sons" as synonymous with "wealth/riches." It is as if it were said: "The day when no wealth benefits, except the wealth of one who comes to God with a sound heart." For a man’s true wealth in his religion is the soundness of his heart, just as his wealth in this world is his money and children.

You may also consider the exception to be munqaṭi‘ (disjunctive). In this case, you must assume an implied noun (a state/condition), which is "soundness of heart." It is not of the same category as wealth and sons, leading to the meaning that wealth and sons do not benefit, but only the soundness of the heart does. If the implied noun is not assumed, the exception lacks meaning.

Some have interpreted "one who is among the heirs of the Garden of Bliss" as the object of "benefit." That is: "Neither wealth nor sons benefit, except for a man whose heart was sound along with his wealth—by spending it in obedience to God—and along with his sons—by guiding them to the religion and teaching them the laws." In this view, "except for one who comes to God with a sound heart" refers to being safe from the trials of wealth and sons.

"Soundness of heart": It means safety from the afflictions of disbelief and disobedience. Among the honors God bestowed upon His Friend (Abraham) and the indication of his high status in sincerity is that He recounted this exception as a narrative of one satisfied with his own attainment. He then made it a description of him in His saying: "And indeed, among his followers was Abraham, when he came to his Lord with a sound heart" (As-Saffat: 83-84).

Among the novel interpretations: Some interpret "sound" (salīm) as "stung" (ladīgh) by the fear of God. Another says: It is one who is safe (salima), peaceful (sallama), submissive (aslama), conciliatory (sālama), and surrendered (istaslama).

How excellent is the order of Abraham’s speech with the polytheists:

1. He first asked them about what they worship—a question of confirmation, not inquiry.
2. He then attacked their idols, invalidating them by showing they neither harm nor benefit, nor see nor hear, contrary to their imitation of their forefathers. He shattered their position, removing it from being a doubt, let alone a proof.
3. He then framed the matter within himself, apart from them, transitioning to the mention of God Almighty. He magnified His status and enumerated His blessings—from his creation and inception until his death—along with the hope of His mercy in the Hereafter.
4. He followed this by calling upon Him with the supplications of the sincere and the entreaty of the repentant.
5. He then connected this to the mention of the Day of Resurrection, God’s reward and punishment, and the regret and sorrow the polytheists will face on that day for the misguidance they were in, and their wish to return to the world to believe and obey.

"And Paradise will be brought near to the righteous, and Hellfire will be displayed to the deviators. And it will be said to them, 'Where is what you used to worship other than God? Can they help you or help themselves?' So they will be overturned into it—they and the deviators, and the soldiers of Iblis, all together."