Tafsir of Ash-Shura 42:22-23

{You will see the wrongdoers} in the Hereafter {fearful}—terrified with an intense fear that has softened their hearts—{of what they have earned} of evil deeds, {and it will befall them}. He means: its consequence will befall them and reach them; they cannot escape it, whether they are fearful or not.

{...at their Lord} is in the accusative case as an adverbial of place, not governed by "they wish." It is read as yubashshiru (He gives glad tidings), yubashsharu (he is given glad tidings), and yubashshiru (he gives glad tidings). The original structure is: "That is the reward which Allah gives as glad tidings to His servants," but the preposition was omitted, as in His saying: {And Moses chose his people} (Al-A'raf: 155). Then, the pronoun referring back to the relative pronoun was omitted, as in His saying: {Is this the one whom Allah has sent as a messenger?} (Al-Furqan: 41). Or, it means: "That glad tidings which Allah gives to His servants."

It is narrated that the polytheists gathered and asked one another: "Do you think Muhammad asks for a reward for what he is doing?" Then this verse was revealed: {Except for affection in kinship}.

It may be a connected exception: "I do not ask you for a reward except for this," which is that you show affection to my kin. This was not truly a reward, for his kinship was their kinship, and maintaining ties with them was a duty of chivalry.

It may be a disconnected exception: "I do not ask you for any reward at all, but I ask you to love my kin—who are also your kin—and do not harm them."

If you ask: "Why was it not said 'Except for the affection of the kin' or 'Except for the affection for the kin'? And what is the meaning of {Except for affection in kinship}?" I say: They made the kinship a place and a repository for affection, like saying: "I have affection in the family of so-and-so," or "I have deep love and passion in them." You mean: I love them, and they are the place and locus of my love. The "in" (fi) is not a connector for the affection, like the "for" (lam) in "affection for the kin." Rather, it is attached to an implied element, just as the prepositional phrase is attached in "The money is in the bag." Its estimation is: "Except for affection established and firmly rooted in the kin." Al-Qurba is a verbal noun like al-zulfa and al-bushra, meaning "kinship." The intent is "the people of kinship."

It is narrated that when this was revealed, it was asked: "O Messenger of Allah, who are your kin whose affection has been made obligatory upon us?" He said: "Ali, Fatima, and their two sons." This is supported by what is narrated from Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): "I complained to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about people's envy of me. He said: 'Are you not satisfied to be the fourth of four: the first to enter Paradise—I, you, Hasan, and Husayn—with our wives to our right and left, and our descendants behind our wives?'"

And from the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Paradise is forbidden to anyone who wrongs my household or harms me regarding my progeny. Whoever does a favor to one of the children of Abd al-Muttalib and is not rewarded for it, I will reward him for it tomorrow when he meets me on the Day of Resurrection."

It is narrated that the Ansar said: "We did this and that," as if boasting. Abbas or Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) said: "We have superiority over you." This reached the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), so he came to them in their gatherings and said: "O Ansar, were you not lowly, and Allah honored you through me?" They said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said: "Were you not astray, and Allah guided you through me?" They said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said: "Will you not answer me?" They said: "What shall we say, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Will you not say: 'Did your people not expel you, and we sheltered you? Did they not belie you, and we believed you? Did they not forsake you, and we supported you?'" He continued until they knelt on their knees and said: "Our wealth and what is in our hands belong to Allah and His Messenger." Then the verse was revealed.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever dies loving the family of Muhammad dies a martyr. Whoever dies loving the family of Muhammad dies forgiven. Whoever dies loving the family of Muhammad dies repentant. Whoever dies loving the family of Muhammad dies a believer with complete faith. Whoever dies loving the family of Muhammad, the Angel of Death gives him glad tidings of Paradise, then Munkar and Nakir. Whoever dies loving the family of Muhammad is led to Paradise as a bride is led to her husband's house. Whoever dies loving the family of Muhammad, two doors to Paradise are opened for him in his grave. Whoever dies loving the family of Muhammad, Allah makes his grave a place of visitation for the angels of mercy. Whoever dies loving the family of Muhammad dies upon the Sunnah and the Community. Whoever dies hating the family of Muhammad comes on the Day of Resurrection with 'Despairing of Allah's mercy' written between his eyes. Whoever dies hating the family of Muhammad dies a disbeliever. Whoever dies hating the family of Muhammad will not smell the scent of Paradise."

It is said: There was no clan of Quraysh but that there was kinship between them and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). When they belied him and refused to pledge allegiance, this was revealed. The meaning is: "Except that you love me for the sake of kinship," meaning: for the sake of the right of kinship or because of it, just as you say "Love for the sake of Allah" and "Hatred for the sake of Allah," meaning: for His right and because of Him. He means: You are my people and the most deserving of answering and obeying me. Since you have refused that, then observe the right of kinship and do not harm me or incite others against me.

It is said: The Ansar brought wealth they had collected to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, Allah has guided us through you, and you are the son of our sister, and you face hardships and obligations, and you have wealth; so use this for what befalls you." Then this was revealed, and he rejected it.

It is said: Al-Qurba means "drawing near to Allah," meaning: "Except that you love Allah and His Messenger in your drawing near to Him through obedience and righteous deeds."

{Whoever commits a good deed}: According to Al-Suddi, this is the affection for the family of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), revealed regarding Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) and his affection for them. The apparent meaning is general for any good deed, but because it was mentioned after the mention of affection for the kin, it indicates that it primarily encompasses that affection, as if all other good deeds are secondary to it.

{...may He increase}: Meaning, may Allah increase. The increase of its goodness from Allah is its multiplication, as in His saying: {Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over?} (Al-Baqarah: 245). It is also read as husna, which is a verbal noun like bushra. Al-Shakur (The Appreciative) in the attributes of Allah is a metaphor for acknowledging obedience, fulfilling its reward, and bestowing favor upon the one rewarded.