Tafsir of An-Najm 53:33

{وأكدى} (And he stopped giving): It means he cut off his gift and withheld it. Its origin is ikda’ al-hafir (the digging of the digger), which occurs when he encounters a kudya—a hardness like a rock—so he stops digging. Similarly, it is said ajbala al-hafir (the digger reached a mountain/impassable rock), and metaphorically, ajbala al-sha’ir (the poet became speechless/exhausted).

It is narrated that Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) used to spend his wealth in charity. Abdullah bin Sa’d bin Abi Sarh, his foster brother, said to him, "You are about to leave yourself with nothing." Uthman replied, "I have sins and faults, and I seek through what I do the pleasure of Allah and hope for His pardon." Abdullah said, "Give me your she-camel with its saddle, and I will take all your sins upon myself." Uthman gave it to him, called witnesses, and stopped giving charity. Then this verse was revealed.

{تولى} (Turned away): Meaning he abandoned his post on the day of Uhud. Uthman later returned to a state better and more beautiful than that.

{فهو يرى} (And he sees): He knows that what his brother told him regarding taking on his sins was a lie.

{وإبراهيم الذي وفى} (And Abraham who fulfilled): Read both with takhfif (light) and tashdid (heavy); the latter is an intensification of fulfillment. It may also mean "he completed and perfected," as in the verse: {He completed them} (Al-Baqarah: 124). It is left general to encompass every type of fulfillment: his conveying of the message, his bearing the burdens of prophethood, his patience in sacrificing his son and in the fire of Nimrod, and his hospitality. He would walk a farsakh every day seeking a guest; if he found one, he honored him, otherwise, he intended to fast.

Al-Hasan said: "Allah never commanded him with anything but that he fulfilled it." Al-Huzayl bin Sharhabil said: "Between Noah and Abraham, a man was held responsible for the crime of another—killed for his father, son, uncle, or wife. Abraham was the first to oppose this."

Ata’ bin al-Sa’ib said: "He made a covenant never to ask a creature for anything. When he was thrown into the fire, Gabriel and Michael asked him, 'Do you have a need?' He replied, 'As for you, no.'"

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "He fulfilled his work every day with four rak'ahs at the beginning of the day, which is the Duha prayer."

It is said: "He fulfilled the 'shares of Islam,' which are thirty: ten in Repentance (Al-Ta’ibun...), ten in Al-Ahzab (Indeed, the Muslim men...), and ten in Al-Mu’minun (Certainly will the believers have succeeded)."

{ألا تزر} (That no bearer of burdens shall bear): An is the lightened form of the heavy anna. The pronoun is the "pronoun of the matter" (dhamir al-sha’n). The place of an and what follows is in the genitive case as a substitute for what is in the scrolls of Moses, or in the nominative as: "It is that no bearer shall bear..."

{إلا ما سعى} (Except what he strove for): Except for his own striving. If you ask: "Is it not established in the reports that charity on behalf of the deceased, Hajj for him, and the multiplication of rewards are valid?" I say: There are two answers. First, the striving of another does not benefit him except when it is built upon his own striving—that he was a believing, righteous person. The multiplication is similar; the other's striving is as if it were his own, because it is a consequence of his own life. Second, the striving of another does not benefit him if he did it for himself, but if he intends it for the deceased, then by the law of the Sharia, he is like a deputy or agent standing in his place.

{ثم يجزاه} (Then he will be recompensed for it): The servant is recompensed for his striving. It is said jazahu Allahu ‘amalahu (Allah recompensed him for his work), omitting the preposition and connecting the verb. It is also possible the pronoun refers to the jaza’ (recompense), then he explains it by saying {the fullest recompense}.

{وأن إلى ربك المنتهى} (And that to your Lord is the finality): Read with fath (al-muntaha) meaning all this is in the scrolls, and with kasra (al-muntaha) as an initial clause. Al-muntaha is a verbal noun meaning the end, i.e., the creation ends at Him and returns to Him.

{أضحك وأبكى} (He made laugh and made weep): He created the faculties of laughter and weeping.

{إذا تمنى} (When he emits): When he gushes into the womb. It is said mana and amna. Al-Akhfash said: "He creates from the emission of the emitter," meaning He determines the determiner.

{وأقنى} (And He gave wealth): He gave qunya, which is wealth you have accumulated and resolved not to let leave your hand.

{الشعرى} (Sirius): The star behind Gemini, called the "Dog of the Giant." There are two Sirius stars: al-ghumaysa’ and al-‘abur; he meant al-‘abur. The Khuza’a tribe used to worship it, a practice initiated by Abu Kabsha, one of their nobles. The Quraysh used to call the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) "Abu Kabsha" to mock him for opposing their religion, implying he was the lord of this deity of theirs.

{عاداً الأولى} (‘Ad the first): The people of Hud. {وعاداً الأخرى} (And ‘Ad the last): Iram. It is said "the first" means the ancients, as they were the first nation destroyed after Noah, or those who were first in worldly status.

{أظلم وأطغى} (More unjust and more rebellious): Because they used to harm him and beat him until he could not move, and they would turn people away from him, even warning their children not to listen to him. His supplication did not affect them for nearly a thousand years.

{والمؤتفكة} (And the overturned): The cities that were overturned upon their people, the people of Lot.

{أهوى} (He cast down): He lifted them to the sky on the wing of Gabriel, then cast them down to the earth.

{فغشاها ما غشى} (And covered them with what covered them): A terror and magnification of what was poured upon them of punishment and the rain of layered stones.