وَاصبِر نَفسَكَ مَعَ الَّذينَ يَدعونَ رَبَّهُم بِالغَداةِ وَالعَشِيِّ يُريدونَ وَجهَهُ ۖ وَلا تَعدُ عَيناكَ عَنهُم تُريدُ زينَةَ الحَياةِ الدُّنيا ۖ وَلا تُطِع مَن أَغفَلنا قَلبَهُ عَن ذِكرِنا وَاتَّبَعَ هَواهُ وَكانَ أَمرُهُ فُرُطًا
Content yourself with the company of those who supplicate their Lord morning and evening, desiring His face, and do not lose sight of them, desiring the glitter of the life of this world. And do not obey him whose heart We have made oblivious to Our remembrance, and who follows his own desires, and whose conduct is [mere] profligacy.
EXEGESIS
Iṣbir nafsak: iṣbir is the imperative of ṣabara from ṣabr, meaning patience. Nafs is a person’s self. It means here to exercise patience over one’s baser desires and not seek the company of those who pursue worldly pleasures. To have ṣabr can mean to contain and limit as well, such as ṣabartu zaydan, meaning ‘I contained (ḥabastu) Zayd’.
Taʿdu ʿaynāka ʿanhum (lose sight of them): taʿdu is from ʿadw which has many different meanings, all of which share in the root meaning of exceeding the bounds (tajāwuz). ʿAynā is the dual of ʿayn, meaning eye, and ka is the suffix which means ‘yours’; that is ‘your two eyes’. ʿAnhum means ‘from them’. Literally then it means: do not let your two eyes move past them, i.e. do not look to anyone besides them, and content yourself with keeping their company.
Zīnah is that which is beautiful, in a way that makes one attracted to it and makes one desire to attain or possess or otherwise come close to it. The same word zīnah was used in verse 7, which was translated as adornment.
Aghfalnā (we have made oblivious) comes from ghaflah, which is a state of forgetfulness that is brought about by lack of focus and not paying the necessary attention to something. The form aghfala can have the meaning of making someone oblivious, or it can mean finding them in an oblivious state. What this means in this specific context is discussed further on.
Amr: as discussed in verse 10, amr can have many different meanings depending on the context. It can mean any state (shaʾn), or to command and order. It is a general word used for all action and speech. Because of this it is difficult to translate, however, here it refers to the general situation that those people are in, or their conduct. Alternative translations could be affair, situation, or outcome. The exegetes have suggested different specific meanings for it here, including:
Furuṭ (profligacy) is from ifrāṭ, which means to exceed the boundary of what is correct and virtuous. With relation to the mentioned meanings of amr it could then mean one of the following:
- The one who does not take the necessary measures to find the truth and thereby exceeds it or falls short of it.
- The one who abandons faith and does not follow revelation, but rather his own desires.
- The one who focuses on his worldly affairs only, ending up with the vices of excess and deficiency in the matters of his religion and faith.
However, what seems most correct is that amr is used in a general sense here and can include any and all of the aforementioned meanings and more, such as: his life is a life of excess and waste, or: his hereafter will not manifest the desired outcome, and so on.
EXPOSITION
In the previous verse God declared that He has revealed the book to His Prophet, and told him some of His plan and decree. It is only natural when one has partial knowledge of a plan and is only told in general what the end goal is, they may get questions in their mind as to how it will be possible, and how will that plan unfold, even if they fully trust the one who has made the plan. This is where patience becomes a quality of key importance. Undoubtedly, some might question why God has given little of worldly goods to the believers, whilst He has given abundantly to many who are vehement enemies of faith. So God commands His Prophet – and the believers – in this verse to be patient with His plan, and to keep steadfast to God’s remembrance and not be distracted by worldly adornments, which as we learned in verse 7 of this surah are only instruments of testing people.
Content yourself with the company of those who supplicate their Lord morning and evening: the address is still to Prophet Muhammad (s) here, who is commanded to patiently seek the company of the sincere believers. Morning and evening is an expression that is used to mean constantly and throughout the day, like saying ‘he is with his books morning and evening’, although some have said it refers to the times of prayer. If we opt for this, then prayer should be understood as the prayer of those who are constantly in their prayers (70:23), which is the continuous and persistent remembrance of God, day after day, morning after evening.
The verse is also a reminder on the importance of good company. Patience and faith are qualities that are best strengthened when exercised in the proximity of other believers: good friends who encourage one to improve and grow closer to God. The companionship of such believers is not only better, it is truer and more lasting, and should be preferred over companionship with unbelievers, who might dazzle one with their wealth, but in doing so draw a person away from faith. See the commentary on the beginning of Sūrat ʿAbasa for more. See also the commentary on the very similar verse, 6:52.
Desiring His face: this is an expression denoting sincerity. It means those who desire His closeness, free from ostentation or other things which might devalue their devotion; face (wajh) is used instead of ‘Him’ to denote glorification and as a sign of grandeur, and this is common in Arabic language; instead of referring to the person of a prominent individual, they refer to his face. Some other opinions are also mentioned. In any case, the face is a figure of speech here and the phrasing utilises metonymy, whereby face is used to indicate the person himself.
Although there is some disagreement about its specific meaning, it is definitely an expression used to describe utter sincerity for God, such as the verse, We feed you only for the sake (wajh) of Allah. We do not want any reward from you nor any thanks (76:9). Whilst some people might desire pomp and glamour and make a big show of everything they do – each donation paraded, names engraved on plaques, demanding thanks and praise, seeking attention and approval of others – the hearts of sincere believers turn to God constantly, whether alone or in a gathering, and they do not do so ostentatiously seeking to elevate their status in front of others. Indeed, they might even be looked down upon as being lesser because of their apparent poverty, lack of material success, and their hidden merits.
And do not lose sight of them: to look at something is to direct one’s attention towards it. Not losing sight of the pious believers should not be understood literally as in one should constantly stare at them, but rather to not lose sight of the goal that one shares with them. As such, God has instructed the believers to not turn their attention away from Him, His remembrance, or the company of those who are engaged in that.
This is easier said than done, though. He has placed ample distractions, in fact, as He said earlier in the surah, everything in this world can be considered as a distraction, Indeed We have made whatever is on the earth an adornment (zīnah) for it that We may test them (verse 7).
The command to not turn the gaze away from the pious believers and their purpose – the face of God, which as we said means utter sincerity and devotion to Him – even for a moment, is a command to devote one’s attention fully and totally to God. This is the purpose for which man has been placed on this earth and his test.
Note also the imagery of the language being used. The command was to remain with those who desire the face of God, to turn from the worldly pursuits and to look only to their company, never glancing at the adornment and glitter of this world. When one faces to look at something their eyes may still move to other directions. The imagery being woven is of someone who might steal a glance from the corner of their eye, even while facing the correct direction. The instruction is to avoid even that smallest of slips, which betrays a lust for the world.
Desiring the glitter of the life of this world: the only reason to turn away from the company of these people would be because of a desire for worldly things. A believer should never fill his heart with the love for this world, Do not extend your glance toward what We have provided certain groups of them as a glitter of the life of this world, so that We may test them thereby (20:131).
And do not obey him whose heart We have made oblivious to Our remembrance: the remembrance of God is the primary instrument by which one avoids falling into a state of obliviousness regarding the reality of this world and one’s true purpose. The verse now adds the heart to the previous imagery of the face and eyes, creating a connection between the three. The heart of those who have turned away from God and His remembrance is made oblivious to their purpose, they have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, they have ears with which they do not hear (7:179). When one faces to look at something that is beautiful and has zīnah, this is not without its effect on the heart. The adornment of this world is such that it fills the eyes and then the heart of the one gazing at it and creates a longing for it, quickly leading to a state of heedless oblivion where one only cares about sating his lusts and finding instant gratification. This effect has been put in it by God in order to test man in his determination, We have made whatever is on the earth an adornment for it (verse 7).
When God commands to not obey them, it means to not listen to their invitation to the same modes of thinking, values, and lifestyles that the oblivious people lead. A believer and a Muslim should always see his own path clearly and not seek to imitate the ones who have an ungodly lifestyle and worldly oriented outlook, That, because they preferred the life of the world to the hereafter and that Allah does not guide the faithless lot (16:107).
The expression We have made oblivious raises the question as to why God would make someone oblivious to His remembrance. The exegetes are divided over the purport of this. It could be that making oblivious has the meaning of calling them oblivious, because that is what they are; or that God found them to be in a state of obliviousness. There is no need for such explanations though as a better option is to say that such a person has wilfully chosen for himself a state of oblivion and God has granted him what he has sought, as attested to by the statement, and who follows his own desires. He has desired worldly possessions and pleasures and God has given him of those, which caused him to become distracted and oblivious, Rivalry [and vainglory] distracted you (102:1). As God is the one who gives of these things, the causation of the state of oblivion can be attributed to Him.
This is explored again in a later verse, Indeed, We have cast veils on their hearts lest they should understand it, and a deafness into their ears (verse 57). In a way it can be seen as a type of punishment from God. Furthermore, the opposite of this statement can be found when God says He grants faith to those who seek it, He has written faith into their hearts (58:22). In brief, God gives to people that which they seek. If they seek worldly pleasure and distraction from true purpose, they are granted more and more of it; if they seek God, guidance, and the hereafter, they are guided to that.
Some have used this to argue that God has created obliviousness in the hearts of certain people. This is clearly incorrect though, as if that were the case then He should not criticise them or punish them. Furthermore, the very next verse says, let anyone who wishes believe it, and let anyone who wishes disbelieve it. If God had created people with oblivious hearts, that statement would not make sense.
And who follows his own desires, and whose conduct is [mere] profligacy: the remembrance of God brings light to a person’s heart, whilst following desires brings about darkness and a state of oblivion.
The love of worldly things, wealth, and the greed that it instils, is the reason why many turn away from God and forget their conscience. They grow proud and ignorant of the reality and truth, turning away from it. This is why God constantly reminds in the Quran to not be swayed by lust and greed and worldly glamour. This is soon explored further in the next story of this surah.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- This verse is said to have been revealed about Salmān al-Fārsī, Abū Dharr, ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir, and others, while the ones whose heart We have made oblivious is said to have been ʿUyaynah ibn al-Ḥuṣayn, al-Aqraʾ ibn Ḥābis, and their circle from ‘those whose hearts were to be reconciled (al-muʾallafatu qulūbuhum)’. Reportedly, the Prophet had desired to sit and meet with some of the leaders and the elite of Medina in order to incline their hearts to Islam, but they set the condition that those poor companions should not be around the Prophet when they wanted to sit and listen to him. He was in the company of Salmān and others of the Aṣḥāb al-Ṣuffah when ʿUyaynah and others came to him and asked them to leave before they sat down to talk to the Prophet, complaining about their smell, or perhaps thinking it beneath themselves to be seen in the company of such people. Reportedly then this verse was revealed, after which the Prophet went to his poorer companions and said: ‘Praise be to God who did not let me die before ordering me to patiently seek the company of [sincere] men from my nation. With you one must live and die.’ Makārim Shīrāzī sees the verse’s command to be patient as proof that Prophet Muhammad (s) was under pressure from some people who wished to create discord in the community.
Notes: 1. If these reports are true, it would mean at least this verse should have been revealed in Medina, as some have argued. What is also possible is that the Prophet simply quoted this verse in response to the situation, not that it was revealed in response to the situation. Another option is to accept the event in general, but to assert that the reported details are incorrect and it in fact happened in Mecca. The most likely is that these narrations are actually in reference to the very similar verse in Sūrat al-Anʿām (6:52). The same reports have been related regarding that verse as well, and that is a Medinan surah. The similarity of the verses has then caused some confusion for the narrators. 2. The fact that God is commanding and prohibiting the Prophet in these verses should not be understood that God has done so because the Prophet had such desires in his heart. Rather, it is much like the verse, if you ascribe a partner to Allah your works shall fail (39:65), a general command from God, not one directed at him because he was doing something wrong. 3. Rāzī plays devil’s advocate and says that some might argue that the harm from turning away the poor is small – they will feel slighted – however, the harm from not turning them away is great, as it means that the disbelievers will remain in disbelief. Therefore, they argue that the Prophet could have asked those poor to leave for the sake of the greater good. The answer to this is that the faith of one who cannot bear to sit next to someone of lesser wealth is no faith at all, but merely hypocrisy.
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
Rāzī proposes that morning and evening might be used because it is the time of waking up from sleep, which is similar to resurrection, whilst evening is the time that a person goes to sleep, which is likened to death. He says that a person should and would remember God the most during these times. Ṭanṭāwī says they are specified because they are usually times that people are busy with other chores and tasks, and only the truly virtuous would remember God at such times.
The face of God has been understood in various ways, many of which are not very convincing and we have refrained from mentioning those arguments. Tabatabai suggests it can also be referring to that which is apparent of something and which you face. According to some, in the context of God this means the names of God, because that is what people turn to when supplicating to God, since His essence (dhāt) is unfathomable. People desire Him and turn to Him because He is the Lord, the merciful, the giver, the hearing, and so on. For this, Tabatabai differentiates between the attributes of action (fiʿl) including the aforementioned, and the attributes that are not borne of action (ghayr fiʿliyyah) like power, knowledge, and glory. He says when a person turns to one of the attributes of action of God, like mercy, he wishes to be granted some of that. Whereas if a person turns to one of the other attributes, he places himself in a position of humility with regards to that. So he would, for example, humble himself in sight of God’s might and consider himself weak and incapable, or see himself as ignorant in comparison to God’s knowledge.
Opposite to this, Makārim Shīrāzī has understood face to mean the essence (dhāt) of God, meaning they desire God Himself, and not what He may grant them. They do not worship Him for the sake of heaven or because of the fear of hell, but out of sincere love for Him and because they only desire His pure essence. He says this is the purest form of love and faith, and that is why it has been specified here.
Mudarrisi sees this verse as also an instruction on what kind of a leader a Muslim should follow. He argues that based on the verse, the most important quality of a leader is that he is in a state of remembrance of God. A leader who is oblivious of God and only after worldly gain should not be followed or obeyed.
INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS
- It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises unto Your name, O Most High: to declare forth Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness in the night.
- From the rising of the sun to its going down, the Lord’s name is to be praised.
- Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Do not pretend to be wiser than you are.
- So flee youthful desires and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
[1] Alusi, 8/249.
[2] Raghib, p. 553-554.
[3] Mizan, 13/240.
[4] Raghib, p. 609.
[5] Tibyan, 7/35-36; Razi, 21/456.
[6] Raghib, p. 88.
[7] Tibyan, 7/36.
[8] Tabrisi, 6/719.
[9] Razi, 21/458.
[10] Tibyan, 7/36.
[11] Tibyan, 7/36.
[12] Tabrisi, 6/719.
[13] Razi, 21/458.
[14] Muhit, 7/166.
[15] Razi, 21/455. This is also in a report attributed to Imam al-Bāqir (a). See Ayyashi, 2/326.
[16] Tibyan, 7/35; Tabrisi, 6/718.
[17] Tibyan, 7/35.
[18] See the Review of Tafsīr Literature section.
[19] Razi, 21/456.
[20] Tibyan, 7/35-36. Other opinions have also been mentioned, see for example Tabrisi, 6/718; Razi, 21/456-457.
[21] Mizan, 13/303.
[22] Tibyan, 7/36.
[23] Muhit, 7/167-816.
[24] Razi, 21/456-457, who also adds that if that were the case then the subsequent statement should say fattabaʿa hawāhu instead of wattabaʿa hawāhu, because then following desires would be a consequence of God making their hearts oblivious. This is not a particularly good argument though as even if it was preceded by fa it could be construed as being a result of the person wilfully making themselves oblivious. Rāzī himself also criticises the opinion that he has related, but with a slightly different argument.
[25] Razi, 21/457.
[26] Tabrisi, 6/717; Tibyan, 7/35; Tabari, 15/155-156; Suyuti, 4/219; Thalabi, 6/165-166.
[27] Tabrisi, 6/718.
[28] The Aṣḥāb al-Ṣuffah, or the impoverished People of the Veranda, were those poor migrants to Medina who had no income or homes and who used to spend their days next to the mosque of Medina.
[29] Qummi, 2/34-35; Tabari, 15/155; Thalabi, 6/165-166; Muhit, 7/166; Suyuti, 4/219.
[30] Tabrisi, 6/718; Tabari, 15/156; Thalabi, 6/166; Qurtubi, 10/391.
[31] Nemuneh, 12/416.
[32] See the Introduction.
[33] This understanding is supported by the fact that there are other narrations whereby the Prophet walks by some of his poorer companions and recites the verse in question and says the above quote. See for example Suyuti, 4/219-220.
[34] Qurtubi, 10/391.
[35] Razi, 21/458.
[36] Razi, 21/455.
[37] Tantawi, 8/508.
[38] Mizan, 13/302.
[39] Nemuneh, 12/416. For more on his take on the attributes of God see his commentary on verse 2:255.
[40] Mudarrisi, 6/403-404.
[41] Psalms 92:1-2.
[42] Psalms 113:3.
[43] Romans 12:16.
[44] 2 Timothy 2:22.