لِنَفتِنَهُم فيهِ ۚ وَمَن يُعرِض عَن ذِكرِ رَبِّهِ يَسلُكهُ عَذابًا صَعَدًا
So that We may test them therein, and whoever turns away from the remembrance of his Lord, He will let him into an escalating punishment.
EXEGESIS
Li-naftinahum: naftinu is an imperfect tense verb that derives from the root fatana which lexically means to melt gold or silver in order to determine their genuineness. Tabatabai defines fitnah – one of the nominal derivatives of fatana – as a means through which something is tested. He believes that it is in view of this that the term came to be interchangeably used for affliction and test and what often surrounds the two of hardships. Polytheism and misguidance are also termed fitnah because they result in hardships and divine punishment. Similarly, wealth, children, infidelity (kufr), and difference of opinion are also sometimes termed as fitnah in Arabic. Accordingly, in the verse under discussion, the verb naftinu implies that God shall try those who showed resistance on the path of truth by means of ample material bounties in order to determine the strength of their faith in Him.
Yuʿriḍ is the imperfect tense of the verb aʿraḍa. Aʿraḍa is form 4 of the verb ʿaraḍa that lexically denotes to become broad or to become visible. However, in form 4, the verb is mostly used with the preposition ʿan and implies to turn away or to avoid something.
In the verse under discussion, turning away (iʿrāḍ) from God’s remembrance is a consequence of lack of steadfastness on the path of obedience to God. Tabatabai maintains that it is turning away from God’s remembrance that leads one to enter the fire, and it is for this very reason that it has been specifically mentioned in this verse in place of lack of perseverance. The verse would accordingly read: and whoever turns away from the remembrance of his Lord due to lack of steadfastness on the path of truth, He will let him into an escalating punishment.
Dhikr is a noun that lexically means to remember or to mention something. Ibn Manẓūr defines it as preserving the memory of something. Rāghib further explicates the meaning of dhikr by describing it as the presence of something in the heart or tongue of a person, be it after a state of forgetfulness or a continuation of the previous state of remembrance. It can thus be inferred that dhikr implies to remember, or remind oneself, of something such that it is as if present in front of the person.
The fragment remembrance of his Lord in this verse has been diversely interpreted by the exegetes to be implying either listening to and acting on the Quran, God’s worship and His admonition, or gratitude to God.
Yasluk-hu is an imperfect tense verb that derives from the root sulūk which means to travel along a road or to enter upon a course. The verb has appeared in this meaning in the Quran, among other instances, in 16:69 and 72:20. Nonetheless, the verb also carries the connotation of making someone enter upon a course and has occurred in the Quran in this sense in, for instance, 15:12 and 74:42. In the verse under discussion, the verb yasluk has been used in the second sense. Ṭabrisī holds that the wisdom behind the usage of the verb yasluk-hu (walking along a road) in this verse is due to the mention of the path (al-ṭarīqah) in verse 16.
ʿAdhāb is a noun that is famously expounded in Arabic as punishment, suffering, and agony. The term has been diversely defined by lexicologists and researchers as continuous agony, severe pain, and severe torment. With regard to the origin of the word ʿadhāb, Rāghib recounts the following four views:
- It comes from the verb ʿadhaba that denotes a person who has abandoned eating and sleeping. The noun taʿdhīb thus means to put someone in a situation where he experiences hunger and sleeplessness. ʿAdhāb would hence signify the undergoing of starvation and wakefulness which is per se a cause of discomfort for man.
- It is from the noun ʿadhb that implies sweet and pleasant. One of the meanings of the verb ʿadhdhabtuhu in Arabic is ‘I obliterated pleasantness from his life’, similar to the verb marraḍtuhu which is also used to imply ‘I cured him of his illness’. The term ʿadhāb, according to this, would mean unpleasant life filled with difficulties and hardships.
- It derives from the noun taʿdhīb meaning to constantly strike somebody with the edge of a lash. Some grammarians maintain that taʿdhīb implies to beat and hit.
- It comes from the noun ʿadhab as in the sentence māʾun ʿadhab, which implies muddy water. The verb ʿadhdhabtuhu in this sense means to spoil someone’s life by causing him distress.
The word ʿadhāb has occurred on numerous occasions in the Quran. It has been used to refer to the everlasting divine retribution in the hereafter, as well as to worldly punishment (see 9:26 and 24:2). The term as used in this verse apparently refers to divine chastisement in the hereafter.
Ṣaʿad is a noun, meaning difficult. However, Rāghib is of the view that the term originally means a barrier or an obstacle which gradually came to be figuratively used to denote hardship and difficulty. The term ṣaʿad has its origin in the noun ṣuʿūd that signifies rising and advancing towards a place that is elevated. It could be due to the struggle involved in ascending to a higher position or passing through an obstacle that the term ṣāʿad came to be identified with difficulty.
The term has been used in this verse as an adjective to ʿadhāb (punishment). It has been interpreted in the verse to imply either a punishment that is overwhelming and difficult to bear; a punishment that rises over the person and overpowers him; severe punishment; or a punishment that is difficult. Makārim Shīrāzī gives the possibility that, in addition to being difficult, the term ṣaʿad in the verse may also be signifying the escalating nature of such a punishment.
EXPOSITION
The first part of this verse explains the wisdom behind the divine act of bestowing abundant bounties on monotheistic societies as stated in the previous verse, whilst the second part of the verse points to the consequence of turning away from God.
The jointed pronoun hi (he/it) in the prepositional phrase fī-hi (therein) in this verse, refers grammatically to water mentioned in the previous verse. As such, profuse material blessings and increase in natural resources as a result of perseverance on the path of faith is for the purpose of testing the community of believers. In other words, although increase in material bounties is a blessing from God to believers due to their resistance on the path of truth, it is at the same time a means by which God tests His servants to ascertain whether they still remain steadfast on the path of obedience, or become distracted by material comfort. If they still persisted in their adherence to God’s path and the material bounties did not distract them from being grateful to Him, they would achieve felicity in this world and the hereafter. In other than this case, they would be subjected to divine chastisement.
The divine norm to test His creation after they have professed belief in Him has been mentioned in other verses of the Quran, such as 29:2-3, 2:214, and 3:142.
Lack of perseverance on the path of God leads man to turn away (iʿrāḍ) from God. Beside divine chastisement on the Day of Resurrection, turning away from God has negative implications for human society in this life also: But whoever disregards My remembrance, his shall be a wretched life, and on the Day of Resurrection We shall raise him blind (20:124). According to Ṭūsī, iʿrāḍ from God’s remembrance occurs when man stops engagement in positive contemplation that would lead him to an in-depth understanding of God and His oneness, and to worship Him sincerely.
A close look at the verse shows that there is a shift in the tone of the verse from that of address: So that We … to that of absence: remembrance of his Lord, instead of ‘Our remembrance’. Explaining the wisdom behind this, Tabatabai asserts that the intent in this part of the verse is to emphasise the idea that the authority to subject to punishment those who turn away from God’s remembrance originates in divine lordship (rubūbiyyah), hence the use of the word Lord (rabb) in the verse.
Divine test through material favours is more complex in nature as well as more difficult to pass. This is because it gradually leads man to become irresolute as a result of immersion in worldly pleasures and comfort. This in turn lays the ground for a person to easily fall into Satan’s trap and eventually move away from the truth. It is only those who are constantly in God’s remembrance (dhikr) who succeed in this test and are able to overpower Satan.
Divine test through blessings has been mentioned in other verses of the Quran, such as 8:28, 64:15, and in the words of Prophet Solomon (a) in 27:40: This is by the grace of my Lord, to test me if I will give thanks or be ungrateful.
As verse 16 of this surah disclosed the relationship between faith, God-consciousness, and abundance in material bounties, this verse uncovers the close association of God’s favours with divine test, in addition to the connection between disregard for God’s remembrance and escalating divine punishment.
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
Based on the interpretation of verse 16 offered by Zamakhsharī that ‘Had the jinn continued on the path they followed before Islam, We would have provided them with ample provision’, the role of material blessings in this case is to make the faithless lot immersed in worldly desires so that they may increase in sinful acts. Based on this reading, this verse would be similar in meaning to 3:178. He also gives the possibility that the verb naftinu in this verse could be signifying to punish, and as such, the first part of this verse would read as: so that We may punish them due to not appreciating God’s bounties.
[1] Lisan and Raghib, under f-t-n.
[2] Mizan, 2/61.
[3] Lisan, under f-t-n.
[4] Hans Wehr, under ʿaruḍa.
[5] Mizan, 20/46.
[6] Hans Wehr, under dhikr.
[7] Lisan, under dh-k-r.
[8] Raghib, under dh-k-r.
[9] Tabari, 29/73. See also Qurtubi, 20/19.
[10] Razi, 30/673; Shawkani, 5/370.
[11] Ithna Ashari, 13/348.
[12] Hans Wehr, under salaka; Lisan and Raghib, under s-l-k.
[13] Raghib, under s-l-k.
[14] Lisan and Raghib, under s-l-k.
[15] Raghib, under s-l-k.
[16] Tabrisi.J, 4/376; Sabzawari, 7/251; Shawkani, 5/370; Tabrisi, 10/560.
[17] Tabrisi, 10/560.
[18] Hans Wehr, under ʿadhuba.
[19] Qamus, under ʿadhāb.
[20] Raghib, under ʿ-dh-b.
[21] The edge of a lash, tongue, or plant is called ʿadhabah in Arabic (Raghib, under ʿ-dh-b)
[22] Qamus, under ʿadhāb.
[23] Lisan, under ṣ-ʿ-d.
[24] Raghib, under ṣ-ʿ-d.
[25] Ithna Ashari, 13/348.
[26] Mizan, 20/46; Zamakhshari, 4/629.
[27] Kashif, 7/439.
[28] Tabari, 29/73; Qurtubi, 20/19; Shawkani, 5/370; Tabrisi, 10/560; Nemuneh, 25/123.
[29] Nemuneh, 25/123. Ibn Abbas is reported to have said that ṣaʿad is a mountain in the hellfire. Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī is similarly narrated to have said that the hands of the inhabitants of the fire would melt whenever they would place their hands over it (Qurtubi, 20/19; Alusi, 15/101).
[30] Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/388.
[31] Nemuneh, 25/122.
[32] Kashif, 7/439.
[33] Mizan, 20/46.
[34] Tibyan, 10/154. See also Tabrisi, 10/560.
[35] Mizan, 20/46.
[36] Nemuneh, 25/122.
[37] Nemuneh, 25/123.
[38] Zamakhshari, 4/629.
[39] Razi, 30/672.
[40] The verb has appeared in the Quran in this meaning in such verses as 10:83 and 9:49 (Raghib, under f-t-n).
[41] Zamakhshari, 4/629.