فَأَنتَ لَهُ تَصَدّىٰ
You attend to him.
EXEGESIS
Taṣaddā (you attend to him) is the fifth form of ṣadaya, which fundamentally denotes outward expression or demonstration by any means, whether through speech, sound, action, clapping, stretching, peering, exposure, shouting, echo of sound, or otherwise.
Ṣadā means an echo that reverberates from a mountain or something similar,
like in the verse, Their prayer at the house is nothing but whistling and clapping (taṣdiyah) (8:35).
In its form five construction (taṣaddā), the verb acquires the specialised meaning of intentional orientation – to deliberately face, turn toward, and devote attention to someone or something.
Another claim is that it is originally from ṣadī, meaning to be thirsty. From this then comes the meaning of turning one’s attention to something, like a thirsty man turning towards water.
Others have said it is originally from ṣadd (a wall or dam), meaning that which stands in front of you.
Muṣṭafawī argues that all these various meanings are included in the core meaning of outward expression that we mentioned.
EXPOSITION
Verses 5-7 are a kind of inversion of the previous two. Whereas those spoke of purification and remembrance, these speak of a lack of purification and a self-imposed state of ignorance and forgetfulness. Where the blind man receives little attention despite real spiritual potential, the wealthy elite receives undue attention despite likely spiritual sterility.
The toughest resistance to God’s message comes from these elites, who cannot accept that superiority is based on internal and spiritual qualities, rather than their wealth and station. The prophets were different though. They understood the worthlessness of wealth and the emptiness of such ‘power’. Because of this they would always pay special attention to the poor and destitute and would call on others to do the same. That is not to say that the Prophet never strove to attract the influential members of society to faith. Certainly, he expended great efforts to convince them, because winning them over would mean an end or at least a decrease of pressure on the believers and a protection for them, but these verses make it clear that such goals should not compromise the overarching principles. It is better to preserve the firm boundaries of faith than muddy and compromise them for the sake of attracting followers. The conversions of influential individuals should not happen at the cost of driving away other believers. The believers are equals and brothers, and anyone coming into the fold of faith must internalise that and its other teachings.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- From Imam al-Kāẓim (a), through his fathers, that the Prophet said: ‘Ask the scholars, converse with the wise, and sit with the poor.’
[1] Tahqiq, 6/266.
[2] Tibyan, 10/270; Raghib, p. 481, ṣ-d-y.
[3] Zamakhshari, 4/702.
[4] Tibyan, 10/270.
[5] Qurtubi, 19/214; Alusi, 15/243.
[6] Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Ashʿath, al-Jaʿfariyāt (Tehran: Maktabat al-Naynawā al-Ḥadīthah, n.d.), p. 230.