ثُمَّ كانَ مِنَ الَّذينَ آمَنوا وَتَواصَوا بِالصَّبرِ وَتَواصَوا بِالمَرحَمَةِ

While being one of those who have faith, and who enjoin one another to patience, and enjoin one another to compassion.

EXEGESIS

According to one opinion, this verse is connected to verse 11, and thus the meaning would be: he has not climbed the uphill journey and nor is he from amongst those who have faith.^{‎[1]Alusi, 15/355; Munyah, 30/369.}

However, the common opinion is that it is connected to the previous verse and the meaning would thus be: after doing all these acts, he must also be from the believers.^{‎[2]Tabrisi, 10/751.} Or, a person can only be considered from amongst the believers if he did those actions and also had faith.^{‎[3]Tibyan, 10/355.}

The preposition thumma usually means ‘then’ and is used to show something succeeding another thing after some time has elapsed. However, its signification in this verse has been debated.

The word thumma does not necessarily have to imply temporal proceeding i.e. it is not necessary that faith should follow after freeing the slave and feeding the poor. Rather, it can be used to show the greatness and significance of faith and enjoining others.^{‎[4]Amthal, 20/224.} There is no doubt that faith and enjoining others to patience and mercy is more important than freeing slaves and feeding the poor. In fact, all of man’s actions stem from his faith and morals. Perhaps the use of the word kāna has a slight indication towards this point. This is because kāna means ‘was’ and thus the verse, in context, would mean: he did not traverse the uphill path by freeing a slave or feeding the needy, subsequent to being a believer.^{‎[5]Ibn Ashur, 30/318.}

Another possibility is that kāna is in reference to the person climbing the uphill path and thus the meaning would be that the one who climbed the uphill task is the one who has faith and enjoins others.^{‎[6]Razi, 31/170.}

Marḥamah is another infinitive for raḥmah (compassion). The verse is ambiguous about who is the recipient of compassion and in what context.

Tawāṣī means enjoining each other, and in this case it means enjoining each other to have compassion towards the poor and needy.^{‎[7]Mizan, 20/293.} It can also mean enjoining each other to have mercy amongst themselves,^{‎[8]Tabrisi, 10/751.} or enjoining towards that which attracts the mercy of God.^{‎[9]Muhit, 10/483; Alusi, 15/355.}

Ṣabr (patience) is usually understood in the context of calamities. However, some have understood patience with regards to acts of obedience and staying away from sins as well.^{‎[10]Tabrisi, 10/751.}

The preposition min here is partitive (tabʿīḍiyyah). As such the verse is not simply stating ‘being a believer’, rather, there is an emphasis on ‘being from amongst the believers’ the possible signification of which will be discussed under the Exposition.

EXPOSITION

This verse indicates that emotional acts such as feeding the poor, although good and praiseworthy in themselves, must be accompanied with a proper mindset and belief.^{‎[11]Mudarrisi, 24/272.}

The biggest obstacle (ʿaqabah) that man has to cross is to defer to the truth, which is manifested in the form of divine guides, so whoever follows them has overcome the uphill task. There remains a big stride between freeing a slave and feeding the poor out of mere compassion, and complete faith in what God has revealed and following His Prophet.

Enjoin one another to patience, and enjoin one another to compassion indicates that mercy is a stage higher than patience, for you can be enjoining others whilst having hatred in your heart, but the true believers call out to others with mercy in their hearts, and have mercy towards everyone, including their enemies.^{‎[12]Mudarrisi, 18/123.}

The term tawāṣaw indicates mutually enjoining each other. This indicates the social aspect of one’s faith. Patience and perseverance on the path of obedience to God, the challenge against one’s own desires, and strengthening the principle of compassion should not manifest in society only in the form of individual behaviour, but it should appear as a social movement in the whole community.^{‎[13]Amthal, 20/224.}

What strengthens this idea is what has been mentioned by Maududi. The verse does not say ‘then he had faith’ but rather, ‘then being from amongst those who have believed’. This means that mere believing as an individual and remaining content with it is not what is desired; what is desired is that every new believer should join those who have already believed so as to form a party of believers, to bring about a believing society, which should work towards establishing virtues and wiping out vices.^{‎[14]Maududi.}

In a similar vein, the verse does not merely encourage one to have patience, but rather it emphasises on enjoining others to be patient as well. It is clear that one needs patience to carry out the commands of God, which itself requires sacrifice. However, what makes it easier is if man is in a society where everyone is also carrying out the same tasks and thus enjoining each other towards patience. If every believer were individually put to such a task, it would be much more difficult. On the contrary, if there existed a believing society, every member of which was not only himself possessed of patience but all its members were supporting one another mutually in the test of patience, everyone would have a higher chance of succeeding in carrying out the commands of God.^{‎[15]Maududi.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Some have said that the term thumma here may mean thereafter, i.e. next in time, since good deeds are sometimes the cause of faith and they are especially effective in establishing the basis of high morals, because man’s behaviour manifests itself, firstly, into practice, then into mood, and then into habit, and finally into the form of’ a firm characteristic, and settles in his spirit or nature as a result of that constant practice.^{‎[16]Amthal, 20/223.} In other words, some good deeds without faith may cause a change in man to later accept the principles of religion and become a true believer.

It has already been indicated why mention of faith has come after good deeds such as freeing the slave and feeding the needy. Faith is a necessary condition for the acceptance of good deeds, as has been emphasised throughout the Quran (see 3:85, 16:97, 20:75, and 18:110). However, other reasons have also been suggested for why faith has been mentioned after good deeds in this verse:^{‎[17]Razi, 31/170.}

1. Subsequence in speech does not always indicate subsequence in existence.
2. This verse is referring to the end of a person’s life and is saying after doing these good deeds he also dies as a faithful person, for it is necessary for one to benefit from his good actions that one dies in the state of being faithful.^{‎[18]Muhit, 10/483.}
3. Those acts were carried out when he only had faith in God, but after those acts, he then comes to believe in the Prophet, and for some scholars, in this case he would be rewarded for those previous actions.^{‎[19]Zamakhshari, 4/757; Muhit, 10/483.}

Regarding enjoin one another to patience, and enjoin one another to compassion, some have said that patience is with regards to the commands of God and compassion is related to one’s interaction with people, as has also been attributed to Ibn Abbas.^{‎[20]Qummi, 2/424; Amthal, 20/224; Razi, 31/171.} Being compassionate amongst believers is an indication of a healthy Muslim society (see 48:29).

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.^{‎[21]Colossians 3:16.}
2. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.^{‎[22]Hebrews 3:13.}
3. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.^{‎[23]Hebrews 10:24-25.}

[1] Alusi, 15/355; Munyah, 30/369.
[2] Tabrisi, 10/751.
[3] Tibyan, 10/355.
[4] Amthal, 20/224.
[5] Ibn Ashur, 30/318.
[6] Razi, 31/170.
[7] Mizan, 20/293.
[8] Tabrisi, 10/751.
[9] Muhit, 10/483; Alusi, 15/355.
[10] Tabrisi, 10/751.
[11] Mudarrisi, 24/272.
[12] Mudarrisi, 18/123.
[13] Amthal, 20/224.
[14] Maududi.
[15] Maududi.
[16] Amthal, 20/223.
[17] Razi, 31/170.
[18] Muhit, 10/483.
[19] Zamakhshari, 4/757; Muhit, 10/483.
[20] Qummi, 2/424; Amthal, 20/224; Razi, 31/171.
[21] Colossians 3:16.
[22] Hebrews 3:13.
[23] Hebrews 10:24-25.