Ayah 3 continued - Linguistic Definitions:
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ
Illa alladheena amanoo wa AAamiloo assaalihaati watawaassaw bi-alhaqqi watawaassaw bi-as-sabr
Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.
il-laa - except (this word is used for exception).
So the majority are not those who believe, do good, enjoin the truth and enjoin on each other patience.
The majority are losers, even if we cannot percieve it in this life.
رواه مسلم (145) عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ( بَدَأَ الإِسْلامُ غَرِيبًا ، وَسَيَعُودُ كَمَا بَدَأَ غَرِيبًا ، فَطُوبَى لِلْغُرَبَاءِ ) .
Islam began as something strange, and it will return to something strange - so Tooba/success (or a tree called Tooba in Paradise) to the strangers. [Sahih Muslim. #145]
So obeying Allah in times of strangeness brings greater reward from Allah. Because the greater the hardship - the greater the reward.
Insaan was used in ayah 2; which is singular [yet can also imply plural] - so people think individually about themselves being in loss. If it was plural (al Naas) - the human would think someone else is in loss [diffusion of responsibility].
Even though singular human (insan) was mentioned, it implied; every single human - individually - is in loss.
In the end - you might think you're on the correct way without guidance because everyone else is doing it, but you alone will be in Loss on Judgment Day - and none will be able to help you.
وَتَقَطَّعَتْ بِهِمُ الْأَسْبَابُ -
All relations and means [asbaab] will be cut off for them [al Baqarah 2:166].
But when it came to the exception, Allah did not use singular - He used the plural instead.
These few people who will follow the truth - they will only survive if they remain connected to the Ummah (Islamic united nation). Emaan (belief) is boosted with enjoining the truth and enjoining good together.
Allah is telling us that uniting with the Muslims collectively will increase you in Emaan.
Laa illaaha illAllah unites people no matter what differing backgrounds we come from.
They have Emaan;
The fruit of Emaan = Tranquility: (even if we lose our worldly possessions - we do not worry, we know we there is a greater good waiting for us if we remain sincere to Allah.)
فَمَا مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ - (..then what is the life of this world in comparison to the next life except a little?)
[at-Tawba 9:38]
You are at Peace with your life and with Allah because you know that everything belongs to Him, so whatever you gain or lose - you are thankful, not worrying that it is yours to lose. Rather, Allah loves you and He is deciding what is better for you.
This is why we say;
الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
Who, when disaster strikes them, say; "Indeed we belong to Allah , and indeed to Him we will return." [Innaa lillahi wa inna alayhi Raji'oon] (al Baqarah 2:156)
أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ -
'alaa bi dhikrillahi tattma'inna al quloob -
..upon the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction. [ar-Ra'd 13:28]
When you have this Tranquility - you are not in loss, unlike the people who are always running after this world.
The Story of a Brother in Success, and a brother in Loss
Brother Nouman mentions a story of a brother who had many many expensive cars and they paid for them in cash so they did not have to pay for them in Riba (usury/interest).
One day - the hurricane of Katrina happened and all them cars got destroyed. Except one which they had escaped with.
the brother met up with Nouman and had a smile on his face. Nouman asked him why he was smiling after this hardship? The brother told him that he now had more time to go to the masjid instead of business, and now he sold pizza. And he could spend more time with family.
That is success.
He also mentions the story of a Muslim boy who wanted to get married to another girl, but she was going to get married to someone else - so he jumped off a bridge and committed suicide. That is loss.
Tranquility is only truly gained in life through belief in Allah.
'aml - action with intent
fi'l - action without intent
Saalihaat - salaha - to reconcile and rectify. An adjective.
Literal Translation; 'They do goods'.
al a'maal - broken plural - supposed to have feminine plural.
Ta marboota - many many good deeds.
Without the ta marboota - a few good deeds. Saalihaat - a few good deeds.
As-Saalihata الصالحات - would imply many do good deeds.
So Allah is telling us we have to do a few good things, atleast at the basic level. Allah is just hinting at that (atleast a minimum). The very basics which everyone knows [i.e. salaah, zakaah, etc] - they do them at minimum.
This word has luzoom لزوم (infinitive) and ta'adi تعدي in it - transitive and intransitivie.
Saalih - one that corrects.
Correct and good actions - the job and its consequence are correct with good results. (lazim)
Muta'adi متعدي would imply; becomes good. I.e. The one who does them - becomes good.
This saalihaat could be a description of action, and its consequence is being good.
So Allah is implying; if you want to be a better person - do good actions and you will be a good person.
Good deeds are being described like medicine - which are making you better and better, and if you abandon them good deeds - the sickness comes back.
All this is embedded in the one word; Saalihaat.
Tawwaassi - wassahu وصح /wass-ssaahu وصاح , awssaahu أوصاه - to charge someone, command them, encourage them (i.e. emotional encouragement - heart to heart.)
i.e. "I'm telling you, make salaah, it's good for you in this life and the next."
This is tawwaassu - from Wassiya - to leave a will - for a loved one. It will benefit those who have gone.
In a Wassiyya - You are leaving these important words because you are about to die, so you don't have alot of time left, so people need to hear your last words.
This word signifies; sincere loving advice, Urgency, telling the truth.
Wassiyya also implies - when you die, you pass on alot of your valuable wealth and property to someone else.
So Allah is using this word to imply that we give sincere, loving, and valuable advice.
You are handing them a treasure of advice which will really be of benefit to them, just like wealth and property is benficial to the inheritor.
The second implication of Tawwaassaw is; things that are done mutually (ishtiraaq) - when you give someone good advice, they might advise you back. They might even reply to you back in a loud voice i.e. "Well you don't do that other good!"
So you would humble yourself and say; "Yes, i should be doing that aswell".
I.e. It is a two way sharing of advice, which - if you give, you should be waiting to recieve back aswell.
The Story of 'Umar ibn al Khattab
We see many examples of this in the character and life of 'Umar bin al Khattab. This is why he would always say "Everybody knows more than 'Umar."
Once, he was walking by a house and he looks through the window (he would only do this to forbid the evil or to enjoin the good) and sees a man drinking alcohol. So he breaks through and tells him it is Haraam (forbidden).
He says - I did 1 haraam, but you did 3 haraams'.
You first looked into my house (invaded my privacy), second you came into my house without my permission, and third - you made an assumption about me drinking alcohol without proof.
Umar said; You're right, and he walks away.
A few weeks pass by; and Umar is giving a khutbah/speech in the Masjid, and the same man walks in to the Masjid. He sits at the back.
After the Khutbah finished - Umar met up with the man quietly and said that I stopped looking into peoples houses and i didn't tell anyone about you either.
So the man replied - ever since that day - i've stopped drinking [alcohol].
You advise someone, and they advise you back. Even if they advise you in a way which you don't like.
Because even if there is a truth in it - you accept it. This shows sincerety in following the truth.
This is part of the Tawwaasiy.
ash-Shawkani: These people gather and combine between Emaan and good action.
Emaan and good deeds work together. They Both strengthen each other.
When you fulfill all the 4 attributes - then you have stronger Emaan (belief, good deeds, enjoining truth and patience.)
If you have none - you probably don't have Emaan.
قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آمَنَّا ۖ قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَٰكِن قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ ۖ وَإِن تُطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ لَا يَلِتْكُم مِّنْ أَعْمَالِكُمْ شَيْئًا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
The bedouins say, "We have believed." Say, "You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead], 'We have submitted,' for faith has not yet entered your hearts. And if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not deprive you from your deeds of anything. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."
[Hujuraat 49: 14]
az-Zamakhshari:
tawaassaw bil haqq - includes tawheed, obedience to Allah and His Messenger, being distant for worldly ambitions, and inclination to the hereafter.
ash-Shawkani:
they enjoin and advise each other with the truth that deserves to be established and implemented.
Qatadah: bil haqq (with truth) refers to advising each other with the Qur'an.
Reminding each other through the Qur'an.
With tawheed, and most people understand it to be any good and any truth to be lived by.
Ibn Katheer: aladheena aamanoo (believe - with their hearts), wa 'amilu as-salihaat (do good deeds - with their limbs), and they enjoin each other to the truth by doing and enjoining on others to do acts of obedience and to abandon all that is forbidden, and they enjoin each other to perseverance against all calamities and they held to and advised to Emaan with perseverance whenever they were tortured for enjoining the truth.
ash-Shanqeeti; tawwaassaw bil haq - telling each other about the truth after doing good deeds.
The 'amil as-saalihaat was good deeds - general ('aam), and enjoining the truth was khaas (specific).
az-Zamakhshari: Watawaasaw bis-sabr (enjoin upon each other perseverence) - sabr over whatever Allah tests His slave with, perseverence in obedience to Allah, and in times of temptation.
Allah put sabr at the end and haq first, and enjoining the haq as more important. And more noble.
ash-Shanqeeti: as-Sabireen - whenever a situation of patience is required - this person is patient. Through all circumstances.
We should strive to be of the Sabireen. O Allah, make us of the Sabireen, ameen.