557 Page Notes

Surah At-Taghabun (continued)

Page 557 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 557 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 557 of the Quran hosts the profound concluding section of Surah At-Taghabun (Chapter 64), verses 10 through 18.

While page 556 set up the cosmic power of God and the existential stakes of Judgment Day, page 557 brings these warnings directly into the believer's home and psychological reality. It discusses dealing with trauma, navigating domestic trials (fitnah) without growing cold or vengeful, and the spiritual necessity of personal generosity.

The Sunnah and classical Hadith literature provide vivid historical contexts (Asbab al-Nuzul) and actionable real-world applications for these specific verses.

1. Verse 11: Contentment in the Face of Calamity

"No calamity strikes except by permission of Allah. And whoever believes in Allah—He will guide his heart. And Allah is Knowing of all things." (Quran 64:11)

What "Guiding the Heart" Means in Practice

The Sunnah heavily emphasizes the internal peace that occurs when a believer experiences severe worldly loss or sudden trauma but responds with a deeply rooted belief in Divine Destiny (Qadr).

Regarding the phrase "And whoever believes in Allah—He will guide his heart," the famous Tabi'i (successor) Alqamah explained the prophetic understanding: "It refers to a person who is struck by a calamity, but they know it is entirely from their Lord, so they accept it calmly and submit to His will." Source: Cited by Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir; rooted in foundational traditions.

The Prophet ﷺ explicitly defined this unique state of the believer: "Amazing is the affair of the believer, for there is good for him in all his affairs... If something good happens to him, he is grateful, and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him." Source: Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2999).

2. Verse 14: Spouses and Children as "Enemies"

"O you who have believed, indeed, among your wives and your children are enemies to you, so beware of them. But if you pardon and overlook and forgive—then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." (Quran 64:14)

This verse can sound incredibly jarring without its specific historical context (Asbab al-Nuzul), which is preserved directly through the explanations of the Prophet's companions.

The Historical Cause of Revelation

When Islam was initially spreading, joining the Prophet ﷺ required massive personal sacrifices, including migrating from dangerous territories to find safety.

A man came to Ibn Abbas (the cousin of the Prophet) and asked him about this specific verse. Ibn Abbas replied:

"These verses were revealed concerning some men of Mecca who embraced Islam and wanted to migrate (Hijrah) to join the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in Medina. However, their wives and children desperately clung to them, weeping and saying, 'We beg you by God not to leave us with no one to care for us!' So, the men stayed behind out of love for them.

Later, when these men finally managed to reach Medina and join the Prophet ﷺ, they saw that those who had migrated earlier had gained immense knowledge and deep understanding of the religion. The latecomers felt immense regret and anger at their families, saying, 'By Allah, we will severely punish our wives and children for holding us back!' Then Allah revealed this verse, commanding them instead: 'But if you pardon and overlook and forgive—then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.'" Source: Jami` at-Tirmidhi (Book of Tafsir, Hadith 3317; graded Hasan-Sahih).

3. Verse 15: The Absolute Test of Wealth and Children

"Your wealth and your children are only a trial (Fitnah), whereas Allah! With Him is a great reward." (Quran 64:15)

The Prophet's Real-Time Interruption on the Pulpit

The Sunnah preserves a highly visual, beautiful moment where the Prophet ﷺ was in the middle of a formal sermon, and his own grandchildren perfectly illustrated the reality of this verse.

Abu Buraydah reported: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was delivering a sermon to us when his grandsons, Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn, came walking toward him. They were wearing red shirts and tripping over their hems as toddlers do.

The Prophet ﷺ looked at them, stopped speaking, descended immediately from the pulpit, picked up both boys, and placed them right next to him on the stage. He then looked up at the congregation and said:

'Allah spoke the absolute truth when He said: "Your wealth and your children are only a trial (Fitnah)." I looked at these two boys walking and tripping over their clothes, and I simply could not contain myself until I stopped my speech and picked them up.'" Source: Jami` at-Tirmidhi (Hadith 3774), Sunan An-Nasa'i, and Sunan Abi Dawud.

The absolute conclusion of Surah At-Taghabun (Chapter 64), specifically verses 10 through 18, verses 16 through 18 serve as the grand finale of the Surah. They outline a foundational legal maxim in Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh), tackle the spiritual disease of avarice, and introduce the concept of giving a "goodly loan" (Qardan Hasana) to God.

The Sunnah and canonical Hadith literature provide profound practical commentary, background context, and direct links to these concluding verses.

1. Verse 16: The Principle of Capacity and Obedience

"So fear Allah as much as you are able and listen and obey and spend [in the way of Allah]; it is better for your selves..." (Quran 64:16)

Moving From "Absolute Fear" to "Capable Fear"

Classical commentators like Ibn Kathir record that when the earlier verse in Surah Ali 'Imran was revealed—"Fear Allah as He should be feared" ($3:102$)—the companions found it incredibly heavy, weeping out of fear that they could never live up to God's true majesty.

Allah then revealed verse 16 of Surah At-Taghabun as a mitigation and mercy, clarifying that a believer is only tasked to the absolute best of their human ability.

The Prophet ﷺ directly turned this verse into a foundational rule of law for the Umma:

Abu Hurayrah (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Leave me as I am for as long as I leave you alone... If I forbid you from something, avoid it completely. But if I command you with something, do it as much as you are able."

Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 7288) and Sahih Muslim (Hadith 1337).

The Real Meaning of "Stinginess of the Soul"

The second half of verse 16 states: "And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul – it is those who will be the successful." The Prophet ﷺ heavily warned against this specific type of inner greed (Shuhh), describing it as an active societal poison.

Jabir ibn Abdullah (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Beware of injustice, for oppression will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection. And beware of stinginess (shuhh), for stinginess destroyed those who came before you. It led them to shed each other's blood and to make lawful what was forbidden to them."

Source: Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2578).

2. Verse 17: The Mathematics of the "Goodly Loan"

"If you loan Allah a goodly loan, He will multiply it for you and forgive you. And Allah is Most Appreciative and Forbearing." (Quran 64:17)

What Qualifies as a "Goodly Loan"?

The Sunnah outlines that a loan to God means giving charity without expecting anything back from people, ensuring the money is purely clean, and giving it with a cheerful heart. The Prophet ﷺ illustrated how God accepts this "loan" and multiplies it using a visual, agricultural analogy.

Abu Hurayrah (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "If anyone gives charity equal to even a single date from good, lawful earnings—for Allah only accepts what is good—Allah accepts it with His right hand. Then He nurtures it for the giver, just as one of you rears his foal, until that single date becomes as massive as a mountain."

Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 1410) and Sahih Muslim.

God's Trait of Being Shakur (Most Appreciative)

Verse 17 concludes by calling God Shakur. The Sunnah provides incredible comfort by showing that because God is Shakur, He appreciates and multiplies even the smallest kindness shown to creatures.

The Prophet ﷺ said: "While a man was walking on a path, he became very thirsty. He found a well, climbed down into it, drank, and came back up. There he saw a dog panting heavily and licking the mud out of severe thirst. The man thought, 'This dog is suffering from the same thirst that I was.' So he went down into the well again, filled his leather sock with water, held it in his teeth, climbed up, and gave the dog a drink. Allah appreciated his deed (Fashakara Allahu lah) and forgave his sins."

Source: Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 2363).

3. Verse 18: Knowing the "Knower of the Unseen"

"[He is] Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the Exalted in Might, the Wise." (Quran 64:18)

Sincerity in Secret Actions

Because this page concludes by declaring that God knows what is completely hidden (Al-Ghayb), the Sunnah heavily emphasizes making sure a believer has secret good deeds that no one on earth knows about, matching the reality of God's all-encompassing knowledge.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Whoever among you is able to have hidden stores of righteous deeds (a secret good deed between themselves and Allah), let him do so."

Source: Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah and Sahih Al-Jami' (Hadith 5505; authenticated by Al-Albani).