Chapters on Tafsir

Narrated Abu Dharr: "I entered the Masjid when the sun had set, and the Prophet (ﷺ) was sitting. He said: 'O Abu Dharr! Do you know where this goes?' I said: 'Allah and His Messenger know better.' He said: 'Indeed it goes to seek permission to prostrate, so it is permitted. And it is as if it has been said to it: "Rise from its setting place.' Then he recited: 'That is its fixed course.'" He said: "That is the recitation of 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud."

Narrated Anas bin Malik: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "No caller invites to anything except that he is detained along with, on the Day of Resurrection, without parting from it, even if a man invites another man." Then he recited the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime: 'But stop them, verily they are to be questioned. What is the matter with you? Why do you not help one another (37:24 & 25).'"

Narrated Ubayy bin Ka'b: "I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about the saying of Allah, Most High: 'And We sent him to a hundred thousand, or even more (37:147). He said: 'Twenty thousand (more).'"

Samurah narrated regarding the saying of Allah, Most High: And his progeny, them We made survivors (37:77).' The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Ham, Sam and Yafith" - with (the letter) Tha.

Narrated Samurah: that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Sam was the father of Arabs, Ham the father of the Ethiopians, and Yafith the father of the Romans."

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: "Abu Talib fell ill, so the Quraish went to see him, and the Prophet (ﷺ) went to see him. There was a gathering there with Abu Talib, so Abu Jahl stood up enraged, to prevent him (the Prophet (ﷺ) from entering)." He said: "He complained to Abu Talib. So he (Abu Talib) said: 'O my nephew! What is it that you want from your people?' He said: 'I only want one word from them, for which, if they were to say it, then the Arabs will become their followers, and the non-Arabs will pay Jizyah to them.' He said: 'One word?' He replied: 'One word.' So he said: 'O uncle! Let them say La Ilaha Illallah' so they replied: 'One God? We have not heard (the like) of this in the religion of these later days. This is nothing but an invention.'" He said: "So the (following) was revealed in the Qur'an about them: 'Sad. By the Qur'an full of reminding. Those who disbelieve are in false pride and opposition...' up to His saying: 'We have not heard (the like) of this in the religion of these later days. This is nothing but an invention (38:1-7).'"

Narrated Abu Qilabah: from Ibn 'Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "During the night, my Lord, Blessed is He, and Most High, came to me in the best of appearances." He (one of the narrators) said - I think he said it was during a dream - "So he said: 'O Muhammad! Do you know in what the most exalted group busy themselves with?'" He said: "I said: 'No.'" He said: "So He placed His Hand between my shoulders, until I sensed its coolness between my breast." - or he said: "on my throat, so I knew what was in the heavens, and what was in the earth. He said: 'O Muhammad! Do you know in what the most exalted group busy themselves with?' I said: 'Yes, in the acts that atone: and the acts that atone are; lingering in the Masjid after the Salat, walking on the feet to the congregation, Isbagh Al-Wudu, in difficulty, and whoever does that, he lives in goodness and dies upon goodness, and his wrongs shall be like that of the day his mother bore him.' He said: 'O Muhammad! When you have performed Salat then say: 'O Allah! Indeed I ask of You, the doing of good deeds, avoiding the evil deeds, and loving the poor. And when you have willed Fitnah for your slave, then take me to You, without making me suffer from Fitnah.'" He [the Prophet (ﷺ)] said: "And the acts that raise ranks are spreading the Salam, feeding others, and Salat during the night, while the people are sleeping."

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "My Lord, Blessed is He and Most High, came to me in the best of appearances. So he said: 'O Muhammad!' I said: 'Here I am O my Lord! And I am at Your service.' He said: 'What is it that the most exalted group busy themselves with?' I said: '[Lord] I do not know.' So He placed His Hand between my shoulders, until I sensed its coolness between my breast, so I knew what was in between the east and the west. He said: 'O Muhammad!' I said: 'Here I am O my Lord! And I am at Your service.' He said: 'What is it that the most exalted group busy themselves with?' I said: 'In the acts that raise ranks and the acts that atone, and in recording the footsteps to the congregation, Isbagh Al-Wudu in difficulties, and awaiting the Salat after the Salat. And whoever preserves them, he shall live in goodness and die upon goodness, and his sins shall be like that on the day upon which his mother bore him.'"

Narrated Mu'adh bin Jabal [may Allah be pleased with him]: "One morning, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was prevented from coming to us for Salat As-Subh, until we were just about to look for the eye of the sun (meaning sunrise). Then he came out quickly, had the Salat prepared for. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed the Salat, and he performed his Salat in a relatively quick manner. When he said the Salam, he called aloud with his voice saying to us: 'Stay in your rows as you are.' Then he turned coming near to us, then he said: 'I am going to narrate to you what kept me from you this morning: I got up during the night, I performed Wudu and prayed as much as I was able to, and I dozed off during my Salat, and fell deep asleep. Then I saw my Lord, Blessed and Most High, in the best of appearances. He said: 'O Muhammad!' I said: 'My Lord here I am my Lord!' He said: 'What is it that the most exalted group busy themselves with?' I said: 'I do not know Lord.' And He said it three times." He said: "So I saw Him place His Palm between my shoulders, and I sensed the coolness of His Fingertips between my breast. Then everything was disclosed for me, and I became aware. So He said: 'O Muhammad!' I said: 'Here I am my Lord!' He said: 'What is it that the most exalted group busy themselves with?' I said: 'In the acts that atone.' He said: 'And what are they?' I said: 'The footsteps to the congregation, the gatherings in the Masajid after the Salat, Isbagh Al-Wudu during difficulties.' He said: 'Then what else?' I said: 'Feeding others, being lenient in speech, and Salat during the night while the people are sleeping.' He said: 'Ask.' I said: 'O Allah! I ask of you the doing of the good deeds, avoiding the evil deeds, loving the poor, and that You forgive me, and have mercy upon me. And when You have willed Fitnah in the people, then take me without the Fitnah. And I ask You for Your love, the love of whomever You love, and the of the deeds that bring one nearer to Your love.'" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Indeed it is true, so study it and learn it."

Narrated 'Abdullah bin Az-Zubair: from his father who said: "When (the following) was revealed: 'Then, on the Day of Resurrection, you will be disputing before your Lord (39:31).' Az-Zubair said "O Messenger of Allah! We will repeat our disputes after what happened between us in the world?" He said: "Yes." So he said: "Indeed this is a very serious matter."

Narrated Asma bint Yazid: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) reciting: 'Say: "O My slaves who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins and I do not mind (referring to 39:53)."

Narrated 'Abdullah: "A Jew came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: 'O Muhammad! Allah will seize the heavens upon a finger, the mountains upon a finger, the earths upon a finger, and the rest of creation upon a finger. Then He says: 'I am the King.'" He said: 'So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) laughed until his molars were visible. He said: "They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him (39:67)."

Narrated 'Abdullah: "So the Prophet (ﷺ) laughed in amazement and approval."

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: "A Jew passed by the Prophet (ﷺ), so the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'O you Jew! Narrate something to us.' So he said: 'What shall you say O Abul-Qasim, when Allah places the heavens upon this, the earths upon this, the water upon this, the mountains upon this, and the rest of creation upon this?'" - Muhammad bin As-Salt, Abu Ja'far (one of the narrators) indicated first with his little finger, then followed one by one until he reached his index finger - "So Allah, the Mighty and Sublime revealed: They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him (39:67)."

Narrated Mujahid: that Ibn 'Abbas said: "Do you know what is the width of Jahannam?" I said: "No." He said: "Yes, and by Allah I do not know. 'Aishah narrated to me that she asked the Messenger of ALlah (ﷺ) about Allah's saying: 'On the Day of Resurrection the whole earth will be grasped by His Hand and the heavens will be rolled up in his Right Hand (39:67).' She said: 'I said "Where will the people be on that day O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Upon the bridge over Jahannam."

Narrated Masruq: that 'Aishah said: "O Messenger of Allah! - On the Day of Resurrection the whole earth will be grasped by His Hand and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand (39:67). Where will the believers be?" He said: "Upon the Sirat O 'Aishah!"

Narrated Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "How can I be comfortable when the one with the horn is holding it in his lips and his forehead is leaning forward, waiting to be given permission to blow?" The Muslims said: "So what should we say, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Say: 'Allah is sufficient for us and what a good protector He is. We rely upon [our Lord] Allah'" - and perhaps Sufyan (one of the narrators) said: "upon Allah we rely."

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr [may Allah be pleased with him]: "A Bedouin said: 'O Messenger of Allah! What is As-Sur?' He said: 'A horn which is blown into.'"

Narrated Abu Hurairah: "In the market of Al-Madinah, a Jew said 'No! By the One who chose Musa above all humans.'" He said: "A man from the Ansar raised his hand and struck him in his face. He said 'You say this while Allah's Prophet (ﷺ) is among us?' So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said 'And the Trumpet will be blown, and all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth will swoon away, except him whom Allah wills. Then it will blown another time and behold, they will be standing, looking on (39:68). So I shall be the first to raise his head and there will be Musa holding on to one of the supports of the Throne. So I will not know if he raised his head before me, or if he was one of those whom Allah made the exception for. And whoever says: 'I am better than Yunus bin Matta, then he has indeed lied.'"

Narrated Abu Hurairah: that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "A caller will call out: 'You shall have life and never die; you shall be healthy and never be ill; you shall be young and never grow old; you shall live in favor and never suffer difficult circumstances.' That is the saying of Allah Most High: This is Paradise, which you have been made to inherit because of your deeds that you used to do (43:72)."

Narrated An-Nu'man bin Bashir: that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Supplication is the worship." Then he recited: 'And your Lord said: 'Call upon Me, I will answer you. Verily, those who scorn my My worship, they will surely enter Hell in humiliation (43:72).'"

Narrated Ibn Mas'ud: "Three men whose bellies were fat, but whose hearts had little understanding, were arguing at the House. Two of them were from Quraish and one was from Thaqif - or two from Thaqif, and one from Quraish. One of them said: 'Do you think that Allah can hear what we are saying?' Another said: 'He can hear if we are loud, but He can not hear when we are quiet.' Another said: 'If He can hear when we are loud then He can hear when we are quiet.' So Allah, the Mighty and Sublime revealed: And you have not been hiding yourselves, lest your ears and your eyes and your skins should testify against you (41:22)."

Narrated 'Abdullah: "I was hiding beneath the covering of the Ka'bah, and three men came along - a man from the Quraish, and two of his brothers-in-law from Thaqif, or a man from Thaqif and two of his brothers-in-law from Quraish. Their bellies were fat, and they did not have much understanding. They said something that I could not understand, then one of them said: 'Do you think that Allah can hear what we are talking about?' Another said: 'If we raise our voices, He will hear it, but if we do not raise our voices, He will not hear it.' The other one said: 'If He can hear something from us, then He can hear all of it.'" 'Abdullah said: "I mentioned that to the Prophet (ﷺ), so Allah revealed: 'And you have not been hiding yourselves, lest your ears and your eyes and your skin should testify against you...' up to His saying: '...and you have become of those utterly lost! (42:22 & 23)"

Narrated Anas bin Malik: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited: Verily those who say: "Our Lord is Allah, and then they stand firm (41:30)." - He said: "People have said it, then most of them disbelieved, so whoever dies upon it, then he is among those who stood firm."

Narrated Tawus: Ibn 'Abbas was asked about this Ayah: Say: "No reward do I ask of you for this except to be kind for my kinship with you (42:23)." So Sa'eed bin Jubair said: 'To be kind to the family of Muhammad.' Ibn 'Abbas replied: 'You know that there was no family of the Quraish except that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had some relatives among them.' He said: 'Except that you should uphold ties of kinship that exist between me and you.'"

Narrated 'Ubaidullah bin Al-Wazi': "A Shaikh from Banu Murrah narrated to me, he said: 'I arrived in Al-Kufah and was informed about Bilal bin Abi Burdah so I said: "Indeed there is a lesson in him" so I went to him while he was imprisoned in his home, which he had built.' He said: 'After everything that had happened to him he had changed due to the punishment and the beatings, and now he was living in isolation. So I said: "All praise is due to Allah O Bilal! I have seen you passing you by us holding your nose, and it was not from the dust! And today you are in this state.' So he said: 'Where are you from?' I said: 'From Banu Murrah bin 'Abbad.' So he said: 'Shall I not narrate a Hadith to you, perhaps Allah will benefit you by it?' I said: 'Go ahead.' He said: 'My father, Abu Burdah narrated from his father Abu Musa, that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "No worshiper suffers a calamity nor what is worse than that or less, except due to a sin, and what Allah pardons as a result of it is more." He (Abu Musa) said: "And he recited: And whatever misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned (42:30)."

Narrated Abu Umamah: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "No people go astray after having been guided, but they resort to arguing." Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited this Ayah: '...They quoted not the above example except for argument. Nay! But they are quarrelsome people... (43:58)'

Narrated Masruq: "A man came to 'Abdullah and said: 'A story teller has said that a smoke will appear from the earth, taking the hearing of disbelievers and manifesting as a cold for the believers.'" He became angry, and since he was reclining, he sat up then said: 'When one of you is asked about something he knows, then let him speak accordingly' - Mansur (one of the narrators) narrated it as: "Then let him inform of it" - "And when asked about what he does not know, then let him say: "Allah knows best." For indeed, it is part of a man's knowledge, that when he is asked about something he does not know, he says: "Allah knows best." For verily Allah, Most High said to His Prophet: Say: "No wage do I ask of you for this, nor am I one of the pretenders (38:86)." When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw that the Quraish were behaving stubbornly with him, he said: "O Allah! Assist me against them with seven (years of famine) like the seven of Yusuf." So He punished them with drought making everything barren, until they ate skins and carcasses" - one of them said: "bones." He said: 'And it appeared that smoke was coming out of the earth. So Abu Sufyan came to him and said: "Verily your people are being destroyed, so supplicate to Allah for them." He said: "So this is about His saying: 'The Day when the sky will bring forth a visible smoke, covering the people, this is a painful torment (44:10 & 11).'" Mansur narrated it as: "So this is about His saying: Our Lord! Remove the torment from us, really we shall become believers (44:12)." - "So shall the punishment be removed from them in the Hereafter? Al-Batshah (humiliated defeat in Badr), Al-Lizam (disbeliever captives from Badr), the smoke," - one of them said: "The moon" the other said: "The Romans have all passed."