Siirah 3.

Al '1m ran (Part-4) 321

Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have
provision. ,PI
Qatadah, Ar-RabI' and AeJ-l)al).l)ak said that these Aydt were
revealed about the martyrs of Ul)ud. [2)
Abu Bakr Ibn Marduwyah recorded that Jabir bin 'Abdullah
said, "The Messenger of Allah looked at me one day and
said, '0 Jabir! Why do I see you sad?' I said, '0 Messenger of
Allah! My father was martyred and left behind debts and
children.' He said,
,«~L4 !J~f r-ts ~bJ '';'~ :\JJ ~ :Ilk; ~I r-ts ~ ~!J~\ 'if»
.. ., t a i- -".$-;: -; ... '" ... t "
Jl
F ,r

;JI .:>1 ..!.llL.:..1 : JL9 . ~I ~ : JL9» ~lyJ\ : Cw::J1 : j-;> JL9

I~o'il '~I : JoSl1 ~ -:", jj ~\~ : i\.::.- ~- ~.q J~ 4 -I~;t Gill
'ir.'~ I*'~ ~ iJ':"""'
0
r f' J f .f V- _
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'i
((ShOUld I tell you that Allah never spoke to anyone except from
behind a veil? However, He spoke to your father directly. He
said, 'Ask Me and I will give you.' He said, 'I ask that I am
returned to life so that I am killed in Your cause again.' The
Lord, Exalted He be, said, 'I have spoken the word that they
shall not be returned back to it (this life).' He said, '0 Lord!
Then convey the news to those I left behind. ')) Allah revealed,
~~;·\..1;1
y, ~.--.y W ' ,~
, .:,.jr ' ·r~·
Yl'

~Think not of those as dead who are killed in the way of

I
Allah .. . ~" [3)
Imam Al)mad recorded that Ibn 'Abbas said that the
Messenger of Allah ~ said,
:,'\';u:, 'I'o.:-.! ~I G'~ "(.;"\;:.'1'4-1.\1»
, oJ!:
~ ('"+'J.,J n-:- [..i'"'-' ,. ~ ~ cI-. ',. '-;'.; ~ ";.,J . ...r- •

((The martyrs convene at the shore of a river close to the door of

Paradise in a green tent where their provisions are brought to
1 1

them'from Paradise day and night. »

(1) Al}.mad 1 :265.

[2] At-Tabari .7 :389-390.

[3\ Dala'iI An_}'vubuwwah by Al-Bayhaqi 3 :299.

322 Tafsfr Ibn Kathfr

A1;lmad P ] and Ibn JarIr[2] collected this I;ladrth, which has a
good chain of narration. It appears that the martyrs are of
different types, some of them wander in Paradise, and some
remain close to this river by the door of Paradise. It is also
possible that the river is where all the souls of the martyrs
convene and where they are provided with their provision day
and night, and Allah knows best.
Imam Al:1mad narrated a I;ladrth that contains good news for
every believer that his soul will be wandering in Paradise, as
well, eating from its fruits, enjoying its delights and happiness
and tasting the honor that Allah has prepared in it for him.
This I;ladith has a unique, authentic chain of narration that
includes three of the Four Imams. Imam A1;lmad narrated this
I;ladrth from Mul:1ammad bin Idns Ash-Shafi'i who narrated it
from Malik bin Anas AI-Asbul:1i, from Az-Zuhri, from 'Abdur­
Ral:1man bin Ka'b bin Malik that his father said that the
Messenger of Allah said,

«The soul of the believer becomes a bird that feeds on the trees
of Paradise, until Allah sends him back to his body when He
resurrects him .11[3]
This I;ladith states that the souls of the believers are in the
shape of a bird in Paradise. As for the souls of martyrs, they
are inside green birds, like the stars to the rest of the believing
souls. We ask Allah the Most Generous that He makes us firm
on the faith.
Allah's statement,

~They
rejoice in what Allah has bestowed upon them"
indicates that the martyrs who were killed in Allah's caus'{f
are alive with Allah, delighted because of the bounty P~d
happiness they are enjoying. They are also awaiting ('their
brethren, who will die in Allah's cause after them, for ~!;:(ey will
be meeting them soon. These martyrs do not have fear about
---~ ......- --­
[1] AQmad 1 :266
[2] At-Tabari 7 :387
(3) ~~ad 3 :455.

--
Surah 4. An-Nisa' (Part-5) 465

,*There will then be no test for them but to say: "By Allah, our
Lord, we were not those who joined others in worship with
Allah./I,
but He also says,
«c.;. ~\ 5~ 1;"
,*but they will never be able to hide a single fact from Allah.,
They have indeed hid something.' Ibn 'Abbas said, 'As for
Allah's statement,
"'ffr;;t~r:} (?- I ; 8~ ~f i11~ ., ~I .}{~: ..h .:i ~{l.
~~i3'~.,r-' ~ '" V;.II":.I'll v ~. ~ .yv .# -""'t'

,*There will then be no test for them but to say: "By Allah, our
Lord, we were not those who joined others in worship with
Allah./I"
~hen they see that on the Day of Resurrection that Alliih does
n2t forgive, except for the people of Islam, and that He forgives
the sins, no matter how big they are, except Shirk, then the
Musi~riks will lie. They will say,
«~~
.."... (t ~ 8~
1J".&~l.
T

,*"By (ill&:, our _Lo;,d, we were not those who joined others in
worshW wtth Allah. "
hoping th'&t Allah will forgive them. However, Allah will then
seal their mouths, and their hands and feet will disclose what
they used to ~o. Then,
~" Jo{~ /; .I>.:f.r'
40'" /' #.,Jo/" ,..t /;/ #"'--=-1:" ".. .1" .e . . . . .:.

j> -:';. /'

«®c.~ ~I .J~ ':J.J .;..)~I rt. .:s.".l jI JrJI .,.......,..J I.J';" .:..::~\ ~.J!'t'

~those w/w liisbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish

that they wife buried in the earth, but they will never be able
to hide a single fact from Allah.",,!l]
..5/,"- ~t ~ '1; 5);;" G~ J;. ~p::.:,. .tt ~Jr-1.l\ i;~ '1 &.~\ li~"
ii ~t.ii ~ ~ .:;:., -..t:::;it .;:.:. .¥- i' W P 00 l;~:;~ ~ .}:f­
-~t <, ~ .j~ .:'~~H i ........\i (1. G....:;. l":/~ .(r::; I U :r. i'dfi 1"::1
4li v~ r-*.J ~.i!".Y,. 'Y"'-" .'" "/ ~ 'J '" r- /

. (It'Abdur-Razzaq 1 :160
466 Tajsfr Ibn Kath;;r

~43. a
you who believe! Do not approach $alah while you are
in a druken state until you know what you are saying, nor
while Junub (sexually impure), except while passing through,
until you bathe (your entire body), and if you are ill, or on a
journey, or one of you comes from the Gha'# (toilet), or from
Ltimastum (touching) women, but you do not find water, then
perform Tayammum with clean earth, rubbing your faces and
hands. Truly, Allah is Ever Oft-Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving.,
The Prohibition of Approaching Prayer When Drunk or
Junub
Allah forbade His believing servants from praying while
drunk, for one does not know the meaning of what he is
saying in that state, and He forbade them from attending the
Masjids while sexually impure, except when one is just
passing through the Masjid from one door to another. Thi~
Ayah was revealed before alcohol consumption was complete~;
prohibited, as evident by the Ifadlth that we mentioned/ in
Silrat AI-Baqarah when we explained Allah's statement,
~~~ ;:Ql J .a;~,
,,- " "
~They ask you about alcoholic drink and gambling,.
In that Ifadlt~, the Messenger of ~llah ~ re~ited this, Ayah to
'Vmar, who srud, "0 Allah! Explrun the ruling ab9!it Khamr
(intoxicants) for us in a plain manner." When this Ayah (4:431
was revealed, the Prophet recited it to 'Vmar, who still said,
"0 Allah! Explain the ruling about Khamr (intoxic~ts) for us in
a plain manner." After that, they would not drink alcohol~lose
to the time of prayer. When Allah's statement, ___
~ :*-1; pi ~ .;; ~; ~1:i1J ~(,;,f.j~ ~1; Jil at t;;(. £tJi ~~,
.(il~)5.:!..~
~ ~ :T"l'"

~o you who believe! alcoholic drinks, gambling, AI-An9tib, and

AI-AzltimCIJ are an abomination of 5hayattin'~ handiwork. 50
avoid that in order that you may be successful.,. [5:90], until,

(1] AI-A~ab are stone altars used for the sacrifice of animals to other
than Allah. AI-Azldm refers to a type of arrow~J;tsed for divination.