Al-Hadid - 57:16

English - Ibn Kathir
Encouraging Khushu` and the Prohibition of imitating the People of the Scriptures

Allah asks,

أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ امَنُوا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ

Has not the time yet come for the believers that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah? And that which has been revealed of the truth,

Allah asks, `Has not the time come for the believers to feel humility in their hearts by the remembrance of Allah and hearing subtle advice and the recitation of the Qur'an, so that they may comprehend the Qur'an, abide by it, and hear and obey.

Muslim recorded that Abdullah bin Mas`ud said,

"Only four years separated our acceptance of Islam and the revelation of this Ayah, in which Allah subtly admonished us,

أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ امَنُوا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ

Has not the time yet come for the believers that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah"

This is the narration Muslim collected, just before the end of his book.

An-Nasa'i also collected this Hadith in the Tafsir of this Ayah.

Allah's statement,

وَلَا يَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الاَْمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ

Lest they become as those who received the Scripture before, and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened,

Allah is prohibiting the believers from imitating those who were given the Scriptures before them, the Jews and Christians. As time passed, they changed the Book of Allah that they had, and sold it for a small, miserable price. They also abandoned Allah's Book behind their back and were impressed and consumed by various opinions and false creeds. They imitated the way others behaved with the religion of Allah, making their rabbis and priests into gods beside Allah. Consequently, their hearts became hard and they would not accept advice; their hearts did not feel humbled by Allah's promises or threats,

وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ




And many of them were rebellious.

meaning, in action;

therefore, their hearts are corrupt and their actions are invalid, just as Allah the Exalted said,

فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِم مِّيثَـقَهُمْ لَعنَّـهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةً يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَضِعِهِ وَنَسُواْ حَظَّا مِّمَّا ذُكِرُواْ بِهِ

So, because of their breach of their covenant, We cursed them and made their hearts grow hard. They changed the words from their (right) places and have abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them. (5:13)

meaning, their hearts became corrupt and they hardened, and they acquired the behavior of changing Allah's Speech from their appropriate places and meanings. They abandoned acts of worship that they were commanded to perform and committed what they were prohibited to do.

This is why Allah forbade the believers from imitating them in any way, be it basic or detailed matters.

Allah the Exalted said,

اعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُحْيِي الاَْرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا

قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الاْيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

يا الله 💔

Ibn Abbas (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) said:

Mention your brother when he is absent in the way you would love to be mentioned by him! Forgive him as you would love to be forgiven by him!

[as-S‌amt of Ibn Abi‌ ad-Dunya‌ (rahimahullah), 114]

#Shared

"Know if the people admire you, verily [in essence] they are [actually] admiring the beautiful veil that Allaah has covered you with.”

[Ibn Al Qayyim رحمه الله | Madarij As-Salikeen, 293/2]

@FadingShadow

Can a believer be a liar?

The Prophet was asked: "Can a believer be a coward?"

He said: "Yes."

He was then asked: "Can a believer be a miser?"

He replied: "Yes."

And he finally, he was asked: "Can a believer be a liar?"

The Prophet said: "No."

‎● {موطأ الإمام مالك كتاب ٥٦، حديث ١٨}

Az-Zukhruf 43:37
وَإِنَّهُمۡ لَيَصُدُّونَهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَيَحۡسَبُونَ أَنَّهُم مُّهۡتَدُونَ

English - Mohsin Khan/Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And verily, they (Satans / devils) hinder them from the Path (of Allah), but they think that they are guided aright!

Dhivehi - Abu Bakr Ibrahim Ali (Bakurube)
(37) ދެން އެފަދަ شيطان ންތައް އެފަދަ އިންސާނުންނަށް ވަސްވާސްދީ، މަގުފުރައްދައި، ސީދާ حقّ މަގު منع ކޮށް ބަންދުކުރާނެއެވެ. އަދި އެ އިންސާނުން ހީކުރާނީ ހަމަކަށަވަރުން އެމީހުން އެވަނީ ތެދުމަގު ލިބިގެންވާ މީހުން ކަމުގައެވެ.

@FadingShadow

Anas bin Malik narrated that the Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:

"The hour shall not be established until time is constricted, and the year is like a month, a month is like the week, and the week is like the day, and the day is like the hour, and the hour is like the flare of the fire."

[Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2332]

@FadingShadow

یَـٰوَیۡلَتَىٰ لَیۡتَنِی لَمۡ أَتَّخِذۡ فُلَانًا خَلِیلࣰا

Alas for me! Would that I had not taken So-and-so as a friend!

[Sūrah al-Furqān : 28]

﴾ Alas for me! Would that I had not taken So-and-so; ﴿ - this refers to devils, be they human or jinn

﴾ as a friend! ﴿ that is, as a dear and close friend; I took as enemies the most sincere and kindest of people to me and I took as friends the most hostile, from whose friendship I gained nothing but misery, loss, disgrace and doom.

Tafseer As-Sa’di, Volume 7, [Juz’ 19-21]

#Shared

@FadingShadow

Bishr bin Hārith رحمه الله said:

"You will not attain the sweetness of worship until you place a barrier between yourself and your lusts."

[Siyar A'lam an-Nubala, 10/473 | Imăm adh-Dhahabi رحمه الله]

@FadingShadow