[2342] For those who Believe and do righteous deeds is the Abode of Peace, the “best reward” (al-ḥusnā) (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Baghawī, Ibn ʿAṭiyyah).
[2343] Exegetes have differed about what could be more than Paradise as reward for good deeds, but most of them opine that it means seeing God Almighty’s Most Majestic Face without a veil (cf. al-Saʿdī): “On that Day ˹some˺ faces will be bright, *looking at their Lord” (75: 22-23). Ṣuhayb al-Rūmī (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “When the people of Paradise enter it, Allah, Glory be His, says: “Do you want more ˹of what˺ I give you?” they say: “Did You not illumine our faces? Did You not admit us into Paradise and save us from Hellfire? He (ﷺ) adds: “Then He (رضي الله عنه) lifts the Mantle ˹from His Face˺. They are given nothing dearer to them than looking at their Lord, Glory be His”. Then he (ﷺ) recited this aya: “For those who do the best ˹of deeds˺ is the best ˹reward˺ and more” (Muslim: 181). Yet in the considered opinions of al-Ṭabarī and Ibn Kathīr it is of general purport and not limited to any bounty in particular.
[2344] That is what they will be rewarded and this is what they are spared (cf. al-Rāzī): “So Allah spared them from the woes of that Day and gave them glow and gladness” (76: 11).
[2345] The fate of the Deniers on that Day will be the complete opposite of that of the Believers (cf. al-Rāzī).
[2346] “You will see them as they are exposed to it ˹Hellfire˺, abject in their abasement, glancing around them furtively” (42: 45).
[2347] “On the Day when some faces are illumined and others are darkened; as for those whose faces become dark ˹it is said˺: “Did you Deny after you became Believers? Taste then the Punishment of your Denial” (3: 106); “On the Day of Judgement you will see those who lied against Allah; their faces pitch dark!” (39: 60).
[2348] They mostly earned this humiliating treatment because of their Association (shirk), the worst, and only unforgiveable deed that anyone can ever perpetrate, and which is talked about in this passage (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr): “Verily Allah does not forgive that He is Associated with, but He forgives what is lesser than that for whoever He wills. Whoever Associates with Allah perpetrates an egregious sin” (4: 48); “Allah does not forgive that He is Associated with, but He forgives what is lesser than that for whoever He wills. Whoever Associates with Allah has indeed strayed far away ˹from the right path˺” (4: 116).
[2349] Humans and jinn, Believers and Deniers and those who worshipped and those whom were worshipped (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī).
[2350] This shows Who is in charge in that situation; in an authoritarian voice they are told, like the criminals that they are, to remain where they are, thus restricting their movement. They are dispossessed of their freedom, which they only used to commit the most egregious of sins.
[2351] “Then those who were followed shall disown those who followed, ˹when˺ they saw the Punishment and all means were cut off from them. *Those who followed shall say: “Should we have another round, we will disown them as they disowned us”; thus Allah shows them their deeds as remorse ˹for them˺—they shall not be let out from the Fire” (2: 166-167).
[2352] On that Day every soul will come to closely inspect and realize the truth of whether what it did was good or bad and will be held to account over it all (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Naḥḥās, al-Baiḍāwī): “We have bound every human’s fate to his neck. And on the Day of Judgement We will bring forth to each ˹person˺ a record which they will find laid open: *“Read your record! On this Day, your ˹own˺ self suffices as a reckoner against you”” (17: 13-14).
[2353] “Then they are returned to Allah, their real Master; nay but to Him alone belongs the decision—He is the swiftest of Reckoners” (6: 62); “That, for Allah being the Truth and that what they invoke besides Him is falsehood!” (22: 62).
[2354] Some of the most potent Signs of God’s sole rightfulness to worship, which the Arabs cannot deny, given that they Believed in an Omnipotent ‘Allah’ but Associated with Him (cf. 6: 40, Ibn Taymiyyah, Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā: 13: 18), are given here (cf. Abū Ḥayyān), so that they may reconsider their position.
[2355] “He is Allah Who created the Heavens and Earth and sends down rain from the sky, causing fruits to grow as a provision for you” (14: 32).
[2356] “Say ˹Muhammad˺: “Would you not see that if Allah were to take away your hearing and your sight; and seal your hearts, what god besides ‘Allah’ would restore it ˹all˺ back to you!” (6: 46).
[2357] For a detailed discussion of what this means see 6: 95: “Verily ‘Allah’ is the One Who ˹ever˺ cracks grains and seeds – ˹thus˺ He brings the living out of the dead – and He is the One Who ˹ever˺ brings the dead out of the living. That you see is ‘Allah’, whereof are you then turned away ˹from the Truth˺?”
[2358] God has absolute power over everything: “Indeed your ˹True˺ Lord is Allah Who created the Heavens and Earth in six days, then Established Himself on the Throne; He shrouds night over day, relentlessly pursuing it; the sun, the moon and the stars are dominated by His Command; verily for Him ˹alone˺ is the creation and the Command—glorified be Allah, the Lord of all beings” (7: 54).
[2359] They knew ‘Allah’ all too well but forgot about Him whenever it suited them (cf. 6: 91), thus they had to be faced with this fact as a reality check: “Say ˹Muhammad˺: “Who is the Lord of the seven Heavens and the Great Throne?” *They would say: “To ‘Allah’ ˹they belong˺” Say: “Would you not then become Mindful?” (23: 86-87).
[2360] Ibn ʿAbbās narrated that: “The Messenger used to say, when rising from sleep to perform Prayer during the night: “O Allah! ˹All˺ Gratitude is to You. You are the Guardian of the Heavens and Earth and whatever is therein. ˹All˺ Gratitude be to You. To You belongs the dominion of the Heavens and Earth and whatever is therein. ˹All˺ Gratitude be to You. You are the Light of the Heavens and Earth. ˹All˺ Gratitude be to You. To You belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens and Earth. ˹All˺ Gratitude be to You. You are the True. Your promise is true. Your meeting is true. Your Saying is true. Paradise is true. Hellfire is true. The Prophets are true. Muhammad (ﷺ) is true. The Hour is true. O Allah! For You I submit. In You I Believe. On You I rely. To You I refer. By You I dispute. In accordance with You I judge. So forgive me all what I did in my life, what is private and what is public. You are the Advancer and the Deferrer. There is no god but You” (al-Bukhārī: 1120, Muslim: 769).
[2361] There is no middle ground between these two extremes. They are mutually exclusive. Whoever does not worship God Almighty has gone astray (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Alūsī). Misguidedness is the worst embodiment of falsehood (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[2362] That is the pre-ordained decree; that the ardently rebellious shall never be guided (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Shawkānī, al-Mukhtaṣar): “Had your Lord so willed, He would have certainly made humanity one single nation ˹of Believers˺, but they will always differ - *except those on whom your Lord has mercy - for He created them to be this way, and the Word of your Lord is final: “I shall definitely fill up Hell with both jinn and men” (11: 118-119).