Surah Anfal ayat 24 Tafsir Quran 8:24

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَجِيبُوا لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ ۖ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَأَنَّهُ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ﴾
[ الأنفال: 24]

8:24 O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered.

O you who believe respond to God and the Messenger with obedience when He calls you to that which will give you life in the matter of religion for it will be the source of everlasting life for you; and know that God comes in between a man and his heart so that he cannot believe or disbelieve except by His will; and that it is to Him that you shall be gathered and He will requite you for your deeds.

O you who have conformed to Islam: Respond favourably to Allahs commands and to the admonition by His Messenger when he invites you to lead a life that deserves the name, a life that is based on clean hearts and on divine knowledge and on denunciation of evil and ignorance and superstitions of later times. A life that is based on the faculty or sum of faculties of the mind or the soul by which one knows and reasons and exercises the power of thought and understanding. Life based on freedom from idolatry to the inanimate and the animate and on worshipping and obeying the One and Only -the Creator of the universe- Who gives life and occasions death. A life that is based on the quality of mind showing itself in facing danger without fear and based on kindness, compassion, benevolence and on religious and spiritual virtues. A life that is productive and fulfilling the normal purpose, so that it be meaningful, honourable and worth living. And you people had better realize that Allah intervenes between man and his heart to love or hate, to open its ears or counsel deaf, to be courageous or wanting courage, to be kind, or hard, to beat or fail and stop, and to Him shall all of you be thronged

The Command to answer and obey Allah and His Messenger Al-Bukhari said, اسْتَجِيبُواْ "( Answer ), obey, لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ ( that which will give you life ) that which will make your affairs good." Al-Bukhari went on to narrate that Abu Sa`id bin Al-Mu`alla said, "I was praying when the Prophet passed by and called me, but I did not answer him until I finished the prayer.
He said, «مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَأْتِيَنِي؟ أَلَمْ يَقُلِ اللَّهُ: (What prevented you from answering me Has not Allah said: يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اسْتَجِيبُواْ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ ( O you who believe! Answer Allah and (His ) Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life)' He then said:
«لَأُعَلِّمَنَّكَ أَعْظَمَ سُورَةٍ فِي الْقُرآنِ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَخْرُج»
( I will teach you the greatest Suah in the Qur'an before I leave. ) When he was about to leave, I mentioned what he said to me.
He said, الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ( All the praises and thanks are to Allah, the Lord of all that exists... ) 1:1-6.
«هِيَ السَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي»
( Surely, it is the seven oft-repeated verses. )"' Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Muhammad bin Ja`far bin Az-Zubayr said that `Urwah bin Az-Zubayr explained this Ayah, يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اسْتَجِيبُواْ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ ( O you who believe! Answer Allah and (His ) Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life,) "Answer when called to war ( Jihad ) with which Allah gives you might after meekness, and strength after weakness, and shields you from the enemy who oppressed you." Allah comes in between a Person and His Heart Allah said, وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ ( and know that Allah comes in between a person and his heart. ) Ibn `Abbas commented, "Allah prevents the believer from disbelief and the disbeliever from faith." Al-Hakim recorded this in his Mustadrak and said, "It is Sahih and they did not record it." .
Similar was said by Mujahid, Sa`id, `Ikrimah, Ad-Dahhak, Abu Salih `Atiyyah, Muqatil bin Hayyan and As-Suddi.
In another report from Mujahid, he commented; يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ ( ...comes in between a person and his heart. ) "Leaves him without comprehension," As-Suddi said, "Prevents one self from his own heart, so he will neither believe nor disbelieve except by His leave." There are several Hadiths that conform with the meaning of this Ayah.
For instance, Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas bin Malik said, "The Prophet used to often say these words,
«يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِك»
( O You Who changes the hearts, make my heart firm on Your religion. ) We said, `O Allah's Messenger! We believed in you and in what you brought us.
Are you afraid for us' He said,
«نَعَمْ، إِنَّ الْقُلُوبَ بَيْنَ إِصْبَعَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِ اللهِ تَعَالَى يُقَلِّبُهَا»
( Yes, for the hearts are between two of Allah's Fingers, He changes them (as He wills ).)" This is the same narration recorded by At-Tirmidhi in the Book of Qadar in his Jami' Sunan, and he said, "Hasan." Imam Ahmad recorded that An-Nawwas bin Sam`an Al-Kilabi said that he heard the Prophet saying,
«مَا مِنْ قَلْبٍ إِلَّا وَهُوَ بَيْنَ أُصْبُعَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِ الرَّحْمَنِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يُقِيمَهُ أَقَامَهُ وَإِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يُزِيغَهُ أَزَاغَه»
( Every heart is between two of the Fingers of the Most Beneficent (Allah ), Lord of all that exists, if He wills, He makes it straight, and if He wills, He makes it stray.) And he said:
«يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِك»
( O You Who changes the hearts! keep my heart firm on Your religion ) And he would say;
«وَالْمِيزَانُ بِيَدِ الرَّحْمنِ يَخْفِضُهُ وَيَرْفَعُه»
( The Balance is in the Hand of Ar-Rahman, He raises and lowers it. ) This was also recorded by An-Nasai and Ibn Majah.

(8:24) Believers! Respond to Allah, and respond to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. Know well that Allah stands between a man and his heart, and it is to Him that all of you shall be mustered. *19

O you who have believed, respond to meaning

*19).
The most effective means of preventing man from failing prey to hypocrisy is to implant two ideas in his mind.
First, that he will have to face the reckoning and judgement of God Who knows what is in the deep recesses of his heart.
Even man's intentions and desires, the purposes which he seeks to achieve, the ideas that he seeks to keep hidden in his heart, are all well known to God.
Second, that ultimately every man will be mustered to God; that He is so powerful that none can escape His judgement.
The deeper the roots of these convictions.
the further is man removed from hypocrisy.
Hence, while admonishing Muslims against hypocrisy, the Qur'an frequently resorts to emphasizing these two articles oi belief.

 

The Command to answer and obey Allah and His Messenger Al-Bukhari said, اسْتَجِيبُواْ "( Answer ), obey, لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ ( that which will give you life ) that which will make your affairs good." Al-Bukhari went on to narrate that Abu Sa`id bin Al-Mu`alla said, "I was praying when the Prophet passed by and called me, but I did not answer him until I finished the prayer.
He said, «مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَأْتِيَنِي؟ أَلَمْ يَقُلِ اللَّهُ: (What prevented you from answering me Has not Allah said: يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اسْتَجِيبُواْ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ ( O you who believe! Answer Allah and (His ) Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life)' He then said: «لَأُعَلِّمَنَّكَ أَعْظَمَ سُورَةٍ فِي الْقُرآنِ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَخْرُج» ( I will teach you the greatest Suah in the Qur'an before I leave. ) When he was about to leave, I mentioned what he said to me.
He said, الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ( All the praises and thanks are to Allah, the Lord of all that exists... ) 1:1-6. «هِيَ السَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي» ( Surely, it is the seven oft-repeated verses. )"' Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Muhammad bin Ja`far bin Az-Zubayr said that `Urwah bin Az-Zubayr explained this Ayah, يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اسْتَجِيبُواْ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ ( O you who believe! Answer Allah and (His ) Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life,) "Answer when called to war ( Jihad ) with which Allah gives you might after meekness, and strength after weakness, and shields you from the enemy who oppressed you." Allah comes in between a Person and His Heart Allah said, وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ ( and know that Allah comes in between a person and his heart. ) Ibn `Abbas commented, "Allah prevents the believer from disbelief and the disbeliever from faith." Al-Hakim recorded this in his Mustadrak and said, "It is Sahih and they did not record it." .
Similar was said by Mujahid, Sa`id, `Ikrimah, Ad-Dahhak, Abu Salih `Atiyyah, Muqatil bin Hayyan and As-Suddi.
In another report from Mujahid, he commented; يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ ( ...comes in between a person and his heart. ) "Leaves him without comprehension," As-Suddi said, "Prevents one self from his own heart, so he will neither believe nor disbelieve except by His leave." There are several Hadiths that conform with the meaning of this Ayah.
For instance, Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas bin Malik said, "The Prophet used to often say these words, «يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِك» ( O You Who changes the hearts, make my heart firm on Your religion. ) We said, `O Allah's Messenger! We believed in you and in what you brought us.
Are you afraid for us' He said, «نَعَمْ، إِنَّ الْقُلُوبَ بَيْنَ إِصْبَعَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِ اللهِ تَعَالَى يُقَلِّبُهَا» ( Yes, for the hearts are between two of Allah's Fingers, He changes them (as He wills ).)" This is the same narration recorded by At-Tirmidhi in the Book of Qadar in his Jami' Sunan, and he said, "Hasan." Imam Ahmad recorded that An-Nawwas bin Sam`an Al-Kilabi said that he heard the Prophet saying, «مَا مِنْ قَلْبٍ إِلَّا وَهُوَ بَيْنَ أُصْبُعَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِ الرَّحْمَنِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يُقِيمَهُ أَقَامَهُ وَإِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يُزِيغَهُ أَزَاغَه» ( Every heart is between two of the Fingers of the Most Beneficent (Allah ), Lord of all that exists, if He wills, He makes it straight, and if He wills, He makes it stray.) And he said: «يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِك» ( O You Who changes the hearts! keep my heart firm on Your religion ) And he would say; «وَالْمِيزَانُ بِيَدِ الرَّحْمنِ يَخْفِضُهُ وَيَرْفَعُه» ( The Balance is in the Hand of Ar-Rahman, He raises and lowers it. ) This was also recorded by An-Nasai and Ibn Majah.

( O ye who believe ) i.e. the Companions of Muhammad ( pbuh ); ( Obey Allah, and the messenger when He calleth you to that which quickeneth you ) to that which honours you, makes you triumphant and reforms you, such as when you are called to fighting, etc., ( and know ) O believers ( that Allah cometh in between ) protects ( the man and his own heart ) He protects the believer and his heart, such that He preserves the heart of the believer by making it firm on faith so that it does not reject faith; and he preserves the heart of the disbeliever by making it firm on disbelief so that it does not accept faith, ( and that He it is unto Whom ) unto Allah in the Hereafter ( ye will be gathered ) and thus rewarded you for your works.

O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he (SAW) calls you to that which will give you life, and know that Allah comes in between a person and his heart (i.e. He prevents an evil person to decide anything). And verily to Him you shall (all) be gathered.

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