Surah Al Hadid Tafseer

سَابِقُوا إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا كَعَرْضِ السَّمَاء وَالاْاَرْضِ

Race with one another in hastening towards forgiveness from your Lord, and Paradise the width whereof is as the width of the heaven and the earth,

Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,

وَسَارِعُواْ إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَـوَتُ وَالاٌّرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

And march forth in the way (to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who have Taqwa. (3:133)

Allah said here,

أُعِدَّتْ لِلَّذِينَ امَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ

ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُوْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاء وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ

prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers. That is the grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He is pleased with. And Allah is the Owner of great bounty.

meaning, "This, that Allah has qualified them for, is all a part of His favor, bounty and compassion."

We mentioned a Hadith collected in the Sahih in which the poor emigrants said to the Messenger,

"O Allah's Messenger! The wealthy people will get higher grades and permanent enjoyment."

He asked, Why is that?

They said, "They pray like us and fast as we do. However, they give in charity, whereas we cannot do that, and that free servants, whereas we cannot afford it."

The Prophet said,

أَفَلَ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى شَيْءٍ إِذَا فَعَلْتُمُوهُ سَبَقْتُمْ مَنْ بَعْدَكُمْ وَلَا يَكُونُ أَحَدٌ أَفْضَلَ مِنْكُمْ إِلاَّ مَنْ صَنَعَ مِثْلَ مَا صَنَعْتُمْ

تُسَبِّحُونَ

وَتُكَبِّرُونَ

وَتُحَمِّدُونَ

دُبُرَ كُلِّ صَلَةٍ ثَلَثًا وَثَلَثِين

Shall I tell you of a good deed that, if you acted upon, you would catch up with those who have surpassed you, none would overtake you and be better than you, except those who might do the same. Say,

"Glorious is Allah,"

"Allah is Most Great," and

"Praise be to Allah,"

thirty three times each after every prayer.

They later came back and said, "Our wealthy brethren heard what we did and they started doing the same."

Allah's Messenger said,

ذلِكَ فَضْلُ اللهِ يُوْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاء

This is the favor of Allah that He gives to whom He wills.