Surah As Saf Tafseer

Most hateful it is with Allah that you say that which you do not do.

Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawud recorded that Abdullah bin `Amir bin Rabi`ah said,

"Allah's Messenger came to us while I was a young boy, and I went out to play. My mother said, `O Abdullah! Come, I want to give you something.' Allah's Messenger said to her,

وَمَا أَرَدْتِ أَنْ تُعْطِيَهُ

What did you want to give him?

She said, `Dates.'

He said,

أَمَا إِنَّكِ لَوْ لَمْ تَفْعَلِي كُتِبَتْ عَلَيْكِ كَذْبَة

If you had not given them to him, it would have been written as a lie in your record."

Muqatil bin Hayyan said,

"The faithful believers said, `If we only knew the dearest good actions to Allah, we would perform them.' Thus, Allah told them about the dearest actions to Him, saying