Surah Al A'raf Tafseer

وَاكْتُبْ لَنَا فِي هَـذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الاخِرَةِ

"And ordain for us good in this world, and in the Hereafter."

The first part of Musa's supplication was to fend off what should be avoided, while this part is a request for what is sought.

The meaning of this Ayah is,

`ordain for us and grant us all that is good in both lives.

We mentioned the meaning of `good' before in Surah Al-Baqarah.

إِنَّا هُدْنَـا إِلَيْكَ

"We have Hudna unto You."

According to the meaning of, `Hudna', given by Ibn Abbas, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Mujahid, Abu Al-Aliyah, Ad-Dahhak, Ibrahim At-Taymi, As-Suddi, Qatadah and several others,

`we repent, go back and return unto You,'

Allah's Mercy is for Those Who have Taqwa and believe in Allah's Ayat and His Messenger

Allah answers the statement,

إِنْ هِيَ إِلاَّ فِتْنَتُكَ

(It is only Your trial...) (7:155), by saying,

قَالَ عَذَابِي أُصِيبُ بِهِ مَنْ أَشَاء وَرَحْمَتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ

He said:(As to) My punishment I afflict therewith whom I will and My mercy embraces all things.

Allah says here, `I do what I will, decide what I will and I have wisdom and justice in all matters.' Certainly, there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. Allah's statement,

وَرَحْمَتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ

(and My mercy embraces all things) testifies to His encompassing mercy.

Allah said that the angels who carry His Throne and those around the Throne supplicate,

رَبَّنَا وَسِعْتَ كُـلَّ شَىْءٍ رَّحْمَةً وَعِلْماً

"Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy and knowledge." (40:7)

Imam Ahmad recorded that Jundub bin Abdullah Al-Bajali said,

"A Bedouin man came, he made his camel kneel and he tied it. Then he prayed behind the Messenger of Allah. When the Messenger of Allah finished the prayer, that man untied his camel mounted it and supplicated aloud, `O Allah! Grant Your mercy to me and to Muhammad, and do not give a share in it to anyone else.'

The Messenger of Allah commented (to his Companions),

أَتَقُولُونَ هَذَا أَضَلُّ أَمْ بَعِيرُهُ أَلَمْ تَسْمَعُوا مَا قَالَ

Do you think that this man is more misguided or his camel! Did you not hear what this man has said?

They said, `Yes.'

He said,

لَقَدْ حَظَّرْتَ رَحْمَةً وَاسِعَةً إِنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ خَلَقَ مِايَةَ رَحْمَةٍ فَأَنْزَلَ رَحْمَةً يَتَعَاطَفُ بِهَا الخَلْقُ جِنُّهَا وَإِنْسُهَا وَبَهَايِمُهَا وَأَخَّرَ عِنْدَهُ تِسْعًا وَتِسْعِينَ رَحْمَةً أَتَقُولُونَ هُوَ أَضَلُّ أَمْ بَعِيرُهُ

You (the Bedouin man) have restricted a vast mercy! Allah, the Exalted, the most Honored has created a hundred mercies and sent down one of them by which the creation, men, Jinn and animals, show mercy to each other. He left with Him ninety-nine mercies, so do you say that this man is more misguided or his camel?

Ahmad and Abu Dawud collected this Hadith.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Salman narrated that the Prophet said,

إِنَّ للهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِايَةَ رَحْمَةٍ فَمِنْهَا رَحْمَةٌ يَتَرَاحَمُ بِهَا الْخَلْقُ وَبِهَا تَعْطِفُ الْوُحُوشُ عَلَى أَوْلَادِهَا وَأَخَّرَ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَة

Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored, has a hundred mercies. With one of them, the creations show mercy to each other, and even the beasts show kindness to their offspring. He has kept ninety-nine mercies with Him for the Day of Resurrection.

Muslim recorded it.

Allah said next,

فَسَأَكْتُبُهَا لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ

That (mercy) I shall ordain for those who have Taqwa,

meaning, I will ordain My mercy for them, as a favor and kindness from Me to them. Allah said in a similar Ayah,

كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ

He has prescribed mercy for Himself. (6:12)

Allah's statement,

لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ

(for those who have Taqwa),

means, `I will ordain My mercy for those who possess these qualities, and they are the Ummah of Muhammad,'

لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ

(for those who have Taqwa), who avoid Shirk and major sins,

وَيُوْتُونَ الزَّكَـاةَ

and give Zakah;

purify themselves, according to one opinion.

It was also said that,

`the Zakah', here pertains to wealth.

It is possible that both meanings are included here, for this Ayah was revealed in Makkah (before Zakah in fixed shares was ordained),

وَالَّذِينَ هُم بِأيَاتِنَا يُوْمِنُونَ

and those who believe in Our Ayat.

those who have faith in them