Tafsir Ibn Abbas: An-Nahl, Ayah 75
Common Words
Other Scholars on This Ayah
Tafsir
God strikes a similitude mathalan this is substituted by the following ‘abdan mamlūkan a slave who is a chattel mamlūkan an adjective to distinguish him this type of slave from a free man who is the servant of God alone having no power over anything since he has no mastery and one on whom man is an indefinite noun adjectivally qualified in other words a free man We have bestowed a fair provision from Us such that he spends thereof secretly and openly that is disposing of it as he wishes the first similitude is for the idols while the second is His exalted be He. Are they equal? the powerless slaves and the dispensing free men? No. Praise belongs to God alone. But most of them that is the people of Mecca do not know the chastisement they will come to and so they associate others with God.
Related Hadiths
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"How wonderful it is for one of them that he obeys Allah and fulfills the rights of his master." Meaning the slave. And Ka'b said: "Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth."
It is good for a slave that he worships Allah well, and serves his master (well). It is good for him.
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Not to wish to be the like except of two men. A man whom Allah has given the (knowledge of the) Qur'an and he recites it during the hours of night and day and the one who...
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The Prophet (ﷺ) said: the similitude of a man who emancipates a slave at the time of his death is like that of a man who gives a present after satisfying his appetite.
When a slave looks to the welfare of his master and worships Allah well, he has two rewards for him.
Ibn Abbas Commentary
Allah then gave a parable regarding the believer and the disbeliever, saying: (Allah coineth a similitude: (on the one hand) a (mere) chattel slave) Allah explained the traits of this slave, (who hath control of nothing) he has no power to spend or do any good, and in this respect he is just like the disbeliever from whom no good ever comes, (and (on the other hand) one on whom We have bestowed a fair provision) abundant wealth (from Us, and he spendeth thereof secretly) between him and his Lord (and openly) between him and other people for the sake of Allah; this is the simile of the sincere believer. (Are they equal) in their reward and obedience? (Praise be to Allah!) gratitude is due to Allah and divine Oneness is also Allah's. (But most of them know not) the parable of the Qur'an. It is also said that this verse was revealed about 'Uthman Ibn 'Affan and an Arab man called Abu'l-'Is Ibn Umayyah.