Jump to content

Draft:Ayah 97 of Surah al-Nahl

Add links
From wikishia
Ayah 97 of Surah al-Nahl
Verse's Information
SuraSurah al-Nahl (16)
Verse97
Juz'14
Content Information
Cause of
Revelation		Boasting (tafākhur) between groups of Jews, Christians, and idolaters
Place of
Revelation		Medina
TopicEthical
AboutFaith and righteous deeds as the foundation for a Good Life (Ḥayāt Ṭayyiba)


Qur'an 16:97 establishes that attaining a Good Life (Ḥayāt Ṭayyiba) and securing the rewards of the Hereafter are conditional upon performing righteous deeds accompanied by Faith (Iman). According to this verse, faith is a prerequisite for the acceptance of righteous acts and the accrual of spiritual merit. Commentators have variously defined this faith as belief in Monotheism (Tawḥīd) and adherence to the Book and the Sunna. Furthermore, righteous deeds are described as a broad concept encompassing all forms of beneficial and constructive activity.

Interpretations of the "Good Life" vary among scholars. Some associate it with worldly contentment—citing examples such as Halal provision, Contentment (qanāʿa), and divine success (tawfīq) in obedience—while others argue that the Good Life is realized in the Grave, the Hereafter, and Paradise.

Exegetes have also derived the principle of gender equality in Islam from this verse, asserting that the only distinction between men and women lies in their faith and righteous deeds. The boasting (tafākhur) of certain groups of Jews, Christians, and idolaters against one another is cited as one of the occasions of revelation for this verse.

Brief Introduction

Qur'an 16:97 identifies the righteous actions of any believing man or woman as the ground for attaining a Good Life and ultimate reward.[1] According to some commentators, this verse constitutes a divine promise[2] articulated as a universal law[3] and general rule.[4] It serves to encourage all believers to engage in good works,[5] including the fulfillment of religious duties and obligations.[6]

In his commentary Tafsir-i nimuna, Naser Makarem Shirazi highlights the transient nature of worldly life and posits that righteous deeds link human beings to the eternal essence of God, thereby granting them immortality. He asserts that this verse calls upon humans to preserve their existential assets from distinct perishing.[7] Exegetical works utilizing a tradition-based approach have cited numerous hadiths supporting this view.[8]

Faith as a Condition for the Acceptance of Righteous Deeds

Qur'an 16:97 presents Faith and righteous deeds as the two fundamental pillars of happiness[9] and the sole criteria for evaluating human worth; consequently, factors such as race, gender, social status, and age bear no influence on true felicity.[10] The verse establishes faith as a prerequisite for the acceptance of righteous deeds[11] and all acts of worship.[12] It indicates that reward is contingent upon the combination of faith and action, meaning neither alone suffices;[13] thus, the good deeds of disbelievers hold no merit.[14]

Commentators have proposed various definitions regarding the nature of the "faith" mentioned in the verse. These include belief in the Oneness of God,[15] acknowledgment of the prophets,[16] adherence to the Book and the Sunna,[17] belief in divine retribution and reward,[18] and acceptance of all true doctrines transmitted by the Prophet (s).[19] Some commentaries also discuss the connection between faith and Guardianship.[20]

The term "righteous deed" is interpreted as a broad concept comprising all beneficial and constructive activities across scientific, cultural, economic, political, and military spheres.[21] Sayyid Abdul Husayn Tayyib, author of Atyab al-bayan, notes that righteous deeds possess various degrees; the more a person observes spiritual manners and traditions, the higher the rank of their deeds.[22] Some scholars argue that faith is made a condition for righteous deeds to protect actions from corrupting influences such as hypocrisy, ostentation, vanity, and the expectation of gratitude (mann).[23]

Instances of the Good Life

Main article: Hayat Tayyiba

Commentators offer differing opinions on the precise meaning of Ḥayāt Ṭayyiba (Good Life).[24] Some interpret it as a state enjoyed in this world,[25] identifying several manifestations:[26]

Other commentators argue that the Good Life is realized in the Grave[37] and the Hereafter,[38] or specifically in Paradise.[39] It is argued that a truly pleasant and pure life—devoid of Death, indigence, illness, and misery—is possible only in Paradise.[40] Sayyid Abdul Husayn Tayyib dismisses the worldly interpretation as contrary to the apparent meaning of the verse, interpreting the phrase "We shall revive him" (aḥyaynahu) as a reference to eternal life, either in the world of Barzakh or on the Day of Judgment.[41] Conversely, some view the concept of the Good Life as comprehensive, encompassing both worldly and otherworldly blessings.[42]

Additionally, some scholars deduce from the verse's conclusion—which promises a reward in the "best manner" (bi-aḥsan)—that the Good Life pertains to this world, while the "best reward" is reserved for the Hereafter.[43]

Occasions of Revelation

Two occasions of revelation are cited for this verse. In one account, a man from Hadramaut complained to the Prophet (s) that Imru' al-Qais had seized part of his land. When Imru' al-Qais denied the claim, the Messenger of Allah (s) demanded he take an oath. As Imru' al-Qais stood to swear, Qur'an 16:95 and Qur'an 16:96 were revealed ("And do not exchange the covenant of Allah for a small price... What is with you will be exhausted, but what is with Allah is enduring"). Acknowledging the perishability of his possessions and confirming the truth of the revelation, Imru' al-Qais returned the land. The verse in question (16:97) was revealed following this event.[44]

In another account, the verse was revealed after a group of Jews, Christians, and idolaters gathered to boast, each claiming their community was superior and more virtuous than the others.[45]

Equality of Men and Women

Some commentators view this verse as a key expression of Islamic logic regarding gender equality. They argue that while physical and psychological differences exist between men and women, these do not diminish their human status or standing before God.[46] The only distinction lies in Faith and righteous deeds, arenas in which men and women have equal potential for achievement.[47]

Sayyid Muhammad Husayni Hamadani, in Anwar-i dirakhshan, asserts that this verse rejects the subjugation of women and their relegation to a lower human rank—practices common in many societies. He emphasizes that the verse establishes the shared independence of thought and will between men and women, as well as their autonomy in personal and social life.[48] Thus, Qur'an 16:97 refutes the notion that the Good Life is restricted to any specific gender or group.[49]

Notes

  1. ↑ al-Shaykh al-Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān, Beirut, vol. 6, p. 424; Ṭayyib, Aṭyab al-bayān, 1369 Sh, vol. 8, p. 185; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 11, p. 389.
  2. ↑ al-Shaykh al-Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān, Beirut, vol. 6, p. 424; Ṭabarsī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1372 Sh, vol. 6, p. 593.
  3. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 11, p. 389.
  4. ↑ Ḥusaynī Hamadānī, Anvār-i dirakhshān, 1404 AH, vol. 9, p. 539.
  5. ↑ al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-maʿānī, 1415 AH, vol. 7, p. 464.
  6. ↑ Zuḥaylī, al-Tafsīr al-munīr, 1418 AH, vol. 14, p. 229.
  7. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 11, p. 390.
  8. ↑ Ḥuwayzī, Nūr al-thaqalayn, 1415 AH, vol. 3, p. 84; al-Suyūṭī, al-Durr al-manthūr, 1404 AH, vol. 4, p. 130.
  9. ↑ Jaʿfarī, Kawthar, 1376 Sh, vol. 6, p. 211.
  10. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 11, p. 389.
  11. ↑ Zuḥaylī, al-Tafsīr al-munīr, 1418 AH, vol. 14, p. 229; Qarāʾatī, Tafsīr-i nūr, 1388 Sh, vol. 4, p. 578; ʿĀmilī, Tafsīr-i ʿĀmilī, 1360 Sh, vol. 5, p. 368.
  12. ↑ Ṭayyib, Aṭyab al-bayān, 1369 Sh, vol. 8, p. 185.
  13. ↑ Fakhr al-Rāzī, al-Tafsīr al-kabīr, 1420 AH, vol. 20, p. 267; Mughniyya, al-Kāshif, 1424 AH, vol. 4, p. 551.
  14. ↑ Maybudī, Kashf al-asrār, 1371 Sh, vol. 5, p. 445; Zuḥaylī, al-Tafsīr al-munīr, 1418 AH, vol. 14, p. 227.
  15. ↑ Ibn Sulaymān, Tafsīr Muqātil b. Sulaymān, 1423 AH, vol. 2, p. 486.
  16. ↑ al-Shaykh al-Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān, Beirut, vol. 6, p. 424.
  17. ↑ Zuḥaylī, al-Tafsīr al-munīr, 1418 AH, vol. 14, p. 228.
  18. ↑ Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-bayān, 1412 AH, vol. 14, p. 114.
  19. ↑ Ṭayyib, Aṭyab al-bayān, 1369 Sh, vol. 8, p. 185.
  20. ↑ Sulṭān ʿAlī-Shāh, Bayān al-saʿāda, 1408 AH, vol. 2, p. 425.
  21. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 11, p. 392.
  22. ↑ Ṭayyib, Aṭyab al-bayān, 1369 Sh, vol. 8, p. 185.
  23. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 11, p. 393.
  24. ↑ Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-bayān, 1412 AH, vol. 14, p. 114.
  25. ↑ Ibn Sulaymān, Tafsīr Muqātil b. Sulaymān, 1423 AH, vol. 2, p. 486; Bayḍāwī, Anwār al-tanzīl, 1418 AH, vol. 3, p. 239; Zamakhsharī, al-Kashshāf, 1407 AH, vol. 2, p. 633; Fayḍ Kāshānī, al-Tafsīr al-ṣāfī, 1415 AH, vol. 3, p. 154.
  26. ↑ Thaʿlabī, al-Kashf wa l-bayān, 1422 AH, vol. 6, p. 40; Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-aḥkām al-Qurʾān, 1364 Sh, vol. 10, p. 174; Maybudī, Kashf al-asrār, 1371 Sh, vol. 5, p. 445; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿaẓīm, 1419 AH, vol. 7, p. 2301.
  27. ↑ Fakhr al-Rāzī, al-Tafsīr al-kabīr, 1420 AH, vol. 20, p. 267.
  28. ↑ Ṭabarsī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1372 Sh, vol. 6, p. 593 quoting others
  29. ↑ Fakhr al-Rāzī, al-Tafsīr al-kabīr, 1420 AH, vol. 20, p. 267 quoting others.
  30. ↑ Qummī, Tafsīr al-Qummī, 1363 Sh, vol. 1, p. 390.
  31. ↑ Sharīf al-Raḍī, Nahj al-balāgha (ed. Sobhi Saleh), 1414 AH. vol. 1, pp. 508-509.
  32. ↑ Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-aḥkām al-Qurʾān, 1364 AH, vol. 10, p. 174.
  33. ↑ al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-maʿānī, 1415 AH, vol. 7, p. 463 quoting others
  34. ↑ Sabzavārī, Irshād al-adhhān, 1419 AH, p. 283.
  35. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 11, pp. 389-390.
  36. ↑ Sulṭān ʿAlī-Shāh, Bayān al-saʿāda, 1408 AH, vol. 2, p. 425.
  37. ↑ Ṭabarsī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1372 Sh, vol. 6, p. 593; Ibn al-Jawzī, Zād al-masīr, 1422 AH, vol. 2, p. 582 quoting others
  38. ↑ Fakhr al-Rāzī, al-Tafsīr al-kabīr, 1420 AH, vol. 20, p. 267.
  39. ↑ Mughniyya, al-Kāshif, 1424 AH, vol. 4, p. 551.
  40. ↑ Fakhr al-Rāzī, al-Tafsīr al-kabīr, 1420 AH, vol. 20, p. 268; al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-maʿānī, 1415 AH, vol. 7, p. 464.
  41. ↑ Ṭayyib, Aṭyab al-bayān, 1369 Sh, vol. 8, p. 185.
  42. ↑ Zuḥaylī, al-Tafsīr al-munīr, 1418 AH, vol. 14, pp. 228-229.
  43. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 11, p. 394; Zuḥaylī, al-Tafsīr al-munīr, 1418 AH, vol. 14, p. 228.
  44. ↑ Ṭabarsī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1372 Sh, vol. 6, p. 592; Qummī Mashhadī, Kanz al-daqāʾiq, 1368 Sh, vol. 7, p. 268.
  45. ↑ Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-aḥkām al-Qurʾān, 1364 AH, vol. 10, p. 174; Ibn al-Jawzī, Zād al-masīr, 1422 AH, vol. 2, p. 582; Abū l-Futūḥ Rāzī, Rawḍ al-jinān, 1408 AH, vol. 12, p. 89.
  46. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 11, pp. 391-392.
  47. ↑ Mughniyya, al-Kāshif, 1424 AH, vol. 4, p. 551; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1371 Sh, vol. 11, pp. 391-392; Faḍl Allāh, Min waḥy al-Qurʾān, 1419 AH, vol. 13, p. 297.
  48. ↑ Ḥusaynī Hamadānī, Anvār-i dirakhshān, 1404 AH, vol. 9, p. 539.
  49. ↑ Bayḍāwī, Anwār al-tanzīl, 1418 AH, vol. 3, p. 239; Qummī Mashhadī, Kanz al-daqāʾiq, 1368 Sh, vol. 7, p. 269; al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-maʿānī, 1415 AH, vol. 7, p. 464.

References

  • Ibn al-Jawzī, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAlī, Zād al-masīr fī ʿilm al-tafsīr, Beirut, Dār al-Kitāb al-ʿArabī, 1422 AH.
  • Ibn Sulaymān, Muqātil, Tafsīr Muqātil b. Sulaymān, Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1423 AH.
  • Ibn Kathīr, Ismāʿīl b. ʿUmar, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿaẓīm, Beirut, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1419 AH.
  • Abū l-Futūḥ Rāzī, Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī, Rawḍ al-jinān wa rūḥ al-jinān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Mashhad, Astan Quds Razavi, 1st ed., 1408 AH.
  • al-Ālūsī, Sayyid Maḥmūd, Rūḥ al-maʿānī fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿaẓīm, Beirut, Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyya, 1st ed., 1415 AH.
  • Bayḍāwī, ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿUmar, Anwār al-tanzīl wa asrār al-taʾwīl, Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1418 AH.
  • Thaʿlabī, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad, al-Kashf wa l-bayān, Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 1422 AH.
  • Jaʿfarī, Yaʿqūb, Tafsīr-i Kawthar, Qom, Hijrat Publications, 1376 Sh.
  • Ḥusaynī Hamadānī, Sayyid Muḥammad, Anvār-i dirakhshān, edited by Muhammad Baqir Behbudi, Tehran, Lutfi Bookstore, 1404 AH.
  • Ḥuwayzī, ʿAbd ʿAlī b. Jumʿa, Tafsīr nūr al-thaqalayn, Qom, Ismāʿīliyān, 4th ed., 1415 AH.
  • Zuḥaylī, Wahba b. Muṣṭafā, al-Tafsīr al-munīr fī l-ʿaqīda wa l-sharīʿa wa l-manhaj, Beirut, Dār al-Fikr al-Muʿāṣir, 1418 AH.
  • Zamakhsharī, Maḥmūd b. ʿUmar, al-Kashshāf ʿan ḥaqāʾiq ghawāmiḍ al-tanzīl, Beirut, Dār al-Kitāb al-ʿArabī, 3rd ed., 1407 AH.
  • Sabzavārī Najafī, Muḥammad, Irshād al-adhhān ilā tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Beirut, Dār al-Taʿāruf li-l-Maṭbūʿāt, 1419 AH.
  • Sulṭān ʿAlī-Shāh, Muḥammad b. Ḥaydar, Bayān al-saʿāda fī maqāmāt al-ʿibāda, Beirut, Muʾassasat al-Aʿlamī li-l-Maṭbūʿāt, 2nd ed., 1408 AH.
  • al-Suyūṭī, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Bakr, al-Durr al-manthūr fī l-tafsīr bi-l-maʾthūr, Qom, Library of Grand Ayatollah Mar'ashi Najafi, 1404 AH.
  • Sharīf al-Raḍī, Muḥammad b. Ḥusayn, Nahj al-balāgha (ed. Sobhi Saleh), Qom, Hijrat Publishing, 1st ed., 1414 AH.
  • al-Shaykh al-Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. Ḥasan, al-Tibyān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, n.d.
  • Ṭabarsī, Faḍl b. Ḥasan, Majmaʿ al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Tehran, Nasir Khusraw, 3rd ed., 1372 Sh.
  • Ṭabarī, Muḥammad b. Jarīr, Jāmiʿ al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Beirut, Dār al-Maʿrifa, 1412 AH.
  • Ṭayyib, ʿAbd al-Ḥusayn, Aṭyab al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Tehran, Islam Publications, 2nd ed., 1369 Sh.
  • ʿĀmilī, Ibrāhīm, Tafsīr-i ʿĀmilī, Tehran, Saduq Bookstore, 1360 Sh.
  • Fakhr al-Rāzī, Muḥammad b. ʿUmar, al-Tafsīr al-kabīr (Mafātīḥ al-ghayb), Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, 3rd ed., 1420 AH.
  • Faḍl Allāh, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn, Min waḥy al-Qurʾān, Beirut, Dār al-Malāk, 1419 AH.
  • Fayḍ Kāshānī, Muḥammad b. Shāh-Murtaḍā, al-Tafsīr al-ṣāfī, Tehran, Maktabat al-Ṣadr, 2nd ed., 1415 AH.
  • Qarāʾatī, Muḥsin, Tafsīr-i nūr, Tehran, Cultural Center for Lessons from the Quran, 1388 Sh.
  • Qurṭubī, Muḥammad b. Aḥmad, al-Jāmiʿ li-aḥkām al-Qurʾān, Tehran, Nasir Khusraw, 1364 Sh.
  • Qummī Mashhadī, Muḥammad b. Muḥammad Reḍā, Tafsīr kanz al-daqāʾiq wa baḥr al-gharāʾib, Tehran, Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, 1368 Sh.
  • Qummī, ʿAlī b. Ibrāhīm, Tafsīr al-Qummī, Qom, Dār al-Kitāb, 3rd ed., 1363 Sh.
  • Mughniyya, Muḥammad Jawād, al-Tafsīr al-kāshif, Qom, Dār al-Kitāb al-Islāmī, 1424 AH.
  • Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir, Tafsīr-i nimūna, Tehran, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 10th ed., 1371 Sh.
  • Maybudī, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad, Kashf al-asrār wa ʿuddat al-abrār, Tehran, Amirkabir, 5th ed., 1371 Sh.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikishia.net/w/index.php?title=Draft:Ayah_97_of_Surah_al-Nahl&oldid=205070"