Surah Al-Hashr Ayat 18 (59:18 Quran) With Tafsir

Ala-Maududi

(59:18) Believers,^[28] fear Allah and let every person look to what he sends forward for the morrow.^[29] Fear Allah; Allah is well aware of all that you do.

28. It is a rule of the Quran that whenever the hypocritical Muslims are taken to task for their hypocrisy, they are given admonition also so that whoever of them has some life left in his conscience, may feel remorse for his conduct and attitude and may make an effort, out of the fear of Allah, to come out of the pit into which his worship of the self has thrown him. This whole section (Surah Al-Anfal, ayat 18-24) consists of such admonition.

29. For tomorrow: for the Hereafter. That is, this whole worldly life is “today”, whose “tomorrow” is the Day of Resurrection, which is going to follow it. Adopting this style Allah has, in a wise manner, made man understand the truth that just as that person is highly foolish, who gambles away his all for the enjoyment of today and does not realize whether tomorrow he would be left with anything to eat and a place of shelter or not, so is also that person only working for his own doom, who is too absorbed in making his world to pay heed to the Hereafter, whereas the Hereafter is to follow this world just as today is to be followed by tomorrow, and there he would find nothing if he has sent nothing ahead for the morrow. Besides, the other wise point here is that every person has been appointed his own censor. Unless a person develops in himself the sense of what is good for him and what is evil, he cannot appreciate whether what he is doing will make his future in the Hereafter or mar it. And when this sense becomes active in himself, he will have to calculate and see for himself whether the way in which he is spending his time, his wealth, his energies and capabilities leads to Heaven or Hell. To do so is in his own interest; for if he does not do so he will ruin his own future itself.

Ibn-Kathir

18. O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah and let every person look to what he has sent forth for tomorrow, and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what you do. 19. And be not like those who forgot Allah, and He caused them to forget themselves. Those are the rebellious. 20. Not equal are the dwellers of the Fire and the dwellers of the Paradise. It is the dwellers of Paradise that will be successful.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Al-Mundhir bin Jarir narrated that his father said, “While we were in the company of the Messenger of Allah in the early hours of the morning, some people came there who were barefooted, naked, wearing striped woolen clothes, or cloaks, with their swords hung (around their necks). Most of them, nay, all of them, belonged to the tribe of Mudar. The color of the face of the Messenger of Allah underwent a change when he saw them in poverty. He then entered (his house) and came out and commanded Bilal to pronounce Adhan. Bilal pronounced Adhan and Iqamah, and the Prophet led the prayer. He then addressed them, first reciting,

(O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord, Who created you from a single person… ) (4:1), until the end of the Ayah. Then he recited the Ayah that is in Surat Al-Hashr:

(and let every person look to what he has sent forth for tomorrow,”) He then said, “A man donated his Dinar, his Dirham, from his clothes, from his Sa` of wheat, from his Sa` of dates” — until he said — “even if it was half a date.” Then a person among the Ansar came there with a moneybag, which his hands could scarcely lift; in fact, his hands could not lift it. Then the people followed continuously, until I saw two heaps of eatables and clothes. I saw the face of the Messenger radiate with pleasure, like gold. The Messenger of Allah said,

(He who sets a good example in Islam, there is a reward for him for this (act of goodness) and reward of that also who acted according to it subsequently, without any deduction from their rewards. Whoever sets in Islam an evil example, there is upon him the burden of that evil and the burden of him also who acted upon it subsequently, without any deduction from their burden.)” Muslim recorded this Hadith via the chain of Shu`bah. Therefore, Allah’s statement,

(O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah), ordains the Taqwa of Allah which pertains to obeying what He ordered and staying away from what He forbade. Allah said,

(and let every person look to what he has sent forth for tomorrow,) meaning, hold yourselves accountable before you are recompensed, and contemplate what you have kept for yourselves of good deeds for the Day of your return and being paraded before your Lord,

(Have Taqwa of Allah), again ordering Taqwa,

(Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what you do.) Allah asserts that surely, He knows all of your deeds — O mankind — and actions. Nothing that pertains to you ever escapes His observation, nor any matter of yours, whether major or minor, is ever beyond His knowledge,

(And be not like those who forgot Allah, and He caused them to forget themselves.) meaning, do not forget the remembrance of Allah, the Exalted, otherwise, He will make you forget to perform the good deeds that benefit you in your return, because the recompense is equated with the action. This is why Allah the Exalted said,

(Those are the rebellious.) referring to those who rebel against obedience to Allah, who will earn destruction on the Day of Resurrection and failure upon their return,

(O you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whosoever does that, then they are the losers.)(63:9)

Allah said,

(Not equal are the dwellers of the Fire and the dwellers of the Paradise.) meaning, these two categories of people are never the same with regards to the judgement of Allah, the Exalted, on the Day of Resurrection. Allah said in other Ayat,

(Or do those who earn evil deeds think that We shall hold them equal with those who believe and do righteous good deeds, in their present life and after their death Worst is the judgement that they make.)(45:21),

(And not equal are the blind and those who see; nor are those who believe and do righteous good deeds and those who do evil. Little do you remember!)(40:58), and,

(Shall We treat those who believe and do righteous good deeds as corrupters on earth Or shall We treat those who have Taqwa as the wicked)(38:28) Therefore, Allah asserts that He will honor the righteous and humiliate the sinners, and this is why He said here,

(It is the dwellers of Paradise that will be successful.) that is, they are those who will earn safety and deliverance from the torment of Allah the Exalted and Most Honored.