Surah Al-Ma’idah Ayat 35 (5:35 Quran) With Tafsir

Ala-Maududi

(5:35) Believers! Fear Allah and seek the means to come near to Him,^[58] and strive hard in His way;^[59] maybe you will attain true success.

58. People are urged to solicit all means which might bring them close to God and enable them to please Him.

59. The English imperative ‘strive hard’ does not do full justice to the actual word used in the Qur’an: jahidu. The verbal form mujahadah signifies and carries the nuance of doing something in defiance of, or in opposition to someone. The true sense of the Qur’anic injunction ‘strive hard’ in the way of Allah is that the Muslims ought to use all their strength and engage in vigorous struggle against those forces which either forcefully prevent them from living in obedience to God or force them to live in obedience to others than God. It is this struggle which is likely to lead man to his true success and bring him to a close relationship with God.

This verse directs the believer to engage in a ceaseless, multifrontal struggle. On one side is the accursed Satan with his horde. Then comes the animal spirit of man, with its defiant and refractory desires. Then there are many men who have turned away from God, but with whom one is linked by social, cultural and economic ties. Then there are false religious, cultural and social systems which rest on rebellion against God and which force man to worship falsehood rather than Truth. These rebellious forces use different means to achieve their end, but those ends are always the same – to make men serve them rather than God. But man’s true progress and his attainment of close communion with God depends entirely on his total obedience to God, on his serving God unreservedly in the inner as well as in the external aspects of his life. He cannot achieve this objective without engaging in simultaneous combat with all the forces which are defiant and rebellious towards God, carrying on an unceasing struggle against them and trampling down all obstructions to his advancement along God’s path.

Ibn-Kathir

35. O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah and seek the Wasilah to Him, and strive hard in His cause, so that you may be successful. 36. Verily, those who disbelieve, if they had all that is in the earth, and as much again therewith to ransom themselves thereby from the torment on the Day of Resurrection, it would never be accepted of them. And theirs would be a painful torment. 37. They will long to get out of the Fire, but never will they get out therefrom; and theirs will be a lasting torment.

Allah commands His faithful servants to fear Him in Taqwa, which if mentioned along with acts of obedience, it means to refrain from the prohibitions and the prohibited matters. Allah said next,

(seek the Wasilah to Him.) Sufyan Ath-Thawri said that Talhah said that `Ata’ said that Ibn `Abbas said that Wasilah means `the means of approach’. Mujahid, Abu Wa’il, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, `Abdullah bin Kathir, As-Suddi, Ibn Zayd and others gave the same meaning for Wasilah. Qatadah said that the Ayah means, “Seek the means of approach to Him by obeying Him and performing the acts that please Him.”

(Those whom they call upon seek a means of access to their Lord (Allah).) ﴿17:57﴾ Wasilah is a means of approach to achieve something, and it is also used to refer to the highest grade in Paradise, and it is the grade of the Messenger of Allah , his residence and the nearest grade in Paradise to Allah’s Throne. Al-Bukhari recorded that Jabir bin `Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

(Whoever, after hearing to the Adhan says, “O Allah! Lord of this perfect call and of the regular prayer which is going to be established! Grant Muhammad the Wasilah and superiority and send him ﴿on the Day of Judgment﴾ to the praiseworthy station which You have promised him,” then intercession from me will be permitted for him on the Day of Resurrection.) Muslim recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As said that he heard the Prophet saying,

(When you hear the Mu’adhdhin, repeat what he says, and then ask for Salah (blessing, mercy from Allah) for me. Verily, whoever asks for Salah for me, then Allah will grant ten Salah to him. Then, ask for the Wasilah for me, for it is a grade in Paradise that only one servant of Allah deserves, and I hope that I am that servant. Verily, whoever asks (Allah) for Wasilah for me, he will earn the right of my intercession.) Allah said,

(and strive hard in His cause as much as you can. So that you may be successful.) After Allah commanded Muslims to avoid the prohibitions and to work towards obedience, He commanded them to fight against their enemies, the disbelievers and idolators who have deviated from the straight path and abandoned the correct religion. Allah encouraged the believers by reminding them of the unending success and great happiness that He prepared for them for the Day of Resurrection, which will never change or decrease for those who join Jihad in His cause. They will remain in the lofty rooms of Paradise that are safe and beautiful. Those who live in these dwellings will always be comfortable and wilthe Day of the Judgment and They Will Remain in the Fire

Allah then describes the painful torment and punishment that He has prepared for His disbelieving enemies for the Day of Resurrection. Allah said,

(Verily, those who disbelieve, if they had all that is in the earth, and as much again therewith to ransom themselves thereby from the torment on the Day of Resurrection, it would never be accepted of them. And theirs would be a painful torment.) So if a disbeliever brought the earth’s fill of gold, and twice as much as that amount on the Day of Judgment to ransom himself from Allah’s torment that has surrounded him, and he is certain that he will suffer from it, it will not be accepted of him. Rather, there is no escaping the torment, and he will not be able to evade or save himself from it. Hence Allah’s statement,

(And theirs would be a painful torment.) meaning, hurtful,

(They will long to get out of the Fire, but never will they get out therefrom, and theirs will be a lasting torment.) In another Ayah, Allah said,

(Every time they seek to get away therefrom, in anguish, they will be driven back therein.) Therefore, they will still long to leave the torment because of the severity and the pain it causes. They will have no way of escaping it. The more the flames lift them to the upper part of Hell, the more the angels of punishment will strike them with iron bars and they will fall down to its depths,

(And theirs will be a lasting torment.) meaning, eternal and everlasting, and they will never be able to depart from it or avoid it. Anas bin Malik said that the Messenger of Allah said,

(A man from the people of the Fire will be brought forth and will be asked, `O son of Adam! How did you find your dwelling’ He will say, `The worst dwelling.’ He will be told, `Would you ransom yourself with the earth’s fill of gold’ He will say, `Yes, O Lord!’ Allah will say to him, `You have lied. I asked you for what is less than that and you did not do it,’ and he will be ordered to the Fire.) Muslim and An-Nasa’i recorded it.