6. اجَعَلْتُمْ سِقَايَةَ الْحَاجِ وَعِمَارَةَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ كَمَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَجْهَدَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَا يَسْتَوْنَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ
“What! do you make (one who undertakes) the giving of drink to the pilgrims and the guarding of the Sacred Mosque like him who believes in Allah and the latter day and strives hard in Allah’s way? They are not equal with Allah.”1
Tabari in his Tafseer2has narrated on the authority of Anas:
“One day Abbas and Shaibah bin Uthman (caretaker of Kaaba) were
boasting about each other’s family status. Abbas said: I am better than you,
because I am the uncle of the Prophet, and the successor of his father and I was
the water supplier to the Hajj pilgrims. Shaibah replied: I am superior to you.
Since I am the trustee of Almighty Allah, caretaker and treasurer of House of
God. Why He did not make you His caretaker on Kaaba and why He made me
the trustee? The two of them were thus arguing on these lines, when Ali (a.s.)
reached them. Abbas said: Shaibah has boasted to me and he thinks that he is
superior to me. He replied: Uncle, what did you reply? He said: I said: I am uncle
of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) and the successor of his father and the water
supplier to the Hajj pilgrims and I am superior to you. His Eminence asked
Shaibah: Shaibah, what did you say. He replied: I said that I am superior to you
since I am the trustee of Almighty Allah in His House and the treasurer of Kaaba;
why did He not make you the trustee instead of me?”
Anas says: “Ali (a.s.) said to them in response: Include me as well in your
boasting. They said: Very well. He said: I am having precedence over both of
you, because among the men of this Ummah, I am the first, who brought faith on
the warnings of the Prophet; and I migrated in his company and fought Jihad.
Then all three of them went to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and narrated their
boasts to him. He did not give any response till they went away from there.
After some days Jibraeel (a.s.) came and revealed a verse from Almighty
Allah regarding this. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) summoned all three of them and
recited this verse:
أَجَعَلْتُمْ سِقَايَةَ الْحَاجِ وَعِمَارَةَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ كَمَنْ أَمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَجْهَدَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ لَا يَسْتَوْنَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّلِمِينَ
“What! do you make (one who undertakes) the giving of drink to the pilgrims and the guarding of the Sacred Mosque like him who believes in Allah and the latter day and strives hard in Allah’s way? They are not equal with Allah; and Allah does not guide the unjust people.”3
Many Huffaz and scholars, have narrated this incident in a clear and detailed
manner and mentioned the revelation of the captioned verse regarding this
boasting. Among them being Wahidi in Asbabun Nuzul, Qurtubi in his book of
Tafseer, Razi in Tafseer Kabeer, Khazin in his book of Tafseer and Hafiz Suyuti
in Durre Manthur.4
In the same way, some former poets, who through their poems have kept
alive the meaning and significance of the verse; they have versified the story of
the boasting and the revelation of the verse regarding them. Among them can be
mentioned Syed Himyari, Nashi and Bishnoi etc.
7. إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّلِحَتِ سَيَجْعَلُ لَهُمُ الرَّحْمَنُ وَدًّا
“Surely (as for) those who believe and do good deeds for them will Allah bring about love.”5
Abu Ishaq Thalabi says in the book of his Tafseer4
that Baraa bin Azib said that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) said to Ali (a.s.):
“O Ali, may God make a covenant about you and place your love in the
hearts of believers.”
Then Almighty Allah revealed the above verse and the supplication of His
Eminence (s.a.w.a.) was fulfilled.
In the book of Riyazun Nazara,6
Mohibuddin Tabari has mentioned on the
authority of Hafiz Salafi from Ibne Hanafiyyah regarding the verse that: Indeed,
there is love for Ali (a.s.) and his family members in the heart of every believer.
8. أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ اجْتَرَحُوا السَّيَّاتِ أَنْ تَجْعَلَهُمْ كَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصلِحَتِ سَوَاءٌ تَحْيَاهُمْ وَكَمَا تُهُمْ
“Nay! do those who have wrought evil deeds think that We will make them like those who believe and do good that their life and their death shall be equal?”7
Abu Muzaffar Sibte Ibne Jauzi Hanafi says in the book of Tadkiratul
Khawas:8
Siddi has narrated from Ibne Abbas that this verse was revealed on the
day of the Battle of Badr and in honor of Ali (a.s.) and:
الَّذِينَ اجْتَرَحُوا السَّيِّاتِ
“Those who have wrought evil deeds…”9
…implies Utbah, Shaibah, Walid and Mughira. And the implication of:
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّلِحَتِ
“Those who believe and do good…”10
…is Ali (a.s.).