Surah Bayyinah containing 8 Ayahs was revealed in
Madinah. Bayyinah means clear evidence. The Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.)
said: “If people knew how blissful this Surah is, they would leave their property
and family to learn it. There would be no servant who recites it at night but
that Allah sends angels who protect him in his faith and his present life and
that seek forgiveness and mercy for him; and when on the day he recites it, he
will be rewarded as much as what the day
sheds light upon and what the night darkens.”
The Surah depicts the fact that the doctrine of the
prophets was faith, monotheism, prayers and fasting are eternal and unchangeable
principles in all the divine religions.
The message in this Surah is that the Jews and Christians
were waiting for the coming of the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) and when he did
come they rejected him because they were not really searching the truth but
they followed their own desires for their worldly gains.
The disbelievers among the People of the Book and the
polytheists shall be in the fire of Hell where they will dwell forever and that
they are the worst creatures.
The believers who do righteous deeds are the best of
creatures. Their reward will be gardens of eternity beneath which rivers flow.
Allah is well-pleased with them and they are well-pleased with Him. That reward
is for him who fears his Lord and Cherisher.
There are great many narrations quoted by the famous
Sunni and Shi’ah sources in which the Ayah: “…they are the best of all
creatures” is rendered to mean the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s.)
and his followers.
Hakim Haskani Neshapuri, one of the famous Sunni
scholars of the fifth century A.H. has cited some narrations with different
references whose number is more than twenty in his well-known book
Shawahid-ut-Tanzil.
The following are some example:
1.
The famous Ibn Abbas
says that when the above-mentioned Ayah was revealed, the Noble Messenger
(s.a.w.a.s.) told Imam Ali (a.s.): “It is you and your followers who will come
on the Day of Reckoning when you and your followers are well-pleased
(yourselves) and well-pleasing Him and your enemy will come angrily pushed into
Hell. (Shawahid-ut-Tanzil ) volume 2 page 357 tradition 1126)
2.
Abu Barazah has
narrated a tradition from the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) who recited the
above Ayah and said: “They are you and your followers. O’Ali! The appointment
for you and me is (beside) the Pool of Abundance.” (Shawahid-ut-Tanzil volume 2
page 359, tradition 1130)
3.
According to Ja’bir
ibn Abdullah Ansari that they were sitting with the Noble Messenger
(s.a.w.a.s.) near Ka’bah when Imam Ali (a.s.) came. He (s.a.w.a.s.) said: “My
brother is coming. By the Lord of this structure (Ka’bah), this man and his
followers will be triumphant on the Day of Judgment.” (Shawahid-ut-Tanzil
volume 2 pg. 362 #1139)
4.
Ibn Abbas in
Durr-ul-Manthur (volume 6, page 379) narrates that when the above Ayah was
revealed, the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) told Imam Ali (a.s.): “It is you and
your followers, who on the Day of Reckoning are well-pleased (yourselves) and
well pleasing Him.”
Many other Sunni scholars have cited the same meaning
in their works including:Khatib Kharazmi in ‘Manaqib’, Abu Na’im Isphani in ‘Kifayat-ul-Khisam’,
Allama Tabari in his ‘Tabari’, Ibne Shabbaq Maliki in ‘Fusul-ul-Muhimmah’,
Allama Shoukani in ‘Fath-ul-Qadir’, Shaykh Sulayman Qanduzi in ‘Yanabi-ul-Muwaddah’,
Alusi in ‘Ruh-ul-Ma’ni and some others.
This is the manifestation of the enormous potentiality
of Man that if he strives and sincerely work hard and strictly obey the
Commandments of Allah (s.w.t.) and the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.a.s.) and
struggle to follow his guide-Imam Ali (a.s.), he can fit into the title of “Khair-al-Bareiyyah”
(Best of all creatures)
Sources used:
The Glorious Qur’an
Urdu translation by
Ayatollah Nasir Makarem Shirazi
English translation by
Ayatollah Agha H.M.M. Pooya Yazdi
An Enlightening Commentary into the
Light of the Holy Qur’an
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