Surah Luqman (31) — Ayah 22

(Ayah 22) ➊ { وَ مَنْ يُّسْلِمْ وَجْهَهٗۤ اِلَى اللّٰهِ …:} Previously, those people were mentioned who dispute about Allah without any knowledge, guidance, or enlightening book. Now, in contrast to them, the person is mentioned who submits his face, that is, his entire self, completely to Allah and entrusts himself to Him. He performs every action solely for His pleasure. He does what He commands, refrains from what He forbids. He neither follows his own desires, nor follows any friend or relative, nor adopts the customs of any of his ancestors. His prayer, sacrifice, life, and death—all are for Allah, as He said: « قُلْ اِنَّ صَلَاتِيْ وَ نُسُكِيْ وَ مَحْيَايَ وَ مَمَاتِيْ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ » [ الأنعام : ۱۶۲ ] "Say, indeed my prayer, my sacrifice, my life, and my death are for Allah, Lord of the worlds." In the verse, the mention of submitting the face to Allah means submitting the entire being to Allah, because the face is the most honorable part of the body; when it is subjugated, the whole being becomes subjugated.

➋ { وَ هُوَ مُحْسِنٌ :} And he performs every action as if he is seeing his Lord. So if he does not see Him, then his Lord is seeing him, and in every action, he follows the way shown by the Messenger of Allah.

➌ { فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقٰى : ’’أَمْسَكَ يُمْسِكُ إِمْسَاكًا‘‘} To hold, to grasp. In {’’ اسْتَمْسَكَ ‘‘}, due to the increase in letters, there is emphasis, meaning "held firmly." {’’اَلْعُرْوَةُ‘‘} is a ring, loop, or edge of a rope which is grasped to prevent falling while hanging, and {’’ الْوُثْقٰى ‘‘ ’’أَوْثَقُ‘‘} is the feminine of "the strongest." That is, the one who submits himself to Allah is the person who has firmly grasped the strong ring of the rope of Islam. There is no danger of him falling from height to depth or into Hell. Satan can do him no harm, and holding onto this ring, he will ultimately reach Allah and become the inheritor of His Paradise. Unlike those who dispute without any knowledge, guidance, or enlightening book, for they have laid the foundation of their building on the edge of a crumbling, hollow cliff, which is about to collapse with them into the fire of Hell. See Surah At-Tawbah (109).

➍ By bringing { وَ اِلَى اللّٰهِ عَاقِبَةُ الْاُمُوْرِ : ’’ اِلَى اللّٰهِ ‘‘} first, exclusivity is created in the speech, that the outcome of all matters is only to Allah, not to anyone else; He alone will give the recompense for every deed.

22-1. That is, act solely for the pleasure of Allah, obey His command, and follow His Shariah.
22-2. That is, one who follows the commanded matters and abandons the prohibited ones.
22-3. That is, he has taken a firm covenant from Allah that He will not punish him.

And whoever submits his face to Allah and is a doer of good, then he has certainly grasped the firmest handhold [30]. And to Allah is the outcome of all matters.

[30]
How is the Shariah a Strong Handhold?

Allah Himself has defined the strong handhold: that is, whoever submits himself to Allah’s commands and then performs righteous deeds according to His commands—this encompasses the entire Shariah. To act upon this Shariah is to hold onto such a strong handhold or ring that, due to its strength, cannot be broken. Therefore, whoever holds onto it firmly will neither be in danger of falling nor of being hurt anywhere. Then, while holding onto this handhold, he will ultimately reach Allah. As long as he holds onto this handhold, Satan will neither be able to deceive him, nor misguide him, nor lead him onto another path.