Surah Faatir (35) — Ayah 10

(Ayah 10) ➊ {مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيْدُ الْعِزَّةَ فَلِلّٰهِ الْعِزَّةُ جَمِيْعًا:} The meaning of ‘izzah is dominance, as He said: « وَ عَزَّنِيْ فِي الْخِطَابِ» [ صٓ : ۲۳ ] “And he was very harsh to me in speech.” The explanation of this verse can be in two ways. The first, which is the most apparent, is that whoever desires honor and dominance should know that all honor is in the hand of Allah, as He said: « قُلِ اللّٰهُمَّ مٰلِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَآءُ وَ تَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَآءُ وَ تُعِزُّ مَنْ تَشَآءُ وَ تُذِلُّ مَنْ تَشَآءُ بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ اِنَّكَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ » [ آل عمران : ۲۶ ] “Say, O Allah! Owner of sovereignty! You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will, and You honor whom You will and You humiliate whom You will. In Your hand is all good. Surely, You are over all things competent.” In this is a refutation of those disbelievers and polytheists and some so-called Muslims who worship others besides Allah, so that they may become a means of honor and dominance for them. He said: « وَ اتَّخَذُوْا مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ اٰلِهَةً لِّيَكُوْنُوْا لَهُمْ عِزًّا (81) كَلَّا سَيَكْفُرُوْنَ بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ وَ يَكُوْنُوْنَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضِدًّا » [ مریم : ۸۱، ۸۲ ] “And they have taken besides Allah other gods so that they may be a source of honor for them. Never! Soon they will deny their worship and will be opponents against them.” And it is also a refutation of those weak in faith and hypocritical people who befriend the disbelievers so that they may live an honorable and dominant life in this world, as He said: « بَشِّرِ الْمُنٰفِقِيْنَ بِاَنَّ لَهُمْ عَذَابًا اَلِيْمَا (138) ا۟لَّذِيْنَ يَتَّخِذُوْنَ الْكٰفِرِيْنَ اَوْلِيَآءَ مِنْ دُوْنِ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ اَيَبْتَغُوْنَ عِنْدَهُمُ الْعِزَّةَ فَاِنَّ الْعِزَّةَ لِلّٰهِ جَمِيْعًا » [ النساء : ۱۳۸، ۱۳۹ ] “Give glad tidings to the hypocrites that for them is a painful punishment. Those who take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers, do they seek honor with them? But indeed, all honor belongs to Allah.” That is, whoever wants to know who is the owner of honor and dominance, let him know that all honor and dominance belong to Allah. So whoever desires honor and dominance should seek it from Him, because whoever has received honor, or will receive it, has received it from Him and will receive it from Him alone.
The second explanation is that whoever wants to overcome Islam and dominate it should know that all honor and dominance belong to Allah, and whoever tries to overcome it will be utterly defeated.
➋ {اِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ : ’’ الْكَلِمُ ‘‘ ’’كَلِمَةٌ‘‘} is not the plural of 'kalimah', otherwise instead of {’’ يَصْعَدُ ‘‘} the word {’’تَصْعَدُ‘‘} would have been used and its attribute would have been feminine. Rather, it is a generic noun which is used for both singular and plural. When it is intended to mention one of its individuals, a “taa” is added to it, like {’’تَمْرٌ‘‘} (date), whether it is one or many, but if one date is meant, then {’’تَمْرَةٌ‘‘} will be said.
➌ In this is the mention of those things through which honor is attained, and they are faith and righteous deeds.
➍ By {’’ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ ‘‘} (pure word) some have meant the statement of Tawheed “La ilaha illallah,” but the word is general. It includes, along with the statement of Islam, remembrance, supplication, recitation of the Qur’an, teaching, upbringing, and invitation—all are included. That is, every pure word ascends to Him, and He alone accepts it and grants it elevation. Impure and filthy words can never attain elevation.
➎ {وَ الْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ يَرْفَعُهٗ : } There are three possibilities in its explanation. The first is that by the pronoun in {’’هٗ‘‘} is meant “al-kalim al-tayyib,” that is, righteous deeds elevate the pure word. No statement, however pure it may be, is accepted unless accompanied by righteous action, that is, the acceptance of the pure word is conditional upon righteous action. A righteous deed is that which is done purely for Allah and according to the Sunnah. See the last verse of Surah Al-Kahf. The second is that the doer of {’’يَرْفَعُ‘‘} is the pronoun of { ’’ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ ‘‘}, and by the pronoun of {’’هٗ‘‘ } is meant righteous deeds, that is, the pure word elevates righteous deeds. This is in the case where by “al-kalim al-tayyib” is meant “La ilaha illallah,” that is, without faith and the statement of Tawheed, no deed is accepted, as He said: «مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّنْ ذَكَرٍ اَوْ اُنْثٰى وَ هُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهٗ حَيٰوةً طَيِّبَةً » [ النحل : ۹۷ ] “Whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, and is a believer, We will surely grant him a good life.” And the third possibility is that in { ’’يَرْفَعُ‘‘} the pronoun of the doer refers to Allah. The meaning will be that whatever righteous deed there is, Allah elevates it, that is, He accepts it and grants its reward. All three meanings can be intended here and all three are correct. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) explained the mutual relevance of the desire for honor, the ascension of the pure word, and the elevation of righteous deeds, writing: “That is, honor is in the hand of Allah, your remembrance and good deeds keep ascending, and when they reach their limit, then dominance over evil will be achieved, disbelief will be repelled, and Islam will be honored.”
➏ {وَ الَّذِيْنَ يَمْكُرُوْنَ السَّيِّاٰتِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيْدٌ :} The meaning of “makr” is secret planning, whether good or bad, but it is mostly used for blameworthy planning. By {’’ يَمْكُرُوْنَ السَّيِّاٰتِ ‘‘} are meant those people who, instead of the pure word, rise with false and filthy words and try to make them prevail through cunning and trickery. For them is a severe punishment. Its foremost example is those who, in Dar al-Nadwah, planned to imprison, kill, or exile the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). See Surah Al-Anfal (30). Besides them, all those who conspire against Islam and try to dominate it are included in this.
➐ { وَ مَكْرُ اُولٰٓىِٕكَ هُوَ يَبُوْرُ:} That is, their planning will fail and be frustrated, Allah’s planning will never fail, as He said: « وَ مَكَرُوْا وَ مَكَرَ اللّٰهُ وَ اللّٰهُ خَيْرُ الْمٰكِرِيْنَ » [ آل عمران : ۵۴ ] “And they planned, and Allah planned, and Allah is the best of planners.” Thus, those who plotted to kill the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not succeed in it, rather they were killed at Badr, and the rest were defeated at the conquest of Makkah. See also Surah Fatir (43), At-Tur (42), Ar-Ra’d (42), and Surah Al-An’am (124, 125).