سُوْرَةُ الْبَلَدِ
Surah Al-Balad (90) — Ayah 17
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ ﴿17﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Then he became one of those who believed (in the Islamic Monotheism) and recommended one another to perseverance and patience, and (also) recommended one another to pity and compassion.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ثُمَّ
thumma
Then
كَانَ
kāna
he is
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe
وَتَوَاصَوْا۟
watawāṣaw
and enjoin (each other)
بِٱلصَّبْرِ
bil-ṣabri
to patience
وَتَوَاصَوْا۟
watawāṣaw
and enjoin (each other)
بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ
bil-marḥamati
to compassion
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 17) {ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا … :} To reach the heights of Paradise, it is not enough to free necks or feed the orphan and the needy, but along with these, faith is also necessary. If there is no faith, then no deed is accepted. (See Nisa: 144, Nahl: 97, Bani Isra'il: 19) Then, along with faith and righteous deeds, it is also necessary to enjoin and emphasize patience and mercy to one another. The same subject has been mentioned in Surah Asr.
The wording of {’’ ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا ‘‘} demands that among the necessary matters for climbing the difficult ascent, first is to free necks and feed the orphan or needy, then after that to bring faith and enjoin truth and mercy. However, the people of knowledge say that {’’ ثُمَّ ‘‘} is not always for chronological order; sometimes it is also for the order of mention, meaning that due to the context, something that comes later is mentioned first. Here, since spending is a very difficult task for the wealthy, it was mentioned first, then faith and enjoining truth and mercy were mentioned, because without faith, freeing necks, feeding, or any good deed is fruitless.
The wording of {’’ ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا ‘‘} demands that among the necessary matters for climbing the difficult ascent, first is to free necks and feed the orphan or needy, then after that to bring faith and enjoin truth and mercy. However, the people of knowledge say that {’’ ثُمَّ ‘‘} is not always for chronological order; sometimes it is also for the order of mention, meaning that due to the context, something that comes later is mentioned first. Here, since spending is a very difficult task for the wealthy, it was mentioned first, then faith and enjoining truth and mercy were mentioned, because without faith, freeing necks, feeding, or any good deed is fruitless.
