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 Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
17. Then (along with this) he became one of those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to mercy. [12]
[12]
Which Qualities Are Necessary for ﴿اصحاب اليمين﴾:
Many things are understood from this verse. One is that no matter how many good deeds a person performs, unless he is a believer, and does not have faith in Allah and the Last Day, his deeds will be of no use in the Hereafter; rather, they will be wasted. Secondly, it is not enough to merely have faith, but it is also necessary to join with other believers so that, in the path of making Islam dominant and keeping it dominant, the difficulties that arise can be collectively resisted. Thirdly, in the view of Islam, collective life is preferred, so that all members of the Islamic society can share in each other's sorrows and joys. In this regard, consider a few hadiths:
1. Abu Musa Ash'ari ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "A Muslim is for another Muslim like a building, one part of which strengthens the other." Then he interlaced his fingers. [بخاری کتاب الادب باب تعاون المومنین بعضھم بعضاً]
2. Anas bin Malik ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Do not harbor malice or envy among yourselves. Do not cut off relations, and be, O servants of Allah, brothers to one another. And it is not permissible for a Muslim to cut off relations with his Muslim brother for more than three days." [بخاري كتاب الادب باب ما ينتهي عن التحاسد]
Fourthly, Muslims not only practice patience themselves but also constantly encourage one another to be patient. And the concept of patience is very broad. The entire life of a Muslim is patience upon patience. Enduring the difficulties encountered in the path of Islam with a cheerful heart is also patience, and remaining steadfast and committed to the commands of Shariah is also patience.
Fifthly, they show mercy to one another and constantly urge each other to be merciful. Thus, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
1. "Whoever does not show mercy to others will not be shown mercy (by Allah)." [بخاری کتاب الادب باب رحمۃ الناس والبہائم]
And in another narration, the words are: "Show mercy to those on the earth, and the One in the heavens will show mercy to you."
2. "Muslims, in showing mercy, friendship, and kindness to one another, are like a single body; when one limb is in pain, the whole body becomes restless, loses sleep, and develops a fever." [حواله ايضاً]
3. Once, a man was traveling and became extremely thirsty. He found a well, went down into it, and drank water. When he came out, he saw a dog licking mud out of thirst. He thought, 'This dog is suffering from thirst just as I was.' He went back into the well, filled his sock with water, held it in his mouth, climbed up, and gave the dog water to drink. Allah appreciated his deed and forgave him. The people asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Is there a reward for us in showing mercy to animals as well?" He replied, "There is a reward for showing kindness to every living being." [حواله ايضاً]
4. Once, the Prophet ﷺ was leading his noble companions in prayer when a Bedouin (villager) said during the prayer: "O Allah, have mercy on me and Muhammad ﷺ, and do not have mercy on anyone else besides us." When the Prophet ﷺ finished the prayer, he said to the Bedouin, "You have restricted something that is vast," and by "vast" he meant the mercy of Allah. [حواله ايضاً]
[12]
Which Qualities Are Necessary for ﴿اصحاب اليمين﴾:
Many things are understood from this verse. One is that no matter how many good deeds a person performs, unless he is a believer, and does not have faith in Allah and the Last Day, his deeds will be of no use in the Hereafter; rather, they will be wasted. Secondly, it is not enough to merely have faith, but it is also necessary to join with other believers so that, in the path of making Islam dominant and keeping it dominant, the difficulties that arise can be collectively resisted. Thirdly, in the view of Islam, collective life is preferred, so that all members of the Islamic society can share in each other's sorrows and joys. In this regard, consider a few hadiths:
1. Abu Musa Ash'ari ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "A Muslim is for another Muslim like a building, one part of which strengthens the other." Then he interlaced his fingers. [بخاری کتاب الادب باب تعاون المومنین بعضھم بعضاً]
2. Anas bin Malik ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Do not harbor malice or envy among yourselves. Do not cut off relations, and be, O servants of Allah, brothers to one another. And it is not permissible for a Muslim to cut off relations with his Muslim brother for more than three days." [بخاري كتاب الادب باب ما ينتهي عن التحاسد]
Fourthly, Muslims not only practice patience themselves but also constantly encourage one another to be patient. And the concept of patience is very broad. The entire life of a Muslim is patience upon patience. Enduring the difficulties encountered in the path of Islam with a cheerful heart is also patience, and remaining steadfast and committed to the commands of Shariah is also patience.
Fifthly, they show mercy to one another and constantly urge each other to be merciful. Thus, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
1. "Whoever does not show mercy to others will not be shown mercy (by Allah)." [بخاری کتاب الادب باب رحمۃ الناس والبہائم]
And in another narration, the words are: "Show mercy to those on the earth, and the One in the heavens will show mercy to you."
2. "Muslims, in showing mercy, friendship, and kindness to one another, are like a single body; when one limb is in pain, the whole body becomes restless, loses sleep, and develops a fever." [حواله ايضاً]
3. Once, a man was traveling and became extremely thirsty. He found a well, went down into it, and drank water. When he came out, he saw a dog licking mud out of thirst. He thought, 'This dog is suffering from thirst just as I was.' He went back into the well, filled his sock with water, held it in his mouth, climbed up, and gave the dog water to drink. Allah appreciated his deed and forgave him. The people asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Is there a reward for us in showing mercy to animals as well?" He replied, "There is a reward for showing kindness to every living being." [حواله ايضاً]
4. Once, the Prophet ﷺ was leading his noble companions in prayer when a Bedouin (villager) said during the prayer: "O Allah, have mercy on me and Muhammad ﷺ, and do not have mercy on anyone else besides us." When the Prophet ﷺ finished the prayer, he said to the Bedouin, "You have restricted something that is vast," and by "vast" he meant the mercy of Allah. [حواله ايضاً]
