Surah Al-Ahzab • Ayah 71

The Command to the Believers to have Taqwa and speak the TruthHere Allah commands His servants to have Taqwa of Him, worshipping Him as if they can see Him, and toقَوْلاً سَدِيداً(speak (always) the truth.) meaning, to speak in a straightforward manner, with no crookedness or distortion. He promises them that if they do that, He will reward them by making their deeds righteous, i.e., enabling them to do righteous deeds, and He will forgive them their past sins. With regard to whatever sins they may commit in the future, He will inspire them to repent from them. Then He says:وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزاً عَظِيماً(And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed achieved a great victory.) meaning, he will be saved from the fire of Hell and will enjoy everlasting delights (in Paradise).

تقویٰ کی ہدایت ٭٭اللہ تعالیٰ اپنے مومن بندوں کو اپنے تقویٰ کی ہدایت کرتا ہے ان سے فرماتا ہے کہ ” اس طرح وہ اس کی عبادت کریں کہ گویا اسے اپنی آنکھوں سے دیکھ رہے ہیں اور بات بالکل صاف، سیدھی، سچی، اچھی بولا کریں، جب وہ دل میں تقویٰ، زبان پر سچائی اختیار کر لیں گے تو اس کے بدلے میں اللہ تعالیٰ انہیں اعمال صالحہ کی توفیق دے گا اور ان کے تمام اگلے گناہ معاف فرما دے گا بلکہ آئندہ کیلئے بھی انہیں استغفار کی توفیق دے گا تاکہ گناہ باقی نہ رہیں۔ اللہ رسول کے فرمانبردار اور سچے کامیاب ہیں جہنم سے دور اور جنت سے سرفراز ہیں “۔ ایک دن ظہر کی نماز کے بعد مردوں کی طرف متوجہ ہو کر نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نے فرمایا: مجھے اللہ کا حکم ہوا ہے کہ میں تمہیں اللہ سے ڈرتے رہنے اور سیدھی بات بولنے کا حکم دوں۔ پھر عورتوں کی طرف متوجہ ہو کر بھی یہی فرمایا ۔ [مسند احمد:391/4:ضعیف] ‏ ابن ابی الدنیا کی کتاب التقویٰ میں ہے نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ہمیشہ منبر پر ہر خطبے میں یہ آیت تلاوت فرمایا کرتے تھے ۔ [میزان:5119:ضعیف] ‏ لیکن اس کی سند غریب ہے۔ ابن عباس رضی اللہ عنہما کا قول ہے ”جسے یہ بات پسند ہو کہ لوگ اس کی عزت کریں اسے اللہ تعالیٰ سے ڈرتے رہنا چاہیئے۔‏“ عکرمہ رحمہ اللہ فرماتے ہیں قول سدید «لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّـهُ» ہے۔ خباب رحمہ اللہ فرماتے ہیں سچی بات قول سدید ہے۔ مجاہد فرماتے ہیں ہر سیدھی بات قول سدید میں داخل ہے۔صفحہ نمبر7134

آیت 71 { یُّصْلِحْ لَکُمْ اَعْمَالَکُمْ وَیَغْفِرْ لَکُمْ ذُنُوْبَکُمْ } ”اللہ تمہارے سارے اعمال درست کردے گا اور تمہاری خطائیں بخش دے گا۔“ اگر بھول کر یا جذبات کی رو میں تم سے کوئی غلطی سرزد ہوگئی تو اللہ اسے معاف کر دے گا۔ { وَمَنْ یُّطِعِ اللّٰہَ وَرَسُوْلَہٗ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِیْمًا } ”اور جو کوئی اللہ اور اس کے رسول ﷺ کی اطاعت پر کاربند ہوگیا تو اس نے بہت بڑی کامیابی حاصل کرلی۔“ یہاں کامیابی کا معیار بیان کردیا گیا کہ اہل ایمان کی کامیابی اللہ اور رسول ﷺ کی اطاعت میں ہے۔ اس سورت کی یہ دو آیات آیت 70 اور 71 حضور ﷺ خطبہ نکاح میں تلاوت فرمایا کرتے تھے۔ یہاں ضمنی طور پر یہ بھی جان لیں کہ ان دو آیات کے علاوہ مندرجہ ذیل آیات بھی خطبہ نکاح میں شامل ہیں : { یٰٓــاَیُّہَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوْا رَبَّکُمُ الَّذِیْ خَلَقَکُمْ مِّنْ نَّفْسٍ وَّاحِدَۃٍ وَّخَلَقَ مِنْہَا زَوْجَہَا وَبَثَّ مِنْہُمَا رِجَالاً کَثِیْرًا وَّنِسَآئً ج وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ الَّذِیْ تَسَآئَ لُوْنَ بِہٖ وَالْاَرْحَامَ ط اِنَّ اللّٰہَ کَانَ عَلَیْکُمْ رَقِیْبًا۔ النساء۔ { یٰٓــاَیُّہَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ حَقَّ تُقٰتِہٖ وَلاَ تَمُوْتُنَّ اِلاَّ وَاَنْتُمْ مُّسْلِمُوْنَ۔ } آل عمران۔ -۔ خطبہ نکاح میں مذکورہ چار آیات کا ُ لب ّلباب ”تقویٰ“ ہے۔

Correct use of one's power of speech is an effective source of correcting all deeds issuing forth from other parts of the bodyThe basic command given to all Muslims in this verse is: اِتَّقُوا اللہَ (Take to taqwa, that is, fear Allah and act accordingly). The reality of taqwa lies in one's total obedience to all Divine injunctions whereby one carries out everything enjoined and abstains from everything declared prohibited and repugnant. And it is obvious that doing so is no easy task for human beings. Therefore, immediately after the main guideline of اتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ (ittaqullah: Fear Allah and act accordingly), there appears an instruction to start doing something particular, that is, the correction and reform of one's speech. Though, this too is nothing but a part of taqwa itself, yet it is one such part of it that, should this thing come under control, all other remaining components of the comprehensive requirement of taqwa would start becoming achievable automatically, as the verse itself has promised that, as a result of one's making his or her speech truthful and straight, Allah will correct his deeds. In other words it means that, 'should you succeed in holding your tongue and avoiding errors of speech and get used to saying what is correct, straight and right, Allah Ta’ ala will correct every other deed you do and make all of them better.' Then, concluding the verse, another promise was made and it was said: يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ (and He will forgive for you your sins). It means: 'One who gains control over his tongue, learns to harness his or her power of speech and becomes used to saying what is true and right, then, Allah Ta` a1a will take care of the rest of his or her deeds, have them corrected and made better as well as forgive any errors or slips made therein.'Injunctions of the Qur'an were made easy to followDeliberation in the general style of the noble Qur'an shows that at a place where acting upon a Qura'nic injunction seems to be difficult, a method has also been suggested along with it to make it easy. And since taqwa is the essence of the entire religion of Islam and fulfilling its dictates on all counts is very hard indeed, therefore, speaking generally, wherever the command to observe taqwa ('ittaqullah' ) has been given, there appears soon after, the suggestion to do something that facilitates acting in accordance with the rest of the elements of Taqwa, something that comes from the side of Allah as His grace and taufiq. An apt and ready at hand example of it lies in this very verse where the suggestion of: قُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا (say the right thing) follows soon after the command of: اتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ (ittaqullah: Fear Allah). And immediately earlier too, in verse 69, after saying: اتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ ittaqullah:( Fear Allah), it was said: "Do not be like those who caused pain to Musa) whereby people were reminded that causing pain to righteous and favoured servants of Allah is the most serious impediment in the achievement of taqwa and, once this impediment was removed, the way to taqwa will become easy.Similarly in another verse the command to observe Taqwa has been supplemented by the direction of having the company of 'truthful persons' (9.118) which means that the easiest way to acquire the quality of taqwa is to remain in the company of righteous people. At another place the command of taqwa is followed by the direction of pondering on what one has sent ahead for the Hereafter, because it leads one to observe Taqwa (59.18).Saying what is right leads to doing what is right both here and HereinafterShah ` Abdul-Qadir of Delhi (رح) has translated this verse in a way that leads to the conclusion that the promise of correction and betterment of deeds made to those who get used to speaking in straight forward manner is not restricted to religious deeds alone. In fact, everything one does in this material world is also included therein. Anyone who gets used to saying the right thing - that is, never lies, speaks with deliberation without erring or wavering, does not deceive anyone and does not say what would hurt - shall find his spiritual deeds for his eternal life in the Hereafter, also come out right for him. As for the things he must do to live in this mortal world, these too will turn for the better. (The Urdu speaking readers should refer to the original translation of Shah Abdul Qadir to have a taste of its sweetness-editor)