Oh Allah! Turn our hearts to your Thikr, Make us not Blind! Explanations of Taha 124

Reflect! How many a moment have we chosen the mundane over the divine? Ask yourself; of the two which is worthy of our attention? Allah ta’alaa states,

وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكاً وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَى

قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرْتَنِي أَعْمَى وَقَدْ كُنتُ بَصِيراً

قَالَ كَذَلِكَ أَتَتْكَ آيَاتُنَا فَنَسِيتَهَا وَكَذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ تُنسَى

 

And whoever turns away from My remembrance (thikr)- indeed, he will have a depressed (Dankaa) life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind. He will say, “My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was [once] seeing? [ Allah ] will say, “Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten.” [Sahih International's translation of Taha 124]

A few questions enter my boggled mind when reflecting on this verse. The first is what is meant here by thikr (trans. above as ‘remembrance’)? The second is what is meant by ma’ishatan dankan (trans. above as ‘depressed life’)? What then is meant by ‘blindness’? What does Allah mean by ‘forgotten’?

When I began to peer in the works of Quranic exegesis (tafsir), I discovered scholarly disagreement. Let us peer, reflect, and benefit together from this magnificent verse.

Question one: What is meant in this verse by thikr (remembrance)? According to Imam Al-Baghawi in his tafsir, the meaning of ‘thikr’ is the Qur’an. Imam Fakhrud Din Ar-Raazi - who also mentions that what is intended is the evidences from Allah ¹, Imam As-Suyuti², Imam An-Nisfi, Ibn Kathir (as you shall see) agree with this interpretation. Dr. Majid Fakhry translates the entire verse as; ‘But he who shuns My Reminder will have a life of hardship…’.

This translation would fit well, if we apply Imam Al-Baghawi’s interpretation of the verse. Allah refers to the Qur’an, in numerous verses, as ‘thikr’. This is not the place for such elaboration. Imam ibn Kathir states in explaining this part of the verse “‘but whosoever turns away from my reminder (thikr)’: Whoever opposes my command and what I have revealed to My messenger, then he has shunned it, neglected it, and taken his guidance from other than it.”

Another interpretation of the thikr in this verse was presented by Imam Al-Qurtubi who interpreted the verse as, “Meaning, My religion, and the recitation of My Book, and acting upon whatever is within it.” So Al-Qurtubi would translate this verse’s meaning as: And whoever turns away from My remembrance; my religion, the recitation of My Book, and acting upon whatever is within it…”

A similar interpretation was offered by As-Samarqandi in Bahr Al-Uloom when explaining the term “thikr” in this verse: “Meaning [turning away] from the Qur’an, and the Messenger, and not believing, and Muqaatil said [explaining this phrase] ‘Whoever turns from eemaan (absolute faith)’.” Ibn Al-Jawzi Al-Hanbali comments on this verse, ” ‘Ataa’ said: ‘i.e. [turning away] from my admonition. Ibn As-Saa’ib said, ‘[turning away] from the Qur’an while not believing therein, and not following it.”³ Sidi Ibn ‘Ajibah explains this phrase by stating, “Whoever turns away from their reminders, admonitions, and from their companionship…”

The second question: What is meant by ma’ishatan dankan (trans. above as ‘depressed life’)? Here too, the scholars disagree.

Fakhr Ad-Deen Ar-Raazi in his Tafsir Mafaatih Al-Ghayb compiles all of the tafaasir into his interpretation and states that this distress may occur in the world, or the life of the grave, or the hereafter, or in one’s religion, or in all of them combined and more. He further mentions that a group of the mufassireen have explained that this is because the Muslim places his trust in Allah within his worldly life leading him to a life which is good (tayyib). As for the Kaafir (disbeliever), he is covetous (harees) of the world, seeking to extend [his life therein] forever, so his life is one of distress and his haal (spiritual state) is one of iniquity and wrong.

Another interpretation is that this “life of distress” is what will occur within the grave. This opinion was that of the companions Ibn Mas’ud, Ibn ‘Abbas and  Abu Sa’id Al-Khudr according to Imam Ar-Razi.

Ibn Kathir states explaning this phrase,

ضنكاً في الدنيا، فلا طمأنينة له، ولا انشراح لصدره، بل صدره ضيق حرج لضلاله، وإن تنعم ظاهره، ولبس ما شاء، وأكل ما شاء، وسكن حيث شاء، فإن قلبه ما لم يخلص إلى اليقين والهدى، فهو في قلق وحيرة وشك، فلا يزال في ريبة يتردد، فهذا من ضنك المعيشة.

“[meaning] distressed in the dunyaa (world). There will be no serenity for him, and his breast will not be opened. Rather, his breast will be distressed due to his misguidance. Even though his outward seems comfortable, and he may wear whatever he likes, and he eats whatever he likes, and he lives wherever he likes, his heart will not attain certainty and true guidance. He will continue to be in agitation,  bewilderment, and doubt. So this is [what is meant] from the distress of life.”

[The following quotes are not to be found in the Dar-us-Salam Abridged version]

‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah reports from Ibn ‘Abbas that he explained this phrase of the verse as: الشقاء - wretchedness. Al-’Awfi also reported from Ibn ‘Abbas that he explained this verse by saying, “Whatever I have given my slave, whether it be little or much, and does not fear me (or in another report does not have certainty in me), I impart no good therein. This is a distressed life.” As-Suyuti quotes At-Tusti recording from Ibn ‘Abbas that he said that it means, “Ad-Dank means severity from every direction.”⁴

Ibn Kathir goes on to quote a weak hadith from Rasulullah stating in the explanation of this verse, “This means the grave’s embrace for him.” He also mentions a report from the Messenger of Allah saying, “Do you know what the life of distress is?” Then he said, “The punishment of the kaafir in the grave!” [Reported by Ibn Abi Haatim. Ibn Kathir states that it is munkar to say that this from [rafa'] the Prophet Muhammad .]

Ibn Al-Jawzi, just as Fakhr-Ad-Din Ar-Raazi stated, said that there are three places where this severe distress may occur: the grave,  the world, and the hereafter.

Regarding the third question: What then is meant by ‘blindness’? Ibn Al-Jawzi and Baydhaawi (as well as others) state that two opinions are reported regarding the interpretation thereof. The first: That he will be blind of physical eyesight, whereas the righteous will be able to see. This view is reported by Ibn ‘Abbas. The second view is that they will be blind of the hujjah (proofs or pleas). This is the view of Mujaahid and Abu Saalih. Ibn Kathir quotes As-Suddi as saying, “He will be blind to everything save Hell!”

Regarding the fourth question: What does Allah mean by ‘forgotten’? Ibn Al-Jawzi comments, “Just as you have abandoned my reminder(s), I too, on this day, have abandoned you and plunged you into the fire of hell!” Ibn Kathir, As-Suyuti, As-Samarqandi and others explain this part of the verse in nearly the same fashion.

Conclusion 

If one turns away from the reminders of Allah , Allah will send upon him a wretched and distressed life, either in the life of the world or the life of the grave or the life of the hereafter to come.  Allah will blind him, either from the proofs that he once was able to see, or from everything except his punishment. Allah , the exalted and just, will abandon and ‘forget’ him, just as he abandoned and ‘forgot’ the reminders and proofs Allah had shown him. Oh Allah ! Save us from such an evil end Amin!

Footnotes (Click ↩ at the end of the note to Go Back to Original Place in the article) :

1. in Mafaatih-Al-Ghayb [↩]
2. Tafsir Jalaalayn [↩]
3. Zaad Al-Maseer [↩]
4. Dur al-Manthur [↩]