Commentary
And whoever turns away, meaning he acts without the action of the suckling child by deliberately neglecting what benefits him by being in the company of others, from My remembrance, which is guidance, then for him is the opposite of that, a life that He, glorified and exalted is He, has belittled by the feminine form, then He described it with the most horrific description, which is a source in which the masculine, feminine, plural, and others are equal. He said: 'a constricted life,' meaning a life of constriction, due to his being upon misguidance, even if he sees that his state is otherwise in ease and comfort. For certainly, his misguidance will lead him to ruin. So it is constricted because it is a cause for tightness and leads to it, from naming the cause by the name of the effect. Although the one who turns away from Allah is never satisfied nor does he go astray until he is content, being overwhelmed by the greed that continually leads to the downfall of one who desires to increase in this world. He is dominated by the stinginess that restrains his hand from spending, from opposing enemies, and the succession of worries, while he does not hope for a reward nor feels secure from punishment. Therefore, he is in the tightest of constrictions, and his concern is always greater than his existence. 'If the son of Adam had a valley of gold, he would seek a second one to it. And if he had two valleys, he would seek a third one. Nothing fills the belly of the son of Adam except dust, and Allah accepts the repentance of whoever repents.' This is agreed upon from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him. And thus is the state of one who follows his desires. As for the one who turns to the remembrance with all his being, he is content and pleased with what he is in, abundant in the remembrance of Allah, which opens the chests and illuminates the hearts. He is in wider ease. So do not be deceived by appearances; look to the meanings. And when he mentioned his state in this world, he followed it with His saying: 'And We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind.' This was at some times of that day. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them, said: When he comes out of the grave, he comes out seeing, but when he is driven to the gathering, he is blind. Or this may be, which is the closest understanding of the expression, in some of the people of misguidance to gather with His saying: 'Hearken to them and see on the Day they come to us.' And the narration of Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, in the authentic narration that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said: 'Oppression is darkness on the Day of Resurrection.'
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