Commentary
And when he completed what was necessary for adornment, he followed it with what is necessary for detachment. He mentioned four descriptions which are the foundations of the guidance upon which a quarter of it has never been established except that those who act upon it are like a single body. They are not affected by any calamity in this world or in the Hereafter. He said: ﴿And those who responded﴾ meaning they found the response with their knowledge that guides to the path of righteousness ﴿to their Lord﴾ meaning the One who calls them to respond to His kindness towards them. This is due to the intensity of their souls' burden upon them; they seek Him from their own selves with a great, sincere request. There remains with none of them a soul or a remnant of doubt or a trace except in accordance with His pleasure, glorified is He, because they know that He called them to what He is nurturing them for their righteousness, happiness, and success. This is because He encompasses all knowledge and is most merciful; He does not accuse them in any way.
And when this was general for every good that He, glorified is He, called to, He specified the greatest of bodily acts of worship, and He increased its greatness by expressing it with the term 'establishment.' He said: ﴿And they established﴾ meaning with what they have of strength ﴿the prayer﴾. He made it clear that they established its form carried with its spirit in a manner that necessitates its permanence. And when the response necessitates the unity of hearts with the faith that requires unity in words and actions, and the prayer necessitates unity in bodies, He mentioned the unity in words (p-332) that arises from it among the people of perfection, the unity in actions. He expressed this with a nominal phrase urging them to make that a stable creation for them: ﴿And their affair﴾ meaning everything that befalls them which requires them to manage ﴿consultation﴾ meaning they consult in it with great consultation, exceeding what they have of inner strength and purity in sincerity and advice, from consultation which is presentation and manifestation ﴿between them﴾ meaning in such a way that there is no distinction in the state of consultation between a senior among them and a junior. Rather, each one listens to the other's words and examines their correctness and flaws by relating them to the principles and branches of the Shari'ah. No one among them replaces an opinion due to the continuous suspicion of their own opinion, realizing its deficiency with what they have of abundant knowledge and clarity of understanding. They do not rush into anything; rather, deliberation has become a creation for them. The process of consultation in this context indicates the great benefit and the majesty of its utility. Al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy on him, said: No people ever consulted except that they were guided to the best of their affairs. - Although it was narrated by Al-Tabarani in the small and medium collections, but with a weak chain from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "He who seeks guidance will not be disappointed, and he who consults will not regret, and he who is moderate will not be impoverished." And it was narrated in the medium collection from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "Whoever intends a matter and consults a Muslim in it, Allah will guide him to the best of his affairs."
And when the support with wealth, after the unity in words and the agreement in actions, is the greatest unifier of the virtues of character, and the clearest indication of what is claimed of unity in condition and outcome, he made it easy for them by saying that they have no entrance in reality in obtaining it, being satisfied with a little of it from them: ﴿And from what﴾. And he directed the saying towards the manifestation of greatness, reminding them of what they are accustomed to among themselves, that there is no hope in getting close to the great ones except through gifts. So he said: ﴿We have provided them﴾, meaning by Our greatness without any strength or power from them. ﴿They spend﴾, meaning they continue to spend generously from themselves, even if what is in their hands is little, relying on the bounty of Allah, glorified and exalted is He. They do not close their hands like the hypocrites. And that spending is according to what We have specified for them, so they supported each other with consultation in the excellence of their minds and with spending in the excellence of their wealth, out of piety from them and vigilance of Allah, without any desire of the self.
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