Commentary
And the word 'sijn' is read with an opening, as a source. And he said, 'They call me,' attributing the invitation to all of them, because they advise him and beautify for him the idea of obeying them. They said to him: 'Beware of throwing yourself into prison and humiliation.' So he turned to his Lord at that moment and said: 'My Lord, the descent into prison is more beloved to me than committing disobedience.' If you say: 'The descent into prison is a severe hardship for the soul, and what they called him to is a great pleasure, how could the hardship be more beloved to him than the pleasure?' I say: It was more beloved to him and preferred in his view, considering the beauty of patience in enduring it for the sake of Allah, and the ugliness of disobedience, and the consequence of each of them, not considering the desires of the soul and what it dislikes. And if You do not turn away from me their plot, he fled from it to the kindness and protection of Allah, as is the habit of the prophets and the righteous in what they resolved upon and prepared themselves for in terms of patience, not that he sought from Him compulsion towards chastity and being forced to it. 'I turn to them' is a hope towards them. And 'sababah' is the inclination towards desire. And from it is 'saba,' because the souls incline towards it due to the pleasant breeze and its spirit. And it is read: 'I turn to them,' from 'sababah' from the ignorant ones, from those who do not act upon what they know. For one whose knowledge is of no benefit is like one who does not know at all. Or from the foolish ones, for the wise does not commit the ugly act. And he mentioned the response without the prayer preceding it, because his saying 'And if You do not turn away from me' contains the meaning of seeking to be turned away and praying for kindness. The All-Hearing is aware of the supplications of those who seek refuge in Him, the All-Knowing of their conditions and what is good for them.
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