Verse of love: Difference between revisions

“إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَيَجْعَلُ لَهُمُ الرَّحْمَـٰنُ وُدًّا”

 

Indeed those who have faith and do righteous deeds—the All-beneficent will endear them [to His creation].

The verse ninety six of the Qur'an 19 is called the verse of wudd. The word "wudd" means "love" like the love of a father toward his child <ref>Jaṣṣāṣ, Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, vol. 5, p. 48. </ref> and in this verse, a promise God gives that soon He will appoint love for believers and those who do good actions in the hearts of others; <ref>Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, vol. 14, p. 113. </ref> because, when God loves someone, He will spread the love for him in the hearts of all the dwellers of the skies and the earth. <ref>Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān, vol. 7, p. 154. </ref>

The occasion of revelation for this verse is considered in relation with Imam Ali (a) <ref>Abū Ḥamza al-Thumālī, Tafsīr al-Qur'ān al-karīm, p.243; Jaʿfarī, Tafsīr al-kawthar, vol. 6, p. 548. </ref> and wilaya <ref>Ḥuwayzī, Tafsīr nūr al-thaqalayn, vol. 3, p. 363. </ref> regarding which many hadiths are mentioned in both Shi'a and Sunni sources. <ref>Furāt al-Kūfī, Tafsīr furāt al-kūfī, p. 248; Ḥaskānī, Shawāhid al-tanzīl,vol. 1, p. 464; Jurjānī, Darj al-durar, vol. 2, p. 283; Fayḍ al-Kāshānī, Tafsīr al-Ṣāfī, vol. 3, p. 297; Burūjirdī, Tafsīr-i Jāmi, vol. 4, p. 272. </ref> Some researchers have considered mentioning Imam Ali (a) in sources an example and considered the verse referring to the wilaya of all Imams (a). <ref>Shakūrī, Tafsīr Sharīf lahījī, vol. 3, p. 45. </ref> Ali b. Ibrahim al-Qummi and al-Ayyashi, two of the early Shi'a scholars have mentioned in their commentaries of the Qur'an, a hadith from Imam al-Sadiq (a) that the Prophet (s) began praying for Imam Ali (a) loudly so that people could hear <ref>ʿAyyāshī, Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, vol. 2, p. 142. </ref> and asked God to appoint love for him in the hearts of believers and his awe and impression in the hearts of hypocrites. After this prayer, the mentioned verse was revealed. <ref>Qummī, Tafsīr al-Qummī, vol. 2, p. 56. </ref>

Some Sunni scholars, too, considered the occasion of revelation for this verse about Imam Ali (a). <ref>Wāḥidī, al-Wajīz fī tafsīr al-kitāb al-ʿazīz, vol. 2, p. 690; Ḥaskānī, Shawāhid al-tanzīl, vol. 1, p. 464; Māturīdī, Tafsīr-i māturīdī, vol. 7, p. 263; Ṭabarānī, Tafsīr al-kabīr, vol. 4, p. 227; Jurjānī, Darj al-durar, vol. 2, p. 283. </ref> It is mentioned in hadiths transmitted by Sunnis that the Prophet (s) taught Ali (a) the content of this supplication and then this verse was revealed; <ref>Riḍāʾī Iṣfahānī, Tafsīr-i Qurʾān-i mihr, vol. 12, p. 392; Ṭabrisī, Tafsīr-i jawāmiʾ al-jāmiʾ, vol. 2, p. 411. </ref> however, some others considered this verse about the Migration to Abyssinia <ref>Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-maʿānī, vol. 8, p. 458. </ref> or Abd al-Rahman b. Awf. Wāḥidī, al-Wajīz fī tafsīr al-kitāb al-ʿazīz, vol. 2, p. 690. 

There is a disagreement about the interpretation of this verse <ref>Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 13, p. 144. </ref> which is, in fact, the gist of its previous verses in addition to some new points. <ref>ʿĀmilī, Tafsīr ʿĀmilī, p. 85. </ref> Al-Tabrisi, the Shi'a exegete and the author of Majma' al-bayan believes that some exegetes have considered this law applying to all believers and God will attract the hearts of people <ref>Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 6, p. 822; Ibn Qutayba, Tafsīr gharīb al-Qurʾān, p. 234. </ref> or people of faith Ibn Hāʾim, al-Tibyān fī tafsīr gharīb al-Qurʾān, p. 225; Ṭabarī, Jāmiʾ al-bayān, vol. 16, p. 100.  toward them so that in some manners, their virtues and merits are appreciated. <ref>Mughnīya, Tafsīr al-Kāshif, vol. 5, p. 201. </ref> Some others believe that the verse refers to appointing the love of believers in the hearts of the enemies; <ref>Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 6, p. 822. </ref> while, it is also interpreted as the love of believers toward each other which leads to their unity and power. <ref>Riḍāʾī Iṣfahānī, Tafsīr-i Qurʾān-i mihr, vol. 12, p. 393; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 13, p. 144. </ref> In relation to the place of love, some have considered it this world <ref>Ṭabarānī, Tafsīr al-kabīr, vol. 4, p. 227; Ṭabarī, Jāmiʾ al-bayān, vol. 16, p. 100. </ref> and some others have considered the hereafter. <ref>Māturīdī, Tafsīr-i māturīdī, vol. 7, p. 263; Maybudī, Kashf al-asrār, vol. 6, p. 84. </ref>

Allama Tabataba'i believes that all these interpretations can be true due to lack of specification in the verse and they have no conflict with each other. <ref>Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, vol. 14, p. 113. </ref> Therefore, the view that the verse is revealed about Imam Ali (a) and God appointed his love in the hearts of believers <ref>Jaʿfarī, Tafsīr al-kawthar, vol. 6, p. 548. </ref> is undoubtedly the supreme and excellent level of that and in lower levels, it includes all believers and righteous people and even their progeny and later times as well.<ref>Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 13, p. 144-145 </ref>

• Faith and good action are the key of being loved by people and the promise of God is definite.<ref>Qirāʾatī, Tafsīr-i nūr, vol. 5, p. 314. </ref>

• General meaning of the message in this verse includes all believers. <ref>Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 6, p. 822; Ibn Qutayba, Tafsīr gharīb al-Qurʾān, p. 234; Ibn Hāʾim, al-Tibyān, p. 225; Ṭabarī, Jāmiʾ al-bayān, vol. 16, p. 100. </ref>

• Being loved is in the hand of God and it is a divine mercy which includes believers and righteous ones. <ref>Qirāʾatī, Tafsīr-i nūr, vol. 5, p. 314. </ref>

• Faith without action and action without faith are not effective. <ref>Qirāʾatī, Tafsīr-i nūr, vol. 5, p. 314. </ref>