Tafseer of The Thunder · Ar-Ra'd · 13:21
And those who join that which Allah has ordered to be joined and fear their Lord and are afraid of the evil of [their] account,
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
And His word: (and those who join what Allah has commanded to be joined) — the Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: and those who maintain the bond of kinship (al-raḥm) which Allah has commanded them to maintain, and who therefore do not sever it; (and who fear their Lord) — He says: and who fear Allah regarding the severing of it, lest they sever it, whereupon He would punish them for severing it and for their transgression of His command concerning that.
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And His word: (and who fear the evil reckoning) — He says: and who are wary of Allah's meticulous questioning of them at the reckoning (al-ḥisāb), in which He then forgives them no sin at all. Because of their awe of that, they are therefore diligent in His obedience and they guard over His limits (ḥudūd). As:
20331- Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: ʿAffān related to us, saying: Jaʿfar ibn Sulaymān related to us, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Mālik, on the authority of Abū al-Jawzāʾ, concerning His word: (those who fear their Lord and fear the evil reckoning), he said: it is the comparative weighing on the basis of deeds (al-muqāyasa bi-l-aʿmāl).
20332- (The same one, namely al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad) said: ʿAffān related to us, saying: Ḥammād related to us, on the authority of Farqad, on the authority of Ibrāhīm, he said: (the evil reckoning) is that one is called to account whose [sins] are not forgiven.
20333- Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word: (and who fear the evil reckoning) — he said, and he said: and what is (the evil reckoning)? He said: it is that in which there is no relief (jawāz).
20334- Ibn Sammān al-Qazzāz related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥajjāj, on the authority of Farqad, he said: Ibrāhīm said to me: do you know what (the evil reckoning) is? I said: I do not know. He said: the servant is called to account for all his sins, without anything of them being forgiven him at all.
