Tafseer of The Cow · Al-Baqara · 2:157
Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.
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.
The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: أُولَئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ (157)
(They are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy, and they are the ones who are rightly guided) (157)
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, means by His words "They are the ones" (أولئك): these, the patient ones whom He has described and characterized. "Upon them" (عليهم) means: for them. "Blessings" (صلوات) means: forgiveness. And "the blessings of Allah" (صلوات الله) upon His servants is His forgiveness toward His servants, as has been related from the Prophet ﷺ, that he said:
2328 – "O Allah, bless the family of Abū Awfā."
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That is to say: forgive them. We have already explained "the blessing" (al-ṣalāh) and its origin in another place.
And His words: "and mercy" (ورحمة) mean: and for them there is, alongside the forgiveness by which He forgives and covers their sins, mercy from Allah and compassion.
Then the Exalted, whose mention is exalted, announced—alongside that which He mentioned that He will grant them on account of their steadfast patience under His trials, as a submission on their part to His decree, namely the forgiveness and the mercy—that they are the ones who are rightly guided, who have hit upon the path of truth, who utter that which pleases Him, and who do that by which they have merited the abundant reward of Allah.
We have already explained the meaning of "being rightly guided" (al-ihtidāʾ): it has the meaning of correct guidance toward what is right.
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In agreement with what we have said concerning this, a group of the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) spoke.
* Mention of who said that:
2329 – Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya ibn Ṣāliḥ related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭalḥa, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His words: "Those who, when a calamity strikes them, say: 'Verily, we belong to Allah, and verily, to Him we return.' They are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy, and they are the ones who are rightly guided." He said: Allah announced that when the believer entrusts the matter to Allah, turns to Him, and utters the istirjāʿ at the calamity (that is, "innā li-llāhi wa-innā ilayhi rājiʿūn"), three good qualities are recorded for him: the blessing of Allah, the mercy, and the attainment of the path of right guidance. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Whoever utters the istirjāʿ at the calamity, Allah restores his calamity for him, makes his final outcome good, and provides him with a righteous replacement that pleases him.
2330 – Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: Ibn Abī Jaʿfar related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ, concerning His words: "They are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy," he says: The blessings and the mercy are for those who were patient and uttered the istirjāʿ.
2331 – Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of Sufyān al-ʿUṣfurī, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, who said: To no one has been given what has been given to this community (ummah): الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ * أُولَئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ (Those who, when a calamity strikes them, say: "Verily, we belong to Allah, and verily, to Him we return." They are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy). And had it been given to anyone, it would have been given to Yaʿqūb, peace be upon him. Have you not heard His words: يَا أَسَفَى عَلَى يُوسُفَ [Surah Yūsuf: 84] (O my grief over Yūsuf).