Tafseer of Taa-Haa · Taa-Haa · 20:123
[Allah] said, "Descend from Paradise - all, [your descendants] being enemies to one another. And if there should come to you guidance from Me - then whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray [in the world] nor suffer [in the Hereafter].
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 statement concerning the explanation of the words of Allah the Exalted: قَالَ اهْبِطَا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ مِنِّي هُدًى فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلا يَضِلُّ وَلا يَشْقَى (»He said: Go down from it together, some of you being enemies of others; then if there comes to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray nor be wretched«) (20:123)
Allah the Exalted says: Allah the Exalted said to Ādam and Ḥawwāʾ: اهْبِطَا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا إِلَى الأرْضِ بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ — He says: the two of you are enemies of Iblīs and his offspring, and Iblīs is an enemy of the two of you and an enemy of your offspring.
His word فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ مِنِّي هُدًى — He says: if there comes to you, O Ādam, Ḥawwāʾ, and Iblīs, guidance from Me — He says: an exposition of My way and of the religion that I prefer for My creatures — فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ — He says: whoever follows that exposition of Mine and acts upon it and does not deviate from it — فَلا يَضِلُّ — He says: then he does not deviate from the high road of the Truth, but rather he is rightly guided in the present life and finds the right path. وَلا يَشْقَى — in the Hereafter through the chastisement of Allah; for Allah causes him to enter the Garden (janna) and saves him from His torment.
In a manner like what we have said regarding the explanation, the exegetes spoke.
Mention of those who said this:
Al-Ḥusayn ibn Yazīd al-Ṭaḥḥān related to me, he said: Abū Khālid al-Aḥmar related to us, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Qays al-Mulāʾī, on the authority of ʿIkrima, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: he said: Allah has guaranteed for whoever reads the Qurʾān and follows what is in it, that he will neither go astray in the present life nor be wretched in the Hereafter; and then he recited this verse: فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلا يَضِلُّ وَلا يَشْقَى .
Naṣr ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Awdī related to me, he said: Ḥakkām al-Rāzī related to us, on the authority of Ayyūb ibn Mūsā, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn al-Mulāʾī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, that he said: indeed Allah has guaranteed... and he mentioned approximately the same thing.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Ḥakkām related to us, on the authority of Ayyūb ibn Yasār Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Qays, on the authority of a man, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās — approximately the same thing.
ʿAlī ibn Sahl al-Ramlī related to us, he said: Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Nasāʾī related to us, on the authority of Abū Salama, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr: he said: Ibn ʿAbbās said: whoever reads the Qurʾān and follows what is in it, Allah protects him against going astray; and He protects him — I think he said: against the terror of the Day of Resurrection — and that is because He said: فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلا يَضِلُّ وَلا يَشْقَى — in the Hereafter.
