Tafseer of The letter Saad · Saad · 38:46
Indeed, We chose them for an exclusive quality: remembrance of the home [of 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.
And His statement, mighty and exalted is He: ( إِنَّا أَخْلَصْنَاهُمْ بِخَالِصَةٍ ) (Indeed, We chose them for an exclusive quality) — He, exalted is His mention, says: We distinguished them with something special: the remembrance of the [Here]after.
The reciters differed over the reading of His statement ( بِخَالِصَةٍ ذِكْرَى الدَّارِ ). Most of the reciters of Medina read it: "bi-khāliṣati ḏikrā al-dār," by joining "khāliṣa" to "ḏikrā al-dār" (in a genitive construction), in the meaning: that they were chosen with the exclusive [quality] of the remembrance; and the remembrance, when read this way, is something other than the exclusive [quality], like "al-mutakabbir" when it is recited: عَلَى كُلِّ قَلْبِ مُتَكَبِّرٍ (upon every heart of an arrogant one) by joining "the heart" to "the arrogant one"; that is the one who possesses the heart, and not the heart itself. And most of the reciters of Iraq read it: ( بِخَالِصَةٍ ذِكْرَى الدَّارِ ) with tanwīn on His statement ( خَالِصَةً ) and with "ḏikrā" following it, on the basis that the [Here]after is the exclusive [quality]; so they made "al-ḏikrā," which is definite, follow "khāliṣa," which is indefinite, as it is said: "li-sharri maʾābin: jahannam" (the worst place of return: Hell), where one made "jahannam," which is definite, follow "al-maʾāb," which is indefinite.
And the correct view concerning that, in my opinion, is that they are two widespread readings among the reciters of the cities, and with whichever of the two the reciter recites, he is correct.
The exegetes differed over the interpretation of that. Some of them said: Its meaning is: We chose them with something exclusive, namely the remembrance of the [Here]after; that is to say: they reminded the people of the Hereafter and called them to obedience to Allah and to working for the Hereafter.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda ( إِنَّا أَخْلَصْنَاهُمْ بِخَالِصَةٍ ذِكْرَى الدَّارِ ), he said: with this Allah chose them; they called to the Hereafter and to Allah.
And others said: The meaning of that is that He chose them through their working for the Hereafter and their remembrance of it.
* Mention of who said that:
ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥasan al-Azdī related to me, he said: Yaḥyā ibn Yamān related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His statement ( إِنَّا أَخْلَصْنَاهُمْ بِخَالِصَةٍ ذِكْرَى الدَّارِ ), he said: through the remembrance of the Hereafter, so that they had no concern other than that.
Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī ( إِنَّا أَخْلَصْنَاهُمْ بِخَالِصَةٍ ذِكْرَى الدَّارِ ), he said: through their remembrance of the [Here]after and their working for the Hereafter.
And others said: The meaning of that is: We chose them with the best of what is in the Hereafter; and this interpretation rests upon the reading of the one who read it with the genitive construction. As for the first two opinions, they rest upon the interpretation of the reading of the one who read it with tanwīn.
* Mention of who said that:
Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning His statement: "innā akhlaṣnāhum bi-khāliṣatin ḏikrā al-dār," he said: with the best of what is in the Hereafter We chose them and gave it to them; he said: and "the [Here]after" is Paradise, and he recited: تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الآخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الأَرْضِ (That is the home of the Hereafter; We assign it to those who do not desire haughtiness upon the earth) — he said: it is Paradise. And he recited: وَلَنِعْمَ دَارُ الْمُتَّقِينَ (and how excellent is the home of the God-fearing) — he said: all of this is Paradise. And he said: We chose them with the best of the Hereafter.
And others said: No, the meaning of that is: the exclusive [quality] of the final outcome of the [Here]after.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, he said: my father related to us, on the authority of Sharīk, on the authority of Sālim al-Afṭas, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr ( بِخَالِصَةٍ ذِكْرَى الدَّارِ ), he said: the final outcome of the [Here]after.
And others said: No, the meaning of that is: through the chosen ones among the people of the [Here]after.
* Mention of who said that:
It was related to me on the authority of Ibn Abī Zāʾida, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, he said: Ibn Abī Najīḥ related to me, that he heard Mujāhid saying: ( بِخَالِصَةٍ ذِكْرَى الدَّارِ ) they are the people of the [Here]after; and "ḏū al-dār" is like when you say: "Dhū al-Kalāʿ" and "Dhū Yazan."
And some of the scholars of the Arabic language among the people of Basra interpreted that, on the basis of the reading with tanwīn, as meaning that ( بِخَالِصَةٍ ) pertains to the remembrance of the Hereafter.
And the most correct of the opinions concerning that, on the basis of the reading of the one who read it with tanwīn, is that one says: Its meaning is: We chose them with something exclusive, namely the remembrance of the [Here]after of the Hereafter, so that they worked for it in this world and obeyed Allah and were mindful of Him. And it may be part of their description with this that it was also among their characteristics to call to Allah and to the [Here]after of the Hereafter, for that is part of obedience to Allah and working for the [Here]after of the Hereafter; only the meaning of the word is what I have mentioned. And as for the reading of the one who read it with the genitive construction, concerning it one says: Its meaning is: We chose them with the exclusive [quality] of what is mentioned in the [Here]after of the Hereafter; and because "in" was not mentioned, "al-ḏikrā" was joined to "al-dār," as we have previously explained regarding the meaning of His statement لا يَسْأَمُ الإِنْسَانُ مِنْ دُعَاءِ الْخَيْرِ (man does not tire of supplicating for good) and His statement بِسُؤَالِ نَعْجَتِكَ إِلَى نِعَاجِهِ (by your demanding your ewe in addition to his ewes).
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Footnotes:
(2) Perhaps the word "wa-l-abṣār" has dropped out of the sentence, as can be understood from what precedes it and what follows it.
