Tafseer of The Heights · Al-A'raaf · 7:170
But those who hold fast to the Book and establish prayer - indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of the reformers.
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 His word: وَالَّذِينَ يُمَسِّكُونَ بِالْكِتَابِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلاةَ إِنَّا لا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُصْلِحِينَ (170) ("And those who hold fast to the Book and perform the ritual prayer (ṣalāh) — verily, We do not let the reward of the righteous reformers go to waste." (7:170))
Abū Jaʿfar said: The reciters differed over the reading of this.
Some of them read: (يُمْسِكُونَ), with a light (undoubled) mīm and with sukūn upon it, derived from "amsaka yumsiku" (to hold fast).
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Others read it: (يُمَسِّكُونَ), with a vocalized mīm and a doubled sīn, derived from "massaka yumassiku".
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Abū Jaʿfar said: By this is meant: and those who act upon that which is in the Book of Allah = "and perform the ritual prayer," observing its limits, and who do not neglect the times of prayer = "verily, We do not let the reward of the righteous reformers go to waste." The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: Whoever of My creatures does that — verily, I do not let the reward of his good deed go to waste, as in: -
15329 - Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said: "and those who hold fast to the Book," he said: the Book of Allah which Mūsā — peace be upon him — brought.
15330 - Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: Al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, he said: Mujāhid said concerning His word: "and those who hold fast to the Book," that this refers to whoever of the Jews or the Christians = "verily, We do not let the reward of the righteous reformers go to waste."
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Footnotes:
(80) See the explanation of "the performance of the prayer" (iqāmat al-ṣalāh) in the linguistic indices (under the root qwm).