Tafseer of The Night · Al-Lail · 92:9
And denies the best [reward],
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.
As for His statement: وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى (and denies the best). The scholars of exegesis differed concerning its interpretation in a manner similar to how they differed concerning His statement: وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى (and holds the best to be true). As for us, we say: its meaning is: and denies the recompense (al-khalaf).
As Ḥumayd ibn Masʿada related to us, saying: Bishr ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Dāwūd related to us, on the authority of ʿIkrima, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى (and denies the best): and he denies the recompense.
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Khālid ibn ʿAbd Allāh related to us, on the authority of Dāwūd ibn Abī Hind, on the authority of ʿIkrima, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى (and denies the best): the recompense of Allah.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى (and denies the best): and he denied the promise of Allah which He has promised. Allah said: فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى (then We shall ease him toward hardship).
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى (and denies the best): and the unbeliever denied the good promise of Allah.
And others said: its meaning is: and he denied the oneness of Allah (tawḥīd).
* Mention of those who said this:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى (and denies the best): and he denied "there is no god but Allah" (lā ilāha illā Allāh).
It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, saying: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd related to us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His statement: وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى (and denies the best): "there is no god but Allah".
And others said: no, its meaning is: and he denied the Garden (janna).
* Mention of those who said this:
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى (and denies the best) — he said: the Garden.
