The 83rd Call: The Profit that will never Perish
The 83rd Call: The Profit that will never Perish
Almighty Allah says (what can be translated as): “O you who have believed, shall I guide you to a transaction that will save you from a painful punishment? [It is that] you believe in Allah and His Messenger and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if you should know. He will forgive for you your sins and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence. That is the great attainment. And [you will obtain] another [favor] that you love - victory from Allah and an imminent conquest; and give good tidings to the believers.” (Surat As-Saff: 10-13)
O you who have believed in Allah, His Messengers, Books and signs. Do you want me to tell you about a profitable transaction and successful deal? In which, you will win immense profit and you will be saved from a great torment from Allah on the Day of Resurrection? This transaction is to believe in Allah and worship Him alone with no partner, believe in Prophet Muhammad and the Qur’an revealed to Him and strive in the path of raising the word of Allah and supporting His religion with your lives and your wealth. If you do so, it will be profitable to you and better than any gain in this world, even better than your lives, wealth, spouses and offspring. You will realize this if you truly know what the Almighty prepares for His faithful and striving believers in the Hereafter such as the best of rewards in the gardens of Paradise. If you fulfill that, Almighty Allah will cover on your sins and totally wipe them, admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow and accommodate you in pleasant dwellings of perpetual residence that you will enjoy very much. This is indeed the greatest attainment of spirits, it is the profit that has no equivalent, there is nothing more rewarding than this. As for you, the believers striving in the Path of Allah Almighty, you shall have another success in this worldly life, beside your eternal reward that Allah promised you, you shall get a blessing that you love and seek which is victory from Allah and an imminent conquest and you shall garner a lot of gains. O Muhammad, give good tidings to the believers for the reward they will surely get.
The style employed here uses a variety of forms, such as splitting sentences and reconnecting them, putting forward a question and providing the answer, inversion and transposition all aiming to drive a certain message home. The address starts in the name of faith, "O you who have believed" It is followed by an inspiring question. It is Allah who puts the question and holds their expectation of an answer: Shall I guide you to a transaction that will save you from a painful punishment?
Who would not wish to know what this bargain is and what its terms are! Yet here the verse ends, providing a break between two sentences to add to the expectation. The answer is given when interest in it has been heightened: '[It is that] you believe in Allah and His Messenger…' Since they were truly believers in Allah and His Messenger, they are happy that this part of the answer is already met by them, 'and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives.' This is the main theme of the surah and it is given here in this particular fashion to reiterate a message that has already been clarified. Allah knows that human beings need such repetition and variety of modes and styles in order to rise to the occasion. Realizing this, they will exert their maximum efforts to establish and preserve the divine system.
The surah goes further, presenting the bargain in an even more attractive way: 'That is best for you, if you should know.' Knowledge of the truth will encourage the person who knows it to try to obtain this beneficial matter. But the thing that is referred to as being good for us is given in more detail in the next verse. This again heightens the effect even further; providing the details after a general statement drives the point home and makes it even more desirable, 'He will forgive for you your sins.' On its own, this is more than enough. Who would need any further reward when he is assured of Allah’s forgiveness? Who would begrudge anything if he is certain to obtain Allah’s forgiveness? But Allah grace has no limit, for the reward also includes something for the life to come. Allah '…and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence.' This is the most profitable bargain of all, because all that is needed for this deal to be concluded is that a believer should fight for Allah’s cause during his short life on earth. Even if this means him losing his life in this fight, he will be compensated for it with heaven and these goodly mansions where he lives in permanent bliss. That is the supreme triumph.
The account of this transaction appears to conclude here. It is indeed a highly profitable bargain which the believer makes, bartering the life of this world for that of the hereafter. A person who receives a profit ten times his capital will be the envy of everyone in the marketplace. What about one who puts up a few days of life on earth and its limited and narrow comforts to earn an eternal life with Allah in pure happiness and enjoyment that knows no end?
The deal was concluded between the Prophet, Peace Be upon Him, and Abdullah ibn Rawah on the night when the Ansar (the Prophet’s Companions from Madinah) pledged their support to him. Abdullah said to the Prophet: "Make whatever conditions you wish, for yourself and for your Lord." He said: "My condition for my Lord is that you worship Him alone, associating no partners with Him. And my condition for myself is that you pledge you will protect me as you protect your own womenfolk and children'' Abdullah said: "What will our reward be if we honor our commitments?" The Prophet said: "Paradise." They said: "It is a profitable bargain. We will never seek release from our commitments, nor do we accept any cancellation"
