Surah 20:123
Show Full Scripture Context (20:123-126) — 4 Verses
قَالَ ٱهۡبِطَا مِنۡهَا جَمِيعَۢاۖ بَعۡضُكُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوّٞۖ فَإِمَّا يَأۡتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّي هُدٗى فَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَشۡقَىٰ
He said, ‘Go down from it, both of you together, some of you an enemy to others. If any guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance will not go astray, nor become miserable.
وَمَنۡ أَعۡرَضَ عَن ذِكۡرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُۥ مَعِيشَةٗ ضَنكٗا وَنَحۡشُرُهُۥ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ أَعۡمَىٰ
But whoever turns away from My reminder, surely for him (there will be) a life of deprivation, and We shall gather him blind on the Day of Resurrection.’
قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرۡتَنِيٓ أَعۡمَىٰ وَقَدۡ كُنتُ بَصِيرٗا
He will say, ‘My Lord, why have you gathered me blind, when I had sight before?’
قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ أَتَتۡكَ ءَايَٰتُنَا فَنَسِيتَهَاۖ وَكَذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ تُنسَىٰ
He will say, ‘So (it is). Our signs came to you, but you forgot them, so today you are forgotten.’
Allah says to Adam, Hawwa’ and Iblis, “Get down from here:, all of you.” This means each of you should get out of Paradise. We expounded upon this in Surah Al-Baqarah.
{Some of you as enemies to others.} [2:36]
He (Allah) was saying this to Adam and his progeny and Iblis and his progeny.
Concerning Allah’s statement,
Abu Al-‘Aliyyah said, “This (guidance) means the Prophets, the Messengers and the evidence.”
Ibn ‘Abbas said, “He will not be misguided in this life and he will not be distressed in the Hereafter.”
This means, “Whoever opposes my command and what I have revealed to My Messenger, then he has turned away from it, neglected it and taken his guidance from other than it.”
meaning, his life will be hard in this world. He will have no tranquillity and no expanding of his breast (ease). Rather, his chest will be constrained and in difficulty due to his misguidance. Even if he appears to be in comfort outwardly and he wears whatever he likes, eats whatever he likes and lives wherever he wants, he will not be happy. For verily, his heart will not have pure certainty and guidance. He will be in agitation, bewilderment and doubt. He will always be in confusion and a state of uncertainty. This is from the hardship of life.
Concerning His statement,
Mujahid, Abu Salih and As-Suddi said, “This means he will have no proof.” ‘Ikrimah said, “He will be made blind to everything except Hell.” This is as Allah says,
This is why Allah says,
This means in the life of this world.
{(Allah) will say: “Like this Our Ayat came unto you, but you disregarded than, and so this Day, you will be neglected.>
Meaning, “When you turned away from the signs of Allah and dealt with them in the manner of one who does not remember them after they were conveyed to you. You neglected them, turned away from them and were heedless of them. Therefore, today We will treat you in the manner of one who has forgotten you.”
{So this Day We shall forget them as they forgot their meeting of this Day.} [7:51]
For verily, the punishment will be a retribution that is based upon the type of deed that was done. However, forgetting the words of the Qur’an, while understanding its meaning and acting upon its legislation, is not included in the meaning of this specific threat. Yet, forgetting the words of the Qur’an has been warned against from a different aspect. It has beeh reported in the Sunnah that it is absolutely forbidden and there is a serious threat against one who forgets Qur’an (that he previously memorized).