Surah 41

Surah 41:35

"Yet no one will receive it except those who are patient, and no one will receive it except one who possesses great good luck."
The Virtue of calling Others to Allah Verses 41:33-36
Show Full Scripture Context (41:33-36) — 4 Verses
Verse 33

وَمَنۡ أَحۡسَنُ قَوۡلٗا مِّمَّن دَعَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَٰلِحٗا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِي مِنَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ

Who is better in speech than the one who calls (people) to God, and does righteousness, and says, ‘Surely I am one of those who submit’?

Verse 34

وَلَا تَسۡتَوِي ٱلۡحَسَنَةُ وَلَا ٱلسَّيِّئَةُۚ ٱدۡفَعۡ بِٱلَّتِي هِيَ أَحۡسَنُ فَإِذَا ٱلَّذِي بَيۡنَكَ وَبَيۡنَهُۥ عَدَٰوَةٞ كَأَنَّهُۥ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٞ

The good deed and the evil deed are not equal. Repel (evil) with that which is better, and suddenly the one with whom (there was) enmity between you and him (will behave) as if he were an ally.

Verse 35

وَمَا يُلَقَّىٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ وَمَا يُلَقَّىٰهَآ إِلَّا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٖ

Yet no one will receive it except those who are patient, and no one will receive it except one who possesses great good luck.

Verse 36

وَإِمَّا يَنزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ نَزۡغٞ فَٱسۡتَعِذۡ بِٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ

If any provocation from Satan provokes you, take refuge with God. Surely He – He is the Hearing, the Knowing.

Quoted Scripture
"And who is better in speech than he who invites to Allah,"

means, he calls the servants of Allah to Him.

Quoted Scripture
"and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims.""

means, he himself follows that which he says, so it benefits him as well as others. He is not one of those who enjoin good but do not do it themselves, or who forbid evil yet they do it themselves. He does good and avoids doing evil, and he calls people to their Creator, may He be blessed and exalted. This is general in meaning and applies to everyone who calls people to what is good and is himself guided by what he says. The Messenger of Allah is the foremost among people in this regard, as Muhammad bin Sirin, As-Suddi and 'Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said.

It was also said that what was meant here is the righteous Mu'adhdhin, as it was mentioned in Sahih Muslim:

Wisdom in Da'wah etc.

Quoted Scripture
"The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal."

means, there is a huge difference between them.

{Repel (the evil) with one which is better,} means, "when someone does you wrong, repel him by treating him well,' as 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "There is no better punishment for one who has disobeyed Allah with regard to you, than your obeying Allah with regard to him."

Quoted Scripture
"then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend."

means, 'if you treat well those who treat you badly, this good deed will lead to reconciliation, love and empathy, and it will be as if he is a close friend to you and he will feel pity for you and be kind to you.' Then Allah says:

Quoted Scripture
"But none is granted it except those who are patient"

meaning, no one accepts this advice and works according to it, except for those who can be patient in doing so, for it is difficult for people to do.

Quoted Scripture
"and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion"

means, the one who has a great portion of happiness in this world and in the Hereafter. 'Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn 'Abbas explained this Ayah: "Allah commands the believers to be patient when they feel angry, to be forbearing when confronted with ignorance, and to forgive when they are mistreated. If they do this, Allah will save them from the Shaytan and subdue their enemies to them until they become like close friends."

Quoted Scripture
"And if an evil whisper from Shaytan tries to turn you away, then seek refuge in Allah."

means, the devils among men may be deceived by your kind treatment of him, but the devils among the Jinn, when they insinuate their evil whispers, cannot be dealt with except by seeking refuge with the Creator Who gave him power over you. If you seek refuge with Allah and turn to Him, He will stop him from harming you and bring his efforts to naught. When the Messenger of Allah stood up to pray, he would say:

«I seek refuge in Allah the All-Hearing, All-Knowing, from the accursed Shaytan and his evil insinuations, breath and impurity.»

We have already stated that there is nothing like this in the Qur'an, apart from the passage in Surat Al-A'raf, where Allah says:

Quoted Scripture
"[Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish. And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaytan, then seek refuge with Allah. Verily, He is All-Hearer, All-Knower.](quran/7/199-200)"

and the passage in Surat Al-Mu'minun where Allah says:

Quoted Scripture
"[Repel evil with that which is better. We are Best-Acquainted with the things they utter. And say: "My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings of the Shayatin. And I seek refuge with You, My Lord! lest they should come near me."](quran/23/96-98)"

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 8, Page 541-544)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.