Benefits and Virtues of Surah 46 Al-Ahqaf

46. Al-‘Ahqaf

46.1 ‘Ata’ b. Rabah reported

On the authority of ‘A’isha, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (way peace be upon him), who said:Whenever the wind was stormy, the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
used to say: O Allah! I ask Thee for what is good in it, and the good which it contains, and the good of that which it was sent for. I seek refuge with Thee from what is evil in it, what evil it contains, and the evil of that what it was sent for; and when there was a thunder and lightning in the sky, his colour underwent a change, and he went out and in, backwards and forwards; and when the rain came, he felt relieved, and I noticed that (the sign of relief) on his face. ‘A’isha asked him (about it) and he said: It may be as the people of ‘Ad said:

فلما رأوه عارضا مستقبل أوديتهم قالوا هذا عارض ممطرنا

When they saw a cloud formation coming to their valley they said:” It is a cloud which would give us rain” (46:24)

Sahih Muslim 899 b

46.2 Yahya related

To me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Umar ibn al-Khattab said, “Beware of meat. It has addictiveness like the addictiveness of wine.”Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Umar ibn al-Khattab saw Jabir ibn Abdullah carrying some meat. He said, “What is this?” He said, “Amir al- Muminin, we desired meat and I bought some meat for a dirham.” Umar said, “Does one of you want to fill his belly apart from his neighbour or nephew? How can you overlook this ayat?

 أذهبتم طيباتكم في حياتكم الدنيا واستمتعتم بها

‘You squandered your good things in the life of this world and sought comfort in them.’ ” (46:20)

Muwatta Malik Book 49, Hadith 36

46.3 Narrated ‘Abdul-Malik bin ‘Umair

From the nephew of ‘Abdullah bin Salam who said: “When they were after ‘Uthman, ‘Abdullah bin Salam came, and ‘Uthman said to him: ‘What did you come for?’ He said: ‘I came to assist you.’ He said: ‘Go to the people to repel their advances against me. For verily your going is better to me than your entering here.'” He said: “So ‘Abdullah bin Salam went to the people and said: ‘O you people! During Jahiliyyah I was named so-and-so, then the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) named me ‘Abdullah, and some Ayat from the Book of Allah were revealed about me. (The following) was revealed about me:

وشهد شاهد من بني إسرائيل على مثله فآمن واستكبرتم إن الله لا يهدي القوم الظالمين

‘A witness from among the Children of Isra’il has testified to something similar, and believed while you rejected. Verily, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people. (46:10)”

And (the following) was revealed about me:

قل كفى بالله شهيدا بيني وبينكم ومن عنده علم الكتاب

‘Sufficient as a witness between me and you is Allah, and those too who have knowledge of the Scripture. (13:43)”

Allah has sheathed the sword from you and the angels are your neighbors in this city of yours, the one in which the Revelation came to your Prophet. But by Allah! (Fear) Allah regarding this man; if you kill him, then by Allah! If you kill him, then you will cause the angels to remove your goodness from you, and to raise Allah’s sheathed sword against you, such that it will never be sheathed again until the Day of Resurrection.'” He said: “They said: ‘Kill the Jew and kill ‘Uthman.'”

Jami` at-Tirmidhi Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 3256

46.4 Al-Wahidi recorded

حتى إذا بلغ أشده وبلغ أربعين سنة

Till, when he attaineth full strength and reacheth forty years (46:15)

‘Ata’ reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “This verse was revealed about Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be well pleased with him. He had travelled with the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) when he was eighteen years old and the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was twenty – to Syria for trade. When they reached a place where there was a lotus tree, the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) sat under the shade of this tree while Abu Bakr went to a monk nearby to ask him about religion.

The monk then asked Abu Bakr: ‘Who is that man under the shade of the lotus?’ Abu Bakr said: ‘He is Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib’. The monk said: ‘By Allah, he is a Prophet. No one sat under the shade of this tree after Jesus, son of Mary, except Muhammad the Prophet of Allah’. At that moment, certainty and faith entered Abu Bakr’s heart. He accompanied the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) everywhere whether in travel or in Mecca. When The Messenger of Allah(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was sent as a Prophet at the age of forty, Abu Bakr who was then thirty-eight embraced Islam and believed in the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم). When Abu Bakr reached forty, he prayed

رب أوزعني أن أشكر نعمتك التي أنعمت علي

My Lord! Arouse me that I may give thanks for the favour wherewith Thou hast favoured me (46:15)

(Asbab Al-Nuzul)

46.5 Duas

رب أوزعني أن أشكر نعمتك التي أنعمت علي وعلى والدي وأن أعمل صالحا ترضاه

وأصلح لي في ذريتي إني تبت إليك وإني من المسلمين

My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to work righteousness of which You will approve and make righteous for me my offspring. Indeed, I have repented to You, and indeed, I am of the Muslims (46:15)