سورة الأنعام

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): أَ وَ مَنْ کانَ مَیْتاً فَأَحْیَیْناهُ وَ جَعَلْنا لَهُ نُوراً یَمْشِی بِهِ فِی النَّاسِ [Is he who was dead, then We raised him to life, and made for him a light by which he walks among the people] — he is Ammar (may Allah have mercy on him). کَمَنْ مَثَلُهُ فِی الظُّلُماتِ لَیْسَ بِخارِجٍ مِنْها [Like him whose likeness is that of one in utter darkness whence he cannot come forth] — he is Abu Jahl ibn Hisham.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): The first verse was revealed concerning Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah have mercy on him) and Abu Jahl ibn Hisham. Abu Jahl used to harm the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). This news reached Hamza (may Allah have mercy on him), who had not yet become a Muslim. In anger and rage, with a bow in his hand, he came to Abu Jahl and struck his head with the bow. Then he embraced faith.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): This verse was revealed concerning Ammar (may Allah have mercy on him) when he embraced faith, and Abu Jahl.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Burayd al-Ijli said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about this word of Allah the Blessed and Exalted: أَوَ مَن کَانَ مَیْتًا فَأَحْیَیْنَاهُ وَ جَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا یَمْشِی بِهِ فِی النَّاسِ [Is he who was dead, then We raised him to life, and made for him a light by which he walks among the people]. He said: "The dead one is he who does not recognise this station — that is, this matter. وَ جَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا [And made for him a light] — that is, an Imam whom he follows, meaning Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him)." I said: "Then what does this word of Allah mean: کَمَن مَّثَلُهُ فِی الظُّلُمَاتِ لَیْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا [Like him whose likeness is that of one in utter darkness whence he cannot come forth]?" He said, [while gesturing with his hand]: "That is, these people who do not know anything."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): أَوَ مَن کَانَ مَیْتًا فَأَحْیَیْنَاهُ [Is he who was dead, then We raised him to life]; that is, he was ignorant of the truth and the wilayah, so We guided him to it. وَ جَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا یَمْشِی بِهِ فِی النَّاسِ [and We made for him a light by which he walks among the people]; نُورًا [a light] means wilayah. کَمَن مَّثَلُهُ فِی الظُّلُمَاتِ لَیْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا [like him whose likeness is that of one in utter darkness whence he cannot come forth]; that is, in the wilayah of others besides the Imams (peace be upon them). کَذَلِکَ زُیِّنَ لِلْکَافِرِینَ مَا کَانُواْ یَعْمَلُونَ [Thus what they did was made fair seeming to the unbelievers].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): He was dead, cut off from us, and We brought him to life through us.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): أَ وَ مَنْ کانَ مَیْتاً فَأَحْیَیْناهُ [Is he who was dead, then We raised him to life]; that is, We guided him. وَ جَعَلْنا لَهُ نُوراً یَمْشِی بِهِ فِی النَّاسِ [and We made for him a light by which he walks among the people]; what is meant is the light of wilayah.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): یُخْرِجُ الحَیَّ مِنَ المَیِّتِ وَ مُخْرِجُ المَیِّتِ مِنَ الحَیِّ [He brings forth the living from the dead and brings forth the dead from the living]. What is meant by the living is the believer, whose clay comes forth from the clay of the disbeliever, and what is meant by the dead who comes forth from the living is the disbeliever, who comes forth from the clay of the believer. So the living is the believer and the dead is the disbeliever. This is what Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: أَ وَ مَنْ کانَ مَیْتاً فَأَحْیَیْناهُ [Is he who was dead, then We raised him to life]. So what is meant by the death of the believer is the mingling of his clay with the clay of the disbeliever, and his life is when Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, separated them from each other by means of His word [Jibra'il]. Thus Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, brings the believer out at the time of his birth, after he was in darkness, and takes him toward the light; and He brings the disbeliever out, after he was in the light, and takes him toward the darkness. This is the meaning of the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: لِیُنْذِرَ مَنْ کانَ حَیًّا وَ یَحِقَّ الْقَوْلُ عَلَی الْکافِرِینَ [That it may warn him who is alive, and (that) the word may prove true against the unbelievers].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The believer turns about in five lights: his entrance is light, his exit is light, his knowledge is light, his speech is light, and his outlook on the Day of Resurrection is toward light.