32.18
Abbas - Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs
(Is he who is a believer) a sincere believer; the reference here is to 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib (like unto him who is an evil-liver?) I.e. a hypocrite; the reference here is to al-Walid Ibn 'Uqbah Ibn Abi Ma'it. (They are not alike) in the life of this world in relation to their obedience nor are they alike in the Hereafter in relation to the reward and honour bestowed by Allah. This is because these two had an argument and exchanged words until 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be well pleased with him, said to him: " O sinner! ".
Allah tells us that in His justice and generosity, on the Day of Judgement He will not judge those who believed in His signs and followed His Messengers, in the same way as He will judge those who rebelled, disobeyed Him and rejected the Messengers sent by Allah to them. This is like the Ayat:
(Or do those who earn evil deeds think that We shall hold them equal with those who believe and do righteous good deeds, in their present life and after their death Worst is the judgement that they make.) (45:21),
(Is then he who is a believer like him who is a rebellious Not equal are they. ) i.e., before Allah on the Day of Resurrection. `Ata' bin Yasar, As-Suddi and others mentioned that this was revealed concerning `Ali bin Abi Talib and `Uqbah bin Abi Mu`it. Hence Allah has judged between them when He said:
(As for those who believe and do righteous good deeds,) meaning, their hearts believed in the signs of Allah, and they did as the signs of Allah dictate, i.e. righteous good deeds.
فَلَهُمْ جَنَّـتُ الْمَأْوَى
(for them are Gardens of Abode) i.e., in which there are dwellings and houses and lofty apartments.
نُزُلاً
(as an entertainment) means, something to welcome and honor a guest,
(for what they used to do. And as for those who rebel,) means, those who disobeyed Allah, their dwelling place will be the Fire, and every time they want to escape from it, they will be thrown back in, as Allah says:
(Every time they seek to get away therefrom, from anguish, they will be driven back therein) (22:22). Al-Fudayl bin `Iyad said: "By Allah, their hands will be tied, their feet will be chained, the flames will lift them up and the angels will strike them.
(and it will be said to them: "Taste you the torment of the Fire which you used to deny.'')'' means, this will be said to them by way of rebuke and chastisement.
(And verily, We will make them taste of the near lighter torment prior to the greater torment,) Ibn `Abbas said, "The near torment means diseases and problems in this world, and the things that happen to its people as a test from Allah to His servants so that they will repent to Him.'' Something similar was also narrated from Ubayy bin Ka`b, Abu Al-`Aliyah, Al-Hasan, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, Ad-Dahhak, `Alqamah, `Atiyah, Mujahid, Qatadah, `Abd Al-Karim Al-Jazari and Khusayf.
(And who does more wrong than he who is reminded of the Ayat of his Lord, then turns aside therefrom) means, there is no one who does more wrong than the one whom Allah reminds of His signs and explains them to him clearly, then after that he neglects and ignores them, and turns away from them, forgetting them as if he does not know them. Qatadah said: "Beware of turning away from the remembrance of Allah, for whoever turns away from remembering Him will be the most misguided and the most in need, and the most guilty of sin.'' Allah says, warning the one who does that:
إِنَّا مِنَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُنتَقِمُونَ
(Verily, We shall exact retribution from the criminals.) meaning, `We shall avenge Ourselves on those who do that in the strongest possible terms.'
32.15-20
Maududi - Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an
In other words, they do not regard it as below their dignity to give up their false notions and believe in Allah's Revelations and adopt His service and obedience. Their conceit does not hinder them from accepting the truth and obeying their Lord.
That is, "They worship their Lord instead of enjoying sensuous pleasures at night. They are not like the world-worshipers, who seek entertainments in music and dancing, drinking and merry-making, in the night in order to get relief from the day's fatigue and labor and toil. Instead, when they are free from their day's work and duties, they devote themselves to the adoration of their Lord, spend their nights in His remembrance, tremble out of fear of Him, and pin all their hopes on Him." "Who forsake their beds" does not mean that they do not sleep at all at night, but that they spend a part of the night in Allah's worship.
In the original, rizq: lawful provisions. Unlawful provisions have nowhere been called rizq by Allah. The verse therefore means: They spend from whatever little or much of pure provisions We have given them; they do not overspend and do not grab unlawful wealth in order to meet their expenses.
Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi and Imam Ahmad have in different ways cited on the authority of Hadrat Abu Hurairah that the Holy Prophet said: "Allah says: I have got ready for My righteous servants that which has neither been seen by the eye, nor heard by the ear, nor ever conceived by any man. " The same thing has been reported with a little difference in wording by Hadrat Abu Sa' id Khudri, Mughirah bin Shu`bah and Sahl bin Sa'd as-Sai'di from the Holy Prophet and related with authentic links by Muslim. Ahmed, Ibn Jarir and Tirmidhi.
Here mu min (believer) and Fasiq (sinner) have been used as two contrasting terms. Mu 'min is he who believes in Allah as his Lord and the One and only Deity and adopts obedience of the Law which Allah has sent down through His Prophets. Contrary to this, Fasiq is he who adopts the attitude of fisq (disobedience, rebellion, independence and obedience to others than Allah).
That is, "They can neither have the same way of thinking and life in the world nor can they be treated alike by God in the Hereafter."
That is, "The Gardens will not merely be a means of entertainment for them, but the same will be their dwelling-places in which they will live for ever.
(Is he who is a believer like unto him who is an evil-liver?) [32:18]. This verse was revealed about ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and al-Walid ibn ‘Uqbah. Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Asfahani informed us> ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Hafiz> Ishaq ibn Banan al-Anmati> Hubaysh ibn Mubashshir al-Faqih> ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Musa> Ibn Abi Layla> al-Hakam> Sa‘id ibn Jubayr> Ibn ‘Abbas who said: "Al-Walid ibn ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu‘ayt said to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be well pleased with him: ‘I am tougher than you, more eloquent than you, and I have more leadership skills than you’. ‘Ali responded by saying: ‘Be quiet, you are but an evil-liver!’ This verse was then revealed (Is he who is a believer like unto him who is an evil-liver? They are not alike), by the believer is meant ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and the evil-liver refers to al-Walid ibn ‘Uqbah".
