'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : (whoso obeyeth allah and the messenger) this verse was revealed about thawban, the client of allah's messenger (pbuh) who said: “i am afraid not to meet you in the hereafter, o messenger of allah!” this is because he loved him intensely and could not bear being away from him. allah's messenger saw the change in him and so allah mentioned the honour bestowed on him, saying: whoever obeys allah regarding the obligations and obeys the prophet regarding the prophetic practices (they are) in paradise (with those unto whom allah hath shown favour, of the prophets) muhammad (pbuh) and the other prophets, (and the saints) the best among the companions of the prophet (pbuh) (and the martyrs) those who were martyred in the way of allah (and the righteous) the righteous among the community of muhammad (pbuh). (the best of company are they) in paradise!
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : whoever obeys god and the messenger, in what he commands, they are with those whom god has blessed of the prophets and the truthful, that is, the most excellent of the prophet’s companions, because of the fullness of their truthfulness and their affirmation of the truth; and the martyrs, those slain in the path of god; and the righteous, [all those] other than the ones mentioned. what fine companions they are!, in paradise, since in it one will enjoy seeing them, visiting them and being in their presence, even though they will be in the highest stations in relation to others.
Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi
تفسير : (whoso obeyeth allah and the messenger…) [4:69].
said al-kalbi: “this verse was revealed about thawban, the client of allah’s messenger, allah bless him and give him peace. thawban loved the prophet dearly such that he could not bear not seeing him for long periods. one day thawban showed up with his complexion changed, he had lost weight and the signs of sadness were evident on his face. the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, said to him: ‘o thawban, what has made your complexion change?’ he said: ‘o messenger of allah, i am not suffering from any harm or pain, except that when i do not see you, i miss you and feel intense longing for you which does not cease until i meet you. then i remember the afterlife and i fear that i will not see you there. i know that you will be raised high up with the prophets whereas if i enter the garden, i will be in a rank much lower than yours, and if i do not enter the garden, it will be certain that i will never see you’. and so allah, exalted is he, revealed this verse”.
isma‘il ibn abi nasr informed us> ibrahim al-nasrabadhi> ‘abd allah ibn ‘umar ibn ‘ali al-jawhari> ‘abd allah ibn mahmud al-sa‘di> musa ibn yahya> ‘ubaydah> mansur> muslim ibn subayh> masruq who reported that the companions of the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, said: “we should not part your company in this world, for if you were to leave us, you will be raised above us”, and so allah, exalted is he, revealed (whoso obeyeth allah and the messenger, they are with those unto whom allah hath shown favour, of the prophets and the saints and the martyrs and the righteous…).
ahmad ibn muhammad ibn ibrahim informed us> shu‘ayb> makki> abu’l-azhar> rawh> sa‘id> shu‘bah> qatadah who said: “it was mentioned to us that some men said to the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace: ‘o prophet of allah, we now see you in this world. but in the afterlife you shall be raised above us because of your merit and we will not see you then', and so allah, exalted is he, revealed this verse”.
abu nu‘aym al-hafiz informed, among that which he gave me authorisation to relate from him>sulayman ibn ahmad al-lakhmi> ahmad ibn ‘amr al-khallal> ‘abd allah ibn ‘imran al-‘abidi> fudayl ibn ‘iyad> mansur> ibrahim> al-aswad> ‘a’ishah who said: “a man came to the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, and said: ‘o messenger of allah, you are more beloved to me than my own person, wife and children. whenever i remember you when i am sitting in my house i do not rest until i come and look at you. and when i remember my eventual death and yours, i realise that when you enter the garden you will be raised with the prophets, while, even if i do enter it, i fear that i will not see you’. the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, did not answer him until gabriel, peace be upon him, came down with this verse (whoso obeyeth allah and the messenger, they are with those unto whom allah hath shown favour, of the prophets and the saints and the martyrs and the righteous…)”.
