Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-Anfal -> Qualities of the Faithful and Truthful Believers

`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said about the Ayah,

﴿ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ…ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ط°ظڈظƒظگط±ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظˆظژط¬ظگظ„ظژطھظ’ ظ‚ظڈظ„ظڈظˆط¨ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’﴾

(The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts)

"None of Allah's remembrance enters the hearts of the hypocrites upon performing what He has ordained. They neither believe in any of Allah's Ayat nor trust (in Allah) nor pray if they are alone nor pay the Zakah due on their wealth. Allah stated that they are not believers. He then described the believers by saying,

﴿ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ…ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ط°ظڈظƒظگط±ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظˆظژط¬ظگظ„ظژطھظ’ ظ‚ظڈظ„ظڈظˆط¨ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’﴾

(The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts) and they perform what He has ordained,

﴿ظˆظژط¥ظگط°ظژط§ طھظڈظ„ظگظٹظژطھظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ط،ظژط§ظٹظژظ€طھظڈظ‡ظڈ ط²ظژط§ط¯ظژطھظ’ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگظٹظ…ظژظ€ظ†ط§ظ‹﴾

(and when His Ayat are recited unto them, they increase their faith) and conviction,

﴿ظˆظژط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظٹظژطھظژظˆظژظƒظ‘ظژظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(and they put their trust in their Lord), having hope in none except Him. '' Mujahid commented on,

﴿ظˆظژط¬ظگظ„ظژطھظ’ ظ‚ظڈظ„ظڈظˆط¨ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’﴾

(their hearts Wajilat), "Their hearts become afraid and fearful.'' Similar was said by As-Suddi and several others. The quality of a true believer is that when Allah is mentioned, he feels a fear in his heart, and thus implements His orders and abstains from His prohibitions. Allah said in a similar Ayah,

﴿ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ظپظژط¹ظژظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظپظژظ€ط­ظگط´ظژط©ظ‹ ط£ظژظˆظ’ ط¸ظژظ„ظژظ…ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط£ظژظ†ظ’ظپظڈط³ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط°ظژظƒظژط±ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ ظپظژط§ط³ظ’طھظژط؛ظ’ظپظژط±ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ„ظگط°ظڈظ†ظڈظˆط¨ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظ…ظژظ† ظٹظژط؛ظ’ظپظگط±ظڈ ط§ظ„ط°ظ‘ظڈظ†ظڈظˆط¨ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظˆظژظ„ظژظ…ظ’ ظٹظڈطµظگط±ظ‘ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ظ…ظژط§ ظپظژط¹ظژظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظٹظژط¹ظ’ظ„ظژظ…ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(And those who, when they have committed Fahishah (immoral sin) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; -- and none can forgive sins but Allah -- and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know) ﴿3:135﴾, and,

﴿ظˆظژط£ظژظ…ظ‘ظژط§ ظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط®ظژط§ظپظژ ظ…ظژظ‚ظژط§ظ…ظژ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظگظ‡ظگ ظˆظژظ†ظژظ‡ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژظپظ’ط³ظژ ط¹ظژظ†ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ‡ظژظˆظژظ‰ - ظپظژط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¬ظژظ†ظ‘ظژط©ظژ ظ‡ظگظ‰ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژط£ظ’ظˆظژظ‰ ﴾

(But as for him who feared standing before his Lord, and restrained himself from vain desires. Verily, Paradise will be his abode.) ﴿79:40-41﴾

Sufyan Ath-Thawri narrated that As-Suddi commented,

﴿ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ…ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ط°ظڈظƒظگط±ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظˆظژط¬ظگظ„ظژطھظ’ ظ‚ظڈظ„ظڈظˆط¨ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’﴾