As-Sajda (The Prostration)

18. “Is he then who is a believer like him who is a transgressor? They are not equal.”

The way of comparison is one of the best educational ways. In this verse, the comparison which was mentioned in former verses is made more clear.

It says:

“Is he then who is a believer like him who is a transgressor? They are not equal.”

This sentence has been stated in a positive interrogation with a negative form the answer of which emerges from the intellect and nature of any person indicating that these two are never equal. Yet, in order to emphasize, the Qur’an specifies this inequality.

In this verse, the Qur’anic word /fasiq/ (transgressor) has been mentioned versus /mu’min/ (believer), and this is an evidence for the fact that the Arabic word /fisq/ has a vast scope of meaning which encompasses both infidelity and other sins.

This word originally is taken from the Arabic phrase /fasaqat-iθ-θamarah/ (the fruit has come out from its cover, or the stone of the date has separated from the date and has come out from it).

Then it has been used for coming out from the obedience of the command of Allah and wisdom; and we know that whoever blasphemes or commits a sin has come out of the command of Allah and wisdom.

This point is also notable that as long as a fruit is inside its cover it is safe, but when it comes out from its cover it will decay. Therefore, when a person becomes a transgressor, he has indeed become decayed.

A group of great commentators concerning this verse have cited that one day Walid-ibn-‘Aqabah told Hadrat Ali (as):

“I am more elegant than you from the point of tongue, and my sword is sharper than yours.”

(He wanted to say, as he thought, he was better than him (as) both in speech and fighting.) In answer to him, Imam Ali (as) said:

“It is not such that you say, O’ evil-doer!”

(He implicitly said that he was the same person that at the time when he was gathering alms from the tribe of Ban-il-Mustalaq he accused them to opposition against Islam and Allah rejected him and called him evil-doer in Surah Al-Hujurat, No. 49, verse 7 where the Qur’an says:

“O you who believe! If an evil-doer comes to you with a report, look carefully into it…”

This tradition has been cited in Majma‘ul-Bayan by the Late Tabarsi, in the Commentary of Qurtabi, and in Rouh-ul-Bayan by Fadil-i-Barsu’i.

It is notable that we recite in ‘’Usd-ul-Qayah fi Ma‘rifat-is-Sahabah’ that there is no contradiction between the commentators of the Qur’an that this recent verse (49:7) has been sent down about Walid-ibn-‘Aqabah in the event of the tribe of Ban-il-Mustalaq.