13-19 Is he who knows that what is revealed to thee from thy Lord is the truth like him who is blind? Only men of understanding mind —a
أَفَمَن يَعْلَمُ أَنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ ٱلْحَقُّ كَمَنْ هُوَ أَعْمَىٰٓ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ (۱۹)
13-9a: The first two sections delve into how Divine revelation impacts the spiritual and moral condition of a person. This section compares believers and disbelievers and their final outcome.
13-20 Those who fulfil the pact of Allah, and break not the covenant,
ٱلَّذِينَ يُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَنقُضُونَ ٱلْمِيثَـٰقَ (۲۰)
13-21 And those who join that which Allah has bidden to be joined and have awe of their Lord, and fear the evil reckoning.
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ مَآ أَمَرَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦٓ أَن يُوصَلَ وَيَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ وَيَخَافُونَ سُوٓءَ ٱلْحِسَابِ (۲۱)
13-22 And those who are steadfast seeking the pleasure of their Lord, and keep up prayer and spend of that which We have given them, secretly and openly, and repel evil with good; for such is the (happy) issue of the abode —a
وَٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا۟ ٱبْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنفَقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ سِرًّۭا وَعَلَانِيَةًۭ وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ ٱلسَّيِّئَةَ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ (۲۲)
13-22a: عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ – عُقُوبة – مُعَاقَبة – and عِقَاب all three words are specific for chastisement and their commonality is that they mean outcome or what will come afterwards. عُقۡب – عُقۡبیَ – and عَاقِبَة all three words are specific to reward and are used to convey a good reward or a good outcome, as in: خَيْرٌۭ ثَوَابًۭا وَخَيْرٌ عُقْبًۭا : Best to reward and best in requiting (18:44); وَٱلْعَـٰقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ : And the good end is for those who keep the duty (28:83) (R). So, by عُقْبَى is meant reward or a good outcome. In تِلْكَ عُقْبَى ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوا۟ ۖ وَّعُقْبَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ٱلنَّارُ : Such is the end for those who keep their duty; and the end of the disbelievers is the Fire (13:35), the word عُقْبَى for the disbelievers is used only for comparison with the believers, and also perhaps for the reason that the fire will rectify them.
By ٱلدَّارِ is meant the abode of this world, meaning those who do the deeds mentioned in the verse in this world, their outcome in this abode is good. This is further clarified in the next verse where the outcome of this world is called جَنَّـٰتُ عَدْنٍۢ : gardens of perpetuity, which hints that they experience paradise in this world.
In this verse and the two preceding ones the attributes of believers are narrated, ending with their ability to repel evil with good. It’s noteworthy that it is not stated that they always do good to those who do evil, because sometimes it becomes necessary to punish the evildoers by inflicting them with some suffering. The teaching of always returning evil with good is given in the famous Biblical Sermon on the Mount, but it is a lesson with limited applicability perhaps fit only for the period in which it was given. It is not a teaching that the world can adopt for all times. Turning the other check is not the best course for every situation. The Quranic prescription is perfect because it focuses on the real purpose of eliminating evil. Hence its teaching to repel evil with good includes doing good to someone who does evil, if that would reform the person. The real purpose though is to eliminate evil and if doing good cannot achieve the objective, then some other method should be used. An alternate interpretation is that the believers should harness their powers for doing good, so that goodness overpowers their evil tendencies.
13-23 Gardens of perpetuity, which they will enter along with those who do good from among their fathers and their spouses and their offspring; and the angels will enter in upon them from every gate.a
جَنَّـٰتُ عَدْنٍۢ يَدْخُلُونَهَا وَمَن صَلَحَ مِنْ ءَابَآئِهِمْ وَأَزْوَٰجِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِهِمْ ۖ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يَدْخُلُونَ عَلَيْهِم مِّن كُلِّ بَابٍۢ (۲۳)
13-23a: Pious families reunited in Paradise: Parents, spouses and children are mentioned because a person achieves a state of complete tranquility when he is with his family and even though members of the family may not have reached the same level of piety, but they will be in the same gardens of Paradise. The condition that is imposed for this is مَن صَلَحَ : with those who are worthy. Another reason for mentioning the joining together of families in Paradise is that people with the attributes listed in the previous verses influence their parents, spouses and children with their piety.
The entrance of angels from every gate means that such people entered all areas of goodness through their gates (See 2-189b) and hence the angels too will enter in upon them from every gate of paradise.
13-24 Peace be to you, because you were constant — how excellent is then the final Abode!a
سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُم بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ ۚ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ (۲۴)
13-24a: Ibn Jarir narrates that when the Holy Prophet, Abu Bakr, and Umar used to visit the graves of martyrs, they would recite this verse.
13-25 And those who break the covenant of Allah after its confirmation, and cut asunder that which Allah has ordered to be joined, and make mischief in the land, for them is the curse, and theirs is the evil end of the Abode.a
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَنقُضُونَ عَهْدَ ٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مِيثَـٰقِهِۦ وَيَقْطَعُونَ مَآ أَمَرَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦٓ أَن يُوصَلَ وَيُفْسِدُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۙ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمُ ٱللَّعْنَةُ وَلَهُمْ سُوٓءُ ٱلدَّارِ (۲۵)
13-25a: These people lived an evil life in this world and hence the outcome for them in the next abode will also be evil.
13-26 Allah amplifies and straitens provision for whom He pleases. And they rejoice in this world’s life. And this world’s life, compared with the Hereafter, is only a temporary enjoyment.a
ٱللَّهُ يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ ۚ وَفَرِحُوا۟ بِٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ إِلَّا مَتَـٰعٌۭ (۲۶)
13-26a: What is conveyed here is that one should not get caught up by either abundance or scarcity of sustenance because these are simply temporary conditions of this world. The important thing is to develop one’s relationship with Allah regardless of one’s circumstances.
Bayan-ul-Quran 