Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim.

In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. All the praises and thanks be to Allâh, the Lord of the 'Alamîn . The Only Owner of the Day of Recompense. You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help. Guide us to the Straight Way. The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace , not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger, nor of those who went astray .

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98: (Al-Bayyinah)- The Clear Evidence 

(The Clear Evidence)

Number of Verses: 8

Sūra al-Bayyina (Arabic: سُورَة البَیِّنَة, the Evidence) or Sūra Lam Yakun (Arabic: سورة لَمْ یَکُنْ) or Sūra al-Qayyima (Arabic: سورة القَیِّمَة) is the ninety eighth sura of the quran and a madani Sura. Sura al-Bayyina is one of the short suras of the Qur'an in its thirtieth .

Sura al-Bayyina characterizes the animus of the unbelieving people of the book and their incredulity as to the truth of islam and the prophethood of prophet muhammad (s). According to this sura, such people as well as polytheists are the worst of the creatures, who should be punished by the fire of the hell. On the other hand, it gives believers and the righteous people the good news of the eternal heaven. The seventh verse of this sura is known as khayr al-bariyya verse, which is, according to shiite and sunni hadiths, concerned with Imam 'Ali (a) and his Shi'a  (followers).

There is a hadith from the Prophet (s) with regard to the virtue of reciting this sura: "if people knew about the blessings of this sura, they would leave their families and property and engage in learning it".

The contents of the Surah attests to the fact that it was revealed in Medina, because, the People (Jews and Christians) of the Book (the Scripture) are repeatedly talked about, and we know that at the time of revelation the communication between the Muslims and the people of the Book occurred mostly in Medina.

Furthermore, the words of the Surah are both about prayers and alms. It is true that the duty of paying the alms-tax was issued in Mecca, but the act of spreading this idea with the necessary formalities, was extended in Medina.

In any case, this Surah refers to the universal message of our holy Prophet (S) in the same line of prophecy that the Jews and Christians received their scriptures. They should have prepared themselves for the Advent of the greatest and last of the prophets, but when the awaited Prophet, whom they were waiting for, came with clear signs and evidences, they rejected him, because they were not really searching for truth; they only followed their own desires to gain worldly profits.

By the way, this Surah shows the fact that the doctrine of the prophets such as Faith, monotheism, prayers and fasting are eternal and unchangeable principles in all Divine religions.

In another part of the Surah the different reactions of the pagans and the People of the Book, regarding the invitation to Islam, are referred to saying that those who believe and do righteous deeds are the best of all creatures, and those who disbelieve and refuse to worship Him are certainly the worst of all creatures.

The most popular titles of this Surah are: 'Bayyinah', 'Lam Yakun', and 'Ghayyimah'; titles which come from the text, itself.

On the virtue in reciting this Surah, there is a tradition from the holy Prophet (S) who has said:

"If people knew how blessful this Surah is (Bayyinah), they would leave their property and family to learn it".

Someone from the' Khaza'ih' people asked:

"O Messenger of Allah! What is the reward for reciting it?".

He (S) answered:

"Neither a hypocrite nor those in whose hearts contain doubt about Allah recite it. By Allah, the near-stationed angels have been reciting it from the time the heavens and the earth were created and do not languish in its recitation.

There will be no servant who recites it at night but that Allah sends angels who protect him in his Faith and his present life and that seek forgiveness and mercy for him; and when on the day he recites it, he will be rewarded as much as what the day sheds light upon and what the night darkens."

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Benefits

This Surah has 8 ayaat and it is a 'madani' Surah. The Holy Prophet (S) said that if people knew the benefits of reciting this Surah, they would leave their work in order to learn it.

If a person recites this Surah at night, then Allah (S.w.T.) sends angels to protect the reciter and his faith is also secure. The angels seek forgiveness for him. The reward for reciting this Surah is equal to all those things on this Earth upon which the sun shines.

Writing and drinking water of this Surah is beneficial for cure of ailments. Surah al-Bayyinah is also good for pregnant women and helps to ensure their safety and the safety of their babies. Reciting this Surah before eating food removes any ill effects of the foods.

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Lessons

Every nation to which a messenger was sent, was commanded through him to worship Allāh alone.

Those who disbelieved from the people of the book and the idolaters shall enter the fire of Jahannam, wherein they will suffer for eternity.

The worst of creation are those who will be doomed to Jahannam for eternity.

Those who believe and do good deeds are the best of creation.

The reward for those who believe and do good thereafter, is everlasting gardens through which rivers flow; a reward they will enjoy for eternity.

Allāh is pleased with those who believe and thereafter do good, and they will be pleased with the reward they receive.

The everlasting success cannot be achieved without an element of fear of Allāh.

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The sequence of this sūrah's discourse is as follows:

(Verses 1-3)First, an assurance is sounded to the Prophet (sws) that he should not think that the mischief-mongers among the Quraysh and the People of the Book who are opposing him would desist from their ways at any cost and accept the Qur'ān. They will only believe when an angel will descend from the skies whilst reading some scripture and they are able to observe him in this state.

(Verses 4-5)After this, the attitude of the People of the Book is criticized: these disgraceful people are lending support to the Quraysh out of their enmity for the Prophet (sws). Such is the extent of their misfortune that they witnessed great miracles but still they could not embrace the religion of God. In fact, they remained blind even after seeing these miracles and could not remain united on the foundations of religion in which there is no room for any difference of opinion.

(Verses 6-8)In the end, both the Quraysh and the People of the Book are sternly reprimanded on their pride and vanity: they consider themselves to be very superior and for this reason are not willing to even entertain the new call; the fact of the matter is that they are the worst of God's creatures; they shall be thrown into Hell. Only those people are of any status before God who profess faith in Him without seeing Him and do righteous deeds and not the conceited who would only believe once they have seen everything from their very eyes.

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1) Those who disbelieve of the People of the Book and the idolaters would not desist until the Clear Proof came to them: 2) a Messenger from Allah reading out purified pages 3) containing upright scriptures. 4) Those given the Book did not divide into sects until after the Clear Proof came to them.(NOTE: If you want to build a strong and powerful relationship with Allah, check out , where you can watch Islamic speakers from across the globe deliver inspiring and motivational courses. Learn more at .)

Allah, Most High, says, Those who disbelieve of the People of the Book, the Jews and Christians and the idolaters from all races would not desist, from their disbelief and misguidance. They persist in their aimless wandering and misguidance, not changing their ways, and the passage of time only increases them in disbelief. Until the Clear Proof came to them, self-evident and conclusive, this proof is explained next, a Messenger from sent by Allah, calling man to the truth. Allah revealed a Book to him that he recited in order to teach man wisdom, to purify him and to lead him out of the darkness into the light. This is why He said, reading out purified pages protected from the approach of devils, touched by none save the purified,[1] because it is the most exalted form of speech. This is why He said, containing, i.e. these purified pages upright scriptures, comprising truthful narratives; just, upright injunctions leading to the truth and to the Straight Path. When this Clear Proof comes to them, the seeker after Truth is distinguished from one who has no purpose in his endeavours. Therefore the destroyed perishes upon clear proof and the living is given life upon clear proof.

If the People of the Book do not believe in this Messenger, and refuse to follow him, this is nothing new for them, it something part and parcel of their misguidance and obstinate rebellion, for those given the Book did not divide into sects, into groups and parties until after the Clear Proof came to them, that would lead its adherents to unity and accord. However these people, because of their filth and depravity, only increased in misguidance in the face of guidance and blindness in the face of sure knowledge, this despite that fact that all Scripture came with one religion and one basic message.

5) They were only ordered to worship Allah, sincerely devoting their religion to Him as people of pure, natural belief, and to establish the prayer and to pay the alms-due. That is the true religion. 6) Those who disbelieve of the People of the Book and the idolaters will be in the fire of Hell, remaining in it forever. They are the worst of creatures.

They were only ordered, in all the religious laws to worship Allah, sincerely devoting their religion to Him, intending His face alone in all actions of worship, outward and inward, seeking to draw closer to Him as people of pure, natural belief, who turn away from all religions that oppose the religion of Tawhid and to establish the prayer and to pay the alms-due, these two actions of worship have specifically been mentioned even though they fall under the meaning of they were only ordered to worship Allah because of their excellence and superiority. Whoever establishes these two actions of worship has established all the various injunctions of the religion. That, Tawhid and sincerity in religion is the true religion, the upright and straight religion that leads to gardens of bliss, anything other than it leads to Hell. Allah then mentions the recompense of the disbelievers after the Clear Proof had come to them: "Those who disbelieve of the People of the Book and the idolaters will be in the fire of Hell, remaining in it forever, its punishment encompassing them, its torment only ever increasing in severity remaining there forever, It will not be eased for them. They will be crushed there by despair.[2] They are the worst of creatures, because they knew the truth and abandoned it and thereby lost both this world and the Hereafter.

7) Those who believe and work righteous deeds are the best of creatures. 8) Their reward is with their Lord: Gardens of Eden graced with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them forever. Allah is well-pleased with them and they are well-pleased with Him; that is for those who fear their Lord.

Those who believe and work righteous deeds are the best of creatures, because they knew Allah and worshipped Him and thereby succeeded by attaining joy in this world and the Hereafter. Their reward is with their Lord: Gardens of Eden, Gardens of permanency from which they will never depart and beyond which they have no desire, graced with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them forever. Allah is well-pleased with them, for all that they did that pleased Him and they are well-pleased with Him, for the grace He has prepared for them that wonderful reward is for those who fear their Lord, and therefore avoid disobeying Him and live by what He obligated.

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Hadiths

There are a great many narrations quoted by famous Sunnite and Shi'ite sources in which the verse:

"...they are the best of all creatures"

is rendered to mean Hazrat Ali (as) and his followers.

Hakim Haskani Neyshaburi, one of the famous Sunnite scholars, in the fifth century A.H., has cited some narrations with different references whose number is more than twenty in his well-known book Shawahid-ut-Tanzil.

The following are some examples:

1. Ibn-Abbas says that when the verse:

"Surely those who believe and do righteous deeds, they are the best of all creatures"

was revealed, the holy Prophet (S) told Hazrat Ali (as):

"It is you and your followers who will come on the Day of Reckoning when you and your followers are well-pleased (yourselves) and well-pleasing Him and your enemy will come angrily pushed (into Hell)".

2. Abu Barazah has narrated a tradition from the Prophet (S) who recited the verse and said:

"They are you and your followers. O' Ali! The appointment for you and me is (beside) the Pool of Abundance"

('Haud' is the pool of 'Kawthar').

3. Jabir-ibn-'Abdillah-Ansari narrates in another tradition that they were sitting with the holy Prophet (S) in the Sacred House when Ali (as) came to them.

As soon as the Prophet (S) saw him, he said:

"My brother is coming to you".

Then, he turned toward the Ka'ba and said:

"By the Lord of this Structure! Surely this man and his followers will be triumphant on the Day of Judgement".

Then, he addressed them and added:

"By Allah! Truly he was formost to all of you in believing in Allah; and among you all he is the most correct in obeying Allah; the most faithful in fulfilling the covenant of Allah; the hardest to the decree of Allah, the best distributor of the (treasury) in equality, the justest to the citizen and the most important in position with Allah".

Jabir said it was then that Allah sent down the verse:

"Surely those who believe and do righteous deeds, they are the best of all creatures",

and from then on whenever Ali came, the Helpers of the Prophet (S) would say:

"The best of all creatures next to the Messenger of Allah came".

The descent of this verse, in Mecca, does not contrast with the idea that the Surah is Medinan, because it might have been revealed, again, there. Further, the descent of this verse might have happened on one of the holy Prophet's trips from Medina to Mecca, in particular that the reporter of the narration is 'Jabir-ibn-'Abdillah-Ansari' who joined the Prophet (S) in Medina. Then, terming these kinds of verses 'Medinan' is not improbable.

Some of these traditions are cited by 'Ibn-Hijr' in 'Sawa'iq' and some others by 'Muhammad Shablanji' in 'Nur-ul-Absar'.

A great part of the last narration is narrated from Ibn- 'Asakir, from Jabir-ibn-'Abdillah by Jalal-id-Din-Suyuti in Durr-ul-Manthur.

4. It is narrated from Ibn-'Abbas in Durr-ul-Manthur that when the verse.

"Surely those who believe and do righteous deeds, they are the best of all creature."

was revealed the holy Prophet (S) told Ali:

"It is you and your followers who, on the Day of Reckoning are well-pleased (yourselves) and well-pleasing (Him)."

5. In another tradition, the above mentioned person narrates from Ibn-Marduyah from Hazrat Ali (as) that the Prophet (S) had told him (Ali):

"Have you not heard the word of Allah:

'Surely those who believe and do righteous deeds, they are the best of all creature'?

You and your followers are those and the appointment place of mine and yours will be at the Pool of Abundance'. When I come for the account of nations you will be invited in the case that your foreheads are white (to be known)".

Many other Sunnite scholars have also cited the same meaning in their works including: Khatib Kharazmi in 'Manaqib', Abu-Na'im Isfahani in' Kifayat -ul -Khisam', 'Allamah Tabari in his famous commentary, Tabari, Ibn- Shabbaq Maliki in 'Fusul-ul-Muhimmah', Allamah Shoukani in' Fath-ul-Qadir', Shaykh Sulayman Qanduzi in 'Yanabi' -ul- Mawwadah', Alusi in' Ruh -ul -Ma'ani', and some others.

In conclusion, the above mentioned tradition is one of the famous traditions that is accepted by a great many scholars of Islam. And this, in itself, is an important, matchless excellence for Hazrat Ali (as) and his followers.

By the way, this narration makes this fact clear that the term 'Shi'ah' was applied and was spread among Muslims by the Prophet (S), himself, at that time, and it refers to the particular followers of Amir-al-Mo'mineen Ali (as).

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