I would just like to add a further interesting snippet from al-Bukhari's Sahih to what the brothers mentioned above: 28 ـ سورة الْقَصَصِ {كُلُّ شَىْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلاَّ وَجْهَهُ} إِلاَّ مُلْكَهُ، وَيُقَالُ إِلاَّ مَا أُرِيدَ بِهِ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ. http://www.al-eman.com/hadeeth/viewchp.asp?BID=13&CID=139&SW=الا-ملكه#SR1 Everything will perish save His countenance (28:88) Except his wajh means except His mulk (dominion), and it is also said: Except whatever was for the sake of His countenance
Compiled by Ibn Saad & Tilmeedh of SeekingIlm First Āyah: “We feed you, for the Face of Allāh only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you.” (76:9) From Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr: إِنمََّا نُطْعِمكُمْ لِوَجْهِ الله” أَيْ رَجَاء ثَوَاب الله وَرِضَاهُ “We feed you seeking Allāh’s Face only” means seeking the reward of Allāh and His pleasure. From Tafsīr Al-Tabarī: طَلَب رِضَا الله، وَالْقُرْبَة إِلَيْهِ Seeking the pleasure of Allāh, and nearness to Him. From Tafsīr Al-Qurtubī: فَزَعًا مِنْ عَذَابه وَطَمَعًا فِي ثَوَابه Warding off the punishment of Allāh, and desiring reward from Him. _______________________________________________________________ Second Āyah: “Everything will perish, save His Face.” (28:88) From Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr: وَقَوْله “كُلّ شَيْء هَالِك إِلاَّ وَجْهه “إِخْبَار بِأَنَّهُ الدَّائِم الْبَاقِي الحَْيّ الْقَيُّوم الَّذِي تمَُوت الخَْلاَئِق وَلاَ يمَُوت كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى “كُلّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ وَيَبْقَى وَجْه رَبّك ذُو الجَْلاَل وَالإِْكْرَام “فَعَبَّرَ بِالْوَجْهِ عَنْ الذَّات And His (swt) statement that “Everything will perish save His Face” shows that He is the Eternal, the Everlasting, the Ever-Living and the Self Existant, who does not die while all of reation will die. As He (swt) said “Everything on this earth will perish, but forever will abide he Face of your Lord, full of Might and Glory”, and ‘Face’ denotes the Being (of Allāh). وَهَكَذَا قَوْله هَهُنَا “كُلّ شَيْء هَالِك إِلاَّ وَجْهه” أَيْ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ And similarly, His (swt) statement that “Everything will perish save His Face” means that every being will perish except His Being. وَقَالَ مُجَاهِد وَالثَّوْرِيّ فِي قَوْله: “كُلّ شَيْء هَالِك إِلاَّ وَجْهه” أَيْ إِلاَّ مَا أُرِيدَ بِهِ وَجْهه Mujāhid and Al-Thawrī said regarding His (swt) statement “Everything will perish save His Face” that everything will perish except the acts that are done for seeking His pleasure. كُلّ الذَّوَات فَانِيَة وَزَائِلَة إِلاَّ ذَاته تَعَالَى وَتَقَدَّسَ فَإِنَّهُ الأَْوَّل وَالآْخِر الَّذِي هُوَ قَبْل كُلّ شَيْء وَبَعْد كُلّ شَيْء Every being is bound to perish and is impermanent - except for His Being, Most High and Holy. For He is the First and the Last, and He was before and is after everything else. From Tafsīr Al-Tabarī: وَاخْتُلِفَ فِي مَعْنَى قَوْله: “إِلاَّ وَجْهه” فَقَالَ بَعْضهمْ : مَعْنَاهُ : كُلّ شَيْء هَالِك إِلاَّ هُوَ . وَقَالَ آخَرُونَ: مَعْنَى ذَلِكَ: إِلاَّ مَا أُرِيدَ بِهِ وَجْهه And there has been disagreement regarding the meaning of “save His Face”. Some said that it means everything other than Allāh will perish, while others said that it means everything except he acts that are done seeking His pleasure, will perish. From Tafsīr Al-Qurtubī: قَالَ مُجَاهِد : مَعْنَاهُ إِلاَّ هُوَ Mujāhid said it meant everything save Allāh will perish. وَقَالَ الصَّادِق : دِينه Al-Sādiq (Imam Ja’far) said that it meant everything except for his religion. وَقَالَ أَبُو الْعَالِيَة وَسُفْيَان : أَيْ إِلاَّ مَا أُرِيدَ بِهِ وَجْهه، أَيْ مَا يُقْصَد إِلَيْهِ بِالْقُرْبَةِ Abu Al-’Aliyah and Sufyān (Al-Thawrī) said that it meant everything will perish except the acts hat are done seeking Him, i.e. seeking closeness to Him. مُحَمَّد بْن يَزِيد : حَدَّثَنِي الثَّوْرِيّ قَالَ سَأَلْت أَبَا عُبَيْدَة عَنْ قَوْل تَعَالَى: “كُلّ شَيْء هَالِك إِلاَّ وَجْهه” فَقَالَ : إِلاَّ جَاهه. Muhammad bin Yahyā reported that Al-Thawrī said: “I asked Abā ‘Ubaydah regarding His (swt) Statement ‘everything will perish save His face’ and he replied: ‘except His Glory.’” ______________________________________________________________ Third Āyah: “All that is on earth will perish, but will remain the Face of your Lord, full of Might and Glory.”(55:27) From Tafsīr Al-Qurtubī: أَيْ وَيَبْقَى الله، فَالْوَجْه عِبَارَة عَنْ وُجُوده وَذَاته سُبْحَانه It means that what will remain is Allāh, for the ‘Face’ is a phrase used to denote His presence and His Being (swt). وَهَذَا الَّذِي اِرْتَضَاهُ المُْحَقِّقُونَ مِنْ عُلَمَائِنَا : اِبْن فَوْرَك وَأَبُو المَْعَالِي وَغَيْرهمْ. This is the explanation preferred by the verifiers from our scholars: Ibn Fawrak, Abu Al-Ma’ālī and other. وَقَالَ اِبْن عَبَّاس : الْوَجْه عِبَارَة عَنْهُ كَمَا قَالَ: “وَيَبْقَى وَجْه رَبّك ذُو الجَْلاَل وَالإِْكْرَام” Ibn ‘Abbās (ra) said: “The ‘Face’ is a phrase used to denote Allāh Himself, as He (swt) said: ‘but still remain the Face of your Lord, full of Might and Glory.’” وَقَالَ أَبُو المَْعَالِي : وَأَمَّا الْوَجْه فَالمُْرَاد بِهِ عِنْد مُعْظَم أَئِمَّتنَا وُجُود الْبَارِي تَعَالَى Abu Al-Ma’ālī said: “As for His ‘Face’, then what it means according to the overwhelming majority of our imams is the Presence of (Allāh) the Maker of Order, Most High.
