5567 - My father narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Abi 'Umar al-'Adani narrated to us, who said: Sufyan was asked about His saying: "And if We had decreed upon them, 'Kill yourselves or leave your homes,' they would not have done it, except for a few of them." The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "If it had been revealed, Ibn Umm 'Abd [Ibn Mas'ud] would have been among them."

His saying, the Exalted: "But if they had done what they were instructed, it would have been better for them"

5568 - Ahmad ibn 'Uthman ibn Hakim al-Awdi narrated to us, Ahmad ibn Mufaddal narrated to us, Asbat narrated to us, from al-Suddi, who said: Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas and a man from the Jews boasted to one another. The Jew said: "By Allah, Allah has decreed upon us that we kill ourselves, and we did kill ourselves." Thabit said: "By Allah, if it had been decreed upon us that we kill ourselves, we would have killed ourselves." Allah, the Exalted, revealed regarding this: "But if they had done what they were instructed, it would have been better for them and firmer [in determination]."

His saying, the Exalted: "and firmer [in determination]"

5569 - And by the same chain from al-Suddi, regarding His saying: "and firmer [in determination]"—he said: [in] affirmation.

His saying, the Exalted: "And then We would have given them from Us a great reward"

5570 - Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj narrated to us, Abu Usamah narrated to us, from Sufyan, from Ibn Jurayj, from 'Abbad, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, regarding His saying: "from Us a great reward"—he said: Paradise. Similar to this was narrated from Abu Hurayrah, 'Ikrimah, Anas, al-Dahhak, and Qatadah.

His saying, the Exalted: "And We would have guided them to a straight path"

[The First Aspect]

5571 - Al-Hasan ibn 'Arafah narrated to us, Yahya ibn al-Yaman narrated to us, from Hamzah al-Zayyat, from Sa'd al-Ta'i, from the nephew of al-Harith al-A'war, from al-Harith, who said: I entered upon 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, and he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saying: "The straight path is the Book of Allah."

And the Second Aspect:

5572 - My father narrated to us, Abu Salih, the scribe of al-Layth, narrated to us, Mu'awiyah ibn Salih narrated to me, that 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Jubayr narrated to him, from his father, from al-Nawwas ibn Sam'an al-Ansari, from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that he said: "A straight path," and the path is Islam.