Ibn ‘Abbas said that if anyone learns God’s Book and follows its contents, he will be guided by God away from error in this world and be guarded by Him on the day of resurrection from the strictest account. A version renders him as saying that one who models his life on God’s Book will not go astray in this world, or be miserable in the next. Then he recited this verse, “He who follows my guidance will not go astray or be miserable.” 1Razin transmitted it.1 Quran xx, `123.
The Excellence of Following the Quran
The noble companion Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) elucidates the immense reward for those who engage with the Quran through both learning and implementation. This tradition, transmitted by Razin and found in Mishkat al-Masabih 190, establishes a direct causal link between adhering to the Divine guidance and receiving Allah's protection in both temporal and eternal life.
Scholarly Commentary on the Hadith
The phrase "learns God's Book" (ta`allama kitab Allah) encompasses not merely the recitation and memorization of the Quran's words, but a profound understanding of its meanings, legal rulings, and spiritual lessons. It is the foundational step.
"Follows its contents" (wa `amila bi-ma fihi) is the essential complement to learning. Knowledge without application is a proof against a person, not for them. True guidance is realized only when knowledge is translated into righteous action, belief, and character.
The dual reward is specified: "Guided away from error in this world" refers to being saved from misguidance in belief, immoral conduct, and doubtful matters. "Guarded from the strictest account" (hisab al-shadid) on the Day of Resurrection means Allah will facilitate one's reckoning, admitting them into Paradise with ease and without severe scrutiny, as a mercy for their attachment to His Book.
Connection to the Quranic Verse
Ibn 'Abbas masterfully concludes his statement by citing the divine promise from Surah Taha, verse 123: "He who follows my guidance will not go astray or be miserable." This demonstrates that the Prophetic tradition is a tangible manifestation and explanation of this Quranic principle. The "guidance" is the Quran itself, and "following" it is the practical implementation described in the hadith.
Conclusion from the Book "Faith"
This narration, as compiled in collections like Mishkat al-Masabih, serves as a powerful exhortation from the chapter on Faith. It teaches that genuine faith (Iman) is not a passive state but an active commitment to seeking divine knowledge and molding one's entire existence according to its dictates, thereby securing Allah's perpetual care in this life and the supreme success in the Hereafter.