Transliteration:( Qul maa sa-altukum min ajrin fahuwa lakum in ajriya illaa 'alal laahi wa Huwa 'alaa kulli shai'in Shaheed )
139. Congratulations, keep it safely by you. This means I never requested any payment from you for the purpose of propagation. Or it means whatever requisition I have made in gratitude propagation of the Prophetic mission is beneficial to you yourselves, i.e. to show love for the progeny of the Holy Prophet.
 Says Allah Almighty: "Say you 'I ask not of you any wage for it, but affection in respect of my kinship"(S42: V23);Â
because love and affection for the progeny of the Holy Prophet is without doubt beneficial for us (Tafseer Roohul Bayaan). However, the forthcoming subject confirms the meaning of the first one.Â
140. From this we learn to do propagational work without any wages is the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم.
141. Here the word 'witness' does not signify religious witness who can testify in the presence of the judge in favour of the plaintiff. Allah Almighty is the greatest of all Judges, thus in whose court will He testify.Â
In fact,what it denotes is one who witnesses. This means that Allah Almighty is witnessing your and my deeds in such a way like the eyewitness sees the incident. Or it means that just as I am the eyewitness of the Oneness of Allah Almighty in His Personality and His Attributes. in the like manner, Allah Almighty is the witness of my Prophethood and my attributes.Â
He has acknowledged my Prophethood after testifying to it. Blessing the Holy Prophet .with the many miracles declaring about his love and excellence in the Holy Quran are all examples of Allah Almighty's testimony.Â
Thus, by 'everything is meant all the excellent qualities of the Holy Prophet. Thus there is no objection against the verse that since Allah Almighty is the witness, who is the judge that can give judgement on His testimony.Â
This testimony is formal, which is required for confirmation and lending strength to the claim. It is not religious testimony, which is required for decision-making.
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The tafsir of Surah Saba verse 48 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Saba ayat 47 which provides the complete commentary from verse 47 through 50.
68. Another meaning of this can be: “I do not ask anything but your well-being: My only recompense is that you should be reformed.†This thing has been expressed at another place thus; “O Prophet, say to them: I do not ask of you any recompense for this: I only ask of the one, who will, to adopt the way of his Lord.†(Surah Al-Furqan, Ayat 57).
69. That is, “The accusers may say whatever they like but Allah knows everything. He is a witness that I am a selfless person. I am not perforating this mission for any selfish motive.â€
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