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IslamicMobility.com

IntheNameofAllāh,

TheAll-compassionate,TheAll-mercifulPraisebelongstoAllāh,theLordofallbeing;theAll-compassionate,theAll-merciful;theMasteroftheDayofJudgement;

Theeonlyweserve,andtoTheealoneweprayforsuccour;

Guideusinthestraightpath;thepathofthosewhomThouhaltblessed,notofthoseagainstwhomThouartwrathful,

norofthosewhoareastray.*****

O’Allāh!sendyourblessingstotheheadofyourmessengersandthelastof

yourprophets,Muhammadandhispureandcleansedprogeny.

Alsosendyourblessingstoallyourprophetsandenvoys.

1ChapterFOREWORD

1. al-‘Allāmah as-SayyidMuhammadHusayn at-Tabātabā’ī (1321/1904—

1402/1981)—may Allāh have mercy upon him— was a famous scholar,thinker and themost celebrated contemporary Islamic philosopher.We haveintroduced him briefly in the first volume of the English translation of al-Mīzān.2. al-‘Allāmah at-Tabātabā’ī is well-known for a number of his works of

which themost important is his great exegesis al-Mīzān fī tafsīri ’l-Qur’ānwhichisrightlycountedasthefundamentalpillarofscholarlyworkwhichthe‘AllāmahhasachievedintheIslamicworld.3.We felt the necessity of publishing an exegesis of the Holy Qur ’ān in

English.Aftera thoroughconsultation,wecame tochooseal-Mīzān becausewefound that itcontained in itself, toaconsiderableextent, thepointswhichshouldnecessarilybeexpoundedinaperfectexegesisoftheHolyQur ’ānandthe points which appeal to the mind of the contemporary Muslim reader.Therefore,weproposed toal-Ustādhal-‘Allāmahas-SayyidSa‘īdAkhtarar-Radawī to undertake this task becausewewere familiar with his intellectualabilitytounderstandtheArabictextofal-Mīzānandhis literarycapability inexpressionandtranslation.Sowereliedonhimforthisworkandconsiderhimresponsible for the English translation as al-‘Allāmah at-Tabātabā’ī wasresponsiblefortheArabictextofal-Mīzānanditsdiscussions.4. We have now undertaken the publication of the sixth volume of the

Englishtranslationofal-Mīzān.ThisvolumecorrespondswiththefirsthalfofthethirdvolumeoftheArabictext.WiththehelpofAllāh,theExalted,wehopetoprovidethecompletetranslationandpublicationofthisvoluminouswork.Inthefirstvolume,thereaderwillfindtwomoreappendixesincludedapart

fromthetwowhicharetoappearinallvolumesoftheEnglishtranslationofal-Mīzān:Onefortheauthorsandtheotherforthehookscitedthroughoutthiswork.

*****

We imploreuponAllāh toaffectourworkpurely forHispleasure,and to

helpustocompletethisworkwhichwehavestarted.MayAllāhguideusinthisstepwhichwehavetakenandinthefuturesteps,forHeisthebestMasterandthebestHeiper.

WORLDORGANIZATIONFORISLAMICSERVICES

(BoardofWriting,TranslationandPublication)9/08/143121/07/2010

Tehran—IRAN.

Part1Āl‘Imrān(TheHouseofImran)200

verses—Medina

2ChapterTRANSLATIONOFTHEVERSES1—6

IntheNameofAllāh,theBeneficent,theMerciful.Aliflāmmīm(1).Allāhis

HebesidesWhomthereisnogod,theEver-living,theSelf-subsistingbyWhomallsubsist(2).HehasrevealedtotheetheBookwithtruth,verifyingthatwhichisbeforeit,andHerevealedtheTorahandtheInjīl(3)aforetime,aguidanceforthepeople,andHesentdowntheal-Furqān.SurelytheywhodisbelieveinthesignsofAllāh—theyshallhaveaseverechastisement;andAllāhisMighty,theLordofretribution(4).Allāh,surelynothingishiddenfromHimintheearthorintheheaven(5).HeitisWhoshapesyouinthewombsasHelikes;thereisnogodbutHe,theMighty,theWise(6).

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GENERALCOMMENT

Thischapteraimsatexhortingthebelieverstoremainunitedinreligionand

todefenditscausewithpatience,forbearanceanddetermination.Itmakesthemaware of the dangers surrounding them: Their enemies, the Jews, theChristians and the polytheists, have made their preparations, and aredeterminedtoextinguishtheLightofAllāhwiththeirhandsandmouths.Inalllikelihood,thechapterwasrevealedalltogether;itsverses—200in

all—seemtobewell-connectedandadheretoalaiddownscheme.Fromthebeginningtotheend,theversesarerelatedtooneanotherandhaveconsistentaims.It looksas if thischapterwas revealedwhen Islamhadbegun tospread in

Arabia,buthadnotyetestablishedafirmfootholdoutsideMedina.Itmentionsthe battle of Uhud, describes the planned imprecation with the Christians ofNajrān;speaksabouttheJewsandexhortsthebelieversagainstthepolytheists;and in all thesediscourses, there is a constant refrain telling them to remainpatientandunited.ItsupportstheviewthatthischapterwasrevealedatatimewhentheMuslimswereengagedindefenceofreligionwithalltheirmightandwhenalltheirresourcesweredevotedtothisonetask.Ononeside,theyhadtoremainalertagainstinternalsabotageplannedbytheJewsandtheChristians;thebelievershadnotonlytorefutetheirarguments,butalsotoneutralizetheircraftily-plannedsubterfugestodemoralizetheMuslims.Ontheother,theyhadtofightthepolytheists;theylivedinastateofwar,andpeaceseemedaforlornhope. The call of Islam was reaching far and wide; this had prompted theenemiesof truth—theJews, theChristiansandtheArabianpolytheists—toattacktheMuslims,inordertoannihilatethembeforeitwastoolate.BeyondtheboundaryofArabia,theByzantinesandthePersianshadthesamedesign.Allāh in this chapter reminds the believers of the realities of religion that

wouldmakethemhappyandremovefromtheirhearts therustofdoubtsandsatanicsuggestions;andwillkeepthemonguardagainstthedeceptionsofthePeople of the Book. He makes it clear that He has not relinquished themanagement of His kingdom for a single moment; nor have His creaturesmadeHimweary.Hehaschosenthereligionforthem,andhasguidedagroupof His servants to it— according to His established system: the system ofcauseandeffect.Believerandunbelieverbothwalkonthisverypath.Onedayitistheunbelieverthatlooksvictorious,theotherdaythebelievervanquishestheunbeliever.Theworldistheplaceoftestsandtrials;thetimeisthetimeof

action;andtheresultwillbeknowntomorrow—nottoday.

COMMENTARY

QUR’ĀN:AllāhisHebesidesWhomthereisnogod,theEverliving,theSelf-

subsistingbyWhomallsubsist:Itsexplanationhasbeengivenin‘‘theverseofthe Chair ’’ (2:255). It might be inferred from it that Allāh looks after theaffairs of creation and management in the most comprehensive and perfectway. The whole universe, all the things and their actions and reactions, aremanagedbyAllāh.Thismanagementisnotlikethatofthephysicalandnaturalcauses that create an effect on an object but have no sense or understandingthemselves. His management is that of ‘‘life’’ that entails knowledge andpower. The Divine knowledge is comprehensive— nothing is hidden fromHim; theDivinepowercontrolseverything—nothingcanhappenunlessHeintendsittohappenandallowsittoappear.Thatisthereasonwhy,aftertwomoreverses,ithasbeensaid:Allāh,surely

nothing is hidden fromHim in the earth or in the heaven (5).He it is WhoshapesyouinthewombsasHelikes…(6).Thesesixversesareasortofprologueofthischapter,givinginanutshell

what the chapter contains in detail. Of these verses, this one is a sort ofintroducing speech, describing a basic truth that leads to the intended result.And the fifth and sixth verses, mentioned above, give the reason of theprecedingverses.Therefore, themain themeof theprologue is contained inthe two verses of the middle:He has revealed to you the Book with truth,verifyingthatwhichisbefore…andAllāhisMighty,theLordofretribution.According to these verses, the believers must remember that Allāh, in

Whom they believe, is One in His Godhead, maintains the creation andmanagesitsaffairs—alivingmanagement;HecannotbeoverpoweredinHiskingdom, nor there happens anything therein except what He intends andallows tohappen: If theybelieve in it, they shallknow that it isHeWhohasrevealedtheBookthatguidestothetruth; theSeparatorthatdistinguishestheright from thewrong. They shall appreciate that in thismatter also, He hasdecreedthesamesystemofcauseandeffect,andhasthereforegiventhemanfreedomofchoice;hewhobelievesshallhavehisreward;hewhodisbelieves,shallgetitschastisement,becauseAllāhisMighty,theLordofretribution.ItisbecauseHeisAllāh,besidesWhomthereisnogodtodecideintheseaffairs;nothingofHisservants’affairsishiddenfromHim;theirbeliefanddisbeliefisnotindependentofHiswillanddecree.QUR’ĀN:HehasrevealedtoyoutheBookwithtruth,verifyingthatwhichis

beforeit:Thewordtranslatedas‘‘revealed’’isaverbalformof‘‘at-tanzīl’’ (لیزنتلا ). It was explained in the second

volume that at-tanzīl (to send down) implies gradualness,while ‘‘al-inzāl’’ لازنالا ) ) shows sending down all atonce.It may be argued that the following verses go against this implied

gradualness: … Why has not the Qur’ān been revealed to him all atonce? (25:32); … Is thy Lord able to send down to us food fromheaven?(5:112);…WhyhasnotasignbeensentdowntohimfromhisLord?Say:SurelyAllāhisabletosenddownasign…(6:37).Inallthefourinstances,verbs derived from at-tanzīl have been used, but they do not mean gradualdescent.Anexegetehastriedtoovercomethisdifficultybysuggestingthatthewords, ‘‘sent down (i.e., revealed) to you the Book’’, means: sent it downsendingaftersending.Reply:Gradualnessinrevelation(sendingdown)doesnotnecessarilymean

considerable gap between revelation of one part and the other. There arecomposite thingswhoseexistence is thesameas thatof theirparts, like rain.Sometimes the speaker looks at the rain as a whole, and treats it as oneundivided thing— it is quite in order, in this case, to describe it with theverbal-inzāl(sendingdownallatonce),asAllāhsaysusingthissameverb:Hesends down water from the heavens (13:17). At other times, He looks at itsparts, that is, drops of water, descending one after the other— it does notmatterwhetherthegapbetweentwodropsisconsiderableorminimal—andthenitmaybedescribedwith theverbat-tanzīl (sendingdowngradually),asAllāh has done in another verse:And He it is Who sends down the rain…(42:28).It appears from above that the verses, put forth against our explanation

that at-tanzīl is for sending down gradually, are not against it at all. Forexample, the verse,… why has not theQur’ān been revealed to him all atonce?means:WhyhasnottheQur ’ānbeenrevealedtohimverseafterverseatone stretchwithout considerablegapsbetween their revelation?Otherversesmaybecorrectlyunderstoodinthislight.Sofarasthesaidexegete’sproposedmeaning is concerned, it, first of all, necessitates inventing a meaningaccordingtoone’sownliking,anditisnotpermissibleinanylanguage.Andeventhenthesuggestedmeaningdoesnotremovetheobjectioninanyway.Allāhfrequentlyuses thewords,at-tanzīlandal-inzālwhendescribing the

revelationoftheBooktotheProphet.‘‘Comingdown’’requiresahigherlevelfromwhichathingdepartsandalowerlevelwhereitreachesandsettles.AllāhhasusedforHisPersontheattributeofhighness,asHesays,forexample:…

surelyHeisHigh,Wise(42:51).AndHehassaidaboutHisBookthatitisfromHim:AndwhentherecametothemaBookfromAllāhverifyingthatwhichtheyhave… (2:89). Therefore, it is very appropriate to use theword, ‘‘comingdown’’, when describing the revelation settling down into the heart of theApostleofAllāh(s.a.w.a.).‘‘al-Haqq’’ ( قحلا ) and ‘‘as-sidq’’( قدصلا ) both are

translated as ‘‘truth’’. But al-haqq is the informationinasmuch as there is an established fact in front of it; and as-sidq is theinformation inasmuchas it conformswitha sucha fact.Theemphasis in theformerisontheestablishedfact,whileinthelatteritisonconformity.According to this explanation, thewordal-haqq is used forAllāh and for

otherexistingrealities,becausetheyare trueandactualfactsaboutwhichtheinformationisgiven.Anyhow,theword‘‘truth’’,asusedinthisverse,meansanestablishedfactthatcannotbeinvalidated.Thepreposition‘‘bi’’(ب=with)in‘‘bi’l-haqq’’( قحلاب =withtruth)isfor

togetherness.Theverse,therefore,means:HehasrevealedtoyoutheBook,arevealingaccompaniedbytruth.Naturally, thisaccompanyingwouldmeanthatuntruthandfalsehoodcould

nevermixwith it; it isalwayssafefromfallingaprey tofalsityand lie.Theverse,thus,hintsatthisfactobliquely.Someotherexegeteshaveexplainedthepreposition,‘‘with’’,insomeother

ways;butnoneofthemisfreefromdefects.‘‘at-Tasdīq’’ ( قیدصتلا ) is derived from as-sidq (truth) and

meanstoverify,toacknowledgethetruthof,tobelieveonetobetruthfulinthegiven information. ‘‘That which is before it’’, refers to the Torah and Injīl.Allāhsays:SurelyWesentdown theTorah inwhichwasguidance…andWegave(‘Īsā)theInjīlinwhichwasguidance…AndWehaverevealedtoyoutheBookwiththetruth,verifyingwhatisbefore

itofthebookandaguardianoverit…(5:44—48).TheseversesshowthattheOldandtheNewTestamentsthataretodayinthe

hands of the Jews and the Christians contain between them some of therevelations sent to Mūsā and ‘Īsā (a.s.), although they are not free fromomissions and alterations. The Torah and the Injīl found in the days of theApostleofAllāhwerethesamePentateuchandthesamefourGospelsthatareknown tous today; and theQur ’ānverifies the same scriptures thatwere inexistencethenandhavecontinuedtoourdays.Butthisverificationispartial,nottotal.TherearemanyQur ’ānicversesthatspeakofomissionandalterationin these two scriptures. Allāh says:… We cursed(the Jews)and made theirheartshard;theyalterthewordsfromtheirplaces,andhaveforgottenapartof

whattheywereadmonishedwith…Andofthosewhosay,‘‘Verily, we are Nazarenes (Nasārā =Christians)’’, We did take their

covenant,buttheyforgotaportionofwhattheywereadmonishedwith…(5:13—14).QUR’ĀN:andHerevealedtheTorahandtheInjīl,aforetime,aguidancefor

thepeople:TorahisaHebrewwordfor‘‘law’’.InjīlistheArabicrenderingofaGreekword,meaning‘goodnews’1.SomepeoplesaythatitisderivedfromaPersianword2.We shall discuss in detail about these two books under theverse: Surely We sent down the Torah in which was guidance and light …(5:44).TheQur ’āninsistsonnamingthebookof‘ĪsāasInjī1(Gospel,insingular)

andon saying that itwas sent down fromAllāh. It is in spite of the fact thatthereareseveralGospels,and thefourattributed toMathew,Mark,LukeandJohn,existedsincebeforetherevelationoftheQur ’ān,andwerewell-knownat that time. These two factors — the use of singular, Gospel, and thedeclaration that it was sent down from Allāh— clearly show the Qur ’ānicbeliefthattherewasaGospel,revealedto‘Īsā(a.s.)thatwaslateralteredanddeleted.

1 Greek word, euangelion, means ‘‘good news’’. In old English it wastranslatedto‘godspell’(goodtidings,goodnews)whichlaterbecamegospel,anamenowusedinEnglishfortheInjīl(tr.).2Thereisnoevidencetosupportthisclaim(tr.).Anyhow, the references to these twobookssoearly in thebeginning isan

allusion to the Jews and the Christians, hinting that the affairs of these twogroups(includingthestoryof‘Īsā)aretobedescribedinthischapter.QUR’ĀN: and He sent down the al-Furqān: ‘‘al-Furqān’’( ناقرفلا )

asexplainedinas-Sihāh,iswhatdistinguishestruthfromfalsehood.Theword,literally, means ‘‘that which distinguishes one thing from another ’’. Allāhsays:… on the day of distinction, the day onwhich the two partiesmet…(8:41);…Hewillgrantyouadistinction…(8:29).The distinction and discrimination, that Allāh approves in matter of

guidance, is the distinction between truth and falsehood in belief andknowledge,andbetweenwhatconsistitutes thedutyofaservantofAllāhandwhatdoesnotdoso.Thus,al-Furqān (distinction)maycorrectlybeusedforallbasicprinciplesandadjunctmatters revealedbyAllāh toHisprophets—whether it is in formofabookornot.Allāh says:AndcertainlyWegave to

MūsāandHārūntheal-Furqān…(21:48);AndwhenWegaveMūsātheBookandthedistinction(al-Furqān)…(2:53);BlessedisHeWhosentdowntheal-FurqānuponHisservantthathemaybeawarnertothenations(25:1).Allāh has also described the same meaning with the word, ‘‘al-

mīzān’’ ( نازیملا = weighing scale, balance) in theverse: Certainly We sent Our apostles with cleararguments, and sent downwith them theBookand the balance thatmenmayconductthemselveswithequity(57:25).Thisversehasthesameimportastheverse:Mankindwasbut onepeople; soAllāh sent theprophets as bearers ofgoodnewsandaswarners,andHesentdownwiththemtheBookwithtruth,sothat it might judge between the people in that in which they haddiffered (2:213).The balance, like the distinction, is the religion that decidesbetweenthepeoplewithequity,andcontains the trueknowledgeandexplainsthedutiesoftheservantstowardstheirLord.Othershave interpreted theword ‘distinction’ invariousways: It hasbeen

said that the word means the Qur ’ān; the proof that separates right fromwrong;theconvincingargumentoftheProphetagainstthosewhotalkedwithhimabout‘Īsā;the(Divine)help;orthewisdom.Butwhatwehavesaidgivesthebasicmeaningandimplicationoftheword.QUR’ĀN: Surely those who disbelieves … the Lord of retribution: ‘‘al-

Intiqām’’ ( ماقتنالا =retribution)issaidtomeanpunishingthewrong-doerforhiswrong.Itisnotdone necessarily to satisfy the feeling of thewronged party.Of course, thishappensinman’sretribution;whenonedoesawrongtous,itcausesadamageor shortcoming on our side, andwemake that up by severe retribution thatassuages our heart feelings. ButAllāh is too great to get any profit or lossfromany actionofHis servants.Yet,Hehas givenus a promise—andHispromiseis true—thatHeshallsurely judgebetweenHisservantswith truth,andwillgivethemtheirdues—ifgood,thengood,andifevil,thenevil.Hehassaid: AndAllāhjudgeswiththetruth(40:20);…thatHemayrewardthosewhodoevilaccording towhat theydo,and (that)Hemayreward thosewhodogoodwithgoodness (53:31). He is Mighty in the most comprehensive meaning of themight,nobodyandnothingcandoanyharmtoHim.(Ithasbeensaidthatthebasicmeaningofthe‘‘might’’isinvincibility.)TheversesaysthatsurelythosewhodisbelieveinthesignsofAllāh—they

shallhaveaseverechastisement.ThechastisementisnotrestrictedtotheDayof Resurrection or to the next world. The verse, therefore, may refer to

chastisementinbothworlds—this lifeaswellas thelifehereafter.This isaQur ’ānicdictum towhich the scholarshavepaid little attention.Thisneglectbetrays a basic misunderstanding of ours: We never think that a thing is achastisement unless it inflicts pain upon our body or causes decrease ordeterioration inourmaterial belongings.Lossofproperty,deathofkith andkinandweaknessorsicknessofbodyaretheexamplesofchastisementinoureyes.ButtheQur ’āngivesusatotallydifferentconceptofchastisement.

CHASTISEMENTASEXPLAINEDBYTHEQUR’ĀN

IntheeyesoftheQur ’ān,amanwhoforgetshisLordlivesastraitenedlife

—eventhoughinoureyeshemaybelivingmostluxuriously.Allāhsays:Andwhoever turns away from My remembrance, his shall surely be a straitenedlife … (20:124); and it counts even the wealth and the children aschastisements, even thoughwe count them as pleasant blessings:And let nottheirpropertiesandtheirchildrenexciteyouradmiration;Allāhonlywishestochastise themwith these in thisworldand (that) theirsoulsmaydepartwhiletheyareunbelievers(9:85).It was described, in short, under the verse 2:35 (AndWe said: ‘‘O Adam!

dwellyouandyourwifeinthegarden…’’)that:First: Man’s joy and sorrow, pleasure and displeasure, attraction and

repulsion, enjoyment and suffering, all depend on his views as to whatconstituteshisgoodfortune,andwhathismisfortune.Second:Comfort and discomfort etc., vary according to the subjects to

whichtheyarerelated.Thespirithasitsownjoyandsorrow;andthebodyitsowncomfortanddiscomfort.Likewise,animal’ssenseofeaseorpain isnotonthesamelevelasthatofman.Amanhavingmaterial outlookdoesnot acquire theDivineattributes, and

hischaracteristicsdonotreflectthelightofsublimevirtues.Suchamancountsthematerialfelicityasthetruefelicity;inhiseyes,spiritualblissisnotablissat all. He remains inordinately engrossed in wealth, children, prestige andworldlypower anddomination. It is reasonable to suppose that oncehegetsthese things hewould be happy and his blisswould be complete.But realitybeliesexpectation.Whathewantedwaspureblessingfreefromeveryshadeofdistress.Whathegotwasapleasuresurroundedbyathousandagonies.Whenhehadnotgotwhathe longed for,hewasdistressedbecauseofdeprivation;when he got it he was grieved because it was very different from what heexpected.Eachacquirementbroughtwithitalotofstings;thecausesherelieduponfailedtobringaboutthedesiredeffects.Andashehadnotestablishedanyconnectionwiththe‘realcause’beyondtheapparentcauses,hecouldnotfindsolace inanymisery,norcouldhegetpeaceofmind inanyadversity.Thus,evenaftergettingwhathestrivedfor,heremainedindespairanddesolation.Such dissatisfaction of man with what he gets spurs him to even farther

goals,inthehopeofareallyblessedfuture.Andthestoryisrepeatedagainandagain.Heremainsworriedbeforegettinghisobjective;hebecomesdistressed

aftergettingit.TheQur ’ān,ontheotherhand,teachesusthatmanismadeoftwothings:a

spiritthatiseternal,andabodythatissubjecttochangesanddeterioration.Heremainslikethis,untilhereturnstohisLord;thenhegetseternitywithoutanychange or deterioration. Whatever constitutes the bliss of the spirit, (forexample,knowledge)ishisrealbliss;andwhateveristheblissofthespiritandthebody together, likepropertyandchildren, isalsohisblissand felicity—andwhatagood thing it is!—provided itdoesnotdiverthisattentionfromAllāhanddoesnottiehimdowntomaterialisticideas.Inthesameway,athingwhich causes discomfort, or even destruction, to the body, but brings aboutspiritual blessings, is his blessing (like being killed in the way of Allāh,destructionofpropertyinthecauseofreligionandsoon).Itisliketolerating,foramoment,thebittertasteofamedicinetosecurepermanenthealth.On the contrary, what brings about a comfort to the body but harms the

spirit,istherealsufferingofman;itishischastisementandevilreward.TheQur ’ān calls the comfort of the body only as a brief enjoyment: Let it notdeceiveyouthatthosewhodisbelievegotoandfrointhecities(fearlessly).Abriefenjoyment!thentheirabodeishell,andevilistherestingplace(3:196—197).Also thatwhich harms the body and spirit both, is called by theQur ’ān a

chastisement.Theunbelieverstoocallitachastisement,buttheirreasoningisdifferentfromthatoftheQur ’ān.TheQur ’āncallsitachastisementbecauseitharms thespirit; theycall itachastisement,because itharms thebody.Look,for example, at various retributions sent down to previous nations. Allāhsays:Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with ‘Ād, the(people of) Iram,possessorsofmany-columnedbuildings, the likeofwhichwerenotcreated inthe cities; and(with) Thamūd, who hewed out the rocks in the valley;and (with)Pharaoh, the lordof the stakes,who transgressed in the cities; sotheymadegreatmischief therein?Therefore,yourLord let fallupon them thewhipofchastisement.MostsurelyyourLordisonwatch(89:6—14).The pleasure and displeasure, for sentient things, depend on feeling and

perception.Wedonotcountapleasantthingusedbyus,asablessing,ifwedidnotfeelit.Likewise,apainfulexperienceisnotpainfultousifwedonotfeelitsaffect.ItshowsthatwhattheQur ’ānteachesusaboutthehappinessandunhappiness

isquitedifferentfrommaterialcomfortanddiscomfort.Man,surroundedbymaterialthings,needssomeespecialtrainingtoperceivetherealhappinessashappiness,andtherealunhappinessasunhappiness.Itisforthepurposeofthistraining,thattheQur ’ānasksitspeoplenottoattachtheirheartstootherthan

Allāh; to realize that their Lord is the Real Owner Who owns everything;everythingdependsonHim;nothingshouldbeobtainedbutforHissake.Amanhavingthisoutlookwillalwaysfindinthisworldunlimitedsources

ofhappiness: either theblissof spirit andbody together,or thatof the spiritonly.Otherthings,hewillcountasmisfortuneandassourcesofunhappiness.But a man who is entangled in worldly pleasure and material comfort,

thinks,atleastinthebeginning,thatwhathehasacquiredofthetrinketsofthisworld is a blessing and good fortune for him, that it is the root of hishappiness.Butsoonherealizesthatheiswanderingaimlesslyinadesertfullof dangerous beasts, poisonous snakes and tormenting scorpions. What hethought to be his good fortune turns into greatest misfortune. Allāhsays:Therefore,leavethemtogoonwith(false)discoursesandsportuntiltheycome face to face with that day of theirs which they arepromised(70:42);Certainlyyouwereheedlessofit;butnowWehaveremovedfromyouyourveil, soyoursight today issharp (50:22);Therefore turnasidefromhim''.turnshisbackuponOurreminderanddoesnotdec'reanythingbutthisworld’s life.That is the (last)reachof the,knowledge… (53:29—30).Whateverpleasuretheygetiscontaminatedwithalotofworryanddistress.Thisleadsustobelievethattheperceptionandthinkingfoundinthepeople

of Allāh and the Qur ’ān, are quite different from those of other people,althoughbothgroupsarehumanbeings.Andbetweenthe twoextremes therearecountlessranksofthosebelieverswhohavenotyetperfectedtheirdivinecharacter.This,inshort,isthechastisement,asexplainedbytheQur ’ān.Ofcourse,the

Qur ’ānusesthewordtormentorchastisementforbodilydiscomfortandpainalso.But it counts it as the discomfort of body, unrelated to the real, that is,spiritual chastisement. Allāh quotes Ayyūb (a.s.) as saying: The Satan hasaffected me with toil and torment (‘adhāb, 38:41 ) ( باذع ); also Hesays:And when We delivered you from Pharaoh’s people who subjected youtoseverepunishment(sū’a’l-‘adhāb, باذعلا ءوس ),killingyoursonsandsparingyourwomen,and in this therewasagreat trial fromyourLord (7:141).NotehowAllāhcallswhattheyweresubjectedtoasatrialandtestfromAllāh,butatormentinitself—notfromAllāh.QUR’ĀN:Allāh, surely nothing is hidden fromHim in the earth or in the

heaven: In the preceding verse, Allāh mentioned, as the reason of Hispunishing the disbelievers, the fact that He ‘‘is Mighty, the Lord ofretribution’’.Buttherewasapossibilityofmisunderstandingthere—someonemightthinkthattheMightyLordofretributionmightremainunawareofone’sdisbelief and thus one might escape His retribution. Hence, this verse that

showsthatHeissuchaMightyOnethatnothingishiddenfromHim.Possibly,whatis‘‘intheearth’’and‘‘intheheaven’’mayrefertotheactions

donebythebody’sorgans,andtheideassettledinthemind,respectively,aswehadhintedincommentaryoftheverse:…andwhetheryoumanifestwhatisinyoursoulsorhideit,Allāhwillcallyoutoaccountforit(2:284).QUR’ĀN: He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He likes: ‘‘at-

aswīr’’ ( ریوصتلا ) is to give ‘‘as-sūrah ( ةروصلا )forma thing.The ‘‘form’’means two-dimensional pictures aswell as three-dimensionalobjects—or, as they say inArabic, thatwhichdoesnothave ashadow,andthatwhichhas;‘‘womb’’isuterus,theorganinfemalemammalinwhich child or young is conceived and nourished tillbirth.Thisversetakesthediscoursetoalevelhigherthantheprecedingtwo.First

itwassaidthatAllāhwouldchastisethosewhodisbelieveinHissigns,becauseHe is Mighty, Lord of retribution Who knows what is hidden and what ismanifest; He is not overpowered in His affairs; He it is Who dominateseverything.Now thisverse says that the reality is evengreater than that.TheonewhorejectsAllāh’ssignsanddisobeyesHiscommandmentshasnopowerofhisown todoanywork—evenwhenHedisbelieves inDivinesignsandthinks thathe is independentofAllāhinhisactions,hedoessobythepowergiventohimbynoneotherthanAllāh.ItisnotthatheoverpowersthedecreeofAllāh,nor thathedisturbs thefinesystemwhichAllāhhasestablishedforHis creatures; nor does hiswill overcome thewill ofAllāh.The fact is thatAllāh Himself has given him the latitude to do as he wishes—whether hewalks on the straight path of belief and obedience or wanders away in thewilderness of disbelief and disobedience. Allāh has given this freedom ofchoicetomansothatthetestmaybemeaningful;sothatwhosoeverwishesso,maybelieve,andwhosoeverwishesso,maydisbelieve.AndtheydonotwishexceptthatAllāhwishes,theLordoftheuniverse.Everything—includingthebeliefanddisbelief—isfromaDivinedecree:

Allāhhascreatedeverythingandprogrammeditinsuchawaythatitsmoothlyproceedstowardsitsintendedgoalandacquiresitsobjective.AndthisDivinedecreeisall-encompassingandpredominatesallwillsandpower.AndAllāhisPredominant in His affairs, Overpowering in His will, Guardian over Hiscreatures.Man,inhisignorance,thinksthathedoeswhathedoes,byhisownwillandchoice,andthatwhenhegoesagainstthecommandmentsofAllāh,hedisturbs the systemwhichAllāh has established.But the reality is otherwise.Man is irremovably imprisoned in the above-mentioned Divine system; andeven this transgression and rebellion is governedby that very system— the

systemoffreewillandchoice.Tothishintsthesentence,‘‘HeitisWhoshapesyou in thewombs asHe likes’’.Your existence is so programmed from the##earliest days of your foetal life that you irresistibly proceed on the roadAllāhhasopenedforyou—openeditbygivingyoufreedomofwill,notbycompellingyoutofollowacertainpath.Theverseonlymentionsthedecreesofarasmanisconcerned;itdoesnot

involveitselfwithotherthings;thusitkeepsitselfconfinedtothetopicathand.Also, it isanobliquehintagainst theChristiansconcerningtheirbeliefaboutJesusChrist; even theChristians do no denyChrist’s development inside thewomb;andthathedidnotmakehimself.Allāh changed the pronoun from singular (revealed to ‘‘thee’’) to plural

(shape‘‘you’’)inthisversetoshowthateventhebeliefofthebelievers,justlike the disbelief of the disbelievers, is not independent of that decree. Byappreciatingthistruth,thebelieverswillbehappywiththemercyandbountiesthatAllāhhasbestowedon them;andwillnotbedepressedonhearingabouttheretributionthatshallbemetedouttodisbelievers.QUR’ĀN:thereisnogodbutHe,theMighty,theWise:Theverserevertsto

theinitialtopic,thatis,monotheism.It,inaway,condensestheargumentsforthesakeofemphasis.Thetopicsdescribedintheprecedingverses—guidingthe creatures after creating them, revealing the book and establishing acriterion for discrimination between right and wrong, confirming thearrangementbypunishingthedisbelievers—allneedagodtomanagethem;and as there is no god except Allāh, then it is He Who guides the people,reveals the Book and sends down the distinction, and chastises those whodisbelieveinHissigns;andwhateverHedoes,HedoesitbyHisMightandHiswisdom.

TRADITIONS

ItisreportedinMajma‘u’l-bayān,fromal-Kalbī,MuhammadibnIshāqand

ar-Rabī‘ ibn Anas that eighty odd verses from the beginning of the chapterwererevealedaboutthedelegationofNajrān.Andtheyweresixtyriders;theycametotheApostleofAllāh(s.a.w.a.);andamongthemwerefourteenpersonsfrom their nobles; and three among those fourteen had the final authority intheirhands:(1)al-‘Āqib,theleaderofhispeopleandtheircounsellor,theydidnothingwithouthisadvice,andhisnamewas‘Abdu’1-Masīh; (2)as-Sayyid,theirpatronandleaderoftheircaravan,andhisnamewasal-Ayham;and(3)AbūHārithahibn‘Alqamah,theirbishop,prelate,religiousleader,andheadoftheir schools; he had very high prestige in their eyes and had studied theirbooks; theByzantineemperorsaccordedhimgreat respect,andhadbuilt forhimmanychurches;allthiswasbecauseofhislearningandenergeticefforts.So they came to theApostle ofAllāh (s.a.w.a.) inMedina, and entered his

mosque when he had finished the afternoon prayer. They had put on fineYemeniteclothes:cloaksandmantles;(theywere)handsomelikethepeopleofBalhārithibnKa‘b.SomeofthecompanionsoftheApostleofAllāh(s.a.w.a.);whohadseenthem,havesaid:‘‘Weneversawadelegationlike them.’’Thenthetimeoftheirprayercame,andtheystartedringingtheirbellandstoodupandprayed in theMosqueof theApostleofAllāh (s.a.w.a.).Thecompanionssaid:‘‘OApostleofAllāh.This(ishappening)inyourmosque?’’TheApostleofAllāh(s.a.w.a.)said:‘‘Donotdisturbthem’’.Sotheyprayedfacingtowardsthe east. Then as-Sayyid and al-‘Āqib had a talk with the Apostle of Allāh(s.a.w.a.).TheApostleofAllāh(s.a.w.a.)theninvitedthemtobecomeMuslim.Theyreplied:‘‘WehadbeenMuslims(i.e.,believers)beforeyou.’’Hesaid:‘‘Youbothtellwrong.WhatpreventsyoufromacceptingIslamis

yourclaimthatAllāhhasason,andyourworshipofthecrossandyoureatingthepig.’’Theysaid:‘‘Ifhe(i.e.,JesusChrist)wasnotsonofGod,thenwhowashis

father?’’ThentheyallstartedarguingaboutJesus.Thereupon,theProphettoldthem:

‘‘Doyounotknowthatthereisnosonbutthatheresembleshisfather?’’Theysaid:‘‘Yes.’’Hesaid:‘‘DoyounotknowthatourLordisEver-living,Heshallnotdie?

Andthat‘Īsāwilldie?’’Theysaid:‘‘Yes.’’

Hesaid:‘‘DoyounotknowthatourLordistheGuardianofeverything;Heprotectsitandgivesitsustenance?’’Theysaid:‘‘Yes.’’Hesaid:‘‘Does‘Īsāpossessanysuchpower?’’Theysaid:‘‘No.’’Hesaid:‘‘DoyounotknowthatnothingishiddenfromHimintheearthor

intheheaven?’’Theysaid:‘‘Yes.’’He said: ‘‘Then does ‘Īsā know anything of it except that which he was

taught?’’Theysaid:‘‘No.’’Hesaid:‘‘SoourLordshaped‘ĪsāinthewombasHeliked;andourLord

neithereats,drinksnordoesHedischargeexcrement?’’Theysaid:‘‘Yes.’’Hesaid:‘‘Doyounotknowabout‘Īsāthathismotherkepthim(inwomb)as

awomandoes,andgavebirth tohimasawomandoes; thenhewasfedasachildisfed;thenheusedtoeat,drinkanddischargeexcremenent?’’Theysaid:‘‘Yes.’’Hesaid:‘‘Thenhowcanitbeasyouthink?’’Thereupon,theyremainedsilent.ThenAllāhrevealedaboutthemeightyodd

versesfromthebeginningoftheChapterof‘‘TheFamilyof‘Imrān’’.The author says: The same thing has been narrated by as-Suyūtī in ad-

Durru ’l-manthūr from Abū Ishāq, Ibn Jarīr and Ibnu ’l-Mundhir fromMuhammad ibn Ja‘far ibn az-Zubayr; and also from Ibn Ishāq fromMuhammadibnSahlibnAbīAmāmah.The story shall be quoted later; as regards their claim that (only) the first

eightyoddverseswererevealedinthisconnection,itappearsthatitwastheirpersonal opinion; otherwise, as earlier explained, the context and styleobviouslyshowthatthewholechapterwasrevealedalltogether.It is narrated from the Prophet: The unfortunate is he who became

unfortunate in thewomb of hismother; and the fortunate is hewho becamefortunateinthewombofhismother.Itisnarratedinal-Kāfīfromal-Bāqir(a.s.)thathesaid:‘‘WhenAllāhwants

tocreateasemen—anditisamongthatfromwhichcovenantwastakenfromthe loinofAdam—(orasHemaydecide later); and (wants) toput it in thewomb,He excites theman for sexual intercourse, and reveals to thewomb,‘OpenthydoorsothatMycreatureandMyfirmdecreemayenterintothee.’Soitopensitsdoor.Thespermreachesthewomb,andmovesthereinforfortydays:thenitbecomesaclotforfortydays;thenbecomesalumpoffleshfor

fortydays,thenflowinitinterlacedveins.ThenAllāhsendstwocreatorangelswhomake in the wombswhat Allāh wishes; they enter into the belly of thewoman, from the woman’smouth; so they reach the womb, and in it is theancient spirit, that was transferred into loins ofmen andwombs ofwomen.Thentheyblowinitthespiritoflifeandeternity,andtheycreateopeningsforhishearingandsight,and(make)his limbsandall that is in thestomach,bypermissionofAllāh.ThenAllāhrevealstothetwoangels:‘WriteonhimMydecreeandMydestinyandfirmorder;andwritedownthatImaychangethatwhichyouwrite.’Theysay:‘OLord!whatarewetowrite?’ThereuponAllāhrevealstothemtoraisetheirheadstowardstheheadofthemother.Theyraisetheirheads,andlo!thereisatabletstrikingthemother ’sforehead.Theylookintoitandfindinithisfeatures,hisembellishment,hisdeathtime,hiscovenant—whether he shall be a fortunate or an unfortunate one, and all his affairs.Thereupon,oneofthemdictatestotheother;thustheywritedownallthatisinthe tablet,andmake itconditionalon thefinaldecision(ofAllāh).Then theysealthewritingandputitbetweenhiseyes.Thentheymakehimstanduprightin thewombofhismother.’’ (The Imām) said: ‘‘Sometimeshedisobeysandturnsupsidedown, and it doesnot happenexcept in caseof an arrogant andrebelliousone.Andwhentimecomesforthefoetustocomeout,developedorundeveloped,Allāhreveals to thewomb:‘Openthydoorso thatMycreaturemaygoout toMyearth, andMyordermaybeenforcedabouthim,becausenowtimehascomeforhimtogoout.’’’(TheImām)said:‘‘Thenthewombopensthedoorofthechild;soheturnsupsidedown,hisfeetgooverhishead,hisheadreachesthelowerpartofthe(mother ’s)stomach.(Itisdone)sothatdeliverymaybeeasierforthewomanandthechild.ThenAllāhsendstohimanangel,named‘theAdmonisher ’,whosternly tellshimtogoout; thechildbecomesfrightened;whenitdelayssomemore,theangeltellshimonceagainto get out; the child becomes (evenmore) frightened and falls on the earthcrying,terrifiedbecauseofthatrebuke.’’Theauthorsays:Thewordsof theImām,‘‘WhenAllāhwants tocreatea

semen’’,mean,whenAllāhwants tocreateawell-madeperfecthumanbeingfrom a semen. The parenthetic sentence, ‘‘it is among that from whichcovenantwastaken’’alludestothefactthatmanbeforecomingintothisworldexisted inaworld,called in the traditionsas ‘‘theworldofmotes’’and ‘‘theworldofcovenant’’;andthislifefollowsthepatternofthatone.Whateversoulmadecovenantinthatworldmustsurelybeborninthisworldwell-madeandperfect.Theotherparentheticsentence,‘‘orasHemaydecidelater ’’,referstothat foetus that is not from among thosewho had covenanted in that world;such foetusdoesnotdevelop to itsperfectionand ismiscarried.Thephrase,

‘‘andtoputitinthewomb’’isinconjunctionwiththeprecedingwords,‘‘whenAllāh wants to create’’. ‘‘They enter into the belly of the woman, from thewoman’smouth’’:There is a possibility that the phrase, ‘‘from thewoman’smouth’’, is an explanatory note added by the narrator of the tradition; thispossibilityissupportedbythefactthattheword‘‘woman’s’’hasbeenrepeatedinsteadofsaying‘‘fromhermouth’’.ButifitisthewordoftheImāmthenitshows that their entrance is not as abodyenters into anotherbody.Thewayintowombisfromvagina; theonlyotherwaymaybethroughblood-vesselsincluding that through which menstrual blood reaches uterus. Surely, thispassageisnoteasierthanthevagina.Anditprovesthattheirenteringthroughmouthhassomereasonotherthantheeaseofpassage.‘‘Andinitistheancientspiritthatwastransferredintoloinsofmenandwombsofwomen’’:Probablyit is the spirit of vegetation that is the source of nourishment and growth.‘‘Thentheyblowinitthespiritoflifeandeternity’’:Apparently,thepronoun,‘‘it’’, refers to theancientspirit;accordingly, thespiritof lifeandeternity isblown into the spirit of vegetation. If the pronoun stands for the ‘‘lump offlesh’’,thenitwouldmeanthatthespiritoflifeandeternityisblownintothelump of flesh that has already got vegetative life. In any case, it shows thatflowingofhumanspiritintofoetusisaforwardstepofvegetativelife;andthatatthatstageitgetsanewvigourandvitality.Theaboveexplanationalsothrowslightontransferenceoftheancientspirit

intoloinsofmenandwombsofwomen.Thespiritexistswiththebody,thatis,thesemenand themenstrualblood that feeds thefoetus;and these two thingsarepartsof thebodiesof theparents.Thus, the foetushas its share from thelivesofitsparents,andtheyintheirturnarepartsofthelivesoftheirparents,andsoon.Whateverhappenstoamanissomewhatareflectionofthelivesofhisfatherandmother.Inaminiatureformherepresentsallhisancestors—heisinawaythe‘‘contents’’ofthebookthatexistedbeforehim1.Thisalsomayexplain thesentence, ‘‘Allāh reveals to (theangels) to raise

theirheadstowardstheheadofthemother ’’.Sofarasthedecreesconcerningthechild are concerned, their linkwithhis fatherwasdisconnectedwhen thesemen separated from him; now his only relation is with the mother. It isreferred to in these words: ‘‘and lo! there is a tablet striking the mother ’sforehead.’’Theforeheadiscentreofperceptivepowersandamainfeatureofone’s appearance. The angels on studying it find in it the child’s features,appearanceandlifeaswellashiscovenant,whetherhewillbeafortuneoranunfortunate person; in short, they see in it all his affairs; one of the angelsdictates itall to theother—theirmutualrelationshipis like thatofanactiveagent and a passive one. They write all that is in the tablet. ‘‘And make it

conditionalonthefinaldecisionofAllāh’’:Thefeaturedoesnotcontainallthecauses and factors affecting a man’s life. External events and circumstancesalsoplayimportantpartinit.Hencetheneedofthisconditionalphrase2.ThistraditionattributestoAllāhallthedetailsofconceptionandbirthofa

child:Allāhexcitestheman;revealstothewomb,sendstwoangelstoshapethechild,andanotherangeltogethimoutofthewomb,andsoon.Thetraditiondoes not deny the existence of natural causes for these events.According toIslam, there are two sets of perfect causes for every happening — onemetaphysicalandtheotherphysical.Theyarenotagainstoneanother;nordothey togetherconstitutea jointperfectcause.Bothareperfectcauses—eachonitsownlevel.Allāh sends the prophets and Imāms, to guide the people to their spiritual

blissandhappiness;andtoleadthemtotheirspiritualperfection,Thepathlaiddownforitisspiritual.Itisthosedivineleaders’dutytotalktotheirpeopleinawaythattheymayproceedandprogressonthispath.Forthispurpose,itisessential that thepeopleberemindedof theirLordateverystep.That iswhythereligiousguidesattributeman’sallaffairstoAllāh,mentiontheagencyofangelsandexplainthatgoodfortuneandfelicitydependontheirhelp;andthatmisfortunateandtroublearecausedbytheSatansandtheirdeception;thentheyremind thatultimatelyeverything isattributed toAllāh, so faras it isproperforHissanctityandsublimity.Thus, thepeoplecometounderstandguidanceand misguidance, profit and harm and, in short, every affair of the lifehereafter.But those leaders did not deny the natural causes, nor did they put it in

secondplace.Physicalandnaturalcausesareoneofthetwopillarsofhumanlife; theyare the foundationsuponwhich isbased the lifeof thisworld. It isessentialformantoknowallaboutthesecausestooasitisforhimtoknowallabout metaphysical and spiritual causes. Only then he will know his own‘‘self’’;andthatwillleadhimtoknowhisLord.

*****

1 Probably, this phenomenon may be illustrated by DNA, the hereditarymaterial of life, found in chromosomes, in viruses, and in bacteria. Thismicroscopic compound is the instrument through which hereditarycharacteristicsaretransmittedtothenextgeneration.(tr.)2Probably,theauthorwantstosaythattheangelswritedownhisaffairsas

much as his hereditary characteristics reveal; but leave out the changes thatmaybeaffectedinitbyfactorsofenvironment.(tr.)

3ChapterTRANSLATIONOFTHEVERSES7—9

He it isWho has sent down to thee the Book, of it there are some verses

decisive,theyarethebasisoftheBook,andothersareambiguous;thenasforthose in whose hearts there is perversity, they follow the part of it which isambiguous, seeking to mislead, and seeking to give it (theirown)interpretation,butnoneknowsitsinterpretationexceptAllāh;andthosewhoare firmly rooted in knowledge say: ‘‘Webelieve in it, it is all fromourLord’’; and none do mind except those having understanding (7).Our Lord!MakenotourheartstodeviateafterThouhastguidedus(aright);andgrantusfromTheemercy;surelyThouartthemostliberalGiver(8).OurLord!SurelyThouart theGathererofmenonadayaboutwhich there isnodoubt; surelyAllāhfailsnot(His)promise(9).

COMMENTARY

QUR’ĀN:He it isWhohas sent down to thee theBook: In this verse, the

verbal form ‘‘al-inzāl’’ ( لازنالا =to send down all together) has been used, insteadof at-tanzīl ( لیزنتلا = to senddowngradually)thatwasusedintheverse3.It isbecausethisverselooksatthewholeBook in itsentirety,anddescribessomeespecialcharacteristicsofthe complete Book. It discloses that the Book on the whole contains somedecisiveversesandsomeambiguousones,importofwhichmaybeknownbyreturningthemtothedecisiveones.AstheBookisherelookedatasoneentity,theuseoftheverbalformal-inzālwasmoreappropriate.QUR’ĀN:ofittherearesomeversesdecisive,theyarethebasisoftheBook,

and others are ambiguous: ‘‘al-Muhkamāt’’ ( تامكحملا =translated here as decisive) is derived from the rootword h — k— m ( مكح );thisrootimpliesthatathingissoprotectedthatnothingcanpervertorbreakitor interfere with it. Some infinitive verbs made from itare al-ihkām ( ماكحالا = to make precise, toconfirm, to strengthen), at-tahkīm ( میكحتلا = toarbitrate) and al-hukm ( مكحلا = to judge);someotherwordsareal-hikmah

ةمكحلا ) = perfect knowledge, wisdom)and al-hakamah ( ةمكحلا =bitofahorse’sbridle).Allthesemeaningshavetheelementsofprotectionandprecisenessinthem.Somepeoplesaythattherootwordgivesthemeaningofprotection andreformation.al-Ihkāmof the verses means making them so precise that no ambiguity

remainstherein,contraryto‘‘al-mutashābihāt’’( تاهباشتملا =ambiguous)ones.Before going further, it should be mentioned here that in various places,

Allāhhasdescribedalltheversesasbeingal-muhkamāt;andagainthewholeBook has been called al-mutashābih ( هباشتملا ).But the words have been used in those verses for meanings other than‘‘decisive’’ and ‘‘ambiguous’’ respectively. Allāh says: (Thisis)a

Book,whoseverseswereconfirmed;uhkimat( تمكحا ),then theyweredivided,fromoneWiseAllaware(11:1).Thisverseusestheverbalformofal-ihkām(toconfirm, to make precise); but it goes on to mention ‘‘division’’; thisassociationshowsthattheverbal-ihkām(toconfirm)referstothatstatewhenthe Book, before its revelation, was an indivisible one; it points to that‘‘confirmation’’andstabilitywhichwasfoundinitbeforeitwassubjectedtoparticularization for the purpose of revelation. This confirmation is anattributeof thewholeBook;andobviously it issomethingdifferent fromal-ihkām (decisiveness), mentioned in the verse under discussion, which is anattributeofonly apartof theBook— thoseverses that areunambiguous intheirmeaning.Inotherwords,whenAllāhdividedtheversesoftheBookintwocategories,

the decisive (i.e., unambiguous) and ambiguous, it was self-evident that thepreciseness and decisiveness mentioned in this verse was not the sameprecisenessandconfirmationwhichwasattributedtothewholeBookinverse11:1.Likewise, Allāh says: Allāh has revealed the best discourse, a Book

mutashābihan ( اهباشتم ), conforming (in its various parts) oft-repeated …(39:23).HerethewholeBookhasbeencalledmutashābihan(conforming);sowe know that in this verse it means something otherthanmutashābihāt (ambiguous),mentioned in the verse under discussion, inwhichonlyapartoftheBookisgiventhisname.Thedecisive,unambiguousverseshavebeencalled‘‘ummu’l-kitāb’’ باتكلا ما

) =translated here as the ‘‘basis of theBook’’). ‘‘al-Umm’’ ( ( مالاliterallymeansathingtowhichanotherthingreturns;inwhichittakesrefuge.That is why the mother iscalled al-umm.Thedecisiveandunambiguousverseshavebeengiventhistitlebecausetheambiguousversesreturntothem.OnepartoftheBook(i.e.,theambiguousverses) returns to the other part, (i.e., to the unambiguous ones). Thepossessive case ‘‘the basis of the Book’’ does not imply that this basis issomethingdifferentfromtheBook,asisthecase,forexample,in‘‘themotherofthechildren’’—themotherisdifferentfromthechildren.Ratheritdenotesaportionorpart,asinthephrase,‘‘womenofthenation’’womenareapartofthenation; in the sameway thebasisof theBook is apart or portionof theBook.TheBook contains someverses that are the basis of the other verses.‘‘Basis’’ is singular; it shows that there is no difference in the unambiguousdecisiveverses;allareunitedandwell-connected.

Theversecontraststhedecisiveverseswiththeambiguousones—whichitcalls mutashābihāt. ‘‘at-Tashābuh’’ ( هباشتلا )means similarity of different things in some of their characteristics andconditions.Asmentionedabove,AllāhhaspraisedtheQur ’ānwiththiswordintheverse: Allāhhas revealed to thee the best discourse, a Book conforming (in its variousparts), oft-repeated, whereat do shudder the skins of those who fear theirLord…(39:23).Obviously, itrefers tothefact that thereisaconsistencyinthestyleof the

Qur ’ān;eloquentcompositionandelegantmodality,coupledwithunveilingofrealitiesandguidancetounalloyedtruth(asthewordsusedinthisverseshow)arethecommonandever-presentfeaturesoftheBook.Butat-tashābuhmentioned in theverseunderdiscussionmeanssomething

different. The verse contrasts such verseswith the decisive ones that are thebasisof theBook,and thengoeson to say that those inwhoseheart there isperversityfollowsuchversesseekingtomisleadpeopleandtogivethemtheirown interpretation. This context makes it clear that theadjectivemutashābihāt, refers here to ambiguous verse whose connotationcannotbedecidedby thehearer justbyhearing;hismindremainsundecidedbetween one meaning and the other; this continues until he refers to thedecisiveversesandonly then isable tofix the trueconnotationandsemanticvalueof theambiguousone.At this stage, theambiguousverse toobecomesdecisiveandunambiguousbutwiththeaidofdecisiveverse;whilethedecisiveverseisdecisivebyitself.For example, when man first hears the verse, The Beneficent

God(istawā, يوتسا =)firmlysatupontheThrone(20:5),heisunabletodecidewhether thesewords have been used in their literal sense. Then he refers toother verses like: nothing is like a likeness of Him (42:11); then only heunderstands that ‘‘firmly sitting on the Throne’’ means mastery over thekingdomanddominanceover thecreatures; that itdoesnotmeansitting inaplaceoronathing,becauseitisanattributeofbodyandAllāhisnotabody,because nothing is like Him. Thus, by returning that ambiguous verse to adecisiveone,hewilltranslateitas,‘‘TheBeneficentGodisfirminpower ’’.Anotherexample:Whentheverse:LookingtotheirLord(75:23),isreturned

to the verse:Visions comprehendHim not, andHe comprehends (all) visions (6:103), it becomes clear that ‘‘looking at’’ in the former does not mean‘‘seeing’’withtheeyes.Inthesameway,whenanabrogatedverseisreturnedtotheabrogatingone,

itisknownthattheordergivenintheformerwasforalimitedtimeuntilthelatterwasrevealed.Andsoon.This is themeaning of ‘‘decisive’’ and ‘‘ambiguous’’, as an averageman

mayeasilyunderstand,lookingatthewholeversetogether.Atleastthisverseissurely‘‘decisive’’,evenifallothersbenot.Just think of the troubles that would crop up if this verse is said to be

ambiguous: First, thewholeQur ’ānwould be ambiguous, as no other versehas clearer meaning; second, the categories (decisive and ambiguous)mentionedinitwouldbemeaningless; third, theremedyshowninthewords,‘‘they are the basis of the Book’’, would be useless; fourth, the words ofAllāh:A Book of which the verses are made plain, an Arabic Qur’ān for apeoplewhoknow,aheraldofgoodnewsandawarner…(41:3—4),wouldnot be true; fifth, the argument contained in the verse: Do they not thenmeditateontheQur’ān?Andif itwerefromanyotherthanAllāh,theywouldhavefoundinitmanyadiscrepancy(4:82),wouldnotsignifyanything.AddtoitallthoseversesthatsaythattheQur ’ānisalight,aguidance,aclarification,anexplanationandanopenreminder,etc.,thatshallbedeprivedofmeaningifthisverseunderdiscussionissaidtobeambiguous.Noonecan finda singleverse in theQur ’ānwhosewordsorphrasesare

bereftofmeaning.Everyversepointstoitstruemeaning—eitheritistheonlymeaning understood by an Arabicspeaking person, or is one of severalmeaningswhichmaybeinferredfromit.Whenaverseisambiguousandcanbe interpreted inmore thanoneway, the truemeaning issurelyoneof thoseinterpretations.Thetruemeaningcannotgoagainsttheacceptedprinciplesofthe Qur ’ān, like the existence of the Creator, His Oneness, coming of theprophets,promulgationofthelaw,theDayofJudgmentetc.Itconformswiththoseprinciples,andisbasedonthem;andthoseprinciplesdecidewhichofthepossiblemeaningsisthetrueone.Thus,somepartsoftheQur ’ānexplaintheothers;someversesarethebasistowhichtheothersarereturned.When such a reader shall read this verse, ‘‘of it there are some verses

decisive, theyare thebasisof theBook, andothers are ambiguous’’,hewillcertainly know that the decisive are those verses that contain the acceptedprinciples of religion, and ambiguous thosewhosemeaning can be decidedthroughtheseprinciples.Question:Ineverysubjecttherearesomeprinciplesandsomeadjuncts;the

latterareinvariablyalwaysreferredtotheformer.ItistrueinotherwritingsasmuchasabouttheQur ’ān.Butitdoesnotcreateambiguityinotherbooks.SowhyintheQur ’ān?Reply:TheQur ’āncontainstwosetsofrealities,andthereispossibilityof

ambiguityineach:-First:Therearehighspiritualandmetaphysicalrealitiesthatarebeyondthe

scope of perception ormatter. Aman of average understanding, on hearingsuchverse,isperplexedwhetherthewordshavebeenusedintheirliteral(thatisoftenphysical)meaning,ordenotesomethinghigher.Forexample,whenhehears thewords:Most surely your Lord is onwatch (89:14);And your Lordcomes…(89:22),hismindracesat first to the literalsensesof thesewords,whichifaccepted,wouldshowthatAllāhisabody!TheuncertaintyisremovedwhenhereferstheseversestotheQur ’ānicprincipleswhichshowthatAllāhisnot a body, and that matter and actions and reactions connected with mattercannotbeattributedtoHim.This type of ambiguity occurs in all metaphysical and spiritual talks and

writings;itisnotpeculiartotheQur ’ān.Otherscriptures—theunalteredparts— when talking of high spiritual things face the same difficulty. Evenphilosophy suffers from this handicap. To this fact, theQur ’ān refers in thefollowingverse:He sends downwater from the heavens, then the valleys flow according to

theirmeasure, and the torrent bears along the swelling foam; and fromwhattheymeltinthefireforthesakeof(making)ornamentsorapparatusarisesascumlikeit;thusdoesAllāhcomparetruthandfalsehood;thenasforthescum,itpassesawayasaworthlessthing;andasforthatwhichprofitsthepeople,itremainsintheearth;thusdoesAllāhsetforthparables(13:17).SurelyWehavemadeitanArabicQur’ān,sothatyoumayunderstand.And

surely it is in the Original of the Book with Us, truly elevated, full ofwisdom(43:3—4).Second:Therearesociallegislationsandotherrules.Somerules,whenthe

reasonsforwhichtheywerelegislatedwerenolongervalid,wereabrogated.Moreover, the verses were revealed piecemeal. These two factors createambiguityinsuchverses;anditisnecessarytoreturntheabrogatedversestotheabrogatingones;andthentheambiguousnessgoesaway.QUR’ĀN:thenas for those inwhosehearts there isperversity, they follow

the part of it which is ambiguous, seeking to mislead, and seeking to giveit (their own) interpretation: ‘‘az-Zaygh’’ ( غیزلا )isdeviation; it is accompaniedbyanxietyanddisquite.Theversegoeson tocontrastsuchpeoplewiththosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledge,whosay:‘‘Webelieveinit,itisallfromourLord.’’Itdividesthepeople,sofarastheirbehaviour regarding the Qur ’ān is concerned, in two categories: There aretheyinwhoseheartsisdeviation,whoareworriedandpertubed—theyfollowthe ambiguous verses to mislead the people and to interpret the verses

according to their own liking.And there are thosewho are firmly rooted inknowledge,withstablemind—theyfollowthedecisiveverses,andbelievesintheambiguousonesbutdonotactuponthem,andpraytoAllāhnot tomaketheir hearts deviate after guidance has come tothem.Itshowsthat‘‘followingambiguousverses’’meanstoactuponthem.They

are condemned because they follow the ambiguous verseswithout returning(i.e., referring) themto thedecisiveones.Had they referred themtodecisiveversesbeforeactinguponthem,itwould,ineffect,havebeenactinguponthedecisiveverses;andtheywouldhavebeenfreefromreproach.‘‘al-Fitnah’’ ( ةنتفلا =

literally, mischief) means here to mislead the people. Making mischief andmisleading are near inmeaning.Allāhsays that theyfollowambiguousversesso that theymaymislead the

people.Notonlythis—theywantsomethingevenmoregrievous:Theyseekto acquire the knowledge of the interpretation of theQur ’ān; their aim is tofindeverythingfromambiguousverses,sothattheywouldbeindependentofthe decisive ones, and thus the foundation of the religion ofAllāhwould bedestroyedcompletely.‘‘al-Ta’wīl’’ ( لیواتلا ) is derived from al-awl ( لوالا = to

return).at-Ta’wīl of an ambiguous verse is its ‘‘returning base’’ to which it is

returned.at-Ta’wīloftheQur ’ānisthesourcefromwhichitgetsitsrealities.For want of a better word, it is mostly translated as interpretation, finalinterpretation, or the end; although these words do not convey its trueconnotation.Weshalltrytoleadthereaderstepbysteptoitsrealsignificance.Allāhhasusedthewordat-ta’wīlinvariousplacesintheQur ’ān:1.And certainlyWe have brought them aBookwhichWe havemade clear

withknowledge,aguidanceandamercyforapeoplewhobelieve.Dotheywaitforaughtbut its final interpretation?Onthedaywhenits final interpretationcomesabout, thosewhoneglected itbeforewillsays: ‘‘Indeed theapostlesofourLordhadbroughtthetruth…’’(7:52—53).That is,what theapostles told theirpeoplewasall truth: thatAllāh is their

TrueLord;thatwhattheycalluponbesidesAllāhhasnorealityatall;thattheprophethoodistruthandthereligionistruth;thatAllāhwillsurelyraisethosewho are in graves; in short, all the information about the unseen, truth ofwhichwillbemanifestontheDayofResurrection.Keepinginviewthismanifestation,ithasbeensaidthatat-ta’wīlofaverse

isthefactwithwhichthatverseconforms,andthatitwouldbemanifestedlateron; like thehappeningson theDayof Judgment thatwouldbe inconformitywiththeinformationsgivenbytheprophetsandtheBooks.But this explanation is not comprehensive. It coversonly thoseverses that

describetheDivineattributesandactions,andexplaintheeventsoftheDayofJudgment. But many more verses have no ‘‘facts’’ that would manifestthemselves lateron: theversescontaining lawand rules—theygiveorders,not information,and thushavenofacts toconformwith; theonesdescribingwhat is a clear rational proposition, for example,many ethical teachings—their ta’wīl (in the proposed events) iswithin themselves, it is not to appearlater; those narrating the stories of the prophets and past nations —theirta’wīlhasalreadyappeared, it isnot toappearon theDayofJudgment.And the verse under discussion is talking about atta’wīl of the wholeBook: ‘‘Ta’wīlahu’’ ( هلیوات =)its, i.e.,Book’s, final interpretation. Clearly the suggested meaningof at-ta’wīlcannotbeappliedhere,because,asdescribedabove,itistrueforonlyaportionoftheBook,notforthewhole.2.AndthisQur’ānisnotsuchascouldbeforgedbythosebesidesAllāh,but

itisaverificationofthatwhichisbeforeitandaclearexplanationoftheBook,there isnodoubt in it, from theLordof theworlds.Ordo theysay: ‘‘Hehasforgedit?’’Say:‘‘ThenbringachapterlikethisandcallwhomyoucanbesidesAllāh, ifyouare truthful.’’Nay, theyhaverejectedthatofwhichtheyhavenocomprehensiveknowledge,anditsfinalinterpretationhasnotyetcometothem;eventhusdidthosebeforethemreject(thetruth);seethenwhatwastheendoftheunjust(10:37—39).Hereagainat-ta’wīlhasbeenattributedtothewholeBook.Someonehasimproveduponthedefinitionofat-ta’wīlsuggestedin(1);he

has said: at-ta’wīl is the real fact upon which the talk depends. If the talkcontains an information, then the event or fact mentioned is its‘‘interpretation’’—itdoesnotmatterwhethertheeventshavealreadypassed,likethoseoftheprophetsandpastnations,orwillbemanifestedinfuture,asconcerning theversesdescribing theattributes,namesandpromisesofAllāhandallthatistohappenontheDayofJudgment;andifitpromulgatesalaw,thenthebenefitemanatingfromitisits‘‘interpretation’’.Look,forexample,atthewordsofAllāh:Andgivefullmeasurewhenyoumeasureout,andweighwith a true balance; this is good and the fairest ‘‘in the end’’ (17:35). Theoriginal word, translated here as ‘‘in the end’’, is ‘‘ta’wīla’’ ( الیوات ) .

It shows that the ‘‘final interpretation’’ of giving fullmeasure andweighingwith true balance is the benefit accruing to the society from honestdealing.But this explanation too is defective, as will be seen from the following

clarifications.First:The verse ofmeasure andweight is clear on one point: the ‘‘final

interpretation’’,thatis,thesocialbenefit,dependsonpeople’sdoingwhattheyhavebeentoldtodo,thatis,ontheiractuallygivingfullmeasureandcorrectweight; those benefitswould not occurmerely by promulgating this rule. Inotherwords, the final interpretation is a real fact (benefit to the society) thatemanatesfromarealfact(measuringandweighingcorrectly).Obviously, the ‘‘final interpretation’’ is a real fact; and the thing that

‘‘returns’’toit,or,letussay,throughwhichthatfinalinterpretationemanatesisalsoarealfact—it isnotonlyaninformationororder.WhenAllāhsaysthat the verses of the Book have ‘‘final interpretation’’, it means that thoseversesnarratesomerealfacts(as,forexample,inthestories)orareconcernedwith actually-existing practical matters (as, for example, in the versespromulgating laws), which, in their turn, have a final interpretation. Thiscapabilityofhavingafinalinterpretationisnotanattributeofthespeech;itisthepropertyofthesubjectmatterofthespeech.Second:As explained earlier, at-ta’wīl literally means to return, or the

returningbase.Butitisnoteveryreturnorreturningbase,butaspecialtypeofit. A dependent returns to his principal, but the principal is not his ‘‘finalinterpretation’’; all numbers return to ‘‘one’’, but ‘‘one’’ is not their finalinterpretation.TounderstanditmoreclearlyletuslookattheQur ’ānicstoryofMūsāand

Khidr (a.s.).Khidr (a.s.)used thewordat-ta’wīl twicewhenhe toldMūsā:…now Iwill informyouof the interpretationof thatwithwhich you couldnothavepatience (18:78);This is the interpretationof thatwithwhichyoucouldnothavepatience(18:82).What he explained toMūsā was the true significance of his three actions

whichMūsāhadmisjudgedbecauseofhisunawarenessoftheirrealpurposes.Thethreeeventswereasfollows:1….untilwhentheyembarkedintheboathemadeaholeinit…(18:71).2….untilwhentheymetaboy,heslewhim(ibid.74).3.…untilwhentheycametothepeopleofatown,theyaskedthemforfood,

but theyrefusedtoreceive themasguests.Thentheyfoundin itawallwhichwasonthepointoffalling,sohesetitupright(ibid.77).AndthisishowMūsā(a.s.)misconstruedtheseevents:

1.(Mūsā)said:‘‘Haveyoumadeaholeinittodrownitsinmates?Certainlyyouhavedoneagrievousthing’’(ibid.71).2.(Mūsā) said: ‘‘Have you slain an innocent person otherwise than for

manslaughter?Certainlyyouhavedoneahorriblething(ibid.74).3.(Mūsā) said: ‘‘If you had pleased, you might certainly have taken a

recompenseforit’’(ibid.77).And the followingare the ‘‘final interpretations’’of them,asexplainedby

Khidr(a.s.):1.‘‘Asfortheboat,itbelongedto(some)poormenwhoworkedontheriver

and Iwished that I shoulddamage it, and therewasbehind themakingwhoseizedeveryboatbyforce’’(18:79).2.‘‘Andasfortheboy,hisparentswerebelieversandwefearedlestheshould

oppress thembydisobedience(to them)anddisbelief (inGod).Sowe desiredthattheirLordmightgivetheminhisplaceonebetterthanhiminpurityandnearertohavingcompassion’’(ibid.80—81).3.‘‘Andasforthewall,itbelongedtotwoorphanboysinthecity,.andthere

wasbeneath ita treasurebelonging to them,andtheir fatherwasarighteousman;soyourLorddesired that theyshouldattain theirmaturityand takeouttheirtreasure,amercyfromyourLord…(ibid.82).ThenheansweredalltheobjectionofMūsā(a.s.)inashortsentence:‘‘AndI

didnotdoitofmyownaccord’’(ibid.).It is now obvious that the ‘‘return’’mentioned in these verses is just as a

punishment given to a child ‘‘returns’’ to his character-building — he ispunished for the ‘‘purpose’’ of his reform. It is this type of ‘‘return’’ that ismeant by at-ta’wīl in the above-mentioned verses. It does not mean thatconformitywhichatrueinformationhaswithitsfact—asthesentence,Zaydcame,haswiththecomingofZayd.For further clarification let us look at uses of this word in Chapter 12

(Joseph):1.WhenJosephsaidtohisfather:‘‘Omyfather!surelyIsawelevenstarsand

the sun and the moon— I saw them prostrating before me’’ (12:4); And heraisedhisparentsuponthethroneandthey(all)felldowninprostrationbeforehim,andhesaid:‘‘Omyfather!thisis theinterpretationofmyvisionofold;myLordhasindeedmadeittobetrue…’’(ibid.100).In this instance, the dream he saw of the sun, the moon and eleven stars

prostratingbeforehim‘‘returned’’totheprostrationofhisparentsandelevenbrothers.Butthis‘‘returning’’wasjustasanallegoryreturnstothethingforwhichitisused.Thesameisthecasewiththefollowingverses:

2.And the king said: ‘‘Surely I see eleven fat kine which seven lean onesdevoured;andsevengreenearsand(seven)othersdry;OChiefs!explaintomemydream,ifyoucaninterpretthedream’’.Theysaid:‘‘Confuseddreams,andwe do not know the interpretation of (such) dreams.’’ And of thetwo (prisoners) he who had found deliverance and remembered after a longtime said: ‘‘I will inform you of its interpretation, so let me go.’’ Joseph!Otruthfulone!explaintoussevenfatkinewhichsevenleanonesdevoured,andsevengreenearsand(seven)othersdry,thatImaygobacktothepeoplesothattheymay know.’’He said: ‘‘You shall sow for seven years continuously, thenwhat you reap leave it in its ear except a little ofwhich you eat. Then thereshallcomeafterthatsevenyearsofhardshipwhichshalleatawayallthatyouhavebeforehandandlaidupinstoreforthem,exceptalittleofwhatyoushallhavepreserved"(12:43—48).3.And two youths entered the prison with him. One of them said: ‘‘I saw

myselfpressingwine.’’Andtheothersaid:‘‘Isawmyselfcarryingbreadonmyhead,ofwhichbirdsate.Informusofitsinterpretation;surelyweseeyoutobeofthedoersofgood’’(ibid.36);‘‘Omytwomatesof theprison!as foroneofyou, he shall give his lord to drink wine; and as for the other, he shall becrucified, so that the birds shall eat from his head; the matter is decreedconcerningwhichyouenquired’’(ibid.41).4.‘‘…andteachyoutheinterpretationofsaying…’’(ibid.6).5….andthatWemightteachhimtheinterpretationofsayings…(ibid.21).6.‘‘…andtaughtmeoftheinterpretationofsayings…’’(ibid.101).Theword at-ta’wīl in all these verses is used for the events towhich the

dreamsreferred.Thedreamerssawtheeventsnotastheyactuallyhappenedbutin their allegorical forms; and Joseph ‘‘retuned’’ those allegories to the realeventswhichtheyrepresented.The dreams were the forms, and their interpretations were the substances

behindthoseforms.Inotherwordsat-ta’wīl(interpretation)istherealitythatisallegorically represented by the words or expressions; those words orexpressionsmust be ‘‘returned’’ to the realitieswhich they represent, if onewantstoknowtheirtruesignificance.TheversequotedaboveinthestoryofMūsāandKhidr(peacebeonthem)

alsowereofthesamenature,asarethewordsofAllāhmentionedearlier:Andgivefullmeasurewhenyoumeasureout,andweighwithatruebalance;thisisgoodandthefairest‘‘intheend’’(17:35).PonderingovertheversesabouttheDayofJudgment,onerealizesthatthis

wordhasbeenusedinthesamemeaningintheearlier-mentionedverses:Nay,theyhaverejectedthatofwhichtheyhavenocomprehensiveknowledge,andits

final interpretationhasnotyetcome to them (10:39);Do theywait for aughtbut its final interpretations? On the day when its final interpretation comesabout…(7:53).Lookatversessuchas:Certainlyyouwereheedlessofit,butnowWehaveremovedfromyouyourveil,soyoursighttodayissharp(50:22).Itshowsthatthevisionwithwhichmanwillseetheinformationsbroughtbytheprophets and theBook turning into realitywillbeof adifferentkind— thatperceptionwillnotbelikethisphysicalperception,whichweareusedtointhisworld.EventhemanifestationoftheDayofJudgmentaswellasthegoverningprincipleofthatdayshallbesomethingbeyondtheworldlyperceptionofours.(Itwillbefurtherexplainedsomewhereelse.)Therefore,whenitissaidthattheinformations given in the Book and tradition shall ‘‘return’’ to their truemeaningson theDayof Judgment it is not the same thing as fulfilmentof aforecastinfuture.Fromtheabovediscourse,itbecomesclearthat:First: The sentence, ‘‘This verse has an at-ta’wīl to which it returns’’,

conveysameaningdifferentfromthesentence,‘‘thisverseisambiguousanditreturnstoadecisiveverse’’.Second: at-Ta’wīl is not a peculiarity of the ambiguous verses; it is an

attribute of thewholeQur ’ān; decisive verses have theirat-ta’wīl, as do theambiguousones.Third:at-Ta’wīl is not themeaning of aword; it is some real fact found

outsidetheimagination.Whenwesaythatthisversehasanat-ta’wīl,wemeanthattheversedescribesarealfact(pastorfuture)orarealhappening,whichinits turn points to another reality — and that is its at-ta’wīl, or finalinterpretation.Note:In laterdays, thiswordwas takentomean‘‘the interpretation that is

against the apparentmeaning of theword’’. But it is not interpretation; it ismisinterpretation,anabuseoflanguage.ThiswrongconnotationwasunknownatthetimewhentheQur ’ānwasrevealed,andthereisnoevidencetosuggestthatthislatemeaningisintendedinthisverse.QUR’ĀN: but none knows its interpretation except Allāh:Apparently, the

pronoun, ‘‘its’’ refers to ‘‘the part of it which is ambiguous’’; also, thepronoun, ‘‘it’’ in the immediately preceding phrase, ‘‘to give it (their own)interpretation’’,referstothesame.Butitdoesnotnecessarilymeanthatonlytheambiguousverseshavetheir‘‘finalinterpretations’’.Another possibility: This ‘‘its’’ may refer to ‘‘the Book’’, as does the

pronoun,‘‘it’’,ofthephrase,‘‘theyfollowthepartofit’’.Therestriction,‘‘none…except’’,apparentlymeansthattheknowledgeof

its interpretation is restricted toAllāh. Theword, ‘‘and’’, in the nextwords,

‘‘and thosefirmlyrooted inknowledge’’ is tobeginanewsentence;and thisnew sentence describes the state of the second category which is in clearcontrastwiththefirstone,‘‘thoseinwhoseheartsthereisperversity’’.People,in their acceptanceof theBook, areof twocategories; thosewho follow theambiguouspartof theQur ’ān,and thosewho,whencoming tosuchaverse,say,‘‘Webelieveinit, it isall fromourLord’’.Andwhat is thebasisof thisdifference? It is the perversity of the hearts, on one side, and firmly rootedknowledge,ontheother.Theword,‘‘and’’, in‘‘andthosefirmlyrootedinknowledge…’’ isnota

conjunctive, that is, it doesnot say that ‘‘those firmly rooted inknowledge’’know,asAllāhdoes,theinterpretationoftheambiguousverses.Haditbeenso,theApostleofAllāh(s.a.w.a.)wouldcertainlyhavebeenoneofthem;ratherhewouldbethefirstandforemostofthem—itisunthinkablethattheQur ’ānwasrevealed to him and he did not know what it meant! And, as mentioned involume 4 (Eng. transl. p.320), whenever the Qur ’ān mentions a group ordescribes thevirtueofapeopleand theApostle isamong them, it invariablyalwaysmentionshisnameseparatelyandfirstofall,andthenthewholegroupismentionedtogether.ThisprotocolmaintainsthedignityandprestigeoftheApostle.Lookforexampleatthefollowingverses:TheApostlebelievesinwhathasbeenrevealedtohimfromhisLord,and(so

do)thebelievers(2:285).Then Allāh sent down His tranquillity upon His Apostle and upon the

believes(9:26).ButtheApostleandthosewhobelievewithhim…(9:88).…andthisProphetandthosewhobelieve…(3:68).… on the day on which Allāh will not abase the Prophet and those who

believewithhim(66:8).Therefore, if Allāh had intended to say that ‘‘those firmly rooted in

knowledge’’knewthefinalinterpretationoftheambiguousverses—andtheApostle of Allāh (s.a.w.a.) is certainly one of them — He would havementionedhisnameseparatelyandsaid:‘‘noneknowsitsinterpretationexceptAllāh and His Apostle and those firmly rooted in knowledge’’. However, itmaybearguedthatastheversehadbegunwiththewords,‘‘HeitisWhohassentdownto theetheBook’’, itnecessarilyshowedthat theApostleknewtheBook;therefore,therewasnoneedtomentionhisnameagain.Apparently, theknowledgeof the interpretation is restricted toAllāh—so

far as this verse is concerned.Although there are exceptions to it, they onlyservetoprovetherule.Thereare,forinstance,severalversesthatsaythattheknowledgeoftheunseenisrestrictedtoAllāh;yetanexceptionisgiveninthe

verses:TheKnower of the unseen! soHe does not revealHis secrets to anyexcepttowhomHechoosesofanapostle…(72:26—27).Also,therewouldbenodifficultyifotherversesweretoshowthatthevery

people who were firmly rooted in knowledge were exempted from thisrestriction.Thisversedescribesonecharacteristicofthosepeople—thattheybelieveintheambiguousverses,butrefrainfromactinguponthemandleavethematterinthehandofAllāh,contrarytothebehaviourofthosewhoseheartsareperverted.IfotherversesshowedthatallorsomeofthosewhowerefirmlyrootedinknowledgeknewtherealityoftheQur ’ānandtheinterpretationofitsverses, then it couldnotbe said that theywerecontradictory to thisverse—becausetheirsubjectmatterwouldbequitedifferentfromthisone.QUR’ĀN:andthosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledgesay:‘‘Webelievein

it, it is all from our Lord’’: ‘‘ar-Rusūkh’’ ( خوسرلا )istobefirmlyrooted,fixedorestablished.Thecontrastshownbetweenthemand thosewhose hearts are perverted, and then the praise that they say, ‘‘Webelieveinit,itisallfromourLord’’,givestheirfulldescription:TheyhaveknowledgeofAllāhandofHissigns,aknowledgethatisimmunefromeverydoubtandsuspicion;theirknowledgeofdecisiveversesisfirmlyestablished,there isnouncertainty in it; theybelieve in it andactupon it; andwhen theyfind an ambiguous verse, their hearts are not perturbed, nor it affects theirknowledgeofthedecisiveverses;sotheybelieveinthatambiguousverse,butrefrain from acting uponit.Theirdeclaration,‘‘Webelieveinit,itisallfromourLord’’,givesboththe

proof and the conclusion.Decisiveverses andambiguousones, all are fromAllāh—therefore,onemustbelieveinallofthem.Decisiveverseshaveclearmeanings; therefore, onemust also act upon them; the ambiguous ones alsomustbebelievedin,becausetheyarefromAllāh;butonlythatmeaningcanbeaccepted and acted upon that does not go against a decisive verse. In otherwords,ambiguousversesmustbereturnedtothedecisiveones.Therefore, the sentence, ‘‘it is all from our Lord’’, is the proof of two

things: (i)Decisiveversesmustbebelieved inand followed; (ii)Ambiguousonesmustbebelievedin,butforthepurposeofactiontheyshouldbereturnedtothedecisiveones.QUR’ĀN: and none do mind except those having understanding: ‘‘at-

Tadhakkur’’ ( رآذتلا =translatedhereas‘‘tomind’’)meanstoturntowardsthepremisestogettotheconclusion.Ithasbeenmentionedabove that thebelievers’declaration, ‘‘it isallfromourLord’’,wastheirproofbywhichtheyfoundtherighteousnessof

their behaviour; therefore, Allāh calledit ‘‘at-tadhakkur’’andpraisedthemforit. ‘‘al-Albāb’’ ( بابلالا ) is plural of al-lubb ( بللا )

which means an understanding, clear and free from defects. The people ofunderstanding have been praised very handsomely by Allāh in His Book.AccordingtotheQur ’ān,itistheywhobelieveinAllāh,turntowardsHimandfollow the best word; it is they who always remember their Lord, andconsequently acquire true knowledge through its premises, and they becomethe people of wisdom and knowledge. Read the followingverses:And (as for) thosewho keep off from theworship of the idols and turn to

Allāh, they shall have good news; therefore, give good news toMy servants thosewho listen to theword, then follow thebestof it; thoseare theywhomAllāhhasguided,andthoseit iswhoarethemenofunderstanding(39:17—18).Mostsurelyinthecreationoftheheavensandtheearthandthealternation

of thenightand theday thereare signs formenofunderstanding, thosewhorememberAllāhstandingandsittingandlyingontheirsidesandreflectonthecreationoftheheavensandtheearth…(3:190—191).Thisunceasingremembrance,andtheresultinghumilityandsubmissiveness

keep themponderingon the signsofAllāh fromwhich theyget the trueandrealknowledge.Allāhsays:…andnonemindsbuthewhoturns(toHim)againandagain(40:13).…andnonedomindexceptthosehavingunderstanding(2:269;3:7).QUR’ĀN:OurLord!makenotourheartstodeviateafterThouhastguided

us (aright); and grant us from Thee mercy; surely Thou art the most liberalGiver:This prayer is an indication of their firmly rooted knowledge. Theyknow their Lord and understand His power. They believe that everythingbelongstoHimonly,andthattheyhavenoauthoritywhatsoeverontheirownselves.ThereisapossibilitythatAllāhmaycausetheirheartstodeviateevenaftertheirfirmlyrootedknowledge.Therefore,theyseekrefugeintheirLordandaskHimnottomaketheirheartsdeviateafterHehasguidedthemaright,andtograntthemHisownmercysothatthisbountymayremainwiththemforeverandever,helpingthemtowalkonthestraightpath,bringingthemnearerandnearertotheirLord.WhydidtheyaskfromAllāhtograntthemmercyfromHimself,whenthey

had already asked Him not to make their hearts deviate? It is because non-deviation of heart does not necessarily mean remaining firmly rooted in

knowledge.Itispossiblethatone’sheartisnotdeviated,butatthesametimeisdeprived of the knowledge — one in this condition would be figurativelyspeakinginavegetativestate:neitherblessedwithknowledgenorcursedwithdeviation;ratherinastateofignoranceandfeebleness.Buttheyknowthattheirfirmly rooted knowledge is a must for them; so they pray for the Divinemercy,soasnottobedeprivedofthatknowledge.Apart from that, they are still on their way; and before the journey is

completedtheyareinneedofeverytypeofmercy—themerciesthatcannotbeknownorcountedexceptbyAllāh.Thoseknowledgeablebelieversarefullyawareofthisgreatneedoftheirs.Thesentencecomingafterthisverse,‘‘OurLord!surelyThouart theGathererofmenonadayaboutwhich there isnodoubt’’, shows their awareness of their dependence onDivinemercy till theendofthisjourney.The first prayer (make not our hearts deviate after Thou hast guided us

aright)seekstowardoffamisfortune;thesecondone(andgrantusfromTheemercy)pleadsforthegreatestfortune,theDivinemercythatwouldkeeptheirheartsalive forever.Theword, ‘‘mercy’’hasbeenusedasacommonnoun,and it has been qualifiedwith the phrase, ‘‘fromThee’’; they have used thisstyletoshowthattheydonotknowanythingaboutthismercy;theonlythingtheyknowisthat,butforthismercyoftheirLord,theycannotsucceedinanyway.They sought refuge inAllāh from the deviation of their hearts and asked

from Him His mercy. It proves that they knew that everything belonged toAllāh; their eyes were directly on the Real Cause, ignoring all the middlecauses.QUR’ĀN:Our Lord! surely Thou art theGatherer ofmen on a day about

whichthereisnodoubt;surelyAllāhfailsnot(His)promise:This pleading of theirs gives the reason of their prayer for mercy. They

knowthatthissystemofcreation,thiscalltothereligion,thisstrivingbymaninhispathoflife,allareprecursorsoftheirgatheringtogetherontheDayofResurrectionwhennooneshallavailanyoneandnoneshallbehelpedexceptby the Divine mercy. Allāh says:Surely the day of discrimination is theirappointed time, of all of them; the day on which a friend shall notavail(his) friend aught, nor shall they be helped, save those on whom Allāhshallhavemercy… (44:40—42).That iswhy theyprayed toHim forHismercy;and leftall itsdetails toHisdiscretion,so that itbeof realbenefit tothem.They said that there was no doubt about that day. It showed their deep

concern about the mercy asked for. Then they ended their prayer on the

sentence,‘‘surelyAllāhfailsnot(His)promise’’.Theywerefirmlyrootedinknowledge; knowledge about a thing is not firmly established unless oneknowsthecausefromwhichthatthingemanates.TheyhadnodoubtabouttheDayofResurrection,because ithadbeenpromisedbyAllāh;andAllāhdoesnotfailHispromise.Thispleadingcontainsapropositionfollowedbyitsreason.Theyhaveused

thesamestyleinthewholeinvocation.fromtheverybeginning:Theysaid,‘‘Webelieveinit’’,andgaveitsreasoninthenextsentence,‘‘itis

allfromourLord’’.Then theyprayed, ‘‘OurLord!makenot our hearts deviate’’, and added a

phrasethatgivesasortofitsreason,‘‘afterThouhastguidedus(aright)’’.Thencamethepleading,‘‘andgrantusfromTheemercy’’,followedbyits

reason, ‘‘surely Thou art the most liberal Giver ’’. In fact there is a doublepropositionandlikewiseadoublereasoninthisprayer.Theydidnotaskfor‘‘any’’mercy,butamercy ‘‘fromThee’’.Thereafter, the sentencegiving thereasoncontains twosingularpronounsof secondperson: ‘‘Ka’’ ( ك =Thou)and ‘‘anta’’ ( تنا = Thou) andthe predicate has been given the definitearticle, ‘‘al’’ ( لا =the);thesetworestrictivedevicesemphasizethattheonlyGiverisAllāh;andhence they have asked for only Hismercy.They are the peoplewho believed in their Lord and remained firm on it.

Therefore,Allāhguidedthemarightandperfectedtheirwisdom.Nowtheydonotutteranywordexceptwithknowledge,nordotheydoanyworkthatisnotbased on knowledge. Consequently, Allāh praised them by calling them as‘‘those firmly rooted in knowledge’’; and gave them the title of ‘‘people ofunderstanding’’.IfyoureadonceagainhowAllāhhaspraisedthepeopleofunderstanding,

youwillseethatallthoseattributesperfectlyfitthesepeople.Lookagain,forexample,attheverses:And(asfor)thosewhokeepofffromtheworshipoftheidolsand turn toAllāh, they shallhavegoodnews; thereforegivegoodnewstoMyservants, thosewho listen to theword, then followthebestof it; thoseare they whom Allāh has guided, and those it is who are the men ofunderstanding(39:17—18).Theseversessaythatthepeopleofunderstandinghave faith, follow the best of the word and turn to Allāh. The samecharacteristicshavebeenattributedinthisversetothosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledge.TheyhaveusedthesecondpersonsingularpronounsforAllāhthroughout

the prayer; but have ended it with mentioning the Divine name (and thusswitchingtothirdperson)andsaid:‘‘surelyAllāhfailsnot(His)promise’’.Itis because this promise is not especially for them; it is a general promise;thereforetheychangedthephrase,‘‘OurLord!’’totheDivinename‘‘Allāh’’,asthisnameshowsHissovereigntyoverallthings.

ADETAILEDDISCOURSEABOUTTHEDECISIVEANDAMBIGUOUSVERSESANDTHEINTERPRETATION

What we have explained above about the meaning of decisive and

ambiguousverses, aswell as their ‘‘interpretation’’, iswhatoneunderstandsafter deep consideration of the Qur ’ānic verses and the traditions of ourImāms.But the Muslims have entangled themselves in sharp controversies about

everyaspectof thesesubjects right from theearlydays;anddivergentviewshave been quoted regarding every detail even from the companions of theProphet and their disciples.And in all this confusing polemics, not a singleexplanation conforms with ours; we may say that none of them evensuperficiallyresemblesit.The main cause of this conflict is the confusion which exists about the

subjectmatter— theyhavemixed the discussionof decisive and ambiguousverseswiththatofinterpretation.Asaresult,theyareinamuddleconcerningtheissuestobedecided;thereisdisorderlinessintheirwaysofargumentsandthey are confused about the conclusions drawn from their discourses. Wepropose to give a systematic analysis of all their opinions under differentheadings.

1.TheDecisiveandtheAmbiguousVerses

‘‘al-Ihkām’’ ( ماكحالا = to make precise, to conform, to make decisive, to

strengthen) and ‘‘at-tashābuh’’ ( هباشتلا =conformity of one thing with other,ambiguity) are commonly used words with clear meanings. Allāh hasattributedtheseadjectivesandverbstothewholeBook:(Thisis)aBookwhoseverses were confirmed … (11:1); … a Book conforming (in its variousparts),oft-repeated… (39:23).These verses point to the fact that thewholeBookhasaforcefuleloquence,andawell-integratedstyle,andthatitsvariouspartsconformwitheachother instructuraleleganceandelocutionarybeauty—anditseverywordleadstosublimerealities.But when we look at the verse, ‘‘He it isWho has sent down to thee the

Book,ofittherearesomeversesdecisive,theyarethebasisoftheBook,andothers are ambiguous… ’’, we know that the adjectives, ‘‘al-muhkamāt’’ (

تامكحملا = confirmed, decisive) and ‘‘al-mutashābihāt’’ ( تاهباشتملا =conforming,ambiguous),asusedinthisverse,meansomethingdifferentfromtheearliermentionedtwoverses.Why?Becausethisversedividestheversesintwo categories and then says that only one is ‘‘decisive’’ and the other is‘‘ambiguous’’.Thesewordsinthisversecannothavethesamemeaningswhichwere applicable to the wholeBook.TheexegetesshouldhaveendeavouredtofindoutfromtheQur ’ānicverses

themselves which meanings could be applied in this case. Instead, variouspeople have interpreted them, according to their own thinking, inmore thanfifteenways:First:ThedecisivearethethreeversesinChapter6(Cattle):Say:‘‘ComeI

willrecitewhatyourLordhasforbiddentoyou—(remember)thatyoudonotassociate anythingwithHim and be good to (your)parents, and do not slayyourchildrenfor(fearof)poverty—Weprovideforyouandforthem—anddonotdrawneartoindecencies…thisHehasenjoinedyouwiththatyoumaybemindful(6:152—154).AndtheambiguousarethosepartsthatconfusedtheJews, and they are the ‘‘letter symbols’’ revealed at the beginning of manyQur ’ānicchapters,likeAliflāmmīmrā,Hāmīm,etc.Asithappened,theJewstriedtointerprettheminthelightoftheirnumericalvalues,andtheythoughtthatAliflāmmīmhintedthattheMuslimnationwouldcontinueforonly71(1+30 +40) years. Then other ‘‘letter symbols’’ were revealed, and the Jewsbecameconfused.

ThisopinionhasbeenattributedtoIbn‘Abbās,acompanionoftheProphet(s.a.w.a.).Comment:First, it is an opinion without any proof or evidence. Second,

there isnoevidence thatdecisiveandambiguousversesareonly those threeand the lettersymbols respectively.Third, ifweaccept thisview, thenalmostthewholeQur ’ān—exceptthosethreeversesandthelettersymbols—wouldfallinathirdcategory‘‘non-decisive,non-ambiguous’’;buttheverseclearlydividesthewholeBookintwocategoriesonly.The fact is that attribution of this view to Ibn ‘Abbās is out of place.

Accordingtothenarration,hehadsaidthatthethreeversesweredecisive—he had not said that the decisive verseswere only these three. It is reportedinad-Durru’l-manthūrfromSa‘īdibnMansūr,IbnAbīHātim,al-Hākim(whosaidthatthetraditionwascorrect)andIbnMarduwayhthat‘AbdullāhibnQayssaid:‘‘IheardIbn‘AbbāssayingaboutthewordsofAllāh:ofittherearesomeversesdecisive;hesaid:threeversesattheendoftheChapteroftheCattlearedecisive:Say:‘Come…’andtwofollowingverses.’’Thathementionedtheseversesjustasanexample,issupportedbyanother

traditionnarratedfromhimbythesameauthor—thatexplainingthewordsofAllāh, ‘‘verses decisive’’, he said: ‘‘From here, Say: ‘Come… ’ up to threeverses, and from here, And your Lord has commanded that you shall notworship(any)butHim…(17:23—25)uptothreeverses’’.Bothtraditionsclearlyshowthathementionedtheseversesasexamplesof

decisiveverses;notthatthedecisiveverseswereonlythese.Second:Oppositeofthefirstview:Thedecisivearethelettersymbolsatthe

beginningofvariouschapters;andambiguousarealltheotherverses.IthasbeenattributedtoAbūFākhitah;hesaidaboutthewordsofAllāh,they

arethebasisoftheBook, thattheyaretheopeningwordsofthechapters;theQur ’āniscomposedfromthem:Aliflāmmīm;thisBook,thereisnodoubtinit,theChapteroftheCowiscomposedfromthem:Aliflāmmīm;AllāhisHebesides Whom there is no god, the Chapter of the Family of ‘Imrān iscomposedfromthem.A similar interpretation is reported from Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr, about the

words:theyarethebasisoftheBook.Hesaid:‘‘ThebasisoftheBook,becausetheyarewritteninallthebooks.’’It appears that, according toAbū Fākhitah and Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr, the letter

symbols at the beginning of the chapters are just that— the symbols of thealphabets; and that by putting them in the beginning, Allāh has drawn theattentionofthehearerstothefactthatthisBook,whichisrevealedtoyou,ismadeupofthesealphabetsfromwhichwordsandsentencesaremade,andyet

noonecanbringalikeofit.Itisoneoftheviewsaboutthesignificanceofthelettersymbols.Comment:First, it isbasedonapremise(thesupposedsignificanceof the

lettersymbols)whichitselfiswithoutanyprooforevidence.Second,itisnotinconformitywiththeverseunderdiscussion.AccordingtothisinterpretationthewholeQur ’ān, other than the letter symbols, is ‘‘ambiguous’’; andAllāhhasinthisversecondemnedthosewhofollowtheambiguousverses,andhassaidthatitresultsfromperversityoftheirhearts;itmeansthatoneshouldnotfollow any verse of the Qur ’ān, except the letter symbols — and there isnothingtofollowinthosesymbols!Ontheotherhand,Allāhpraisesthosewhofollow theQur ’ān; in fact, to follow it is themost importantobligation.Forexample,Hesays:…andfollowthelightwhichhasbeensentdownwithhim,theseitisthatarethesuccessful(7:157).Third:Ambiguousmeansunspecified,indistinct,vagueverses,anddecisive

arethespecifiedandclearones.Comment:The particularsmentioned in the verse, about the decisive and

ambiguousverses,donotfitthisinterpretation.Awordiscalledvagueandindistinct,whenvariousaspectsof itsmeaning

aremixed together and it is difficult to disentangle themand toknowwhichone is really intended. Such aword is not acted upon unless it is joined byanother clarifyingwordwhichmakes itsmeaning clear, and then it is acteduponandfollowed.Itmustbenotedherethat,intheabove-mentionedcase,whatisfollowedis

thesamepreviouslyindistinctandvaguewordasclarifiedbythedistinctandclearone.Theclarifyingword,initself,isnotfollowed.Therefore, ifambiguousmeansthevagueandindistinctverseanddecisive

is the distinct and clear one, then it is the ambiguous verse that should befollowedwhenclarifiedbythedecisiveone—andnotthedecisiveverseitself.Accordingly, to follow an ambiguous verse should not invite condemnationandshouldnotbeassociatedwithperversityofheart.Andcomingtothepracticalside,noone—neitherthosewhoseheartsare

pervertednor thosewhoare firmly rooted inknowledge—followsavagueword unless it is clarified. But Allāh condemns the former for followingambiguousverses.Itmeansthatambiguousversesarenotvague.Fourth:Ambiguousarethoseverseswhichwereabrogated;onebelievein

them but does not act upon them.Decisive are the verses that abrogated theformer,becausetheyarebelievedinandactedupon.Thisopinionhasbeenascribed to Ibn ‘Abbās, IbnMas‘ūdandsomeother

companions. And that is why Ibn ‘Abbās used to say that he knew the

interpretationoftheQur ’ān.Comment:First, even ifwe accept this explanation as correct, there is no

proofthatonlytheabrogatedversesareambiguous.Thedescriptionthatsomepeople follow the ambiguous verses to mislead the people and to interpretthemin theirownway, is trueabouta lotofunabrogatedverses too, like theonesabouttheattributesandactionsofAllāh.Second,thisexplanationleavesamajorityoftheversesunaccountedfor—thosethatneitherabrogatedany,norwere abrogated by any. Was there a third category, which Allāh did notmention?And so far as the view of Ibn ‘Abbās is concerned, it is known that his

explanationofdecisiveandambiguousverseswasmorecomprehensive,andthathementionedthesetwotypes—abrogatedonesandthosethatabrogate—justasexamples. It isquoted inad-Durru’l-manthūr fromIbnJarīr, Ibnu’1-MundhirandIbnAbīHātim,throughthechainof‘Alī,fromIbn‘Abbāsthathesaid:‘‘Thedecisiveversesaretheonesthatabrogatedotherverses,containthelawfulandunlawful,describethelimitsandduties,and(inshort)thosewhichare believed in (and acted upon); and the ambiguous are the ones that areabrogated, inwhich there is some juxtaposition, the parables, the oaths, andthatwhichisbelievedinbutnotactedupon.’’Fifth:Decisiveare thoseverseswhoseproof isclearandevident, like the

proofs ofOneness ofAllāh, andofHis power andwisdom.And ambiguousarethosewhichrequirethinkingandconsideration.Comment:Whatisthemeaningofaversehavingclearandevidentproof?

Does itmean that themain idea of a verse should have a rational and self-evidentproof?Ifso,thenallversescontainingthelawsorexplainingthedutieswould become ambiguous, because not a single such law has a self-evidentrational proof. Consequently, acting upon the verses containing the rules ofthesharī‘ahwouldbecondemnable!AndIslamsaysthattheymustbefollowedandactedupon!Ordoes itmean that the ideaofaverse shouldhaveaclearprooffromtheBookitself?Ifso,thenalltheversesdohavethisquality.Andwhynot?Afterall,itisaBook,conforminginitsvariousparts,oft-repeated,alight, a clear discourse. So, according to this interpretation, all the verseswouldbedecisive,andtherewouldremainnoambiguousone.ButtheQur ’ānsaysthatsomeofitsversesareambiguous.Sixth:Decisiveiseverythingthatcanbeknownwiththehelpofaclearor

hiddenproof;andambiguous is thatwhichcannotbeknowninanyway, likethetimeofresurrection.Comment:Beingdecisiveorambiguousarethecharacteristicsoftheverses

of the Book. The Arabic name of a verse is al-āyah ( ةیالا =

sign), because it shows a reality from the Divine realities. Whatever isdescribedbyaQur ’ānicversecannotbesaid,byanystretchofimagination,tobe ‘‘unknowable’’; nor is it incomprehensible— itmay surely be correctlyunderstoodeitherbyitselforwiththehelpofotherverses.Howcanitbesaidthataverseintendstosaysomethingbutitswordsfailtoconveytheintendedmeaning? Allāh has described His Book as the guidance, the light and theclarification; and that even unbelievers could comprehend it— let alone thebelievers:ArevelationfromtheBeneficent,theMercifulAllāh,aBookofwhichtheversesaremade plain, anArabicQur’ān for a peoplewho know; a herald of goodnewsandawarnerbutmostofthemturnasidesotheyhearnot(41:2—4);DotheynotthenmeditateontheQur’ān?AndifitwerefromanyotherthanAllāh,theywouldhavefoundinitmanyadiscrepancy(4:82).Obviously,nosubjectmatterdealtwithintheQur ’ānisincomprehensibleorunknowable.Andwhatcannotbeknown,likethetimeofresurrectionandothersecretsoftheunseen,hasnotbeentouchedbyanyverse.So,howcananyversebecalledambiguousinthesuggestedmeaning?Infact,thisexplanationconfusesbetweenthemeaningsof‘‘ambiguous’’and

‘‘final interpretation’’, (the true significance of which has already beendescribedbyusinthebeginning).Seventh:Decisiveare theversescontainingthe lawsandthesharī‘ah;and

ambiguousaretheotherverses,someofwhichaffectstheothers.ThisopinionhasbeenattributedtoMujahidamongothers.Comment:Thisinterpretationiswronginbothways:Apparently‘‘affecting

eachother ’’meanshelpinginfixationoftheintendedmeaning,asa.specifyingwordqualifiesageneralone;orasacontextpin-points the ideaconveyed. Ifso,theneventheversescontainingthelawsshouldbecountedasambiguous,becausetheytooaresubjecttothisinter-action.On the other hand, this interpretation gives an impression about the basic

characteristicofadecisiveverse:Thatthereisnovaguenessinitsmeaning;itdistinctly points to its intended idea; that its import is knownby itself,whileothers’senseisunderstoodbyitshelp.Ifitisso,andifitisacceptedthatonlythe verses containing the laws are decisive, then nothing of the Qur ’anicknowledgeandrealities(excepttherulesofthesharī‘ah)canbeknown;thereis supposedly no decisive verse in that group and, therefore, those versescannotbereferredtoanydecisiveone,andconsequently,theirsubstancewouldremainunknowableforever.Eighth:Decisive is theverse thatcannotbe interpretedexcept inoneway;

ambiguousistheonethatmaybeinterpretedinmorethanoneway.

Ithasbeenascribedtoash-Shāfi‘ī.Probably,hemeansthatthedecisiveverse‘‘apperently’’ has only onemeaning; and the ambiguous hasmore than one‘‘apparent’’meaning.Comment: This ‘‘explanation’’ just changes one word with another:

‘‘decisive’’ has been changed to ‘‘one having only one meaning’’, and‘‘ambiguous’’to‘‘onehavingmorethanonemeaning’’.Apartfromthatinhisview,at-ta’wīl (interpretation)signifies themeaning

of the word; and, as we have earlier explained, it is not correct. If‘‘interpretation’’ is the same thing as the meaning of a word, then itsknowledge could not be restricted to Allāh, (or to Allāh and those firmlyrooted in knowledge). We know that the verses of the Qur ’ān explain themeaningsofeachother;andbelieversandunbelievers;thosefirmlyrootedinknowledge and those inwhose hearts is perversity—all equally understandthismeaning.Ninth:Decisiveare thoseverseswhichhavebeenconfirmedand inwhich

thenewsoftheprophetsandtheirpeopleshasbeengivenindetail;andthose‘‘conforming to each other ’’ are those stories that have been repeatedlymentionedinvariouschaptersandwhosewordsconformtoeachother.According to this interpretation, the two categories — decisive and

ambiguous—areconfinedtothestoriesonly.Comment:First,thereisnoproofthattheQur ’ānicdivisionisconfinedto

the verses of the stories. Second, the given characteristics of decisive andambiguousverses—thatthosewhofollowtheambiguousdosotomisleadthepeople and to give the verse their own interpretation; and that following thedecisiveversehasnosuchdefect—donotagreewiththisexplanation.Thesecharacteristics are found in other verses as much as in stories, and in oncenarrated story (like instituting the khilāfah in the earth) as well as in oft-repeatedones.Tenth:Ambiguousisthatversewhichneedsexplanation;decisiveonedoes

notneedit.ThisviewisascribedtoAhmadibnHanbal.Comment:The verse containing the sharī‘ahneed to be explained by the

Prophet, although they are certainly among the decisive ones. On the otherhand, theabrogatedversesareamong theambiguousones (aswasdescribedearlier), and they do not need any explanation (because they are not acterupon), even though in all other respects they are like any other verse ofthesharī‘ah.Thesuggestedmeaningis,therefore,neitherallinclusivenorexclusive.Eleventh: Decisive is the verse that is believed in and acted upon; and

ambiguousisbelievedinbutnotactedupon.

It hasbeen attributed to IbnTaymiyyah.Perhaps, hewanted to say that thestoriesandinformationswereambiguous,andthosecontainingthelawsweredecisive.Ifthisistheideabehindthisexplanation,thenitcouldbecountedasaseparate view; otherwise, it could be fitted to many of the previouslymentionedopinions.Comment: It would mean that all verses, other than those concerning

thesharī‘ah,wouldbeambiguous. Inotherwords, itwouldbe impossible tohave knowledge of anyDivine reality or any spiritual factmentioned in theQur ’ān (other than the matters of law) because there would be no decisiveverseinthatgrouptowhichtherestofitcouldbereferred.On the other hand, abrogated verses are concernedwith the sharī‘ah, but

certainlytheyarenotdecisive.Apparently, he looked at the words, ‘‘… those in whose hearts there is

perversity,theyfollowthepartofitwhichisambiguous’’,and‘‘thosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledgesay:‘Webelieveinit,itisallfromourLord’’’;andthenparaphraseditinthesewordsthatdecisiveversesarebelievedinandacteduponwhile ambiguousonesarebelieved inbutnot actedupon.Hedidnot realize that this believing in and following, or only believing withoutfollowing, expresses the duty of the believer ‘after ’ he has distinguishedbetween the decisive and ambiguous verses. In other words, it is not thecriterion by which one may know the decisive verses from the ambiguous;theremustbesomeothertesttodistinguishbetweenthetwocategories.Twelfth:Ambiguousarethoseverseswhichdescribetheattributes,whether

ofAllāh,forexample,All-knowing,Powerful,WiseandAll-aware,orofHisprophets,forexample,theverseabout‘Īsā(a.s.):…andHisWordwhichHeconveyeduntoMary,andaSpirit(proceeding)fromHim…(4:171),andotherversesofthistype.IttoohasbeenattributedtoIbnTaymiyyah.Comment:Acceptedthattheversesofattributesareambiguous;butthereis

noevidencethatambiguousversesareconfinedtoonlythose.Hehaswrittenalongpassagefromwhichitappearsthathetakesthesetwo

termsintheirliteralmeaning.Agistofhisdiscourseisasfollows:‘‘Decisive is the verse whose meaning is distinct; ambiguous is the one

whichhastwoormorepossiblemeanings.Thetwoconceptsarerelative:maybeaverse isambiguousforanordinaryman,anddistinctanddecisiveforamore knowledgeable one. This relativitymanifest's itself very clearly in theverses of attributes.Most of the people fail to understand their significance.Their comprehension does not go beyond the limits of the matter. Theyinterpret theDivineAttributes—knowledge,power,sight,hearing,pleasure,

displeasure,hand,eyeandothersuchexpressions—inmaterial terms,or inwrongways.Thuspeoplearemisled,wrongbeliefsandpracticescropupandvariousschoolsofthoughtscomeintobeing.‘‘So this is the meaning of decisive and ambiguous. Both are within the

purviewofhumanknowledge.Whatcannotbeknown is the interpretationofambiguousverses,thatis, therealitythatishiddenbehindsuchverses.Letussay thatwe know themeaning of thewords ofAllāh:Most surely Allāh haspowerovereverything,andMostsurelyAllāhknowseverything.Still,wedonotknow the reality of His power and knowledge. The same is true about allDivineAttributes and actions. It is this final interpretation of the ambiguousverseswhichnooneknowsexceptAllāh.’’Weshallcommentonitwhendiscussingthesubjectof‘‘interpretation’’.Thirteenth: Decisive is what can be reached by the understanding;

ambiguousisoppositetoit.Comment:First,itisanopinionthatisnotsupportedbyanyproof.Second,

it is correct that the Qur ’ānic verses may be divided in this way; but thisdivisionistotallydifferentfromthatwhichgroupstheversesintwocategoriesofdecisiveandambiguous.Thecharacteristicsofdecisiveandambiguousdonotfittothetwosidesofthisdivision.Third,itisnotallinclusive;theversesof the sharī‘ahare surely decisive, and human understanding has noway toreachthem.Fourteenth: Ambiguous is a verse whose interpretation is against the

apparentmeaningof itswords.Decisive isopposite to it; its interpretation isthe same as its apparentmeaning. This is the view popular among the laterscholars;andtheyusethewordat-ta’wīlforaninterpretationthatisagainsttheapparentmeaningofthewords.Perhaps,thesamewasmeantbythescholarwhosaid:Decisiveisthatverse

whoseinterpretationisthesameasitsrevelation,andambiguousistheonethatcannotbecomprehendedexceptthroughinterpretation.Comment:Itisanewterminologyandthegivencharacteristicsofdecisive

andambiguousversesdonotagreewithit.Ambiguousisanexpressionthatiscapableofmorethanonemeaning;but

onlyoneof thosemeanings is intended.And that intendedmeaning isnot its‘‘interpretation’’.Theinterpretation,asexplainedearlier, isacommonfactorofalltheQur ’ānicverses,thedecisiveandtheambiguousalike.Moreover, there is not a single verse in theQur ’ānwhose connotation is

against its apparent meaning. A few verses that give such impression, aregovernedbythedecisiveverses—andtheQur ’ānicversesexplaineachother.Obviously,ameaningbasedoncontextandassociationscannotbesaid tobe

against the apparent meaning; and especially when the Speaker Himselfdeclares beforehand that various parts of His speech are all related to eachotherandshouldbeunderstoodwitheachother ’shelp,andthatnodifferencecan be found in it if one ponders over it;Do they not then meditate on theQur’ān?AndifitwerefromanyotherthanAllāh,theywouldhavefoundinitmanyadiscrepancy(4:82).Fifteenth:Ifthereisunanimityabouttheinterpretationofaverse,thenitis

decisive;otherwise,itisambiguous.This opinion is ascribed to al-Asamm. Perhaps, what he says may be

expressed in other words: There is no difference of opinion as to what adecisive verse means; while there is always such a difference about anambiguousone.Comment: If that be the criterion, then the whole Qur ’ān would become

ambiguous,contrarytothedivisionmentionedinthisverse.Notasingleverseisfreefromcontroversy;thereisalwayssomedifferenceeitheraboutitswordor its meaning; always some disagreement whether its apparent meaning isintended.ThishasledsomepeopletosaythatthewholeQur ’ānisambiguous;andheofferstheverse:…aBookconforminginitsvariousparts(39:23),ashisproof.Heseemsobliviousoftheinherentcontradictioninthisreasoning:Thisargumentmeansthatatleastthisverseisdecisivesothatitmaybereliedupon,whilehewantstoprovefromitthatnotasingleverseisdecisive!Someothers,believingthatthewholeQur ’ānwasambiguous,saidthatthe

apparentmeaningsoftheQur ’ānarenotaproofatall.Sixteenth:Ambiguous is the verse that is difficult to explain, because it

resembles another verse— the difficultymay arise because of theword orbecauseofthemeaning.Itistheopinionofal-Rāghib.HehaswritteninMufradātu’l-Qur’ān:‘‘Ambiguous verses of the Qur ’ān are those that are difficult to explain

because of their resemblance to other verses — it is either in word or inmeaning.Thereligiousscholarshavesaid:‘Theambiguousistheversewhoseapparentmeaning does not indicate its real connotation.’ The fact is that theverses, when compared to each other, are of three kinds: The decisive, theambiguous, and that which is decisive in some respects and ambiguous inothers.‘‘Theambiguous,inall,isofthreekinds:ambiguousinword,ambiguousin

meaning,andambiguousinwordandmeaningboth.‘‘Theambiguousinwordisoftwokinds:Whereambiguousnessiscaused

byoneword—itisnotacommonlyusedword,likeal-abb( بالا =herbage)and yaziffūn ( نوفزی = they

are hastening); or has more than one meaning,like al-yad ( دیلا = hand,power) and al-‘ayn ( نیعلا __o_n__t= eye, sun, supervision) — and where ambiguousness results from thestructureofthesentence.Thismayhappeninoneofthethreeways:whensomeexplanatory words are omitted for the sake of brevity, forexample: Andif you fear that you cannot act equitably towards orphans, then marry suchwomenasseemgood toyou, twoand threeand four (4:3);whensomewordsareaddedintothesentenceforsomereason,forexample:Thereisnothinglikethe likenessofHim (42:11)— itwouldhavebeen easier to understand for acommonmanifitweresaid,‘thereisnothinglikeHim’;andwhenawordistransferredfromitsusualplaceforrhymingorotherreasons,forexample:…WhorevealedtheBooktoHisservantanddidnotmakeinitanycrookedness.Rightlydirecting…(18:1—2)—theword,‘Rightlydirecting’describesthestateof‘‘theBook’’andshouldhavecomesoonafterit;anotherexample:…andwereitnotforbelievingmenandbelievingwomen…hadtheybeenwidelyseparated…(48:25).‘‘And the ambiguousaccording tomeaningare the attributesofAllāhand

details of theDayofResurrection.These things are beyond the limit of ourimagination—wecannotimagineathingthatisnotperceivedbyus,ordoesnotresembleanysuchperceivedthing,atleast.‘‘And theambiguous inwordandmeaningboth isof fivekinds:First, the

ambiguity,becauseofquantity;whenitisarguablewhetherthewordisusedinitsgeneralorparticularmeaning,forexample,‘‘killthepolytheists’’.Second,the ambiguity because of quality; whether the given order is obligatory orrecommended,forexample,‘‘thenmarrysuchwomanasseemgoodtoyou’’.Third, the ambiguity because of time, when it is arguable which of the twogiven orders is abrogated and which one abrogated it. Forth, ambiguitybecauseof theplaceandtheincidentaboutwhichtheversewasrevealed,forexample:Anditisnotrighteousnessthatyoushouldenterthehousesfromtheirbacks…(2:189);andPostponing(ofthesacredmonth)isonlyanadditioninunbelief (9:37). It is difficult for amanwho does not know the pre-IslamicArabs’customstounderstandthesereferences.Fifth,ambiguitybecauseoftheconditions thatmake an action valid or void, for example, the conditions ofprayerandmarriage. ‘‘If you ponder on these divisions, youwill see that all that the exegetes

havewrittenorsaidconcerningthemeaningofthe‘ambiguous’,comesunder

oneortheotherofitsheadingsandsub-headings;forexample,thesayingthatambiguousarethelettersymbols,orQatādah’sopinionthattheambiguousistheabrogatedverse,andthedecisiveisthatwhichaborgatedit,andtheviewofal-Asamm that there is unanimity about the interpretation of decisive verses,whilethereisnosuchunanimityaboutambiguousones.‘‘Thenalltheambiguousverses—whateverthereasonsoftheirambiguity

—areofthreecategories:First,thatwhichcannotbeknownbyanyoneinanyway, like the timeof resurrection, the appearanceof thewalkerof the earth,andwhatthatwalkeris,etc.Second,thatwhichmaybeunderstoodbyman,likethe uncommon words and complicated syntax. Third, that which may becomprehendedbysomeofthosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledge,andmayremainhidden fromothers. It is this third category, aboutwhich theProphetprayed for ‘Alī (may Allāh be pleased with him), ‘O Allāh! give him theknowledge of religion and teach him the ‘‘interpretation’’ ’; and prayed likethisforIbn‘Abbāstoo.’’Thiswastheopinionofar-Rāghib;itisthemostcomprehensiveofallsuch

views;andcombinesmanyofthepreviouslymentionedopinions.Comment:First, it is against theobviousmeaningof theverse to say that

‘‘ambiguousness’’ includes such cases as the uncommonwords, complicatedsentence-structure, generality and particularity of expressions etc. The versesays that the ambiguous versesmay be understood by referring them to thedecisiveones.Buttheabove-mentionedwordproblemscannotbesolvedbythedecisive verses; there are other methods to solve them, like the grammer,dictionaryetc.Moreover,theversesaysthatthosewhofollowtheambiguousversesdoso

tomisguide and to interpret them in their ownways. But nobody follows ageneralwordwithoutknowingitsparticulars,oranuncommonwordwithoutascertainingfromthedictionarywhatitmeans.Ifanyonedidso,peoplewouldnot listen to him, because it would be against the universally acceptedprinciplesoflanguage;and,asnoonewouldlistentohim,therecouldbenomisleadingandnomisinterpreting.Second, his final division of the ambiguous into three categories— that

whichcanbeunderstoodbycommonman, thatwhichcannotbeunderstood,andthatwhichcanbeunderstoodbysomeandnotbyothers—showsthathethinksthat‘‘interpretation’’isapeculiarityofambiguousverses.Butwehavealready explained that ‘‘interpretation’’ is common to both ambiguous anddecisiveones.Theseweretheopinionsofthescholarsaboutthemeaningsofthedecisive

andambiguousverses.Asyouhaveseen,noneof them is free fromdefects,

nor does any conform with the clear purport of the verse. What oneunderstands from the verse is this: An ambiguous verse is capable ofmorethanonemeaning,butthemoreapparentmeaningisdoubtful—notbecauseofany difficulty of language or syntax (which can easily be removedwith thehelp of well-recognised literary and linguistic methods), but because it isagainstthesemanticvalueofadecisiveverse.Therefore,theactuallyintendedmeaningmaybeascertainedonlywiththehelpofthatdecisiveverse.Obviously,theapparentmeaningofanambiguousverseshouldbefamiliar

tothecommonpeopleandthesimplemindswouldreadilyacceptitandbelievein it. Or if both meanings require some explanation, then the explanationleadingtounintendedmeaningwouldbeeasiertounderstandforanuninitiatedandunlearnedman.Lookattheinnovationsandwrongsectarianbeliefs;studythenever-ending

schismsthathavebeenshatteringtheMuslimcommunitysincethemomenttheProphet left thisworld; try to findout thebasic causeof theirdifferences inmattersofbeliefandlaw—andyouwillseethatmostofthemhaveresultedfromfollowingtheambiguousversesandfrominterpretingtheminawaynotapprovedbyAllāh.Every sect proves its beliefs from theQur ’ānic verses:Aparty finds in it

evidencethatAllāhisabody;agroupprovesfromitthatmanhasnofreewillconcerninghisactions,whileanotherfactiontriestoshowthatmanis totallyindependent of Allāh in this respect; some people argue that the prophetscommittedmistakesandsins,andtheyquotetheversesintheirsupport;acirclesaysandprovesitfromtheQur ’ān,thatAllāhissosublimethateven‘‘DivineAttributes’’ should not be attributed to Him, while another faction says, andproves it too from the Qur ’ān, that Allāh is just like His creatures and Hisattributesareseparate fromHisPerson.Andsoonandso forth.All this isaresult of following the ambiguous verses without ‘‘returning’’ them to therelevantdecisiveones.Thenlookatagroupsayingthatthelawsofthesharī‘ahwereordained to

serveasapathtoreachthegoal;ifonefindsashorterroutethatleadstothesamedestination,itwouldbeobligatorytowalkonthisnewroute,becausethemainthingis toreachthere, throughanyeasyway.Anotheronesaysthat therulesofthesharī‘ahwerepromulgatedtoleadthemantoperfection;thereisnojustificationofburdeningamanwiththemafterhehasreachedthatgoal—therefore,onewhohasattainedperfectionisnotobligedtoobservetherulesof thesharī‘ah.All therulesof thesharī‘ah,all the religiousobligations, thecompletepenalcodeandallIslamicpolicieswereestablishedandenforcedinthedaysof theProphet,nota single itemwasneglectedorkept inabeyance.

Then,afterhisdeparture,theMuslimgovernmentsbegansuspendinglawafterlaw. Itwas a continual process.Whenever a lawor a penaltywas discarded,thosewhowereresponsibleforitargued:Thereligionwassentdownforthegood of theworld and the good of theman;whatwe have adopted now, inplaceoftheoldout-modedlaw,isfarmorebetterforthepeople.Now,wehavereachedastagewhereitissaid:Theonlypurposeofthesharī‘ahwastomaketheworld a goodplace to live in; theworld, nowadays, is not in amood toacceptthepoliciesandpunishmentsprescribedbyIslam—itcannotdigestit;theadvancedcivilizationdemandsadvancedandcivilizedlaws—thelawsofIslam are not good for this stage. Also, it is said: The religious rites wereestablishedso that theymightpurify theheartsand lead theminds tocorrectperception; those hearts that have beenwell-trained by the society and thosespirits that are solely devoted to the service of mankind, do not need suchpurificationsasablution,obligatorybath,prayerandfastetc.Ponderoversuchviews—andtheirnumberisbeyondcounting—andthen

studythewordsofAllāh,‘‘thenasforthoseinwhoseheartsthereisperversity,theyfollowthepartofitwhichisambiguous,seekingtomislead,andseekingtogiveit(theirown)interpretation’’,andyouwillhavetoadmitthatallthosedisorders and calamities that befell Islam and the Muslims, have emanatedfromonlyonesource—followingtheambiguousversesseekingtogivethemone’sowninterpretation.That is the reason—andAllāhknowsbetter—why theQur ’ānhas used

suchatoughlanguageinthisrespect,moststrictlyforbiddingtheMuslimstofollow the ambiguous verses seeking tomislead the people, and to interpretthemaccordingtoone’sownliking;andwhyithascondemnedthetendencyofdistorting the signs and words of Allāh, explaining them without trueknowledge,andfollowingthefootstepsofSatan.ItistheusualpracticeoftheQur ’āntoputgreatestemphasisoncondemningthosemattersthatwerelikelytodestroyanyfundamentalpartofthereligion,which,initsturn,couldleadtoruination of the whole structure. Look, for example, at the severestadmonitions against befriending the unbelievers; about the love of the nearrelatives of the Prophet; for staying of thewives of the Prophet inside theirhouses; against the interest; andconcerning theunity in thewordof religionetc.What is the basic source of perversity of heart and of the tendency to

mislead the people? It happens when one is inclined towards this materialworld,lovestoremainontheearthforeverandsuccumbstodesires.Howcantherustofperversityberemoved?Howcanthedoorofmisdirectionbeclosedshut?Theonlywayis toremember theDayofReckoning,asAllāhsays:(as

for) thosewho go astray from the path of Allāh, for them surely is a severepunishment because they forgot the Day of Reckoning (38:26). That is whythosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledgeandwhodonotwishtointerprettheQur ’ān inaway theirLorddoesnotapprove,point to this factat theendoftheirprayer:‘‘OurLord!SurelyThouarttheGathererofmenonadayaboutwhichthereisnodoubt;surelyAllāhfailsnot(His)promise.’’

2.‘‘TheDecisiveVersesaretheBasisoftheBook.’’Whatdoesitmean?

Agroupsays:ThedecisiveversesarethebasisoftheBook—itmeansthat

they are the foundation of the Book upon which the edifice of religion, itsprinciples and laws, are built up; and religion is only a collectionof beliefsanddeeds.Therefore,suchversesarebelievedinandactedupon.Sofarastheambiguous verses are concerned, they are believed in but not acted upon,becausetheirmeaningsarenotdistinctandtheirconnotationsarevague.Comment:Thismeaningnecessarilyemanates fromsomeof theopinions

about themeaningof thedecisiveandambiguousverses. Ifonebelieves thatambiguousistheversewhoseinterpretationisdifficulttocomprehend,orthatitsambiguousnessmayberemovedtotallyorpartiallywiththehelpofreason,grammar, dictionary or othermeans used to solve aword-problem, then hewouldhavetoexplainthe‘‘basisoftheBook’’inthewaywrittenabove.Others say that the sentence, ‘‘Decisiveverses are thebasisof theBook’’,

refers to the fact that ambiguousverses return, that is, are referred, to them.Butwhat is themeaning of this ‘‘return’’ or reference? Some people say: Itmeans that ambiguous verses should be believed in, but when it comes toaction, only the relevant decisiveverse shouldbe followed.For example, anabrogated verse should be believed in, but at the time of action it should bereturnedtoitsrelevantdecisiveverse,thatis,theonethatabrogatedit.Comment:Thisexplanationisnotverydifferentfromthefirstone.Thereisathirdexplanationanditisthecorrectone:Thedecisiveversesare

thebasisoftheBook,inasmuchastheyclarifyandexplaintheambiguousonesandremovetheirambiguousness.As explained in the Commentary, ‘‘al-umm’’ ( مالا =

translated here as ‘‘basis’’) literary means a thing to which another thingreturns.Theword‘‘basis’’orfoundationdoesnotconveythefullsenseofthisword.The firstexplanation interprets itmerelyas the foundation;but itdoesnot explain its full import. Theword al-ummpoints toa specialkindof return—asapart returns to itswhole,orabranchreturnstoitsroots;thethingthatreturnsisderivedfrom,andisapartof,thethingtowhichitreturns.Thisword,therefore,indicatesthatambiguousverses have suchmeanings that branch out from, and return to, the decisive

ones.Andthatiswhythedecisiveonesexplainandclarifytheambiguousones.Moreover, theambiguousisgiventhisnamebecauseit iscapableofmore

thanonemeaning;andnotbecauseithasan‘‘interpretation’’—interpretationisfoundindecisiveversesalso;theQur ’ānicversesexplaineachother,anditisonlydecisiveverses thatcanclarify theambiguousones.Letus repeat theexampleoftheverse:LookingtotheirLord(75:23);itisambiguous;butwhenit isreturnedtothewordsofAllāh:nothingis likea likenessofHim(42:11),and:VisionscomprehendHimnot(6:103),itbecomesclearthat‘‘lookingat’’inthisphrasemeanssomethingdifferentfromtheopticalvisionconnectedwiththeeyes.Likewise, Allāh has said: The (Prophet’s) heart belied not what he saw.

What!doyouthendisputewithhimastowhathesaw?…CertainlyhesawofthegreatestsignsofhisLord(53:11—18).Theverseprovesthatthehearthasa sight of its own. And this vision of heart is something different from‘‘thinking’’ and ‘‘consideration’’.Because the thought and consideration is aprocess that consists of a subject and a predicate; while vision is a singleaction, it looks at the object without joining it to any subject or predicate.Therefore,thisvisionofheartisneitheramaterialnoramentalconsideration;itistheorientationofhearttowardstheobject.Thesameisthecasewithallotherambiguousverses.

3.TheMeaningof‘‘at-Ta’wīl’’

According to some exegetes at-ta’wīl (interpretation) is synonymous for

exegesis,explanationormeaningof thesentence.MeaningsofsomepartsoftheQur ’ānarecertainlyknown to thepeople.Accordingly, the interpretationmentioned in the verse (seeking to give it their own interpretation, but noneknowsitsinterpretationexceptAllāh)mustberestrictedtothemeaningoftheambiguous verses. Therefore, they say that none can know, in any way, themeaning of an ambiguous verse, exceptAllāh— or exceptAllāh and thosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledge.Anothergroupsays that ‘‘interpretation’’ is themeaning that isagainst the

apparentmeaning of theword.This explanation has become sowide spreadthat, atpresent, ithasbecome the realmeaningofat-ta’wīl,while originallythis word meant ‘‘to return’’ or ‘‘the returning place’’. Anyhow, thisexplanation is popular among the later exegetes, while the first-mentionedexplanation was familiar to the ancients, whether they believed that itsknowledgewasrestrictedtoAllāhonly,orsaidthattheytoo,whowerefirmlyrooted in knowledge, knew it; for example, it has been narrated from Ibn‘Abbās that he used to say: ‘‘I am one of those who are firmly rooted inknowledgeandIknowitsinterpretation.’’A thirdgroup says: ‘‘Interpretation’’ is thatmeaningof theversewhich is

not known except to Allāh (or to Allāh and the ones firmly rooted inknowledge),andwhich isagainst theapparentmeaningof theword. Inotherwords,anambiguousversehasmanymeanings—onebehindtheother;somemeaningsareshowingthemselvesjustbehindthewords,andmaybeperceivedbyone and all; others are far behind andnoneknows themexceptAllāh (orexceptAllāhandthosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledge).Thereis,withinthisgroup,adifferenceofopinionastohowthosevarious

meaningsarerelatedtotheword.Itissurethatallofthemarenotonthesamelevel; otherwise, it would mean that one word is used in more than onemeaningatthesametime,andthatisnotpermissibleinlanguage(ashasbeenexplained in the Fundamentals of Jurisprudence). Therefore, thosemeaningsmust be taken consecutively. Now comes the difference: Some say that onemeaningistherealone;thesecondisitsconcomitant;thethirdisthesecond’sconcomitantandsoon.Otherssaythatthemeaningsareallrankedonebehindtheother,asanesotericmeaningishiddenbehindamanifestone.Whenamanspeaksaword,heintendsittoconveyitsfamiliarmeaning,.andwiththesame

intentionheaimsatitsesotericmeaning.Yousay:Givemewatertodrink.Youaskonlyfordrink;but thatverywordisalsoademandtosatiateyour thirst;andthisinitsturnisacalltosatisfyaneedoflife,andthenadeterminationtoacquire theperfectionof existence.Note that youhadnotgiven fourorders;youonlytoldhimtogiveyouwatertodrink,butthisonedemandcontainedinitselfalltheunspokenbutintendeddemands—oneinsidetheother.There is a fourth explanation: Interpretation is not a sort of a meaning

intendedfromtheword.Itisathingreallyexistingoutsideimagination,uponwhich the talk is based. If the speech is of imperativemood—enjoiningorforbidding — then its interpretation is that reason for which the saidcommandmentisgiven.Thereisanorder:Establishprayer.Itsinterpretationisthatspiritualperfectionwhich illuminates thesoulof theonewhoprays,andprevents him from evil and sin. If the speech is an information—of a pastevent— then that event itself is its interpretation. Look, for example, at theverses narrating the stories of theprophets and their peoples.And if it is aninformationofapresentorfuturehappening,thenitisoftwokinds:(1)Ifthesubjectmaybeperceivedbyoneofthesensesorcomprehendedbymind,thenits interpretation is the same subject as it exists or shall exist in reality: Forexample, Allāh says: and among you are those who hearken for theirsake (9:47);and:TheRomansare vanquished, in a near land, and they, afterbeingvanquished,shallovercomewithinafewyears(30:2—4).(2)If it isafutureeventofunseenthatcannotbeperceivedbyworldlyperceptions,norcanitbecomprehendedbyourminds,liketheaffairsoftheDayofResurrection,thetimeofitshappening,theraisingofthedeadandtheirgatheringtogether,thequestioning, thereckoning, theflyingof thebooksofdeedsetc.,and likethe reality of the Divine Attributes and Actions. (These latter are above thereachoftimeandbeyondthelimitofminds),thentootheirinterpretationisthesamerealitythatexistsorshallexistoutsideimagination.There is a big difference between the verses that describe these last-

mentionedrealities(attributesandactionsofAllāhandtheaffairsrelatedtotheDayofResurrection)andthosedescribingothersubjects.Itispossibletoknowthe interpretation of the verses that describe other subjects; but so far as theversesdescribing theDivineAttributes etc., areconcerned,noneknows theirinterpretation except Allāh; although those who are firmly rooted inknowledgemaybegiventhisknowledgebyAllāhtotheextentoftheirmentalcapacities and spiritual perfection. Still, the reality, that is, the full and finalinterpretation,isnotgiventoanycreatureatall.These are the four main opinions concerning the meaning of

‘‘interpretation’’.There are someother views also; they are, in fact, various

branches of the first opinion although those who expressed them have notacknowledgedthisfact:—1.Exegesis ismoregeneral thaninterpretation.Exegesis ismostlyusedfor

explanation of words; interpretation is mostly used for explanation of themeaningsandsentences.Theterm,‘‘interpretation’’isgenerallyusedonlyfortheDivineBooks;whileexegesisisusedforotherbookstoo.2. Exegesis is explanation of a word that has only one meaning;

interpretation is choosing,withhelpof some rules and reason,onemeaningoutofseveralpossibleones.3.Exgesis shows the definite meaning of the word; interpretation chooses

oneamongmanypossiblemeanings.(Itisnotverydifferentfromno.2.)4. Exegesis shows the reason of the meaning; interpretation explains the

realityofthemeaning.Forexample,lookattheverse:MostsurelyyourLordison watch (89:14). Its exegesis shall be as follows: ‘‘al-Mirsād’’ ( داصرملا =watching place) is on paradigm of al-mif‘āl (

لاعفملا ) from the verb rasada; yarsudu ( دصری ، دصر =he watched; he is watching). And its interpretation is the warning againstslackening in matters ofthe sharī‘ahandthinkinglittleofthecommandmentsofAllāh.5.Exegesisisadescriptionoftheclearmeaningofaword;interpretationis

theexplanationofitsdifficultmeaning.6. Exegesis is concerned with tradition and narration; interpretation is

relatedtoreason.7.Exegesis is limited to following and listening (what the ancients said);

interpretationisconcernedwithinferenceandreason.Thesesevenareinfactvariousfacetsofthefirstopinion;andallobjections

levelledagainstthatarevalidaboutthesetoo.Anyhow,onecannotrelyonanyofthefouropinionsortheirbranches.One defect is common to all: They presume that ‘‘interpretation’’ is the

meaningof theverse,or that it is thehappeningorcause towhich theverserefers.ButithasbeenexplainedintheCommentarythat‘interpretation’’isnotthe meaning of a verse — it does not matter whether the meaning is theapparentoneor is against it.Also, it hasbeenclarified therein that althoughinterpretationisarealeventorfact,butnoteveryevent—it is thatfactwithwhichthewordhasthesamerelationasaproverbhaswithitspurpose;orasanexteriorhaswithitsinterior.Thedetailedcommentsonthefouropinionsareasfollows:Aboutthefirstopinion:Onewhobelievesit,mustalsobelievethatatleast

someoftheQur ’ānicversesareunintelligible;thatits‘‘interpretation’’,thatis,exegesiscannotbeunderstoodfromitswords.ButthereisnosuchverseintheQur ’ān; theQur ’ān clearly says that it has been revealed so that an averagemindmayeasilyunderstandit.Amanhavingthisopinioncannotavoidthisdifficultyexceptbysayingthat

the only ambiguous verses are the letter-symbols at the beginning of somechapters,astheirmeaningsarenotknowntothepeople.But,thereisnoproofthat only the letter-symbols are ‘‘ambiguous’’; and just because at-ta’wīl means to return and at-tafsīr ( ریسفتلا =exegesis)alsohasashadeofthismeaninginit,itdoesnotfollowthatbotharesynonymous—amotheristhereturningplaceforherchildren,butsheisnottheir‘‘interpretation’’;aprincipalisthereturningplaceofhisdependents,butheisnottheir‘‘interpretation’’.Moreover,accordingtotheverse,oneofthecharacteristicsoftheambiguousversesisthatpervertedpersonsfollowthemtomisleadthepeople.Butwhohaseverbeenmisledbyletter-symbols?MostofthemisguidanceinMuslimcommunityhasoccurredbecauseoffollowingthose verses that describe the attributes of Allāh and other suchthings.Aboutthesecondopinion:ItsaysthatthereareversesintheQur ’ānwhose

intended import is against their apparent meanings, and those apparent meanings cause misguidance in religion as they are against the decisiveverses. This statement boils down to this: The verses of the Qur ’ān arecontradictory to each other and that contradiction cannot be removed unlesssome verses are deprived of their open meanings and given some suchconnotationsthat,innormalcourse,wouldnotbeunderstoodfromthem.This, in its turn,would invalidate the argument contained in thewords of

Allāh:DotheynotthenmeditateontheQur’ān?AndifitwerefromanyotherthanAllāh,theywouldhavefoundinitmanyadiscrepancy(4:82).If thediscrepancybetween twoversescanbe removedonlyby saying that

one or both do notmeanwhat theirwords apparently say; that they have aninterpretation (i.e., ameaning against the apparent one) that is not known toanyoneotherthanAllāh,thentheverse4:82,writtenabove,cannotprovethatthe Qur ’ān is from Allāh. One can easily remove contradiction anddiscrepancyfromanyliteraryoracademicworkofanyauthor,ifoneweretochangetheapparentmeaningsofcontradictorystatementsandgivethemnewconnotations unknown to any linguist. But such removal of contradictionwould not prove that thatwork is aDivine revelation.The fact is that everyspeech—evenonethatisadmittedlyfalseorisjustajumbleofwords—canbepresentedasatruefactoraseriousdiscourseifitswordsweregivensome

hitherto unknown meanings against their clear connotations. But such anabsenceofdiscrepancywouldnotmean that that speechwas fromaSpeakerWho is above the changes,Whose decrees and statements do not contradicteachother,Whoisnotliabletoforgetfulnessanderror,WhoisAllperfectbyHimself and has not acquired perfection through trial and error, experienceandpassageoftime.Theverse4:82,provesthattheQur ’ānisunderstandabletocommonminds

andmaybeponderedandmeditatedupon;thatnoverseofithasameaningthatis against the clear dictate of Arabic language; in short, it does not containpuzzlesandriddles.Aboutthethirdopinion:NoonewhohasmeditatedontheQur ’ānwould

deny that theQur ’ānic verses have various consecutive connotations— onebehind theother.Butall thoseconnotationsare, in fact,various levelsof themeanings of the words — and especially so if we say that they areconcomitants of the first meaning. And their understandability variesaccording to the intelligence levels of the readers. But this idea has noresemblance withat-ta’wīl (interpretation). Remember what Allāh has saidaboutthe‘‘interpretation’’oftheQur ’ānthatnoneknowsitexceptAllāh.Andnote the fact thatonedoesnotneedpietyandspiritualpurity tounderstandacomplicated or deep philosophical discourse; what one requires is a sharpintelligence. Then youwill realize that it would be inappropriate to say thatonlyAllāhknewtheinterpretation(inthemeaninggiveninthisopinion)oftheQur ’ān. (It does not mean that piety and spiritual purity do not help incomprehension ofDivine knowledge and realities; but they are not themainfoundationofthiscomprehension.Thisplaceisreservedforintelligenceandscholarship.)About the fourth opinion: He is right when he says that at-

ta’wīl(interpretation) isnot restricted to theambiguousverses, it is found inthe whole Qur ’ān. Also, he is right in saying that interpretation is not themeaningof theword; it isa real factonwhich thespeech isbased.Buthe iswrong when he says that every fact, referred to by the verse, is itsinterpretation,andwhenhesays,forexample,thatthepasteventsorthefuturehappeningsaretheinterpretationsoftherelevantverses.Again,heiswronginthinkingthatonlytheversesdescribingtheDivineAttributesandtheeventsoftheDayofResurrection are ambiguous.Whydowe say that he iswrong intheseassumptions?Theanswerisasfollows:What is the meaning of the words: ‘‘and seeking to give it (their own)

interpretation, but none knows its interpretation except Allāh’’? Do thepronoun‘‘it’’and‘‘its’’refer to‘‘theBook’’?Inotherwords,does theverse

saythatnoneknowstheinterpretationofthewholeBookexceptAllāh?Iftheinterpretationmeans real events andcausesmentioned in theverses, then theabovestatementwouldnotbecorrect,becauseinterpretations(inthe.meaningjustdescribed)ofagreatmanyversesareknowntomanyotherthanAllāhandotherthanthosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledge;infact,itmaybeknownto even those in whose hearts there is perversity — such are the versesnarrating the stories of the past nations and the current events, and even theverses dealingwith laws and ethics. Everyone can acquire the knowledge ofthese things, and no one can fail to understand their interpretation (in thismeaning).Or,do thepronouns, ‘‘it’’ and ‘‘its’’ refer to ‘‘thepartof theBook that is

ambiguous’’? If so, then it will be correct to restrict the knowledge of itsinterpretationtoAllāh(ortoAllāhandthosefirmlyrootedinknowledge).Andthen it would be the import of the verse that none, except Allāh (and thosefirmly rooted in knowledge) should seek to interpret the ambiguous verses;otherwise,thepeoplewouldbemisledandmisguided.Butitwouldbewronginthiscasetosaythatonlytheversesdescribingthe

attributesandactionsofAllāh,andthoseconnectedwiththeDayofJudgementwereambiguous.Misguidanceiscausedbymisinterpretationofothertypesofversestoo;forexample,theversesrelatedtothesharī‘ahandthestoriesoftheprophets and their nations. It has been claimed by a group that the mainpurpose of the law is to reform and develop the society; if the good of thesociety depends on a law other than the one ordained by religion, or if thatordainedlawisnolongersuitableforthisenlightenedera,anewlawshouldbe adopted and the religious command should be discarded.Likewise, it hasbeenclaimedthatthemiraclesattributedbytheQur ’āntotheprophetswerenotsupernaturalevents;theywerenormaloccurrences,whichtheQur ’ānnarratedinawayastoputonthemahaloofmystery;asaresultofthisdramaticstyle,itsucceededinattractingtheattentionoftheaudienceandtomakethemsubmittowhat they thought tobeasuper-power,aboveallpowers.SuchmisleadingexplanationsandinterpretationsarefoundintheirhundredsinallthesectsthathavedeviatedfromtrueIslam.AndallaretheresultofinterpretingtheQur ’ānaccordingtoone’sownliking,seekingtomisleadthepeople.Therefore,itiswrongtosaythatonlythoseversesareambiguouswhichdescribetheDivineAttributesandtheaffairsoftheDayofResurrection.Now,itshouldbeclearthatthemeaningof‘‘interpretation’’givenbyusin

theCommentaryistheonlytrueone:Interpretationisthatrealitytowhichaverserefers;itisfoundinallverses,

thedecisiveandtheambiguousalike;itisnotasortofameaningoftheword;

it is a real fact that is too sublime for words; Allāh has dressed them withwordssoastobringthemabitnearertoourminds;inthisrespecttheyarelikeproverbsthatareusedtocreateapictureinthemindandthushelpthehearertoclearly grasp the intended idea. That iswhyAllāh has said: (I swear)by theBookthatmakesmanifest(thetruth);surelyWehavemadeitanArabicQur’ān,sothatyoumayunderstand.AndsurelyitisintheoriginaloftheBookwithUs,trulyelevated,fullofwisdom(43:2—4).AndthisthinghasbeenexplicitlyandimplicitlymentionedinseveralQur ’ānicverses.Moreover,youhaveseenintheCommentarythatwhenevertheQur ’ānuses

theword,‘‘interpretation’’(andithasbeenusedseventeentimes),itintendsthisverymeaning,describedbyus.

4.DoesAnyone,OtherthanAllāh,knowthe‘‘interpretation’’oftheQur’ān

Thisissuetoohascausedsharpcontroversyamongtheexegetes.Themain

reasonofthecontroversyisthemeaningof‘‘and’’,inthesentence,‘‘andthosewhoare firmly rooted inknowledge say:Webelieve in it, it is all fromourLord’’.Isitaconjunctive?Or,hasitbeenusedonlytobeginanewsentence?Someearlyexegetes,someShāfi‘itesandmostoftheShī‘itesbelievethatit

is a conjunctive; that the verse says that those toowho are firmly rooted inknowledgeknowtheinterpretationoftheambiguousversesoftheQur ’ān.MostoftheearlyexegetesandtheH anafitesbelievethatwiththis‘‘and’’a

new sentence begins; that none knows the interpretation of the ambiguousexceptAllāh,Whohaskept thisknowledge toHimself.Bothgroupsbring intheirsupportalotofacademicexplanationsandtraditions;thepolemicsgoeson, arguments are put forward, are refuted by the opposite group, then therefutationsintheirturnarerefuted;thusitgoesonandon.Bothsidessuffer fromconfusionabout the issue tobedecided.Theyhave

confusedtheinterpretationof theQur ’ānwithreturningtheambiguousverseto thedecisive.Therefore, itwillbeawasteof timeand space toquoteheretheirargumentsandcounter-arguments.SofarasthetraditionsareconcernedtheyareagainsttheclearmeaningoftheQur ’ān:1.Let us look, to begin with, at the traditions that say that those who are

firmly rooted in knowledge know the interpretation. These traditions use‘‘interpretation’’ as synonymous for the ‘‘intended meaning of theambiguous’’; but, as mentioned repeatedly, interpretation of the Qur ’ān issomethingelse.IthasbeennarratedthroughtheSunnīchainsthattheProphetprayedforIbn

‘Abbās: ‘‘O Allāh! give him knowledge of the religion and teach him theinterpretation.’’AndIbn‘Abbāsisreportedassaying:‘‘Iamamongthosewhoare firmly rooted inknowledge and I know its interpretation.’’Alsohe said:‘‘The decisive are the verses that abrogated and the ambiguous are theabrogatedones.’’All these traditionsput togethergivean impression that thedecisiveverseistheinterpretationoftheambiguousone.Butwehavealreadyexplainedthatthisverseisnotconcernedwiththissort

ofinterpretation.2.Now we come to those traditions that show that knowledge of the

interpretationoftheambiguousversesisrestrictedtoAllāh:a)Ibn‘Abbāsisreportedtorecitetheverseinthisway:‘‘andnoneknowsits

interpretationexceptAllāh,andsaythosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledge:‘We believe in it… ’ ’’ The same recitation is ascribed to Ubay ibn Ka‘b.Likewise,IbnMas‘ūdisreportedtorecite:‘‘AnditsinterpretationisnotexceptwithAllāh.Andthosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledgesay:‘Webelieveinit…’’’But such traditions can prove nothing: First, because such uncommon

recitationsareofnovalueatall;secondly,utmostthatcanbeshownfromthemisthatthisversedoesnotprovethatthosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledgeknowtheinterpretation;butthereisaworldofdifferencebetweennotprovingthatZaydexistsandprovingthathedoesnotexist.b)Itisnarratedbyat-TabarānīfromAbūMālikal-Ash‘arīthatheheardthe

MessengerofAllāh(s.a.w.a.)saying:‘‘Iamnotafraidformyummahbutfromthreethings:thattheirwealthwouldincrease,andtheywouldenvyeachotherand kill each other; and that the Book would be opened for them, and thebelieverwouldtakeitseekingtointerpretit,andnoneknowsitsinterpretationexceptAllāh;andthosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledgesay:‘Webelieveinit, it is all from our Lord’; and none do mind except those havingunderstanding;andthattheirknowledgewouldincreaseandtheywouldwasteandneglectit.’’(ad-Durru’l-manthūr)Thistradition—ifweacceptthatithasanyrelationwiththesubjectmatter

—wouldonlyshowthatcommonbelieversdidnotknowtheinterpretation;butit could not be proved from it that those too who were firmly rooted inknowledgedidnothaveitsknowledge.Andthecontroversyisaboutthislattergroup;itisnotaboutgeneralbelievers.c) Some people offer those traditions as their proof which say that the

decisive verses should be followed and ambiguous ones should only bebelievedin.Butsuchtraditionshavenorelevancetotheissueunderdispute.d) al-Ālūsī has quoted in his at-Tafsīr: al-Marfū‘ ( 1( عوفرملا tradition

throughIbnJarīrfromIbn‘Abbāsthathesaid:‘‘TheQur ’ānhasbeenrevealedonfourwords:Thelawful,andtheprohibited(noneisexcusedfromacquiringits knowledge); and the explanation (it is done by the scholars); and theambiguous, none knows it exceptAllāh, and the onewho claims to know it(exceptAllāh)isaliar.’’Let us have a cursory glance at this tradition:First, somenames from the

chain of its narrators are omitted. Secondly, it is against the previouslymentioned traditions that say that theProphetprayed forhim tobegiven the

knowledge of interpretation, and against his own claim that he had thisknowledge. Thirdly, it is against the clear import of the Qur ’ān thatinterpretationissomethingotherthanthemeaningoftheambiguous.Whatis,then,thereplytothequestionaskedinthebeginning?Doesanyone,

otherthanAllāh,knowtheinterpretationoftheQur ’ān?Theansweris:Yes,theQur ’ān proves the possibility of the knowledge of its interpretation tosomeoneotherthanAllāh;althoughthisversedoesnotproveit.Letusexplainthesecondstatementfirst.Thecontextshowsthethemeofthis

verse:ItwantstosaythattheBookisdividedintwocategories—thedecisiveand theambiguous—andalso thepeopleareof two types: there is agroupwhich,becauseofperversityofhearts,seekstofollowtheambiguousverses;and there is another group that is firmly rooted in knowledge and thereforefollowsthedecisiveversesandbelieves in theambiguousones.It isclear, inthislight,thatthephrase,‘‘thosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledge’’,isusedhereprimarilytodescribetheirgoodfaithandbehaviourvis-a-vistheQur ’ān,andtoextoltheirvirtueincontrasttothoseinwhoseheartsthereisperversity.Thesentenceaimsatnothingelse.Andthereisnoreason,sofarasthisverseisconcerned, to join thosewhoare firmly rooted inknowledge,withAllāh, inknowledge of the Book’s interpretation. The arguments put forward in thisrespectaredefective,aswehaveshownabove.In short, the restriction, ‘‘none knows its interpretation except Allāh’’,

remains valid, without any opposing or qualifying clause — there is noconjunction,exceptionorqualificationinthisabsolutestatement.Therefore,sofarasthisverseisconcerned,theknowledgeoftheQur ’ān’sinterpretationisreservedforAllāh.Nevertheless, theremaybe other proofs to show that someone, other than

Allāh,maybeknowingthisinterpretation.ThereareintheQur ’āninstancesinwhichanabsoluterestrictionofoneversehasbeenqualifiedbyanother.Taketheexampleoftheknowledgeoftheunseen.TheQur ’ānhasdeclaredinmanyversesthatitisconfinedtoAllāh:Say: ‘‘No one in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen but Allāh’’

(27:65).Say:‘‘TheunseenisonlyforAllāh’’(10:20).AndwithHimarethekeysoftheunseen—noneknowsthembutHe(6:59).Andafteralltheserestrictingstatements,comesthefollowingverse:TheKnoweroftheunseen!soHedoesnotrevealHissecretstoany,exceptto

himwhomHechoosesofanapostle’’(72:26—27).This verse clearly says that some persons other than Allāh, that is, the

chosenapostles,aregiventheknowledgeoftheunseen.

Nowtimehascometodiscussthefirststatement:OtherversesoftheQur ’ānprovethatitispossibleforsomeone,otherthanAllāh,tohavetheknowledgeoftheQur ’ān’sinterpretation:As repeatedly explained, interpretation is a real fact existing outside

imagination,and themeaningof theversehas thesamerelationwith itasaproverbhaswithitspurposeandpurport.Interpretationisnotthemeaningofthe verse; rather it transpires through that meaning — a special sort oftranspiration.ThereisaproverbinArabicusedwhensomeoneintendstodoaworkbuthasalreadydestroyeditsmeans:‘‘Insummeryouspoiledthemilk.’’Whenitisused,itsliteralmeaning(awoman’sspoilingthemilkinsummer)doesnotfit theoccasion,yetitpresentsaclearpicturebeforetheeyesoftheaudience,andthatpictureleadstothepurposeofthetalk.Thesameisthecaseoftheinterpretation.Thereisaspiritualrealitywhichis

themain objective of ordaining a law, or basic aim of describing a DivineAttribute;thereisanactualsignificancetowhichaQur ’ānicstoryrefers.Thatspiritualrealityoractualsignificanceisnotseeninthewordsorthemeaningof the verse — that order, prohibition, explanation, or narration does notmention that spiritual reality or actual significance in its words. But ittranspiresfromthatorderetc.,becausetheorderetc.,isfoundeditWemayaswell say that the order or story etc., points to that spiritual reality orsignificance.Aman tells his servant: ‘‘Givemewater to drink.’’ This orderemanates from the natural instinct of man to perfect his existence. It is thisbasic reality that demands preservation of self; this in its turn arranges toreplacewhatisusedupinthebody;thisrequiresreplenishmentwithfoodanddrink; this need is announced through hunger and thirst; thirst demandssatiation,whichinitsturncausesthemantogivethatordertohisservant.Theinterpretation of the said order, therefore, is the natural instinct of man toperfecthisexistence.Ifthisreality,thisnaturalinstinct,changesforanyreason,theorder,‘‘Givemewater ’’,alsowouldchange.Likewise,varioussocietieshavesomerecognizedethicalandsocialnorms

basedonwhattheythinktobegoodorevil.Thisinitsturn,dependsonasetofcustoms and traditions that are firmly settled in the doer ’s mind, throughheredity and environment. This compound cause is the interpretation of hisaction and inaction. If those social factors change for any reason, his actionandinactionwillalsochange.Asubject—whetheritisanorder,astoryoranyothertopic—thathasan

interpretationwillcertainlychangeifthatinterpretationchanges.Nowponderon thewords ofAllāh: then as for those inwhose hearts there is perversity,theyfollowthepartofitwhichisambiguous,seekingtomislead,andseekingto

give it (their own) interpretation, but none knows its interpretation exceptAllāh.Notethattheyhavebeencondemnedbecausetheytrytogivethatversetheir own interpretationwhich is not the real one; and thismisinterpretationcausesmisguidanceandmakespeoplegoastray.Had they followed its true interpretation then it could not be condemned.

They would have followed truth and reality, it would have led them to therelevantdecisiveverses,anditwouldhavebeenapraiseworthyact.Now it is clear that the interpretations of theQur ’ān are the facts actually

existing outside imagination; the Qur ’ānic verses its spiritual realities, lawsandstories—arebaseduponthem;ifsupposedlyanyof thosefactschangesforanyreason,therelevantverseswouldalsosurelychange.This fits perfectly the purport of the verse: (We swear) by the Book that

makesmanifest(thetruth),surelyWehavemadeitanArabicQur’ānsothatyoumay understand. And surely it is in the original of the Book with Us, trulyelevated,fullofwisdom(43:2—4).ThisverseshowsthattheQur ’ān,whenitwaswithAllāh,wastooelevatedtobecomprehendedbyhumanunderstanding;toopreciseandfirmtoadmitanybreakorfragmentation.ButAllāh,becauseofHismercy,made it into a Book to be recited, and clothed it withArabiclanguage, so thatpeoplemayunderstandwhat theycouldnot comprehendaslongasitwasintheoriginal,orbasis,oftheBook.ThisoriginalorbasisoftheBook has beenmentioned in these verses:Allāh effaceswhatHe pleasesandestablishes(likewise),andwithHimisthebasisoftheBook(13:39);Nay!itisagloriousQur’ān,inaguardedtablet(85:21—22).Andinageneralwaythefollowingversealsoprovesit:(Thisis)aBook,whoseverseswereconfirmed(or,madedecisive),thenthey

were divided, from one Wise, All-aware (11:1). The confirmation anddecisiveness refers to its condition when it was with Allāh without anyfragmentationorbreak,andthedivisionreferstothatstatewhenitwasmadeintochaptersandversesandwasrevealedtotheProphet.Thislastcondition(division),whichisbasedonthefirst(confirmation),is

mentioned in theverse:AndaQur’ānwhichWe revealed in portions so thatyou may read it to the people by slow degrees, and We sent it down (i.e.,revealedit)inportions(17:106).ItisclearthattheQur ’ān,initsoriginal,wasundivided, then it was made into portions and sent down piecemeal andrevealedgradually.TheabovestatementdoesnotmeanthatthewholeQur ’ān,whenitwaswith

Allāh,wasarrangedinchaptersandverses,asortofabookwrittenandbound,andthenitwasdividedintopiecesandsenttotheProphetalittlebitatatime,sothathemightreadtothepeoplebyslowdegrees,asateacherdividesabook

inportionsandteachesthestudenteverydayaportionaccordingtohismentalcapacity. There is a basic difference between revealing the Qur ’ān to theProphetinportionsandteachingastudentabook,piecebypiece.Theverseswere revealed according to the events that had a bearingon their revelation.Butthereisnosuchthinginteachingofastudent.Variouspiecesthataretobetaughttoastudentmaybe,andare,gatheredandputtogetherinabookformbeforehand;thentheteacherteachesapieceoraportioneveryday,ashethinksfit.ButitcannotbesaidaboutmanyQur ’ānicverses,suchasthefollowing:soforgivethemandpassoverthem(5:13);fightthoseoftheunbelieverswhoareneartoyou(9:123);AllāhhassurelyheardthepleaofherwhopleadswithyouaboutherhusbandandcomplainstoAllāh(58:1);Takealmsoutoftheirwealth,youwouldcleanse themandpurify themthereby (9:103); therearenumeroussuchverses.Itisnotpossibletoignorethereasonsandoccasionsthatresultedin their revelation; one cannot arbitrarily say that this or that verse wasrevealed in theearlieror laterdaysof theCall,discarding the reasonsof itsrevelation. Therefore, it cannot be said that the Qur ’ān was with Allāh inchaptersandverses,asweknow,ittoday.And it shows that the ‘‘Qur ’ān’’ mentioned in the verse, ‘‘And a Qur ’ān

whichWerevealedinportions’’,referstoaQur ’ānotherthanthisonewhichismadeofchaptersandverses.What one understands from the above verses, is that there is something,

beyondthisQur ’ānwhichisreadandunderstoodbyus.Andthat‘‘something’’hasthesamerelationwiththisQur ’ānasthespirithaswiththebody,orasthesignificanceofaproverbhaswiththatproverb.ItisthatspiritofthisQur ’ānwhichiscalledbyAllāhas:theconfirmed(orwise)Book(10:1).TheQur ’ānicteachingsandmeaningsdependuponit.ThatspiritoftheQur ’ānisnotmadeofwordsorwords’meanings.Theabove-mentionedcharacteristicsofthespiritoftheQur ’ānarethesame

as thoseof the‘‘interpretation’’of theQur ’ān.Theabovediscoursemakes itevenclearer;andmakesusrealizewhyitissaidthattheinterpretationoftheQur ’āncannotbeeventouchedbycommonmindsanduncleanspirits.ThenAllāh says:Most surely it is an honouredQur’ān, in a Book that is

hidden; none do touch it save the purified ones (56:77— 79). These versesclearly say that the purified servants of Allāh do touch the honoured Bookwhichishiddenandprotectedfromanychange;mindscannotreachit,becausethatalsowouldbeasortofachange.Anyhow,thepurifiedonesdotouchit—theonlymeaningofthewords—‘‘touch’’inthiscontextisthattheyknowitandunderstandit.Also,itisknownthatthishiddenBookisthesame‘‘basisoftheBook’’and‘‘originaloftheBook’’mentionedintheverses:Allāheffaces

whatHepleases and establishes (likewise),andwithHim is the basis of theBook (13:39); and surely it is in the original of the Book with Us, trulyelevated,fullofwisdom(43:4).Those are the people whose heart are purified; and this purification

emanatesfromnoneotherthanAllāh,becauseHehasattributedthispurifyingto Himself: Allāh only desires to keep away the uncleanliness from you, OPeopleoftheHouse!andtopurifyyoua(thorough)purifying(33:33);…butHe intends to purify you (5:6). Wherever in the Qur ’ān, the spiritualpurification is mentioned Allāh has attributed it to Himself or to Hispermission.What is this purity? It is removal of impurity and uncleanlinessfrom the heart.What ismeant by ‘‘heart’’ in this context? It is themeans ofperception,understandingandwill.Thepurityofheart, then, is thepurityofthe soul in knowledge and belief aswell as inwill. Thus, the heart remainsfirm in its true beliefs, without any doubt or confusion; and this firmnessmakesitsteadfastinfollowingandactinguponthattruebeliefandknowledge,obeying thecommandmentsofAllāh,withoutdeviating to thepathofdesire,withoutbreakingthecovenantofknowledge.Suchamanissaidtobefirmlyrooted in knowledge. Because the same are the characteristics, described byAllāh, of thosewhoare firmly rooted inknowledge.Allāhhaspraised themthattheyarerightlyguidedandsteadfastlyfirmonwhattheyknow;thatthereisnoperversityintheirheartsandtheydonotseektomisleadthepeople.Theseare thesamecharacteristicsasof thepurifiedones. Itmeans that thepurifiedonesarefirmlyrootedinknowledge.Butthereisafinedistinctionthatshouldnotbeoverlooked.Whathasbeen

provedaboveisthis:ThepurifiedonesknowtheinterpretationoftheQur ’ān;and it is a concomitant of their purity that they are also firmly rooted inknowledge—becausethatpurificationisattributedtoAllāhWhocannotfailinwhatHeintends.But it does notmean that the knowledge of theQur ’ānic interpretation is

given to them because of their being firmly rooted in knowledge. In otherwords,thefirmlyrootedknowledgeisnotthecauseoftheirknowledgeoftheQur ’ānic interpretation,because theversedoesnotprove it; rather itmaybeinferredfromitscontextthattheywerenotconversantwiththatinterpretation:‘‘(they)say:‘Webelieveinit,itisallfromourLord’’’.Moreover,Allāhhaspraised some of the people of the Book that they were firmly rooted inknowledge,andhasextolledthemfor theiracceptanceof truefaithandgooddeeds;andstillitdoesnotshowthattheyknewtheinterpretationoftheBook.Therelevantverseisasfollows:Butthosefirmlyrootedinknowledgeamongthemaswell as thebelieversbelieve inwhat hasbeen sent down to youand

whathasbeensentdownbeforeyou…(4:162).Also, it should be noted that the verse:None do touch it save the purified

ones (56:79),provesonlythat thepurifiedones‘‘touch’’ thehiddenBook; inotherwords,theyknowtheinterpretationoftheQur ’āntoacertainextent.Butit does not say that they have comprehensive knowledge of its completeinterpretation, or that they are not unacquainted of any portion of itsinterpretationatanytime.Theverseissilentonthismatter.Ifitistobeproved,someotherevidenceshouldbebroughtforit.

1 al-Marfū‘: is a tradition in which a narrator mentions the name/s ofperson/s fromwhomhenarrates, but a later narrator omits his/their name/s.(tr.)

5.WhytheBookContainstheAmbiguousVerses

One of the objections levelled against theQur ’ān is the one based on the

presence of the ambiguous verses in it. They say: The Muslims claim thatwhatever the mankind would need for its guidance upto the Day ofResurrection is in the Qur ’ān; that it is a decisive word that distinguishesbetween truth and falsehood.And thenwe see that every group, among theinnumerableMuslimsects,reliesontheQur ’āntoprovethecorrectnessofitsbeliefsandactions.Itwouldnothavebeenpossibleiftherewerenoambiguityinitsverses.HadthisBookbeenmadeclearandkeptfreefromthismazeofambiguousverses,itwouldhaveserveditspurposeinabetterway,andtherewouldnothavebeenanychanceofcontroversyandperversity.TheMuslims have variously replied to this objection; someof the replies

arepatentlyabsurdandfoolish.Forexample:‘‘The presence of ambiguous versesmakes it hard to get to the truth, and

entails intense search and research. Thismakes the true believer eligible tobetterandgreaterreward!’’‘‘Had it clearly supported a certain sect, all other sectswould have left it

unread and unstudied. It is because of the ambiguous verses that all of themlookinto,andponderonit;andthusthereremainsapossibilitythattheywouldseetherightpathandfollowit.’’‘‘The ambiguous verses have made it necessary to seek support of one’s

viewsfromrationalarguments.Thus,theseversestaketheMuslimsoutofthedarknessofblindfollowingintothelightofcontemplationandresearch.’’‘‘Thepresenceof suchversescompelled theMuslims toargueabout their

various interpretations; and this is in its turn led them to master variousbranchesofknowledge, like language,conjugation,syntax,andfundamentalsofjurisprudence!’’Suchrepliesdonotmeritanycomment.Therearethreeotherreplieswhich

weappendbelowwithourcomments:First: The Qur ’ān contains ambiguous verses, so that the hearts may be

purified by believing in them. Had all the verses been distinct, decisive andclear—aboutwhichnobodycouldhaveanydoubt—believinginthemwouldhave not been ameaningful and significant thing; itwould have not entailedsurrendertothewordsofAllāhandsubmissiontoHisapostles.Comment: Submission is the reaction of a weaker person in front of a

stronger force. Aman surrenders before a thing, the greatness of which he

comprehends; or before a thing that is beyond his comprehension, andwithwhosegreatnessheiscompletelyoverwhelmed;likethepower,greatnessandother Attributes of Allāh — when man tries to understand them, he feelsstunnedandbewildered.But why should he submit to a thing which, although beyond his

comprehension,seems tohimwithinhisgrasp?Ifamanmistakenlybelievesthat he knows the interpretation of an ambiguous verse (although in fact hedoes not know it), he will never submit himself to it nor will he surrenderbeforeitsgreatness.Second:Ambiguousverseswererevealedtomotivatethemindstomeditate

and research.Had all theversesbeendistinct therewouldnot havebeen anyneedformentalexerciseandthepowerofunderstandingwouldhavewitheredaway.Andunderstandingisthemostpreciouselementofhumanlife;itmustbenourishedanddevelopedforthesakeofhumanperfection.Comment:Allāhhasordered theman tomeditateandponderon thesigns

foundintheuniverseandinthemanhimself—thisexhortationissometimesphrased ingeneral termsandoftenwith reference toparticular subjects, likethecreationoftheheavens,theearth,themountains,thetrees,theanimalsandthehumanbeings;thedifferenceincoloursandlanguagesofmankindetc.Hehascalledhimtothinkandmeditate,towalkintheearthandtakelessonfromthepreviousnations’affairs.Hehasforcefullyurgedthemtoapplythemindstothewondersoftheworldandtothinkhard.AndHehasextolledknowledgeandcognitioninthebestterms.Was not all this enough for sharpening the mind and intensifying the

intelligence?Wasthereanyfurtherneedofsendingdownambiguousverses—totrapthemindsandensnaretheintellect?Third:Theprophetsweresenttoallthepeople—theaverageonesandthe

aboveaverage,theintelligentandthedull,thelearnedandtheignorant.Somerealities and ideas cannotbe explained inplain language.Such subjectsmustnecessarily be described in a language clothed with allegory and metaphor.Only the learned, intelligent and the above average persons will be able tounderstand it; common people must necessarily be told to believe in it andleavethemattertoAllāh.Comment: The Book, according to the verse under discussion, contains

some ambiguous verses, and some decisive oneswhich are the basis of theBook,andwhichdoexplain theambiguousverseswhen theyare returned tothem(decisiveones).Inotherwords,theambiguousversesdonotcontainanyideas other than those which may be clarified by the decisive ones. And itleavesthequestionstillunanswered:Whatistheuseoftheambiguousverses

whenalltheirmeaningsareclearlydescribedbythedecisiveones?Theexegete,whowrotethisreply,seemsabitconfused.Hehasdividedthe

meanings of the Qur ’ān into two mutually exclusive groups: Meanings thatmaybeunderstoodbyoneandall (andtheyare themeaningsof thedecisiveverses), and those that cannot be understood except by some special people(and they are the connotations of the ambiguous ones). If we accept thisclassification, thentheambiguousversesshallnotbereturnedtothedecisiveones— but it is against the clear declarations of the Qur ’ān that its versesexplaineachother.Ifnoreplyisfreefromdefect,thenwhatistheanswertothequestiongiven

inthebeginning?ThefactisthatthepresenceofambiguousversesisnecessaryintheQur ’ān,

and it has resulted from the existence of the interpretation.Whenweuse theword, ‘‘interpretation’’, we refer to its true connotation explained under thethirdheading.Variousambiguousverses,whencomparedwitheachother,leadtothesaidinterpretation.To understand this statement, one should first ponder on the style of the

Qur ’ān, thefactorsonwhichtheDivineteachingsarebased,andtheultimateaimoftherevelation.Wemaydescribeitasfollowing:1. Allāh has said that there is an interpretation for His Book. All the

Qur ’ānicrealities,lawsandteachingsmovearoundthatinterpretation.Butthesaid interpretation is a sublime reality; minds cannot grasp it; intelligencecannot reach it; and imaginationcannotperceive it.Theonlyexception isofthosepurifiedsoulsfromwhomAllāhhasremovedeveryimpurity;onlytheycantouchit.ItistheultimatethatAllāhdemandsfromhumanbeings—thattheyshould

answerHiscalltoacquiretherealknowledgeofHisBook.ThisBookhastheexplanationofeverything,andthekeytoitssecretsistheDivinePurification.Allāhsays:Allāhdoesnotdesiretoputonyouanydifficulty,butHewishestopurifyyou(5:7).Inotherwords,theultimateaimofordinationofthesharī‘ahisthesaidDivinePurification.This human perfection, like other ideals, is not attained except by a few

special persons, although theCall is addressed to all. The religious trainingcreates purity in various degrees in various people. Some reach its highestpoint,sometovariouspointsinbetween.Itislikethepiety(i.e.,fearofAllāh)towhich Islam invites:… fearAllāhas isdue toHim… (3:102).But only ahandful of believers acquire perfect piety; others remain behind them, and athird band behind the second, and so on. It happens because people differ intheiraptitudesandunderstanding.

Thesameisthecasewithsocialnorms.Thesocietyexpectseverymemberto reach the zenith of all desirable characteristics, like knowledge, industry,riches,comfortetc.—butonlyafewattainthisgoal;othersremainbehindatvariouspointsintheway,becauseofdifferenceintheirabilities.Although society never remains without some individuals who attain the

highestpossiblerankinallperfections,noteveryonereachesthere.2. The Qur ’ān declares that the only way by which a man can reach this

destinationistoknowhimself,byacquiringtrueknowledgeandactinguponit.Onthesideofknowledge,heshouldbetaughttherealitiesabouthisbeginningandendaswellasaboutwhat isbetween these twopoints; thenhemay trulyknowhimself,inthecontextofallrelevantrealities.Onthesideofaction,heshouldbemadetofollowthesocialrules—therulesthatwouldmakehimliveagoodsocial life, andwouldnothinderhim from thepursuitofknowledgeandcontemplation;thenheshouldbetoldtoperformritesofDivineWorship—theserites,ifperformedregularly,drawthesoultowardstheCreator,helptheheart inconcentratingonone’sbeginningandend,andbring itnearer tothe spiritual perfection andpurity, keeping it clean from the filth anddirt ofmaterialism.Firststudytheverse:ToHimdoascendthegoodwords;andthegooddeed

liftsthemup(35:10).Thenaddtoitthefollowing,amongothersuchverses:Allāhdoesnotdesiretoputonyouanydifficulty,butHewishestopurifyyou

andthatHemaycompleteHisfavouronyou…(5:7).O you who believe! take care of your souls; he who errs cannot hurt you

whenyouareontherightway(5:105).Allāhwillexaltthoseofyouwhobelieveandthosewhoaregivenknowledge,

inhighdegrees(58:11).Thenyouwill clearly seewhatwas the aimofAllāh in sendingdown the

religion and guiding theman to it, and appreciate thewayHe used for thisguidance.Throughallthis,wereachtoanimportantconclusion:The social laws of Islam are the stepping stones for the rites of Divine

Worship,whichintheirturnleadthemantotheknowledgeofAllāhandofHisSigns.Evenaminorinfringementof,andchangeoralterationin,thesesociallawswoulddisturbanddeflectthecommandmentsconcerningDivineWorship;andthatinitsturnwoulddisrupttheman’sknowledeofAllāh.Itisaclearconclusion;andtheexperienceshowsitstruth.Ifyouponderon

themanner inwhich corruption stealthily crept into Islamic affairs, and findouthowitbeganandwhereithasreached,youwillseethatitbeganwithsociallaws, thensurreptitiously itcontaminated theritesofworshipandendedwith

therejectionofthespiritualrealitiesandman’sknowledgeofAllāh.Also, itwasdescribedearlier that themisleadingbeganwithfollowingthe

ambiguous verses, seeking to interpret them according to the people’s ownliking.3. Religious guidance is based on two pillars: Prohibition of blind

following, and progress of knowledge among the religionists to the furthestlimit.ItisinconformitywiththeultimategoalofIslam,thatis,theknowledge.There is not a singleDivineBook, nor a single religion, that puts somuchempahsisonknowledge, and so forcefully exhorts its followers to seek it tothefarthestcornersoftheworldasIslamdoes.ThatiswhytheQur ’ānexplainsfirst,thespiritualrealities,andthenshows

therelationofitspracticallawstothoserealities.Ittellsthemanthatheexistsbecause Allāh has created him by His own power; and has appointed someintermediateagentsforhiscreationandsurvival,liketheangels,theskies,theearth,thesun,themoon,thestars,thevegetables,theanimalsand,inshort,thetimeand thespace.Nowhe isbeing irresistiblydriven towardshis returningplaceandtime;strivinghard toreachhisLordtomeetHim; thenheshallberecompensedforwhathehasdone—eithertotheparadiseortothehell.Thisisthefirstsetofthespiritualknowledge.ThentheQur ’ānteacheshimwhichdeedswouldleadhimtothefelicityof

theparadise,andwhich to the infelicityof thehell. Inotherwords, it teacheshimtherulesofDivineWorshipandthesociallaws.Thisisthesecondsetofthatknowledge.Thenitmakeshimunderstandthattheselawsandcommandmentsleadtothe

blissinthenextworld.Inotherwords,ittellshimthatthesecondsetisrelatedto the first; that these laws have been ordained for his own benefit, as theycontainhisgoodofthisworldasofthenext.Thisisthethirdset.Thesecondsetislikethepreliminary;thefirstislikeitsconclusion;andthe,

thirdislikethebindingcordthatjoinsthesecondsetwiththefirst.Theversesdescribingallthesesetsarenumerousandclearintheirmeaning;anditisnotnecessarytoquotethemhere.4. People, generally, do not comprehendwhat cannot be perceived by the

five senses; they do not understand ideas and realities beyond the limit ofmatterandnature.Andthosewhotraintheirmindsthroughacademicexercisesto understand abstract ideas and spiritual meanings, are not all on the samelevel—eachattainsacertaindegreeof intellectualdevelopmentandcan-notunderstandthatwhichisbeyondit.Thisphenomenoncausessharpdivergenceintheirperceptionofspiritualandmetaphysicalsubjects.Thisvastdifferenceisafactthanonecandeny.

Whenwewanttoexplaintosomeoneacertainnewideawecandosoonlywiththehelpofhispreviouslyacquiredknowledge.Ifhisperceptionislimitedto the natural phenomena, that new idea can only be explained within theframeworkofthatlimitedunderstanding.Forexample,ifonewantstoexplainthe‘‘taste’’ofmarriagetoaminorchild,onecouldonlysaythatitwassweetlikehoney.Andifthatpersonhassomeadvancedintellectualcapacity,wemayexplainthosespiritualrealitiestotheextentofhisability.Also,itshouldbeunderstoodthatthereligiousguidanceisnotforaspecial

group;itisforallthepeople.5.Thesetwofactors—thedifferenceinpeople’sunderstandingandthefact

that religious guidance is meant for all the people — together with theexistence of the interpretation for the Qur ’ān, made it necessary that thespiritualrealitiesbedescribedin thewordsandphrasesakintoproverbsandsimile. It takeswhat theman alreadyknows anduses it, becauseof a certainsimilarity, to create a picture ofwhat he does not know.As a commodity isweighedwith a stoneor ironweight— there isno resemblancebetween thestoneorironandthatcommodityinformorsubstance,massorvolume,kindorspecies;theonlysimilarityisinweight.TheQur ’ānhas,intheversesquotedearlier(e.g.,SurelyWehavemadeitan

ArabicQur’ān,sothatyoumayunderstand.AndsurelyitisintheoriginaloftheBookwithUs, trulyelevated, fullofwisdom,43:3—4)hashintedto thisfact.But ithasnotstoppedthere. Ithasdescribeditclearlywith thehelpofaparable concerning truth and falsehood; He sends down water from theheavens,thenthevalleysflowaccordingtotheirmeasure,andthetorrentbearsalong the swelling form, and fromwhat they melt in the fire for the sake of(making) ornaments or apparatus arises a scum like it; thus does Allāhcompare truth and falsehood; then as for the scum, it passes away as aworthless thing; and as for that which profits the people, it remains in theearth;thusdoesAllāhsetforthparables(13:17).ThisparableisasmuchtrueaboutAllāh’sactionasitisaboutHisword.His

action, likeHisword, ismeant for truth; but both are accompaniedby someunintended things. Those unintended things temporarily cover, and comeabove,theintendedtruth;buttheysoongoaway;thetruthremainsandsurvivestobenefitthepeople,andthescumisremovedbyanothertruth.The above-mentioned phenomenon is a mirror of the ambiguous verses.

Such a verse contains a true meaning that is actually intended; but it isaccompanied by another unintendedmeaning that hides the intendedone andracestothemindsbeforeit.Butsoonitisovercomeandremovedbyanothertruth (a decisive verse) that identifies the true meaning, and erases the

unintendedone,althoughithadtemporarilygainedtheupperhand.Itissothatthe truth is shown to be truth by His words, and falsehood is seen to befalsehood,eventhoughtheguiltymaybeaversetoit.ThisexplanationshowshowtheparablefitstheDivinewords;itmayinthe

samemannerbeappliedtoHisactions.TheparableshowsthattheDivinerealitiesandspiritualknowledgearelike

thewaterwhichAllāhsendsdownfromtheheavens.Atthattimeitiswater,inthe pure sense of theword, unencumberedwith any other condition. Then itstartsflowinginthevalleys;andnowittakestheshapeofthewatercourse—awide river, a narrow stream and so on. These shapes and measures areestablishedfacts,theyarenotimaginarythings.(Inthisrespecttheyresemblethebenefitsoftherulesofthesharī‘ah—wehavesaidthattheyarethebindingcordthatconnectthoseruleswiththespiritualtruths.Thischaracteristicoftherulesisanestablishedfact;itdoesnotdependonverbaldescription.)Thoserules,inthecourseoftheirflow,areoftenaccompaniedbyswelling

foam that appears for a time being and then vanishes. An example may begivenofanabrogatedverse;inthenatureofthingitshouldhaveremainedinforce permanently, but another verse comes along, abrogates it, and putsanotherrule in itsplace.Thisdevelopmentalso isanestablishedfact; itdoesnotmatterwhetherthisreligiousrealityhasbeenclothedwithwords.Thespiritualrealitiesandmetaphysicalideas,inasmuchastheyareplacedin

thecontainersofthewords,taketheshapeofthosecontainers;andarefetteredwiththedemandsofthewordandthelanguage—thoughoriginallytheyhadno such limitation or restraint. These words are true and fact, because theywerechosenbythetruthfulSpeakertoconveyHismessage.Yettheyarelikeasimilitudethatrepresentstherealmeaning—themeaningthatisunfetteredbythe words, unencumbered by the shapes of these containers. Therefore, thewords pass through the minds of the hearers and unintended meaningssurroundthemandridehighabovethem.Ithappensbecausethemindslookatthewordsinthelightoftheirpreviouslyacquiredideas.Thismostlyhappensaboutthoserealitiesthatarenotfamiliar tocommonminds, likethespiritualfacts,therealreasonforwhichacertainrulewasordainedandsoon.Butsofar as the rules themselves are concerned, there occurs no change, becauseinvariably always they talk about what is within the sphere of man’s ownactivities, and is, therefore, familiar to him. This discourse shows thatambiguous verses are ambiguous because they contain the spiritual realitiesandnottherulesofreligionandsharī‘ah.6.Nowwehavereachedthestagewherewemayexplainwhythepresenceof

ambiguousverseswasnecessaryintheQur ’ān.

The verbal expressions of the Qur ’ān are like similitudes to the sublimeDivinerealities.Thoserealitieshavebeenbroughtdown,intheseverses,tothelevelofcommonminds.Anaverageminddoesnotperceiveexceptthenaturalphenomena;itcannotcomprehendtheabstractDivinerealitiesunlesstheyareputinthemouldofconcreteexpressions.Whenpurespiritualfactsareexpressedintermsofbodyandmatter,either

ofthetwothingsmayhappen—bothofthemdangerous:a)Themindmay stop at thosematerial expressions, taking them tomean

naturalphenomena.Itwillthusfailtoseetherealitybeyondthoseexpressions.Itwill,inshort,takeaproverbinitsliteralsense,notknowingthatitsignifiessomethingelse;andthatthatsomethingisoftennotshownbyitsletters.Thustheintendedmeaningwillbeneglected.Themindswillnottrytolookbehindthescreenofthewords,asitwillnotknowthatithasmissedanything.b)Ifthemindrealizesthattheverseisasortofasimilitudeandtriestosee

beyondthecurtainofthewords,byremovingfromitunwantedelementsthathavenobearingonitsintendedsignificance,thenthereisadangerthatitmaydiscardsomeimportantelementorleaveintactsomeunnecessaryone.There is anArabicproverb: ‘‘In themorning, the travellers appreciate the

previousnight’sjourney.’’Becauseweknowthestorybehindthissaying,whenwehear it,wedispensewithall itssurroundingdetails, like themorning, thetravellers and the previous nights’s journey. What we understand from theproverbisthis:Aworkisappreciatedonlywhenitiscompletedanditsgoodresultsbegintoappear;butsolongasthemanisengagedinthatworkandisundergoinghardshipsinthatactivityhedoesnotlikeit.Ifwedidnotknowthestory,andstoppedattheliteralmeaningoftheproverb,wewouldnotknowitssignificance,andtheproverbwouldturnintoapropositionornews.On the other hand, ifwe did not know the story but realized that itwas a

proverb,wewouldnotknowhowmuchofitshouldbediscardedandwhatwasitstruesignificance.Thereisonlyonewaytoavoidthesetwodangers,andthatistoexpressthat

onesignificance invariousproverbs,mouldingeach inadifferentmould—oneproverbwouldcontainsomedetailsthatwouldbemissingfromtheother,andtheformerwouldnothavesomedetailsofthelatter,andsoon.Inthisway,those sentences would, through comparison and action and reaction, clarifyeachotherandalltogetherwouldshowtheirtruesignificance.First,thehearer,onhearingvariousexpressions,wouldrealizethattheywerenotusedintheirliteral sense; theywere like the similitudesdescribing an abstract idea in themouldsofvariousconcreteexpressions.Thereafter,hewouldbeinapositiontoknowwhichdetailsweretobediscardedandwhichtoberetained—because

the essential factors would be present in every sentence, while unnecessaryoneswouldbemissingfromoneortheother.This device to explain difficult ideas and complicated thoughts is not

peculiar to theQur ’ān. It is found inevery language,everynationandeveryplace.Man,byhisnature,knowsthatifonlyonestory,proverborsimilitudeisgiventoillustrateanabstractidea,unessentialdetailswouldconfusetheminds,andmightconvey to themawrongmeaning.Therefore,he tries tomake theaudience understand his idea with the help of a lot of stories and variedsimilitudes. So that they may distinguish the true significance from theunnecessarydetails.It is now crystal clear that it was necessary — nay, essential — that the

Qur ’ānshouldcontainambiguousverses;andthatthatambiguousnessshouldberemovedwiththehelpofotherunambiguousverses.Thosewhoobjectonthepresenceof suchverses in theQur ’āndonotknowwhat theyare talkingabout.

6.Conclusion

This discourse on ambiguous and decisive verses and the Qur ’ānic

interpretationhasbecomeabit lengthy.But through it,wehavebeenable toclarifythefollowingtenpoints:First: The Qur ’ān contains two kinds of verses, the decisive and the

ambiguous.Ifaverse,seenalone, iscapableofmorethanonemeaning, it isambiguous;otherwise,itisdecisive.Second:ThewholeQur ’ān,withallitsdecisiveandambiguousverses,has

itsinterpretation.Thatinterpretationisnottheconnotationofitswords;itisanactuallyexistingreality;arealitythathasthesamerelationwiththeknowledge,factsandideasmentionedin theQur ’ān,as thesignificanceofaproverbhaswith that proverb. All the Qur ’ānic knowledge is like a similitude for theQur ’ānicinterpretationthatiswithAllāh.Third:The interpretationmaybeknown to thepurifiedservantsofAllāh;

theyaretheoneswhoarealsofirmlyrootedinknowledge.Fourth: It has been said in the second conclusion that the Qur ’ānic

knowledgeandideasarelikeasimilitudefortheQur ’ānicinterpretation.Now,wecometoafurtherlowerlevel,thatis,theQur ’ānicwordsandexpressions.These words and expressions, in their turn, are like a similitude to theabovementionedQur ’ānicknowledge,facts,andideas.Fifth:ItwasasessentialfortheQur ’āntoincludesomeambiguousverses,

asitwastohavesomedecisiveones.Sixth: The decisive verses are the basis of the Book, to which the

ambiguousonesarereturned, that is, the latterareexplainedwith thehelpoftheformer.Seventh:Decisivenessandambiguousnessare relativequalities.The same

versemaybedecisiveinonecontextandambiguousinanother.Also,itmaybedecisiveincomparisontooneverseandambiguousinrelationtotheother.ThereisnoabsolutelyambiguousverseintheQur ’ān;althoughthereisno

reasonwhyoneormoreversesmaynotbedecisive.Eighth: It is essential that the verses of the Qur ’ān should explain each

other.Ninth: The meaning of the Qur ’ān has various grades. They are placed

verticallyonebehindtheother.Theyarenotrankedsidebyside,horizontally;otherwise, itwouldentail theuseofoneword inmore thanonemeaning—and it is not permissible.Nor are they like real andmetaphoricalmeanings;

nor likevariousadjunctmeaningsattached toa realone.Rather, theyareallvariousgradesoftheonerealmeaning—thus,theyallareitsrealmeanings,and the peoples’ minds comprehend its various grades, according to theirintellectualandspiritualcapacity.Thisstatementrequiressomeelaboration:Allāhhassaid:FearAllāhasisduetoHim(3:102).Theword,‘‘at-taqwā’’(يوقتلا =

piety, fear of Allāh), denotes abstaining fromwhat Allah has forbidden anddoingwhatHehasordered.As theverseshows, thehighestgradeofpiety isthe one mentionedtherein:‘‘asisduetoAllāh’’.Byinference,theremustbeotherlowergrades.‘‘Piety’’,orinotherwords,‘‘gooddeeds’’,arethereforeofvariousgrades,

oneabovetheother.Also,Hesays:IsthenhewhofollowsthepleasureofAllāhlikehimwhohas

broughtuponhimselfthewrathfromAllāh,andwhoseabodeishell?Anditisan evil destination. They are of (diverse) grades with Allāh, and Allāh seeswhattheydo(3:162—163).Itshowsthatalldeeds—goodandevilalike—areofvariousgradesand

ranks. That the diverse grades mentioned in the verse refer to the deeds, isclearfromtheconcludingsentence,‘‘andAllāhseeswhattheydo’’.Twomoreversesareasfollows:—Andforallaregradesaccording towhat theydid,andso thatHemaypay

thembackfullytheirdeedsandtheyshallnotbedealtwithunjustly(46:19).Andallhavegradesaccordingtowhattheydo;andyourLordisnotheedless

ofwhattheydo(6:132).There aremanyversesof this tenor, and among themare those that show

that thegradesof theparadiseanddepthsof thehellarebasedon thegradesanddegreesofthegoodandbaddeedsrespectively.It is known that action, of whatever kind it may be, emanates from

knowledge,thatis,fromtherelevantconvictionoftheheart.ThatiswhyAllāhhas proved infidelity of the Jews, evil intentions of the polytheists, andduplicity of the hypocrites from their actions; as the belief and faith of theprophets and the believers has been proved from their actions. The verseshaving this semantic flow are very numerous and there is no need to quotethemhere.Everyactionemanatesfromarelevantknowledgeanddemonstratesit.And

then that action enhances that relevant knowledge and belief and makes itfirmlysettledinthemindandsoul.AsAllāhsays:

And(asfor)thosewhostrivehardforUs,WewillmostcertainlyguidethemontoOurways;andAllāhismostsurelywiththedoersofgood(29:69).Andworship thou thy Lord until there comes to you the certainty (or, that

whichiscertain)(15:99).Thenevilwastheendofthosewhodidevil,becausetheyrejectedthesignsof

Allāhandusedtomockthem(30:10).SoHemadehypocrisy to followasa consequence into theirhearts till the

day when they shall meet Him because they failed to perform towards AllāhwhattheyhadpromisedwithHimandbecausetheytoldlies(9:77).Therearealotofversesofthissignificance;andtheyshowthateveryaction

—good or bad—creates knowledge or ignorance (i.e.,wrong knowledge)respectively.There is a verse that contains the gist of this topic about good deeds and

usefulknowledge:ToHimdoascendthegoodwords;andthegooddeedliftsthemup(35:10).Itclearlysays that thegoodword, that is, truebelief,ascends toAllāhand

bringsthebelieversnearertoHim;andthegooddeedsliftsthisknowledgeandbeliefup.Theascensionofknowledgeandbeliefdependsontheirpurityfromdoubt andconfusion; andonundisturbedattentionof the soul towardsAllāh.Themoreintensethispurity,thehigherthereachofthatknowledgeandbelief.Thewordsusedintheversehinttothisfact:Thegoodwordsdoascend,and

thegooddeedsdoliftthemup.Ascensionisoppositeofdescension,andliftingupisoppositeofputtingdown.Whenathingmovesfromalowertoahigherlevel it is described in these two terms that look at the two points of themovement. It is said to be ascending, because it moves towards the higherlevel, coming nearer to it; and is said to be rising or lifting up, because itleavesthelowerplacemovingawayfromit.The gooddeeds lift theman up and remove him away from this transient

worldanditsbasedesires.Theydonotlethimensnarehimselfinthetrinketsof thismaterial life,or togoandget lost in themazeof theunenduringandever-changing‘‘knowledge’’.Themorethegooddeedslifthimup,thehigherhisgoodwordsdoascend,andpurerbecomeshisspiritualknowledge,fartherfromtheimpuritiesofconfusion,doubtandimagination.Thegooddeedsareofdiversegradesanddegrees;andeverygradeliftsthe

goodwordsandcreatestheknowledgeofDivinerealitiesaccordingtoitsownstrengthandcondition.Thesamedetailsaretrue,inreverse,fortheevildeedsandbadwords,that

is,wrongknowledge.Evildeedssinkdownthemanintotheyawningdepthsofignorance,hypocrisyandinfidelity.Thissubjectwasdiscussedinshortinthe

Commentaryoftheverse,Guideustothestraightpath(1:6).Now,itisclearfromabovethatpeopleareofdifferentgradesandranks,so

far as their nearness or distance fromAllāh is concerned. It all depends ontheirgoodor evil deeds andgoodor evilwords, that is, knowledge. It goeswithout saying thatwhat people of a certain gradewould understand from aDivineSpeechwouldbequitedifferentfromwhatthoseonahigherorlowerlevelwouldunderstandfromthesame.ThatiswhatwemeanwhenwesaythattheQur ’ānhasvariousmeanings,allrankedverticallyonebehindtheother.Allāhhasmentioned in theQur ’ānvariouscategoriesofHisservants,and

hasreservedforeachaspecialkindofknowledgeandcognition,Forexample:a)Thosewhoare freed (fromsins)— theyhavebeengivenknowledgeof

theattributesoftheirLord:HallowedbeAllāh,fromwhattheyascribe,excepttheservantsofAllāh,freed(fromsins)(37:159—160).Theyhavealsobeengivensomeotherknowledge,whichweshalldescribe,Allāhwilling,insomeotherplace.b) Those who are sure — they have the distinction. of being shown the

kingdom of the heavens and the earth: And thus did We show Ibrāhīm thekingdomof the heavens and the earth and that hemight be of thosewhoaresure(6:75).c)ThosewhoturntoHimagainandagain—theyhavebeenfavouredwith

minding: … and none minds but he who turns (to Him) again and again(40:13).d)Thelearnedones—theyunderstandtheparablesoftheQur ’ān:Andthese

examples,Wesetthemforthforthepeople,andnoneunderstandthembutthelearned (29:43).They are also thepeopleof understandingwhomeditate ontheQur ’ān:DotheynotthenreflectontheQur’ān?Nay,ontheheartstherearelocks (47:24);Do theynot thenmeditateon theQur’ān?And if itwere fromanyother thanAllāh, theywouldhave found in itmanyadiscrepancy (4:82).The three verses point to the same meaning — those who understand andmeditate on the Qur ’ān, know the true meaning of the ambiguous versesreturningthemtothedecisiveones.e)Thepurifiedones—theyhavethespecialdistinctionoftheknowledgeof

theinterpretationoftheBook:MostsurelyitisanhonouredQur’ān,inaBookthatishidden;nonedotouchitsavethepurifiedones(56:77—79).f) The friends of Allāh— they are the people submerged in the love of

Allāh; theyareinattentivetoeverythingotherthanAllāh; that iswhytheyareafraid of nothing andgrieve for nothing:Now surely the friends ofAllāh—theyshallhavenofearnorshalltheygrieve(10:62).Likewise,therearethosewhoareneartoAllāh,thechosenones,thetruthful

ones,thegoodonesandthebelievers.Eachofthesegroupshasaspecialkindofknowledgeandperceptionreservedtoit;andweshalldescribethemunderrelevantverses.Face to facewith these, are the grades of evil and falsehood, every grade

havingapeculiartypeofmisinformationandignorance.Thepeopleofthosegradesarecalledunbelievers,sinners,unjustandsoon.Theyare inclined tomisinterpretthesignsofAllāh,andnottograspthespiritualrealitiesandtheirknowledge.Forthesakeofbrevity,theversesarenotgivenhere.Tenth:TheQur ’ānicverseshavethecapacitytobeappliedwherevertheir

meaningscometrue.Averseisnotconfinedtotheeventorcircumstancesinwhichitwasrevealed.Itcoversallsituationsthatareakintothecircumstancesof its revelation. In this respect also they are like the proverbs that are notrestricted to their original occasion, but are applied to all similar situations.Theprincipleiscalledthe‘‘flowoftheQur ’ān’’,ofwhichashortdescriptionwaswritteninthebeginningofthefirstvolume.

TRADITIONS

Itiswritteninat-Tafsīrofal-‘Ayyāshī:Abū‘Abdillāh(a.s.)wasaskedabout

thedecisiveand theambigousverses.Hesaid: ‘‘Thedecisive is thatwhich isacted upon; and the ambiguous is that which is doubtful for the onewho isignorantofit.’’Theauthorsays:Thereisahintinthelastsentencethattheknowledgeof

themeaningoftheambiguousverseispossibletohimwhoisnotignorantofit.Thesamebookquotes thesame Imāmas saying: ‘‘TheQur ’ān isdecisive

andambiguous.Asforthedecisive,youbelieveinit,actuponitandsubmittoit;andasfortheambiguous,youbelieveinitbutdonotactuponit.AnditisthewordofAllāh,MightyandGreat isHe: thenas for thoseinwhoseheartsthere is perversity, they follow the part of it which is ambiguous, seeking tomislead,and seeking togive it (theirown) interpretation, but none knows itsinterpretationexceptAllāh;andthosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledgesay:‘Webelieveinit,itisallfromourLord.’AndthosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledgearetheprogenyofMuh ammad(s.a.w.s.).’’Theauthorsays:Weshalldiscussthelastsentencelater.The same book quotes Mas‘adah ibn Sadaqah as saying: ‘‘I asked Abū

‘Abdillāh (a.s.) about the abrogating (verse), and the abrogated, and thedecisive and ambiguous (ones).He said: ‘The abrogating is the firm (verse)that is actedupon; and theabrogated is theone thatwasacteduponand thencametheversethatabrogatedit;andtheambiguousistheonethatisdoubtfultohimwhoisignorantofit.’’’Inanothertraditionthisreplyisreportedasfollows:‘‘Theabrogatingisthe

firm(verse);andtheabrogatedistheonethatpassedaway;andthedecisiveisthe one that is acted upon; and the ambiguous is the one whose one partresemblestheother.’’al-Bāqir(a.s.)said,interalia,inatradition:‘‘Sotheabrogated(verses)are

amongtheambiguousones.’’(al-Kāfī)ar-Ridā(a.s.)said:‘‘Hewhoreturnedtheambiguous(part)oftheQur ’ānto

itsdecisive(part),wasguidedtothestraightpath.’’Thenhesaid:‘‘Verily,thereis ambiguous in our traditions, like the ambiguous of theQur ’ān; therefore,returnitsambiguoustoitsdecisive,anddonotfollowitsambiguous,lestyougoastray.’’(‘Uyūnu’l-akhbār)The author says: All the above-mentioned traditions explain the term

‘‘ambiguous’’ in nearly the same way. All of them support our earlierstatementthattheverses’ambiguousnessmayberemovedbyexplainingthemin the light of the decisive verses.Also, itwas explainedwhy the abrogatedversewascountedamongtheambiguous:Itisbecauseitseemstopromulgatea perpetual law and then comes the abrogating verse and shows that its‘‘perpetuity’’iscutshort.ThewordoftheImām,thattherewasambiguousintheirtraditionsliketheambiguousoftheQur ’ānanddecisivelikethedecisiveoftheQur ’ān,issupportedbymanyothertraditionsofAhlu’l-bayt(a.s.),thatarenearlyal-mutawātir.Reasonalsosupportsit.Theirtraditionsdealwiththesame subjects that are described in the Qur ’ān; and ambiguousness is thecharacteristicofthosesubjectsinasmuchastheyareclothedwiththewords;itis not a characteristic of theword, per se. In short, ambiguousness happensbecausetheversesareliketheparablesofthesublimespiritualfacts.Andthisfactor is equally present in the traditions. Therefore, like the Qur ’ān, thetraditions also are ambiguous anddecisive.And it has beennarrated that theProphetsaid: ‘‘We, thegroupof theprophets,havebeenordered to talkwiththepeopleaccordingtothecapacityoftheirunderstanding.’’Itisnarratedinat-Tafsīrofal-‘AyyāshīfromJa‘faribnMuhammadfromhis

father (peace be on them both) that aman said toAmīru ’l-mu’minīn (a.s.):‘‘WillyoudescribetousourLord,sothatwemayloveandknowHimmore.’’Hearingit,hebecameangryanddeliveredasermon,inwhichhesaid:‘‘Youshould stick,OservantofAllāh: towhat theQur ’ānhas shownyou

aboutHisattributes,andtheApostlehasguidedyouaboutHisknowledge;andseekilluminationfromthelightofhisguidance,becauseit isabountyandawisdomthatyouhavebeengiven.Therefore,acceptwhatyouhavebeengivenandbeof thegratefulones.Andwhatever taskSatan imposesonyou,whichneither theBookhas imposeduponyounor the traditionsof theApostleandthe (truly) guiding Imāms have ordered you (to know), then entrust itsknowledge toAllāh;anddonot (try to)measure thegreatnessofAllāh.Andknow,OservantofAllāh!thatthosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledgearethose whomAllāh has kept above the need of crashing into the screens putbeforetheunseen;sotheytookituponthemselvestoacknowledgeallthattheywereunawareofitsexplanation,fromtheunseenthatisscreenedoff,andtheysaid:‘Webelieveinit,itisallfromourLord.’AndAllāhhaspraised(themfor)theiracknowledging their inability toget thatwhich theirknowledgehadnotencompassed. Andwhen they refrained from going intowhatAllāh had notordered themtosearch,Allāhcalled this refrainingasbeing firmly rooted inknowledge. Therefore, be content with this much, and do not measure thegreatness of Allāh with the measure of your understanding; otherwise, you

wouldbeofthosewhoaredoomedtoperdition.’’Theauthorsays:The sentence, ‘‘Andknow… that thosewhoare firmly

rootedinknowledge…’’,throwsfurtherlightonthemeaningof‘‘and’’inthewordofAllāh,‘‘andthosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledgesay…’’.Thistraditionshowsthat,accordingtotheImām,that‘‘and’’isnotaconjunctive;itstarts a new sentence, as we have explained in the Commentary. What thistradition,however,showsis that thisversedoesnotprovethat thosewhoarefirmlyrooted inknowledgeknowthe interpretationof theQur ’ān;not that itproves that they do not know the said interpretation. It does not deny theexistenceofotherproofstoshowthattheyknowthisinterpretation,aswehaveexplained earlier; and some traditions of the Imāms of Ahlu ’l-bayt alsosupportit.Thewords,‘‘arethosewhomAllāhhaskeptabovetheneedof…’’,arethepredicateofthesubject,‘‘thosewhoarefirmlyrooted…’’Thesermonexhortstheenquirertoholdfasttothepracticeofthosewhoare

firmly rooted in knowledge; to confess his ignorance of what he does notknow—inthiswayhewouldbecomeoneofthem.It means that, according to the Imām, those people are firmly rooted in

knowledgewhoholdfasttowhattheyknowanddonotcrosstheboundarytowhattheydonotknow.‘‘Theunseenthatishiddenbehindthescreens’’is theintendedmeaningoftheambiguousversethatishiddenfromcommonminds.That iswhy the Imāmmentioned soon after that they ‘‘acknowledge all thattheywereunawareofitsexplanationfromtheunseen…’’;notethathedidnotsay,‘‘unawareofitsinterpretation…’’.as-Sādiq(a.s.)said:‘‘Wearethosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledge;and

weknowitsinterpretation.’’(al-Kāfī)Theauthorsays: Itmayappearfromthis tradition that theImāmtookthe

word‘‘and’’,intheverse,‘‘andthosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledge’’,as a conjunctive and that, in addition toAllāh, those also knew theQur ’ānicinterpretation who were firmly rooted in knowledge. But this apparentconnotationisnotinplace,becauseoftheexplanationgivenearlier,andalsobecauseoftheprecedingtradition.Also, it is possible that the Imām used the word ‘‘interpretation’’, as a

synonymousfor‘‘exegesis’’;suchusagewascommonintheearlycenturies.‘‘… andwe know its interpretation’’:A preceding tradition also had said:

‘‘And those who are firmly rooted in knowledge are the progeny ofMuhammad’’.Thisstatementisfoundinothertraditionstoo.AllthisisapartoftheflowoftheQur ’ān—applyingtheverseswherevertheyfitperfectly.Itisreportedinal-KāfīfromHishāmibnal-H akamthathesaid:‘‘Abu’l-

HasanMūsā ibn Ja‘far (a.s.) toldme: ‘…OHishām!Verily, Allāh quoted a

goodpeopleassaying:OurLord!Makenotourhearts todeviateafter Thouhastguidedus(aright);andgrantusfromTheemercy;surelyThouartthemostliberalGiver.Theywereawarethattheheartscoulddeviateandreturntotheirblindnessandperdition.Verily,hedidnot fearAllāhwhodidnotunderstandfromAllāh; and (as for him) who did not understand fromAllāh, his heartwouldnotberesolutewithaconfirmedknowledge,whichhecouldvisualizeandwhoserealityhecouldfindinhisheart.Andonlythatonecanbelikethiswhosewordconfirmshisdeeds,andwhoseprivate(life)isinconformitywithhis manifest (one); because Allāh (Honoured is His name!) did not prove(one’s) esoteric (and) hidden wisdom except through its manifestation anddeclaration.’’’The author says:‘‘Verily, he did not fear Allāh who did not understand

fromAllāh’’:ItexpressesthesameideaasthewordsofAllāh:VerilyfearAllāhonly those of His servants who are possessed of knowledge (35:28). Thesentence, ‘‘and (as for him) who did not understand from Allāh, his heartwouldnotberesolutewithaconfirmedknowledge…’’,isthebestexpressionto explain the significance of being firmly rooted in knowledge. Unless arealityisthoroughlyunderstood,theloopholesofdoubtsandconfusionwouldnotbeclosed,andtheheartwouldremainperturbedandperplexedinbelievingit.Butwhentheunderstandingiscompletedandtheheartresolutelybelievesinit, itwouldnotgoagainst thedictatesof thatfirmknowledge;andwouldnotfollowthetemptationsofdesire.Thentherewouldbenodiscrepancybetweenhis secret and open lives; what would be in his heari: wouldmanifest itselfthroughhisdeeds;whathewouldsaywouldconformwithwhathedoes.Thewords,‘‘andonlythatonecanbelikethiswhosewordconfirms…’’,

describethecharacteristicsofthosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledge.Ibn Jarīr, Ibn Abī Hātim and at-Tabarānī have narrated from Anas, Abū

Amāmah, Wāthilah ibn Asqa‘ and Abu ’d-Dardā’ that the Apostle of Allāh(s.a.w.a.)wasaskedabout: thosewhoare firmlyrooted inknowledge.Hesaid:‘‘He whose oath is abode by, and his tongue is truthful, and his heart issteadfast,andwhosestomachandgenitalsarechaste,thenthatisamongthosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledge.’’(ad-Durru’l-manthūr)Theauthorsays:Thistraditionmaybeexplainedintermsofthepreceding

one.al-Bāqir(a.s.)said:‘‘Verily, thosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledgeare

thoseinwhoseknowledgethereisnodiscrepancy.’’(al-Kāfī)Theauthorsays:Thisexplanationfitstheverseperfectly.Theverseshows

thatperversityanddeviationofheartisoppositeoffirmlyrootedknowledge.Therefore, there would be no deviation, confusion and discrepancy in the

knowledgeofthosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledge.Ibn Abī Shaybah, Ahmad, at-Tirmidhī, Ibn Jarīr, at-Tabarānī and Ibn

Marduwayhhavenarrated fromUmmSalmah: ‘‘Verily, theApostle ofAllāhused to say very often in his invocations, ‘OAllāh,OTurner of the hearts!Keepmyheart firmon thy religion.’ I said: ‘OApostleofAllāh!anddo thehearts turn?’Hesaid: ‘Yes.Allāhhasnotcreateda singlehumanbeing fromtheprogenyofAdambutthathisheartisbetweentwoofthefingersofAllāh;thenifHewills,Hekeepsitstraight;andifHewills,Heturnsitaway…’’’(ad-Durru’l-manthūr)Theauthorsays:Thisideahasbeennarratedthroughseveralchainsfroma

numberofcompanions,likeJābir,NawwāsibnSam‘ān,‘Abdullāhibn‘UmarandAbūHurayrah.Thewell-knownarethewordsofthetraditionofNawwās:‘‘TheheartofthesonofAdamisbetweentwoofthefingersoftheBeneficent(Allāh).’’Andthesamewordshavebeennarrated,asIthink,byash-Sharīfar-Rad īinhisal-Majāzātu’n-nabawiyyah.It has been narrated from ‘Alī (a.s.) that hewas asked: ‘‘Is therewith you

anythingof the revelation? (i.e.,Doyou receiveany revelation fromAllāh?)Hereplied:‘‘No,byHimWhosplitthegrainandcreatedthesoul!ExceptthatAllāhgivesaservantunderstandingofHisBook.’’Theauthorsays: It isoneof themost important traditions.The least that

maybeprovedfromitisthatallthatastonishingknowledgethatspreadfromhimandwhicheventodaystunstheminds,wasallderivedfromtheQur ’ān.as-Sādiq(a.s.)narratedfromhisfatherthroughhisforefathers(peacebeon

them all) that theApostle ofAllāh (s.a.w.a.) said: ‘‘O people!You are in aninterimstation,andyouareridingonajourney,andthespeedwithwhichyouaretakenawayisfast;andyouhaveseenthenightandthedayandthesunandthemoon(how)theywearouteverynew(thing),andbringneareverydistant(object),andbringouteverypromised(affair);therefore,prepareyouroutfitfor the distant journey.’’ The Imām said that at this point al-Miqdād ibn al-Aswad stood up and asked: ‘‘And what is the interim station? OApostle ofAllāh!’’ He said: ‘‘The house of communication and cessation. Therefore,whenmischiefs come to confuseyou like the segmentsof adarknight, thenhold fast to the Qur ’ān; as it is the intercessor whose intercession shall begranted;andacredibleadvocate;andwhoeverkeepsitbeforehim,itwillleadhimtotheGarden;andwhoeverkeepsitbehind,itwilldrivehimtotheFire;anditistheguidethatguidestothebestpath;anditisaBookinwhichthereisexplanation, particularization and recapitulation; and it is a decisive (word),andnotajoke;andthereisforitamanifest(meaning)andanesoteric(one);thus its apparent (meaning) is firm, and its esoteric (one) is knowledge; its

exterior is elegant and its interior deep; it has (many) boundaries, and itsboundaries have (many) boundaries; its wonders shall not cease, and its(unexpected)marvels shall not beold.There are in it the lampsof guidanceandthebeaconofwisdom,andaguidetoknowledge.forhimwhoknowstheattributes.Therefore,oneshouldextendhissight;andshouldlethiseyesreachtheattribute;sothatonewhoisinperditionmaygetdeliverance,andonewhoisentangledmaygetfree;becausemeditationisthelifeoftheheartoftheonewhosees, as theonehavinga light (easily)walks in thedarkness; therefore,youmustseekgooddeliveranceand(that)withlittlewaiting.’’(al-Kāfī)The author says: al-‘Ayyāshī has narrated it upto the words, ‘‘therefore,

oneshouldextendhissight’’.Itisnarratedinal-Kāfīandat-Tafsīrofal-‘Ayyāshīfromas -Sādiq(a.s.)that

hesaid that theApostleofAllāh(s.a.w.a.)said:‘‘TheQur ’ānisaguidefromwilderness, an eyesight for the blind, a pardon for the sinner, and a lightagainstdarkness;abrightness from thehappenings,andsafety fromdisaster,andguidancefromgoingastray;aclarityinthechaos,andthemeanstoreach(safely) from thisworld to thenext; and there is in it theperfectionof yourreligion;andnoonedeviatedfromtheQur ’ānexcepttotheFire.’’The author says: There are countless such traditions narrated from the

ProphetandtheImamsofAhlu’l-bayt(peacebeonthemall).It is narrated in at-Tafsīr of al-‘Ayyāshī from al-Fudayl ibn Yasār that he

said: ‘‘I askedAbūJa‘far (a.s.) about this tradition: ‘There isnoverse in theQur ’ānbut ithasanexteriorandaninterior,andthereisnowordin itbut ithasaboundary,andeveryboundaryhasawatchingplace.’(Iaskedhim)whatwas themeaning of exterior and interior. The Imām said: ‘Its exterior is itsrevelation;and its interior is its interpretation; someof ithasalreadypassed(i.e.happened)andthereissomeofitthathasnotcomeaboutyet;itrunsalongasrunthesunandthemoon,whenathingofitcomes(toitsappointedplaceandtime) ithappens.Allāhhassaid:andnoneknows its interpretationexceptAllāhandthosewhoarefirmlyrootedinknowledge;weknowit.’’’Theauthorsays:‘‘Someofithasalreadypassedandthereissomeofitthat

hasnotcomeaboutyet’’:Apparently thepronoun‘‘it’’standsfor theQur ’ān—for its revelationand interpretationboth.Therefore, the sentence ‘‘it runsalongasrunthesunandthemoon’’,willapplytoboththerevelationandtheinterpretation.Sofarastherevelation(i.e.,therevealedword)isconcerneditis the same thing as applying the verse to all situations in which its importcomestrue;andwhichistermedastheflowoftheQur ’ān.Forexample,lookattheverse:Oyouwhobelieve!fearAllāhandbewiththetrueones(9:119).Itwas addressed, initially, to the believerswhowere present at the time of its

revelation.Nowitisappliedtoallthebelieverswhocameafterwardsandwillcomeupto theDayofResurrection. It is themostobviousapplication that ispractised not only by the Muslims but by all sensible persons in everylanguage.Buttherearesomeotherwaysoffinerandstillmorefinerapplications.For

example,whentheversesoffightingareusedtoexhort,thebelieverstofightagainst their own selves, orwhen the verses condemning the hypocrites areappliedtothesinfulbelievers,itisafinerapplication.When one proceeds further in one’s spiritual journey then the above-

mentionedversesof fightingandhypocrisyaswellas theversesconcerningthesinnersareapplied to thosevirtuousservantsofAllāhwhofora fleetingmoment turn towards unavoidable worldly affairs, thus disrupting theirmeditation,remembranceof,andpresencebefore,Allāh.Needlesstosaythatitisamuchmorefinerapplicationthanthepreviousones.Anditsfinestapplicationcomeswhenthosemostperfect,mostvirtuousand

mostbelovedservantsofAllāhapplythoseversestothemselvesbecausethey,in their loveofAllāh, think that theyhave failed indischarging theirduty toAllāh.Fromtheabovediscourse,itbecomesclearthat:First:TheQur ’ānhasconnotationsofvaryingdegrees, thatareappliedto

various groups according to their spiritual perfection. Those who havedescribedthestagesoffaithin,andloveof,Allāh,havementionedevenmorefinerapplicationsthanthosewrittenabove.Second:‘‘Exterior ’’and‘‘interior ’’arerelativeattributes.Everyexterioris

interiorwhenseeninrelationtoamoreexteriormeaning;andeveryinteriorisexterior in comparison to a more interior one. The following traditionexplicitlymentionsthisfact.al-‘Ayyāshīhasnarrated, inhisat-Tafsīr, fromJabir that he said: ‘‘I asked

AbūJa‘far(a.s.)theexplanationof(averseof)theQur ’ān,andheexplainedittome.Thereafter,Iaskedhim(thesamequestion)andhegavemeadifferentreply.So I toldhim: ‘May Ibeyour ransom!Youhadgivenme,before thisday, a different reply to this very question!’ Thereupon he said: ‘O Jābir!verily,theQur ’ānhasaninterior,andforitsinteriorthereisaninterior;and(ithas)anexterior,andforitsexteriorthereisanexterior.OJābir!andthereisnothingfartherfromtheunderstandingofthementhantheexplanationoftheQur ’ān.Verilyaverse,itsfirst(part)isabout(i.e.,throwslighton)onesubject,and itsmiddle isaboutanothermatter, and itsend isabouta third thing,and(still)itisawell-connectedspeech,(that)revolvesinvariousways.’’’Thesamebooknarratesa tradition fromthesameImāminwhichhesaid:

‘‘Ifaverseisrevealedaboutapeopleandthosepeopledie,thatversedoesnotdie.Otherwise,nothingwouldhavesurvivedoftheQur ’ān.ButtheQur ’ān,itsfirst is applied to its last, so longas theheavens and the earthwill continue.Andforeverygroupthereisaverse,whichtheyrecite,theyarefromit(i.e.,itisappliedtothem)eitherfromgoodorfromevil.’’Humrān ibnA‘yansaid: ‘‘IaskedAbūJa‘far(a.s.)about theexteriorof the

Qur ’ānanditsinterior;andhesaid:‘ItsexteriorarethosepeopleaboutwhomtheQur ’ānwasrevealed;anditsinteriorarethosewhodoasthosehaddone;thatwhichwas revealed about those flows about these (i.e., is applied to thefollowersalso).’’’(Ma‘āni’l-akhbār)ItisnarratedintheTafsīras-Sāfīthat‘Alī(a.s.)said:‘‘Thereisnoversebut

it has four meanings: Manifest, and esoteric, and boundary and rising (orwatching) place. So, the manifest is the recitation, and esoteric is thecomprehension, andboundary is the commandments of lawful andunlawful,and rising (orwatching)place is theDivinepurpose,expectedof theservantthroughthisverse.’’Theauthorsays:‘‘Recitation’’iscountedasoneofthemeanings;itshows

that this word refers to the apparent meaning of the verse. Then‘‘comprehension’’, which is given as its opposite, would mean the inner(esoteric) meaning hidden behind the apparent one; ‘‘the commandments oflawfulandunlawful’’referstothatQur ’ānicknowledgewhichoneacquiresinitsfirstor intermediatestages; thus itstandsface tofacewith the‘‘rising(orwatching) place’’ which is the highest grade of the meaning. Probably, theboundary and the rising place are relative terms, as the manifest and theesoteric are — thus every higher grade may be called a rising place incomparisontoalowerlevel.‘‘al-Matla‘ ’’ ( علطملا = rising place, horizon)

may also be read al-muttala‘ ( علطملا =thewatchingplace).AstheImāmhassaid,itreferstothatDivinepurposeforwhich the verse was revealed andwhich the servant of Allāh is expected tofulfil.Thesefourmeaningshavealsobeenmentionedinafamoustraditionofthe

Prophetwhichisasfollows:‘‘Verily,theQur ’ānhasbeenrevealedonsevenletters:Foreveryverseofit,

there is anexterior andan interior, and for everyboundary there is a risingplace.’’Inanotherversion the last sentence isas follows: ‘‘and foreach there isa

boundaryandarisingplace’’.According to the first version (‘‘for every boundary there is a rising

place’’),itmeansthatforeachexteriorandinterior—thatis,theboundary—there is a rising place to which it ascends. This meaning is clear. And thesecondversion(‘‘foreachthereisaboundaryandarisingplace’’)mayalsobeinterpretedinthesameway:eachexteriorandinteriorhasaboundary,thatis,itsownmeaning,andeachhasarisingplacetowhichitascends—inotherwords,itwouldbereferringtothe‘‘interpretation’’.Butthisexplanationisnotinconformitywith the traditionof‘Alī (a.s.)mentionedabove(‘‘There isnoversebutithasfourmeanings…’’).Inthelightoftheabovegivendiscourse,thefourtermsmaybeexplainedin

thefollowingway:Theexterior is themanifestmeaning that isunderstoodfromthewordsof

theverse.Theinterioristheesotericmeaningwhichishiddenbehindthemanifestone.

Itmaybeoneormore—onebehindtheother—nearertothemanifestoneordistant,withorwithoutanyintermediatelink.Theboundaryisthemeaning,whethertheexteriorortheinterior.The rising place is that meaning from which the boundary (as explained

above) arises. In otherwords, it is the esotericmeaning that is immediatelyadjacenttotheboundary.Thereisatradition,narratedthroughboththeShī‘ahandtheSunnīchains,

from the Prophet that he said: ‘‘The Qur ’ān has been revealed on sevenletters.’’The author says: Although there are some minor differences in the

wordingsofvariousversionsofthistradition,ithasbeennarratedbysomanypeopleastomakeitnearlyal-mutawātir;andthenarrationsarenearlysimilarinmeaning,andhavecomeboth fromtheShī‘ahsand theSunnīs.There isagreat controversy concerning the meaning of this tradition — some fortyexplanations have been given for it. But, in reality, there should not be anydifficultyinunderstandingit,becauseitsexplanationisgiveninthetraditionsthemselves;andthatshouldbefollowed,insteadofinventingnewexplanations.Someof these traditionssay:TheQur ’ānhascomedownonseven letters:

order,restraint,exhortion,intimidation,argument,storiesandparables.’’Anotherversioncounts themas follows: restraint, order, lawful, unlawful,

decisive,ambiguousandparables.‘Alī(a.s.)isreportedassaying:‘‘VerilyAllāhrevealedtheQur ’ānonseven

categories, each of which is sufficient and satisfying; and they are: order,restraint,exhortion,intimidation,argument,parablesandstories.’’Therefore, the seven lettersmust be explained as sevenmodesof address,

seven kinds of expression. They are seven; yet they are one in their aim,

becauseallinvitetoAllāh,andcalltoHisstraightpath.It may be inferred from these traditions that all fundamental spiritual

knowledgeisconfinedwithintheparables;becauseothersixcategoriescannotbeappliedtothoserealities,exceptbystretchingthemeaningsofthewords.TheProphetsaid:‘‘Whoeverinterprets(i.e.,explains)theQur ’ānaccording

tohisopinion,shouldsettlehimselfinhisseatofFire.’’(as -Sāfī)Theauthorsays:ThismatterhasbeennarratedbyboththeSunnīsandthe

Shī‘ahs.Andtherearemanyothertraditionsofthesameimport,narratedfromtheProphetandtheImāmsofAhlu’l-bayt(a.s.).It is narrated inMunyatu ’l-murīd that the Prophet said: ‘‘Whoever spoke

abouttheQur ’ānwithoutknowledge,shouldsettlehimselfinhisseatofFire.’’Theauthorsays:Also,ithasbeennarratedbyAbūDāwūdinhisas-Sunan.TheProphet said: ‘‘Whoever speaks about theQur ’ānwithout knowledge,

shallcomeontheDayofResurrectionreinedwithareinoffire.’’(Munyatu’l-murīd)The same book narrates that the Prophet said: ‘‘Whoever spoke about the

Qur ’ānofhisownopinion(evenif)hewasright,hecommittedwrong.’’Theauthorsays:This traditionhasalsobeennarratedbyAbūDāwūd,at-

Tirmidhīandan-Nasā’ī.TheProphetsaid:‘‘WhatIamafraidof,mostofall,concerningmyummah

afterme, is themanwhowill take theQur ’ānputting it inwrongplace (i.e.,givingwronginterpretations).’’(al-Munyatu’l-murīd)AbūBasīrsaidthatAbūAbdillāh(a.s.)said:‘‘WhoeverinterpretstheQur ’ān

accordingtohisownopinion,ifhegetstotherightinterpretation,heshallnotberewarded;andifheerrsthenheshallbefartherawayfromtheheaven.(at-Tafsīr,al-‘Ayyāshī)The samebookquotesYa‘qūb ibnYazīdwhonarrated fromYāsir that ar-

Ridā(a.s.)said:‘‘OpinionintheBookofAllāhisinfidelity.’’Theauthorsays:Thisthemeisfoundinothertraditionswrittenin‘Uyūnu

’l-akhbār,al-Khisālandat-Tafsīrofal-‘Ayyāshīamongotherbooks.Thewords of the Prophet: ‘‘Whoever interprets (i.e.,,explains) theQur ’ān

according to his opinion’’: ar-Ra’y ( يأرلا =opinion)meansthebeliefreachedatafterdiligentresearch.Itisalsousedfortheopinionbasedondesireandone’sown inclination.TheProphethasusedthephrase,‘‘hisopinion’’;itshowsthatwhatiscondemnedistheinterpretationofaverse independentlywithout lookingatother relevantverses. Itdoesnotforbidstrivinghardanddoingone’sutmosttounderstandthemeaningoftheQur ’ān;nordoesitsaythatoneshouldconfineoneselftowhathasbeensaidinthe traditions of the Prophet

andAhlu’l-bayt(a.s.)relatingtotheexegesisoftheverses(asmanytraditionaliststhink).Otherwise,itwouldbediametricallyopposedtothemanyverseswhichshowthat theQur ’ānisplainArabicandwhichexhort thepeopletomeditateon it; also it would be against many traditions that tell them to turn to theQur ’ānandjudgethetraditionsbyit.What the words, ‘‘according to his opinion’’, refer to is explaining the

Qur ’ān according to one’s personal views by being independent of otherQur ’ānic declarations. This happens when an exegete depends solely on theinstruments of Arabic language and literature, which are used forunderstandingahumantalk.Whenwehearaspeechofamanweatoncelooktowardstherulesofthelanguagesothatwemayunderstandwhatthespeakermeans,andin thiswaywedecideits import;weusethismethodeverywhere,eveninlegalmattersliketestimonyandacknowledgement.Weusethismethodbecausehumanspeechisbasedontherulesoflanguageandrhetorics.But the Qur ’ān’s diction is not based on this foundation, as we have

explained earlier.ThewholeQur ’ān is a speechwhose sentences andversesare all related to one another; at the same time they are separate from eachother; one part speaks with, and leads to the others, as ‘Alī (a.s.) has said:‘‘Obviously,itisnotenoughtolookatasingleverseinthelightoflanguageandliteratureanddecidewhatitmeans,unlessonemeditatesonalltherelevantversesandstrivesone’sutmosttofindoutfromallofthemtogetherwhatthatparticular verse means. The verse 4:82 points to this very fact, as we haveexplainedinthetopicofbrevity:DotheynotthenmeditateontheQur’ān?Andif it were from any other than Allāh, they would have found in it many adiscrepancy.’’ExplainingtheQur ’ānaccordingtoone’sopinion is, thus,prohibited.And

thisprohibitionisdirectedtothewayofexegesis,andnottotheexegesisitself.Inotherwords, theProphethas forbidden thepeople to try tounderstand theDivine words by the same methods which are used to understand a humanspeech — it is irrelevant whether they succeed in comprehending its truemeaning or not. That is why he (s.a.w.a.) has said in another tradition:‘‘WhoeverspokeabouttheQur ’ānofhisownopinion,(evenif)hewasright,he committed wrong.’’ This dictum clearly proves that the mistake lies inchoosing the way; it does notmatter whether that way takes one to the truedestination or not.The same is the explanation of thewords, narrated in thetraditionofal-‘Ayyāshī:‘‘ifhegetstotherightinterpretation,heshallnotberewarded’’.ThisviewissupportedalsobythestateofaffairsinthedaysoftheProphet.

TherevelationoftheQur ’ānwanotyetcompleted;andwhatwasrevealedwasnotyetarranged;notalltheMuslimshadintheirhandsalltherevealedverses—mostofthemhadonlyafewchaptersandverseswiththem.Hadtheybeenallowed to explain every piece or verse separately, without comparing thatpiecewithother relevantverses, theywouldalmostcertainlyhavefallen intoerror.Itappearsfromtheabovediscoursethatwhattheexegetehasbeenforbidden

is to interpret a verse of the Qur ’ān independently, relying on his ownknowledgeandopinion,withoutreferencetoanotherauthority.Inotherwords,itisnecessary,whenonewantstoexplainaQur ’ānicverse,toseekhelpfromothers by referring thematter to them.Who is that other authority? It couldonlybeeitherotherQur ’ānicverses,orthetraditions.Thesecondalternativeis out of question, because theProphet has ordered theMuslims to refer thetraditions to the Qur ’ān; it cannot be the other way round. The tradition’smeaningsandeventheirauthenticityistestedbytheQur ’ān;howcantraditiondecide the meaning of the Qur ’ān? Thus, there remains only one valid andapprovedwayofexplainingtheversesoftheQur ’ān,andthatiswiththehelpofotherrelevantverses.This much is enough to show the irrelevance of numerous explanations

written about the tradition of ‘‘interpretating the Qur ’ān by one’s ownopinion’’.Thescholarshaveexplainedthistraditioninnotlessthantenways:First: Itmeans interpreting theQur ’ānwithout expertise in those subjects

which are essential for knowing its exegesis. And as-Suyūtī has said in al-Itqān that they are fifteen in all: Language, syntax, conjugation, etymology,styles of literature, rhetoric, elocution, recitation of the Qur ’ān, roots ofreligion,fundamentalsofjurisprudence,reasonsandoccasionsofrevelations(as well as the stories mentioned in the Qur ’ān), abrogating and abrogatedverses, lawof thesharī‘ah, traditions that explain the general and unspecificverses,andthegiftedknowledge.Thislastphrasereferstoatradition of theProphet: ‘‘Whoever acts uponwhat he knows,Allāh gives

himknowledgeofwhathedoesnotknow.’’Second: It refers to the attempts of finding the interpretations of the

ambiguousverses,whichnooneknowsexceptAllāh.Third:ItisinterpretationoftheQur ’āntosupportawrongbelieforaction.

IthappenswhenanexegetemakeshisownvieworbeliefthefoundationuponwhichhebuildstheexegesisoftheQur ’ān;hefitstheverseonhisownbeliefinanypossibleway—nomatterhowweakorfar-fetchedthatmightbe.Fourth: It isdeclaring,withoutanyproof, thatacertainexplanation is the

meaningreallyintendedbyAllāh.

Fifth:ItreferstoexplainingtheQur ’ānaccordingtoone’sinclinationanddesire.Thesefiveexplanationsof thesaid traditionhavebeennarratedbyIbnu’n-

Naqīb, as as-Suyūtīhasquoted inal-Itqān.There are fiveother explanationswhichweenumerateherefromotherbooks:Sixth: It is explaining the difficult passages of the Qur ’ān in a new way

whichwas not narrated from the companions and their disciples— becausesuch an interpretation would make the exegete liable to the displeasure ofAllāh.Seventh: The tradition is about explaining the Qur ’ān in a certain way,

whilethespeakerknowsthatitisnotthetrueexplanation.TheselasttwohavebeenmentionedbyIbnu’l-Anbārī.Eighth:The tradition forbids talkingabout theQur ’ānwithoutknowledge

andwithoutmakingsure—itdoesnotmatterwhether thespeakerknowsornotthatanotherexplanationistrue.Ninth: It forbids relianceon the apparentmeaningof theQur ’ān. It is the

explanationofthosewhothinkthattheapparentmeaningoftheQur ’ānisnotavalid authority; to understand a verse, one must look to a clear traditionnarratedfromasinlessauthority(i.e.,theProphet,hisdaughterandthetwelveImāms, peace be on them all). But in fact it shall not be an exegesis of theQur ’ān; rather it shall be following the tradition.Anyhow, according to thisgroup, exegesis of the Qur ’ān depends on the explanation of a sinlessauthority.Tenth: There were some people who believed that the Qur ’ān had valid

apparent meanings, but said that common people could not understand it.According to this view also, relying on the apparentmeaningof theQur ’ānwas forbidden by this tradition. One must look for clear traditions of thesinlessauthoritiestointerprettheQur ’ān.These are ten explanations of the said tradition— although somemay in

effectbe identical to someothers. Inanycase,noneof these is supportedbyanyproof.Moreover,someareobviouslywrong,ortheirinaccuracymaybeunderstood fromwhatwe have earlier said about this tradition. There is noneedtopointitoutagain.Therearemanyversesthatsupportthetraditionsmentionedearlier:—Do they not meditate on the Qur’ān? And if it were from any other than

Allāh,theywouldhavefoundinitmanyadiscrepancy(4:82).ThosewhomadetheQur’ānintoshreds(15:91).SurelytheywhodistortOursignsarenothiddenfromUs.What! ishethen

who is cast into the fire better or he who comes safe on the Day of

Resurrection?Dowhatyoulike,surelyHeseeswhatyoudo(41:40).…(therearethosewho)alterwordsfromtheirplaces…(4:46).Andpursuenotthatofwhichyouhavenottheknowledge(17:36).Suchversesinconjunctionwiththeabove-mentionedtraditionsmakeitclear

that theprohibitioncontainedinthosetraditionsisaboutthemethodusedfortheexegesis;theyshowthatwhenexplainingtheDivineSpeech,oneshouldnotadoptthesamemeansthatareusedforexplaininghumantalks.Whatis thedifferencebetweenDivineandhumanspeeches?It isnot inthe

use of words, the construction of sentences or the style of elocution. TheQur ’ānisinplainArabic,andallnormsofeloquencehavebeenmentionedinit. Allāh Himself has said: And We did not send any apostle but with thelanguageofhispeople,sothathemightexplaintothemclearly(14:4);…andthis is clear Arabic language (16:103); Surely We have made it an ArabicQur’ānsothatyoumayunderstand(43:3).Thedifferencebetweenthetwoisaboutthemeaninganditsapplication.This

statementneedssomeelaboration:We are at home in this material word, and surrounded with its natural

phenomena.Asaresult,whenwehearawordourmind,firstofall,looksatitsphysicalconnotationandapplication.Whenafellowhumanbeingdescribesathingoraffair,weapplyhiswordstowhatweareaccustomedtointhisworld;becauseweknow that the speaker too is governedby the same forces asweare, and his comprehension and cognition is not different fromours. In thisway the application of a word affects its meaning— it may particularize ageneral meaning or vice versa; the circumstances maymanipulate a word’sconnotationina lotofways.It iswhatwecallrationalcontext, incontrast tothetextualevidence.Forexample,ifwehearapowerfulandwealthymansaying,‘‘Thereisnota

thing but with us are the treasures of it’’, first we shall look at the literalmeaning of this sentence, thenwill come the stage of its application.At thisstage,weshallsaythathehasmanystrongandwell-protectedbuildingswhichhavegotalotofcontainersofvarioustypestostorehistreasures,thatconsistof a large quantity of gold, silver, currency notes, bonds, jewels, variouscommodities,ornamentalitems,armsandammunitionsetc.Wegetthispictureinourmindbecausethisiswhatwecalltreasureandthatishowitiskeptsafeandsecure.Butwewillneverimaginethathehasinhistreasurytheearthandtheheavens, thecontinentsandtheoceans, thesunandthemoon, theanimalsand the human beings. These too are ‘‘things’’, but they are not possessed,gatheredandput ina treasury.Becauseof this rationalcontextwedorestrictthegeneralityof theword ‘‘thing’’andapply it toa fewselected itemsonly;

and in those items too only a small amount is presumed to be kept in histreasury.Weknowthatalotofthingsarenottreasured,andwhatistreasured,onlyasmallamountcomesintopossessionofoneman,andthatsmallquantityispreservedinstrong,impregnablebuildingstoprotectitfromtheftandotherdamages.Andthisknowledgeofourshasrestrictedthegeneralmeaningofthewords,‘‘thing’’and‘‘treasures’’.ButnowwehearAllāhrevealingtoHisApostle(s.a.w.a.):Andthereisnota

thingbutwithUsarethetreasuresofit(15:21).Ifourmindisnotdeveloped,andisstillonthelowestrungofcomprehension,weshallinterpretthisverseinexactlythesamemanner.Ofcourse,weshallnothaveanyprooftosaythattheversehasbeenusedinthesamesense;yetweshallrushtothatexplanation,because our mind is accustomed to it. This is, then, explaining the Qur ’ānaccordingtoourownopinionwithoutknowledge.Nowletussaythatourunderstandingisabitmoredeveloped,andweknow

thatAllāhdoesnotgatherthingstoputtheminatreasury.Wethinkoverthisverseandread thenextsentence:andWedonotsend itdownbut inaknownmeasure;and thenwecompare itwithanotherverse :…and (in)whatAllāhsendsdownsustenancefromthecloud,thengiveslifetherebytotheearthafterits death… there are signs for a peoplewho understand (45:5).We shall atonce say that theword ‘‘thing’’, in the verse under discussion, refers to thesustenance like bread and water; and that ‘‘sending it down’’, in the nextsentence,referstothecomingdownofrain.Weshallgiveitthisinterpretationbecausewedonotknowofanything,except the rain, that comesdown fromheavens;therefore,weshallsaythataccumulationofeverythingnearAllāhandthenitscomingdowninmeasuredquantityreferstotheaccumulationofrainand its coming down to the earth to produce food grains. This too shall beinterpretingtheQur ’ānaccordingtoone’sownopinion‘‘withoutknowledge’’.Whatisourargument?It isthatwedonotknowofanything,excepttherain,thatdescendsfromtheheaven.But‘‘notknowing’’thatacertainthingexistsisquitedifferentfrom‘‘knowing’’thatitdoesnotexist.Ifourknowledgeismoreadvancedandourmindmoredeveloped,weshall

trynottosayanythingconcerningtheQur ’ānwithoutknowledge.Weshallsaythatthewordsoftheversearegeneral;theyshouldnotberestrictedinanyway.‘‘Thing’’includeseverything,andtheword,‘‘treasures’’,coverseverysingleitemofeverything.Weshallarriveattheconclusionthatthesentencedescribesthe affairs of the creation and the creatures. Then will come the puzzlingsentence,‘‘andWedonotsenditdownbutinaknownmeasure’’.Doubtlessly,humanbeings, animals and vegetables do not comedown from the heavens;theygrowfrom,andarebornon,theearth.Facedwiththisdifficulty,weshall

say that the first sentence, ‘‘And there is not a thing but with Us are thetreasuresofit’’,isametaphoricalwayofsayingthateverythinginitsexistenceis subservient to thewill ofAllāh; that theDivinewill is like a treasure thatholds every creature, and only asmuch issues forth from it as is willed byAllāh. But this interpretation also, like the previous two, is based on ‘‘notknowing’’.We‘‘donotknow’’thatthethingsdescend(inthemeaningknownto us) from Allāh, and, therefore, we explain away the sentence in anallegoricalway.If you look at theDivine names, attributes and actions as described in the

Qur ’ān,orattheQur ’ānicdeclarationsabouttheangels,theDivineBooks,theapostles and the Day of Resurrection and its details, or at the laws of thesharī‘ahandtheirsignificanceasgivenintheQur ’ān,andthenponderonthewaypeoplewanttointerprettheminthelightofrationalcontext,youwillseethat all such exercises are but interpretations according to one’s own likingwithoutknowledge;thattheyshouldbetterbecalledmisinterpretations.Wehaveshownunderthefifthheadinginthediscourseofthedecisiveand

the ambiguous verses that the Qur ’ānic expressions vis-a-vis the Divinerealities are likeaproverb in relation to its significance;and those realitieshavebeenexplained invariousexpressionsanddiversewordings, so thatalltakentogethermayleadthehearerstotheirrealsignificance.Thatiswhytheversesaresaidtobewitnessesofeachother;andthatishowtheyexplainoneanother.Otherwise,theDivinerealitiescouldneverbecorrectlyexplained;andpeople would have fallen in the pitfall of interpreting the Qur ’ān withoutknowledge.TheabovediscourseshowsthatinterpretingtheQur ’ānaccordingtoone’s

ownopinion isalwaysaccompaniedbyspeakingabout itwithoutknowledge.The tradition of the Prophet points to this fact: ‘‘Whoever spoke about theQur ’ānwithoutknowledgeshouldsettlehimselfinhisseatofFire.’’ItissuchinterpretationsthatmakeitlookasthoughtheversesoftheQur ’ān

were contradictory to one another. Interpreting the verses by one’s ownopinion, without true knowledge, disturbs the semantic flow of the Qur ’ān.Thus theverses aremisinterpreted, thewords shifted from their right placesandused inwrongcontexts.Then itbecomesnecessary for theseexegetes toexplain some or most of the verses in a way that is against their apparentmeanings; Divine words and sentences are given such meanings which thelinguistshadneverheardof.Thuswefindagroupexplainingawaytheversesof free will and choice, and their opponents misinterpreting the verses ofDivinedecreeandmeasure.MostoftheMuslimsectsareguiltyofthistypeofmisinterpretation, especially in those verses whose apparent meanings go

against theirbeliefs.Theyseekrefuge inclothingsuchverseswithmeaningsoftheirownchoice,andtheirso-calledargumentsboildowntothissentence:Theapparentmeaningofthisverseisagainstwhathasalreadybeenestablishedby rational proofs; therefore, it must be given a newmeaning, against theapparentone.This practice creates confusion; the logical sequence of the verses is

disrupted, their semantic flow is disturbed and they seem to contradict eachother.Thusbothlosetheirvalidity.ItisknownthatthereisnodiscrepancyintheQur ’ān.Ifacertainexplanation

showsthattwoversesarecontradictorytoeachother,theonlydefectwouldbeinthatexplanation.Thishasbeentermed,inmanytraditions,ashittingonepartof theQur ’ān

withtheother.Seeforexamplethefollowingtraditions:Itisnarratedinal-Kāfīandat-Tafsīrofal-‘Ayyāshīfromas-Sādiqfromhis

father(peacebeonthemboth)thathesaid:‘‘AmandoesnothitapartoftheQur ’ānwiththeother(part)butthathebecomesaninfidel.’’Ma‘āni ’l-akhbār, al-Mahāsin (through their chains) and at-Tafsīr of

al-‘Ayyāshī:as-Sādiq(a.s.)said:‘‘AmandoesnothitapartoftheQur ’ānwiththeother(part)butthathebecomesaninfidel.’’as-Sadūq says that he asked Ibnu ’l-Walīd what this tradition meant. He

replied:‘‘Itisreplying'toamanconcerningtheexegesisofoneverse,withtheexegesisofanotherone.’’Theauthorsays:ThisreplyofIbnu’l-Walīdissomewhatvague.Ifbythis

expressionhemeanstheabove-mentionedmixup—asthepolemicists,arguebyofferingoneverse ‘‘against’’another,adhering to theoneandexplainingawaytheother—thenheiscorrect.Butifhewantstodisallowexplainingoneversewiththehelpoftheotherandbringingtheoneasevidencefortheother,thenitiswrong,asmaybeseenfromthefollowingtwotraditionstoo:It is narrated inat-Tafsīr of al-Nu‘mānī, through his chains to Ismā‘īl ibn

Jābir thathe said: ‘‘IheardAbū ‘Abdillāh Ja‘far ibnMuh ammadas-Sādiq(peacebeuponthemboth)saying:‘Verily,Allāh—BenevolentandHighisHe—sentMuhammadandendedwithhim(thechainof)theprophetsthusthereisnoprophetafterhim;andHesentdowntohimaBook,andendedwithit(thechainof)theBooks;thusthereisno(Divine)bookafterit.Heallowedinitthelawful(things)andprohibitedinittheunlawful;soitslawfulislawfuluptotheDayofResurrection,anditsunlawfulisunlawfuluptotheDayofResurrection;there is in it your sharī‘ah, and the information of the people (who passedaway)beforeyouand(whoaretocome)afteryou;andtheProphet(mayAllāhhave mercy on him and his progeny!) appointed it as a standard (that will

remain)foreverinhissuccessors.Butthepeopleleftthem(thosesuccessors)althoughtheywerethewitnessesoverthepeopleofalltimes;andthey(i.e.,thepeople) deviated from them, then they killed them, and followed others andgavethoseotherstheirunalloyedobedience.(Thiscontinued)tilltheyextendedtheirenmitytohimwhoshowedhisloveofthoseinvestedwithauthority(fromAllāh) and who sought their knowledge. Allāh has said:… and (they) haveforgottenapartofwhattheywereadmonishedwith,andyouwillnotceasetobeinformedofdeceitfromamongthem(5:14).Anditisbecausetheyhitapartof the Qur ’ān with the other; and they argued with the abrogated (verse)thinking that it was the abrogating one, and debated with the help of theambiguousthinkingthatitwasthedecisive;andofferedaparticularizedversefor their argument assuming that it was a general one; and stuck at thebeginningofaverseleavingasidethereasonofitsinterpretation;andtheydidnotseewhatwasthebeginningofthespeechandwhatwasitsend;andtheydidnot know its arrival or its departure, because they did not take it from itspeople;thustheywentastrayandmisledothers.‘‘ ‘And know, may Allāh have mercy on you! that he who does not

distinguishintheBookofAllāhtheabrogatingversefromtheabrogatedone,andaspecificfromageneralone,andadecisivefromanambiguous;anddoesnot differentiate between a permission and an obligation, and does notrecognizeaverseofMeccanperiodfromaMediniteone,anddoesnotknowthe reasons of revelation; and does not understand the difficultwords of theQur ’ān (whether simple or compound); and does not comprehend (what hasbeen hidden in it of) the knowledge of (Divine) decree andmeasure; and isignorantofadvancinganddelaying(initsverses);anddoesnotdistinguishtheclear from the deep, nor the manifest from the esoteric, nor the beginningfrom the termination; and is unaware of the question and the answer, thedisjoining and the joining, and the exceptions and the all-inclusive, and isignorantofanadjectiveofapreceding(noun)thatexplainsthesubsequentone;andisunawareoftheemphasizedsubjectandthedetailedone,theobligatorylawsandthepermissions,theplacesofthedutiesandrules,andthemeaningofitslawfulandunlawful(inwhichtheunbelievershaveperished);anddoesnotknowthejoinedwords,andthewordsthatarerelatedtothosecomingbeforethem,orafter them—thensuchamandoesnotknowtheQur ’ān;nor isheamongthepeopleof theQur ’ān;Andifsomeoneclaimsknowledgeof thesevariations, without a proof, then he is a liar, a doubting (person), and afabricator of lies againstAllāh andHisApostle, and his resting place is thehell,andwhatanevildestinationitis!’’’It is written in Nahju ’l-balāghah and al-Ihtijāj that ‘Alī (a.s.) said in a

sermon:‘‘Whenalegalproblemisputbeforeoneofthemhepassesjudgmenton itaccording tohisopinion.Thenexactly thesameproblemcomesbeforeanotherofthemandhegivesanoppositeverdict.Thenthesejudgesbringthismatter to their leader who had appointed them and he confirms all their(contradictory)verdicts, although theirAllāh isoneand theirProphet isoneandtheirBookisone.IsitbecauseAllāhhadorderedthemtodifferandtheyobeyedHim?OrHehadprohibitedthemfromitbuttheydisobeyedHim?Oris it that Allāh had sent an incomplete religion and sought their help tocompleteit?Or,theyareHispartners,sothatitistheirrighttosayanditisHisduty to agree? Or is it that Allāh sent a complete religion but the Prophet(s.a.w.a.) fell short of conveying it andhanding it over (to theummah)?AndAllāh,,theGlorified,says:WehavenotneglectedanythingintheBook (6:38);andthatinitistheclarificationofeverything;andHehassaidthatonepartoftheBookconfirmstheotherandthatthereisnodiscrepancyinit:Andifitwerefrom any other than Allāh, they would have found in it many a discrepancy(4:82). And verily, the exterior of the Qur ’ān is elegant and its esoteric(meaning)isdeep.Itswonderscannotbeenumerated,anditsmarvelswillnotcease;andthedarknessescannotberemovedexceptbyit.’’Theauthorsays:Thisnarrationclearlyshowsthateveryreligiousopinion

andviewmustbebasedontheQur ’ān.Thesentence,‘‘initistheclarificationof everything’’, paraphrases aQur ’ānicverse, (…andWehave revealed theBooktoyouexplainingclearlyeverything[16:89]).Ibn Sa‘d, Ibnu ’d-Durays (in his al-Fadā’il) and Ibn Marduwayh have

narratedfrom‘AmribnShu‘aybfromhisfatherfromhisgrandfather: ‘‘TheApostle of Allāh (s.a.w.a.) appeared before a group who were bandyingargumentsabouttheQur ’ān,andhewasveryangryandsaid:‘Thisishowthenationsbeforeyouwentastray—theydisputedwiththeirprophetsandhitonepartofthebookwiththeother.’Thenhesaid:‘AndverilytheQur ’ānhasnotbeenrevealedsothat itspartswouldcontradicteachother;rather, ithasbeenrevealedsothatitspartwouldconfirmeachother.Therefore,followwhatyouknow(ofit)andbelieveinwhatisambiguoustoyou(fromit):’’’(ad-Durru’l-manthūr)Ahmadhasnarratedinanotherwayfrom‘AmribnShu‘aybfromhisfather

fromhisgrandfatherthattheMessengerofAllāh(s.a.w.a.)heardsomepeopledisputingwithoneanother.So,hesaid:‘‘That ishowthosewhowerebeforeyouhadperished;theyhitonepartoftheBookofAllāhovertheother.AndtheBook of Allāh has been revealed (and) its one part confirms the other;therefore,donot(tryto)refuteitsonepartwiththeotherpart.Whatyouknowofit,youshouldbelieveinit,andwhatyoudonotknowofit,youshouldleave

ittohimwhoknowsit.’’(ad-Durru’l-manthūr)Theauthorsays:Asyousee,thesetraditionscount‘‘hittingonepartofthe

Qur ’ānwiththeother ’’asoppositeto‘‘confirmingsomeofitspartswiththeothers’’.Inotherwords,this‘‘hitting’’referstoconfusingthemeaningsoftheverses,disturbingtheiraimsandobjects,mistaking,forexample,thedecisiveverses for the ambiguous ones and vice versa. Itmeans that speaking in theQur ’ān according to one’s own opinion, and explaining the verses withoutknowledge(describedinearlierquotedtraditions)andhittingsomepartsoftheQur ’ānwiththeothers(mentionedintheabovetraditions)refertooneandthesame thing, that is, explaining the Qur ’ān with the help of other than theQur ’ān.Question: No doubt, the Qur ’ān was revealed so, that the people may

comprehendandunderstandit.See,forexample,thesetwoverses:SurelyWehaverevealedtoyoutheBookwiththetruthforthesakeofmen…

(39:41).Thisisaclearstatementformen(3:138).Also there is no doubt that it was the Prophet who had the authority to

explainit.AsAllāhsays:…andWehaverevealedtoyoutheReminderthatyoumaymakecleartomenwhathasbeenrevealedtothem…(16:44).Andsurelyheexplained it tohiscompanions,who transmitted it to theirdisciples.Whathas come to us from the companions and their disciples is doubtlessly theexplanation given by the Prophet, andwe cannot disregard it, as theQur ’āntellsustofollowwhatisgiventousbytheProphet.AsforthoseexplanationswhichthecompanionsgaveuswithoutascribingthemtotheProphet,itistruethat theycannothave thesameauthorityas theProphet’sdeclarations;yetwefeelmoreateasewiththem(insteadoflookingforthemonourown).Why?Because either they had heard it from the Prophet, or theywere led to it bytheir expertise in religion — the expertise they had acquired from theProphet’s instruction and exposition. The same applies to their disciples andthedisciples’disciples.SurelythemeaningoftheQur ’āncouldnotbehiddenfromthem—theyhaddeeprootedknowledgeofArabiclanguage;theywerekeen on learning the Qur ’ānic interpretation from the Prophet himself; andtheystrivedtheirutmosttoacquiretheknowledgeofreligion.Allthismaybeseeninbiographicaldetailsoftheearlyscholarsofreligion.Looking at the above-mentioned details, we come to the conclusion that

deviating from their method and tradition, going out of their company orexplaininganyverseinawaythatisnotfoundintheiropinionsandsayings,isaninnovation;andthatonemustremainsilentwheretheyhavenotgivenanyopinion.

What the companions and their direct and indirect disciples have said isenoughfor thepurposeofunderstanding theQur ’ān.Thereare thousandsoftraditions on exegesis, and as-Suyūtī has counted some seventeen thousandtraditionson this subject,narrated from theProphet andhis companionsandtheirdisciples.Reply: Its replymaybe inferred fromwhatwehavewrittenearlier.There

arenumerousverseswhichinvitethepublicingeneral,thebelieversaswellasthe unbelievers, thosewhowere present at the time of revelation aswell asthosewho came later or shall come in future, to understand theQur ’ān andmeditate and ponder on it. For example, see the verse 4:82 which has beenquotedrepeatedly:DotheynotthenmeditateontheQur’ān?AndifitwerefromanyotherthanAllāh,theywouldhavefoundinitmanyadiscrepancy.Itclearlyshows that theQur ’ānic knowledgemaybe acquired throughmeditation andcontemplation; and that by this process the apparent discrepancybetween theverses disappears completely. Remember that this verse puts a challenge tounbelievers that they would not find any discrepancy in the Qur ’ān if theypondered on it. And in this context they could not be advised to go to thecompanionsandtheirdisciplesif theywantedtounderstanditsmeaning;nay,even the advice to refer to the Prophet would have been irrelevant: If theProphet’s explanation were in conformity with the apparent meaning of theverse, then people would understand that meaning from the verse itself onmeditation and contemplation— and therewould be no need to refer to theProphet. And if his explanation were against the apparent meaning of theQur ’ān — a meaning that an average man would not understand from thewords—thenthechallengewouldbefutileandtheargumentoftheverse4:82wouldnotstand.Ofcourse,sofarasthedetailsofvariousQur ’āniclawsareconcerned,they

cannot be known without the Prophet’s explanation, as the Qur ’ān itselfsays:… and whatever the Apostle gives you, take it, and from whatever heforbidsyou,keepback…(59:7).Also,thedetailsoftheQur ’ānicstoriesandoftheDayofJudgmentdependonhisexposition.It shows that the Prophet’s responsibility, in this respect, was of teaching

only.A teacher guides andhelps his student in understandingwhatwould bedifficult to comprehend without his help. The teaching brings the meaningnearer to the mind; it does not create a meaning. The teacher arranges thesubject matter to make it easier to comprehend, so that the student is notobliged towaste his time and energy in self-education— a proposition thatcarries with it a risk of wrong deductions. This aspect of the Prophet’sresponsibilities ismentioned inmany verses. For example,… andWe have

revealed toyou theReminder thatyoumaymakeclear tomenwhathasbeenrevealedtothem,andthathaplytheymayreflect(16:44)….AndteachesthemtheBookandtheWisdom…(62:2).TheProphet,therefore,teachesthepeoplewhattheQur ’ānitselfsaysandtheDivineSpeechitselfshows,andwhichthepeoplethemselvesmayunderstandevenifitrequiressomemeditation.Itisnotthe Prophet’s function to bestow on the verses such meanings as cannot benormally understood from those words. Such an explanation would notconformwiththefollowingQur ’ānicdeclarations:—ABookofwhich theversesaremadeplain,anArabicQur’ān forapeople

whoknow(41:3).…andthisisclearArabiclanguage(16:103).Then thereare the traditionsof theProphetexhorting theMuslims tohold

fasttotheQur ’ānandtoverifywithitshelpthetraditionsattributedtohim.ItnecessarilyfollowsthatallwhattheProphethassaidmaybeknownfromtheQur ’ān. Otherwise, he could not tell us to check with it all the sayingsattributedtohim.Now, ifwe say thatunderstandingof theQur ’āndependson theProphet’s

explanation, it would be a vicious circle. The Qur ’ān would be understoodonlyifexplainedbythetraditions,buttheauthenticityofthetraditioncouldbeestablishedonlyifoneunderstandstheQur ’ān.Nowwecometothetraditionsnarratedfromthecompanions.First,weare

facedwiththeproblemsconcerningthechainsofthenarrators,becausenotallof themare free fromoneor theotherdefect.Second, thecompanionshavedifferedagreatdealwithoneanotherintheirexpositionsoftheQur ’ān.Third,inmanycases,divergentviewshavebeenascribedtoasinglecompanion,asanyonemayfindoutbylookinginthebooksoftraditionsandexegesis.Whatis one supposed to do when faced with such discrepancies?We are told bythesepeoplethatweshouldchooseoneofthosediverseopinionsandsticktoit; thatweshouldnotdestroy the‘‘compositeunanimity’’of thecompanions,nor shouldwegooutside their circle.But the trouble is that thecompanionsthemselveswerenotaversetodifferfromeachother;thenwhyshouldwenotdiffer from them? They themselves never claimed that their opinions werevestedwithanauthoritywhichothersweredutyboundtoaccept;nordidtheyeversaythat,althoughtheydifferedfromoneanother,othersshouldnotdifferfromthem.If we were stuck up with the Qur ’ānic exegesis narrated from the

companions and their disciples, the forward march of knowledge would bearrestedandacademic researchnegated.Lookat theexplanations transmittedtousfromtheearlyscholars,andstudythebooksofexegesiswritteninearly

centuries.Youwillfindthattheycontainonlysimplewordmeanings,andaredevoidofdeepthoughtsandfineideas.Ifwestopatthoseexplanations,wherewecan find thevast anddeepknowledgementioned in theverse:…andWehaverevealedtheBooktoyouexplainingclearlyeverything…(16:89).Then it is said that it is unthinkable that the companions did not know the

meaningof theQur ’ān, inspiteof theirkeeninterest inreligiousknowledgeand their understanding and serious efforts in this way. But the verydiscrepancy in their various explanations belies this argument. Discrepancyanddifferencecouldnotoccurunlessthetruthwashiddenfromtheireyes,andunlesstheywereconfused.The truth is that the highway to the understanding of the Qur ’ān is wide

open;andtheDivineSpeechitselfleadsonetoitsownunderstanding;itdoesnot depend, for this purpose, on anyother guide. It is aBook introducedbyAllāh as the guidance, the light and the clear explanation of everything. Itcannotbesaid toneedanotherguide, toseekilluminationfromanother lightortodependonanoutsidefactorforitsownexplanation.Question:ThecorrecttraditionssaythattheProphetsaidinhislastsermon:

‘‘Certainly Iam leavingamongyou twoweighty things:Thebiggeroneandthesmallerone.Asforthebiggerone,itistheBookofAllāh;andasforthesmallerone,itismyprogeny,thepeopleofmyhouse.Therefore,keepmeinmindaboutthesetwothings;becauseyoushallnevergoastraysolongasyouholdfasttothem.’’ThistraditionhasbeennarratedbybothsectsfromagreatmanycompanionsoftheApostleofAllāh(s.a.w.a.);ithascometousthroughso many chains that one can entertain no doubt about its authenticity. Thetraditionalistshavecountedthatithasbeennarratedbythirty-fivecompanions.Some narrations contain the sentence: ‘‘They shall not separate from oneanother till theycome tomeon the reservoir (i.e.,Kawthar).’’This traditionproves that the words of Ahlu ’l-bayt (a.s.) on the Qur ’ān are a bindingauthority and that onemust adhere towhat has comedown to us from themconcerning the exegesis. Otherwise, one would be guilty of separating theQur ’ānfromtheAhlu’l-bayt(a.s.).Reply: What was said earlier regarding the explanation of the Prophet

appliesheretoo.Thetraditionquotedinthequestionisnotintendedtonegatethe authorityof the apparentmeaningof theQur ’ān, nordoes it say that theexegesisgivenby theAhlu’l-bayt (a.s.) is theonly authoritative explanation.TheProphethasusedthewords,‘‘theyshallnotseparatefromoneanother ’’.ItmeansthatauthoritybelongstotheQur ’ānandtheAhlu’l-bayt(a.s.)together;theQur ’ānexplains itsmeaningandmakesmanifest theDivine realities,andthe Ahlu ’l-bayt (a.s.) guide to the true path and direct the people to the

Qur’ānicaimsandgoals.Moreover, like the Prophet, the Ahlu ’l-bayt (a.s.) too have directed the

MuslimstoholdfasttotheQur ’ān,tomeditateonitandtoverifyfromitthetraditionsattributedtothem.Furthermore,aconsiderablenumberoftheexegeticaltraditionsoftheAhlu

’l-bayt (a.s.) themselveshaveused themethodof explaining aversewith thehelpoftheother.ThismethodcanbemeaningfulonlyiftheQur ’ānicversesmaybeunderstandabletoanaverageman—providedthecorrectdirectionisfollowed.Apart from these rational arguments, some traditions of the Ahlu ’l-bayt

(a.s.)explicitlymentionthisfact.al-BarqīhasnarratedthroughhischainsfromAbūLabīdthatAbūJa‘far(a.s.)saidinatradition:‘‘WhoeverthoughtthattheBook of Allāh was vague, fell in perdition and destroyed others.’’ Anothertraditionhasbeennarrated in thesamebookaswellas inal-Ihtijāj thatAbūJa‘far(a.s.)said:‘‘WhenInarratetoyouanything,youshouldaskmewhereitwasintheBookofAllāh…’’Theabovediscoursemakes it clear that there is no conflict between those

traditionswhichsaythattheQur ’ānicknowledgeisnotunintelligibleandthatit may be understood with the help of the Qur ’ānic verses themselves, andthosewhichareapparentlyagainstit.Forexample,itisnarratedinat-Tafsīrofal-‘Ayyāshī from Jābir that he said: ‘‘Abū ‘Abdillāh (a.s.) said: ‘Verily, theQur ’ānhasaninterior,andforitsinteriorthereisanexterior.’Thenhesaid:‘OJābir!andthereisnothingfartherfromtheunderstandingofthementhanit(i.e., theQur ’ān).Verily,averse, its first (part) is revealedaboutonesubjectanditsmiddle(part)aboutanotherthing,anditsendaboutsomethingelse;andyetitisawell-connectedspeech,(that)revolvesinvariousways.’’’Thisthemehasbeengiveninvariousothertraditions.Insomeofthem,thesentence,‘‘andthere is nothing farther from the understanding of the men… ’’, has beenascribed to the Prophet. Also, ‘Alī (a.s.) is reported as saying: ‘‘Verily, theQur ’ānmaybeexplainedinmanyways;ithasmanyfaces…’’It is clear that what has been allowed, nay, encouraged, is explaining it

through its own path, and what has been forbidden is explaining it throughanotherpath.TheprescribedwayisexegesisoftheQur ’ānwiththehelpoftheQur ’ān itself, explaining a versewith another verse. Aman can do so onlywhen he is well-versed in the traditions of the Prophet and hisAhlu ’l-bayt(a.s.);itgiveshimcorrectperspectiveandcreatesinhimadiscriminatingtaste.ItisafteracquiringthistastethatonemayexplaintheQur ’ānwithconfidence.AndAllāhisthebestGuide.

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4ChapterTRANSLATIONOFTHEVERSES10—18

(Asfor)thosewhodisbelieve,surelyneithertheirwealthnortheirchildren

shallavailthemintheleastagainstAllāh,andthoseitiswhoarethefuelofthefire (10).Like thewontof thepeopleofPharaohand thosebefore them; theyrejectedOursigns,soAllāhcaughtthemfortheirsins;andAllāhissevereinrequiting (evil) (11).Say to thosewho disbelieve: ‘‘You shall be vanquished,and gathered to hell; andwretched is (it as) the resting place’’ (12). Indeedtherewasasigninthetwohosts(which)mettogetherinencounter;onepartyfighting in the way of Allāh and the other unbelieving; they saw them twicetheirnumberwith the sightof theeye;andAllāhaidswithHisaidwhomHepleases;mostsurely there isa lesson in this for thosewhohavesight (13). Ithasbeenmadetoseemfairtomen,theloveofdesiresofwomenandsonsandhoardedtreasuresofgoldandsilverandwell-bredhorsesandcattleandtilth;thisistheprovisionofthelifeofthisworld;andAllāhisHewithWhomisthebestdestination(14).Say:‘‘ShallItellyouofwhatisbetterthanthese?’’Forthose who guard (against evil) are gardens with their Lord, beneath whichriversflow,to .abideinthem,andpurematesandAllāh’spleasure;andAllāhseestheservants(15).Thosewhosay:‘‘OurLord!surelywebelieve,thereforeforgive us our sins and save us from the chastisement of the fire’’ (16). Thepatient, and the truthful, and the devout (ones) and those who spend(benevolently)andthosewhoaskforforgivenessbeforedawn(17).Allāhbearswithness that there is no god but He, and (so do) the angels and thosepossessedofknowledge,maintaining(Hiscreation)withjustice;thereisnogodbutHe,theMighty,theWise(18).

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GENERALCOMMENT

It was described earlier that when this chapter was revealed, theMuslims

were hard-pressed by internal sabotage and external hostilities. There wereinsideMedinathehypocritesandtheirinformants,wholistenedto,andspreadthe evil whisperings of, the enemies of Islam to upset the Muslims’programmesandmaketheirefforts ineffective.Andalmost thewholeArabiaand the two most powerful neighbouring empires were bent upon theirannihilation. The polytheists, the Jews and the Christians, all were united intheir determination tokill Islam in its infancywith all possiblemeans—bywords or by swords. This chapter was revealed to exhort the Muslims toremain united, firm and patient. These qualities would keep their societyhealthy,eradicatetheinternaltroublesandconfoundtheexternalenemies.Theprecedingverseshadmentionedthehypocrites’perversity,andexhorted

the Muslims to faithfully follow what they had learned of the realities ofreligion, and to surrender themselves to, and believe in, what they do notunderstand of theQur ’ān. The verseswarned theMuslims not to follow theambiguouspartsoftheQur ’ān,seekingtogivethemtheirowninterpretation;otherwise,theirwell-balancedreligionwouldbedistortedandtheythemselveswouldfallintoperdition.Inthisway,theywouldbedeprivedoftheirfelicity;theirreligiousguidancewouldgivewaytomisguidance,andtheirunitywouldturnintodisunity.Now,theseversesturntotheunbelieversandpolytheists.Theseinfidelswill

soonbevanquished;theycannotdefeatthepurposeoftheAlmightyAllāh,norcantheytriumphintheirrebellion.Whathasmisledthemintostrayingistheirentanglement with inordinate pleasures of this world. They think that theirriches and their children can make them independent of Allāh; but they aremistaken in their thinking; because Allāh is predominant in His affairs. Ifwealth andman-power couldmakeanyone independentofAllāh, theywouldhavesavedthepeopleofPharaohandotherunjustnationsinthepast,whohadacquiredmuchmorepowerandstrength.ButAllāhcaughtthemfortheirsinsandtheycoulddonothing.Likewise, theseenemiesofDivinereligionwouldsoon be vanquished. Therefore, the Muslims should remain on guard; theyshould not fall victim of these desires and pleasures. If they followed thisguidance,theywouldgetfelicityinthisworldandeternalrewardinthenext—and,ofcourse,thepleasureoftheirLordisthegreatestreward.In short, these verses are mainly concerned with the affairs of the

unbelievers.(WithversescomingafterthesebeginthecommentonthePeopleoftheBook).

COMMENTARY

QUR’ĀN: (As for) those who disbelieve, surely neither their wealth nor

theirchildrenshallavailthemintheleastagainstAllāh:Thatis, theirwealthandchildrenshallnotmakethemindependentofAllāh.Man’sfirstinstinctiveawarenessisofhisdependenceonothers.Thisinstinct

guideshimtohisMakerandSustainer.Lookingatintermediatecauseshe,firstofall,realizesthatforthedevelopmentandperfectionofhisbody,hedependsonfoodandchildren.Thenhisattentionisdrawntootheranimalperfectionslike fancyattire,comfortableabode,attractivespouseand things like that.Atthisstage,thedesireoffoodchangesintothatofwealthandproperty,becausehethinksthatwealthisthepanaceaofalldifficultiesoflife.Nowhebelievesthat the felicity of his life comes fromwealth and children; in otherwords,wealth replaces food. At this stage his short-sightedness prevents him fromseeing beyond these intermediate causes; he thinks that they are independentcausesandforgetshisLord.Hisheartbecomesinseparablyattachedtowealthandchildren;andthisignoranceleadshimtoperdition.HefailstoseethesignsofhisLordanddisbelievesinthem.HedoesnotrealizethathislordisAllāhbesidesWhomthereisnogod,theEver-living,theSelf-subsisting;nothingcaneverbeindependentofHim;nothingcaneveravailagainstHim.The above explanation also makes it clear why the verse has given

precedencetowealthoverchildren—man’sdependenceonwealth(orfood,akindofwealth)precedeshisdependenceonchildren—althoughat timeshisloveforchildrenoverpowershislustforwealth.The verse seems to have abridged a long sentence. Its full import is as

follows:ThosewhodisbelievehaverejectedOursignsandtheythinkthattheirwealthandtheirchildrenwillavailthemagainstAllāh;buttheyaremistaken,becausenothingcaneveravailanyoneagainstAllāh.QUR’ĀN:and those it iswhoare the fuelof the fire: ‘‘al-Waqūd’’ ( دوقولا )

is fuel; that which feeds a fire and enflames it. The verseruns on the line of thefollowingtwo:…thenbeonguardagainstthefireofwhichmenandstonesarethefuel…

(2:24).Surely youandwhat youworshipbesidesAllāhare the firewoodofhell…

(21:98).ThissubjecthasbeenexplainedtosomeextentintheChapteroftheCow.

This sentence has many devices that are used for restriction: It is an al-jumlatu ’l-ismiyyah ( ةیمسالا ةلمجلا =nominalsentence;asentencethatbeginswithnounorpronoun);itbeginswithademonstrativepronounandusesapronounthatpointstoadistantobject;hasinserted a second disjunctive personal pronoun between the subject and thepredicate;andhasaddedthewords‘‘offire’’aftertheword,‘‘fuel’’—allthesethingsclearlyshowthatonly theunbelieversare thefuelof thefire; theyarethe basic source of the chastisement; they are the fuel that keeps the hellburning;otherswillburnintheflamesthatwillbefuelledwiththeunbelievers:The verse 8:37 points to thisfact:ThatAllāhmayseparatetheimpurefromthepure,andputtheimpure,someofitupontheother,andpileituptogether,thencastitintohell…QUR’ĀN: Like the wont of the people of Pharaoh … Allāh is severe in

requiting: ‘‘ad-Da’b’’ ( بأدلا ) is continuingmovement. Allāh has said: And He has madesubservient to you the sun and the moon pursuing their courses… (14:33).Thereuponthewordwasusedforhabit,customorwont,becausethatalsoisaperpetualmovement.Inthisverse,ithasbeenusedinthislattermeaning.‘‘Like the wont … ’’ is related to a deleted sentence which may be

understoodfromthephrase,‘‘shallnotavail them’’;‘‘thewont’’ isexplainedbythewords,‘‘theyrejectedOursigns’’.Thus,thecompletesentencewouldbeas follows: Thosewho disbelieve have rejectedOur signs and continued onthishabitunfailingly; they think that theirwealthandtheirchildrenwillavailthem against Allāh; it is like the wont of the people of Pharaoh and thosebefore them, who also had rejected Our signs. ‘‘So Allāh caught them ‘bi-dhunūbihim’( مهبونذب _g_r_a_d_e) for their sins.’’ ‘‘bi’’ ( ب =translatedhereas ‘‘for ’’)apparentlyshows thereason; inotherwords,Allāhcaught them because of their sins. But the two verses stand face to facecomparing the condition of these unbelievers with that of the people ofPharaohandthosewholivedbeforethem.Itstronglysuggeststhat‘‘bi’’herepoints to the instrument of this catching. The unbelievers are the fuel of thefire,whichshallburnthemandtheyshallgetthepunishmentbytheirownfire.Likewise,thepeopleofPharaohandthosewhowerebeforethemwerecaughtbytheirownsins;thechastisementmetedouttothemwasanotherformoftheirownmisdeeds; itwas their own evil planwhich surrounded them, their owninjusticeandoppressionthatdestroyedthem.Allāhsays:…andtheevilplandoesnotbesetanysavetheauthorsofit(35:43);...andtheydidnotdoUsanyharm,buttheydidharmtheirownselves(2:57).

Theaboveexplanationmakesthemeaningofthenextsentenceclearer:‘‘andAllāhissevereinrequiting(evil)’’.ThechastisementmetedoutbyAllāhisnotconfinedtoonedirection,oneplaceoronestate.Whenamanpunishesanotherman,hispunishmentcomesfromonlyacertaindirection,forexample,fromaboveorbelowetc.,andatoneplace,notat theothers.Themansopunishedmay run away from that particular place, ormay shield himself against thatparticular direction. But the Divine chastisement is all-encompassing. Hecatches aman by themisdeeds and sins committed by thatman himself; hisactionisalwayswithhim,inhisexterioraswellasinhisinterior;itdoesneverseparate from him. That sin turns its doer into a fuel of the fire, a fire thatsurroundsnotonlyallsidesofhisexteriorbutpermeatesevenhisinnerself;hecannotsavehimselfbyrunningaway;norcanhebenefitfromstandingstill;thereisneitheranyshelternoranyrefugeagainstit.ThatiswhyAllāhiscalled‘‘severeinrequitingevil’’.First,theversementionedtheDivinenameinthethirdperson(Allāh),thenit

was changed into the first person (Our signs), again it was reverted to theoriginalthirdperson(Allāhcaught).Thischangeinthemiddleofthesentenceservestwopurposes:Itfreshensthemindandputsmoreemphasisonthetruthof the proposition. Suppose someone says: ‘‘That man is foul-mouthed anduses obscene language; and Imyself have experienced his indecentmanner;therefore, you should avoid his company.’’ The sentence, ‘‘I myself haveexperiencedhisindecentmanner ’’,confirmstheprecedinginformationofhisobscenity,byturningthenewsintoexperienceandintoasortoftestimony.The import of the verse then would be — and Allāh knows better —

something like this: The people of Pharaoh had the same traits as theseunbelievershave.TheydisbelievedandrejectedOursigns.Thereisnodoubtatallaboutit,asWewerepresentthereandyettheyrejectedOurownsigns,soWecaughtthem.Whenthispurposewasserved,thepronounswereagainchangedtothethird

person. This reversion also served two purposes: It puts the sentence on theorginial track and brought into focus the great and all-encompassingDivineauthorityandpower.Thename,Allāh,brings tomindthefact thatHehasalltheworld’saffairsinHisOwnhandsandlooksaftereverybigandsmallthing.ItwasnotdifficultforHimtocatchthedisbelieversfortheirsins.Andthatiswhythenamehasbeenrepeatedinthenextsentence.Itsays,‘‘and

Allāh is severe in requiting’’, insteadofsaying, ‘‘andHe is severe…’’Thenamedraws attention to the fact that their disbelief and their rejectionof thesignswas nothing but a rebellion againstAlmightyAllāh; and it is easy forHim to catch the offenders and give them severe punishment, becauseHe is

Allāh.QUR’ĀN: Say to those who disbelieve: ‘‘You shall be vanquished … the

resting place’’: ‘‘al-Hashr’’ ( رشحلا )istoforceagroupoutfromtheirabode.Itisneverusedwithasingularobject.Allāhsays: …andWewill gather themand leavenot anyoneof thembehind (18:47). ‘‘al-Mihād’’( داهملا )literallymeansbed.The context proves that ‘‘those who disbelieve’’ refers to the polytheists,

because in the firstversealso thisphrasehasbeenused for the samegroup,and not for the People of the Book. Both verses are inter-related — thepreviousonementioned that theyput their confidence inwealthandchildrenand sought strength from them; and this one says that they shall surely bevanquishedandshallallbedriventogethertothehell.QUR’ĀN:Indeedtherewasasigninthetwohosts(which)met together in

encounter:Thecontextshowsthat thisversealsoisaddressedto‘‘thosewhodisbelieve’’; that it is the continuation of the preceding versewhich told theProphet to tell the unbelievers that they would be vanquished. There is alsoanotherpossibility:Itmayhavebeenaddressedtothebelievers,invitingthemto ponder on the grace of Allāh bestowed on them on the day of Badr. Hehelped themwith His wonderful aid by affecting the sights of the eyes in apreviously unheard of way. If this explanation is accepted then this verseenlarges the circle of audience— the preceding oneswere addressed to theProphetonly,butthisoneincludesthebelieverstoo.Butthefirstexplanationismoreappropriate.Theversedoesnotnametheeventtowhichitrefers;butthedescriptionfits

onthebattleofBadr.ThischapterwasrevealedafterthebattleofBadr,orevenUhud. The style shows that the event referred to was well-known to theaudiencewhoknewitwithall itsparticulars.ItwasonlyinthebattleofBadrthat Allāh affected the visions of the participants. In Chapter 8, thisphenomenonhasbeendescribedinthefollowingwords:AndwhenHeshowedthemtoyou,whenyoumet,asfewinyoureyes,andHereducedyoutoappearasfewintheireyes,inorderthatAllāhmightbringaboutamatterwhichwastobedone;andtoAllāharereturnedallaffairs(8:44).Butthisversementionsreducing themtoappearas few;while theverseunderdiscussion talksaboutshowing them as twice their number. Probably, Allāh made the believersappearasfewintheeyesofthepolytheists,sothattheenemiesofIslamwouldfeelboldtoattackthebelieversandwouldnotabandonthethoughtoffighting;then after the start of the encounter, He made them appear as twice their

number,sothattheenemieswouldfleeawayandbevanquished.Inanycase,iftheverseisaddressed,throughtheProphettothepolytheists,

itdoesnotfitexceptthebattleofBadr.(Somerecitershaverecited,‘‘yousawthem’’, instead of ‘‘they saw them’’; this recitation also supports the above-givenexplanation.)Whattheversesaysisthis:Opolytheists!ifyouhaveanywisdom,thenwhat

you saw on the day of Badr should be enough to convince you that victorybelongstothetruth,thatAllāhhelpsbyHisaidwhomHewishes,andthatHecannotbeoverpoweredbywealthorchildren.Thebelievers,onthatday,werefightinginthewayofAllāh:theywereasmallandweakband,notevenone-thirdofthearmyoftheunbelievers;andtheirstrengthwasnotevenworthyofcomparisonwiththatoftheunbelievers;theMuslimswereonlythreehundredandthirteensouls,theirarmamentandprovisionamountingtoagrandtotalofsixcoatsofmail,eightswordsandtwohorses.Andthearmyofthepolytheistsconsistedofnearlyone thousandwarriors, theirprovisions,strength,horses,camels and other preparations were beyond estimate. But Allāh helped thebelievers,inspiteoftheirsmallnumberandweaknesses,overHisenemies;Hemade the Muslims appear twice their actual number, in the eyes of thepolytheists;andtheangelsweresenttohelpthebelievers.Thepolytheists,whothoughtthattheirwealthandchildrenwouldmakethemstrongandvictorious,weredestroyed;andtheirgreatmultitudeandoverwhelmingmaterialstrengthprovedtotallyineffectiveagainstAllāh.ThewontofthepeopleofPharaohandthosewhowerebeforethem—their

rejectingtheDivinesignsandbeingcaughtbyAllāhfortheirsins—hasbeenrepeatedtwiceinChapter8.The polytheists have been admonished and reminded of the the events of

Badr. It is a hint that the victory of theMuslimsmentioned in the precedingverse is the victory by killing and destroying the enemies. These verses,therefore,threatenthepolytheistsoffighting.QUR’ĀN:onepartyfightinginthewayofAllāhandtheotherunbelieving:

Allāhdidnotsay,‘‘andtheotherinthewayofSatan’’,or,‘‘inthewayoffalsedeities’’etc.Thetalkisnotconcernedwithcomparisonbetweenthetwoways;its main purport is to show that nothing can be independent of Allāh; thatnothing can avail against Him; and that the victory belongs to Him. Thecomparisonis,thus,betweenthebeliefinAllāhandfightinginHiswayononehandanddisbelievinginAllāhontheother.It appears from the context that the pronouns, ‘‘them’’ and ‘‘their ’’, in the

phrase,‘‘theysawthemtwicetheirnumber ’’standforthephrase,‘‘onepartyfightinginthewayofAllāh’’.Inotherwords,itsaysthattheunbelievingparty

sawthebelieverstwicetheactualnumberofthebelievers,thatis,thebelieversappeared in their eyes as six hundred and twenty-six (instead of the threehundredandthirteen).Thewordsdonotsupporttheideathatthetwopronounsstoodforthetwogroupsseparately.Inotherwords,theversedoesnotsaythatthe unbelievers saw the believers twice the number of the unbelieversthemselves.Someonehasmentionedanotherpossibility:Thatbothpronouns stood for

theunbelievingparty,andthattheunbelieverssawthemselvestwicetheirownactual number, and instead of one thousand they saw themselves as twothousand. In thisway, they saw thebelieverseven smaller inproportion thanthey actually were; three hundren and thirteen is less than one-sixth of twothousand,while the believerswere in fact about one-third of the enemies. Itwould also explain the verse 8:44 mentioned earlier:And when He showedthemtoyou,whenyoumet,asfewinyoureyes,andHereducedyoutoappearas few in theireyes…Without this explanation the twoverseswouldappearcontradictorytoeachother.Reply: If Allāh wanted to say what has been suggested above, it was

necessary tosayclearly, ‘‘theysaw themselves twice theirownnumber ’’.Toexpressthisideainthepresentform(theysawthemtwicetheirnumber)createsconfusion,whichisunworthyofaneloquenttalk.Also,itiswrongtothinkthatthisverseappearscontradictorytotheverse8:44.Toshowcontradiction,onewould have to prove that both verses refer to the same time and the samesituation.But it cannotbedone.Probably,Allāhmadeeachgroupappear, asfewerthantheiractualnumber,intheeyesoftheoppositeparty;itmadethembold to attack and start fighting. Then, after the battle waxed hot and theopposing forces raged into each other, Allāh made the unbelievers see thebelieverstwicetheiractualnumber,andtheylosttheirheart,weredemoralizedandfledaway.So,whereisthesupposeddiscrepancy?This case is similar to the twoverses describing the affairs of theDayof

Resurrection:Soonthatdayneithermannorjinnshallbeaskedabouthissin(55:39); And stop them, for they shall be questioned (37:24). There is noconflictherebecauseeachverseisaboutadifferenttimeandstage.Someotherexegeteshavewrittensomeotherviewsaboutthetwopronouns;

butasallofthemareagainsttheapparentmeaningoftheword,thereisnouseofquotingthemhere.QUR’ĀN:andAllāhaidswithHisaidwhomHepleases;mostsurelythereis

alessoninthisforthosewhohavesight:‘‘at-Ta’yīd’’( دییأتلا =tostrengthen)isderived from al-ayd ( دیالا = strength). ‘‘al-Absār ’’ ( راصبالا ) is sight. Somepeoplesaythathereitreferstotheeyes,becausetheversedescribeshowAllāh

influenced their eye-sight. Others say that it means wisdom and knowledge,becauseitisthroughthemthatonemaytakelessonfromsomeevent.Butthiscontroversyismisplaced,becauseAllāhcountshimwhodoesnottakelessonfromeventsandparablesasblind;andsaysthateyesmustseeanddifferentiatethe truth from falsehood. It is a sort of claim that the truth, to which AllāhinvitesallHiscreatures,isamanifest,embodiedsubstancewhichiswithintheperceptionof thesephysicaleyes.Inshort, thebody’seyeandthemind’seyeare treated as one (metaphorically, ofcourse) so far as comprehension ofspiritual knowledge is concerned, because this knowledge is open for all tosee.This theme is found inmanyverses, someofwhichareas follows:Forsurely it isnot theeyes thatbecomeblind,butblindbecometheheartswhichareinthebreasts(22:46).Inotherwords,theeyesareinthebreasts,notintheheads:…andtheyhaveeyeswhichtheydonotseewith…(7:179).Thisverseshowsastonishmentattheirbeingblindtothetruth:…andputacoveringuponhiseyes(45:23).All of it shows that ‘‘sight’’ in this verse refers to themanifest eyes; this

expression isbasedonan impliedclaimthat it is theseeyes thatsee the truthandtakelessonfromthepastexperience.Itisafineexampleofal-isti‘āratubi’l-kināyah ( ةیانكلاب ةراعتسالا =a simile which contains neither the first or second side nor its particle —insteaditmentionsonlyaconcomitantofthesecondsideinordertohintattheallegory). Its import is to show that truth is such amanifest substance that itmay be seen by these eyes. What has enhanced further the beauty of thisexpressionisthecontext—theversedescribestheeffecttheDivinedecreehadhad on their eyesights.Obviously,thesentence,‘‘mostsurelythereisalessoninthisforthosewho

havesight’’, isnotapartof the talkwhich theProphetwas toaddress to theunbelievers (Say to thosewho disbelieve… ). It is addressed to the Prophethimself. Its proof is the singular second person pronoun ‘‘ka’’ ك) =thou) added as suffix in ‘‘dhālika’’ ( كلذ = this). It is anindication that the unbelievers are so blind of hearts that they cannot takelessonfrompastevents;therefore,theyarenotworthyofanyadvice.QUR’ĀN:Ithasbeenmadetoseemfair…:Thisandthefollowingverses

elaboratetheprecedingones(Asforthosewhodisbelievesurelyneithertheirwealthnor theirchildrenshallavail them in the leastagainstAllāh…).Theunbelievers erroneously thought that these things would make themindependent of Allāh. Now, this verse explains the reason of their mistakenidea: They have submerged their souls under the love of these worldly

materialsandaresooverwhelmedwith themthat theyhaveforgotten the lifehereafter.Buttheyaremistaken,becausethesethingsarejusttheprovisionsofthistransientlife,theironlypurposeistopavethewayforthenextdestinationthat is with Allāh. These people are oblivious of the reality of this worldlyprovision: Allāh has ingrained in human nature the love of these fair andbeautiful items, so that this worldly life may attain its completion andperfection. Without this inclination, continuity of human race would beendangered. It is through this love and desire that the decree of Allāh isenforced:…and there is foryou in theearthanabodeandaprovision foratime (2:36).Allāh created inman this inclination, so that hemay use it as ameans to reachhis final destination; so that hemay take from itwhatwouldbenefit him in the next life. Peoplewere not expected to treat theseworldlytrinketsaspermanentthings,ortoforgetwhatliesahead.Theyareonjourney,going forward to theirLord; they shouldnot take thepathas thedestination.Allāhsays:SurelyWehavemadewhateverisontheearthanembellishmentforit, so thatWemay try them (as to)which of them is best in deed. AndmostsurelyWewillmakewhatisonitbaregroundwithoutherbage(18:7—8).Butthesesimpletonsthoughtthattheseapparentcausesofworldlypleasure

wereindependentofAllāh,(whileactuallytheywerecreatedbyAllāhtobeameans to obtain the pleasure of Allāh). Instead, the unbelievers thought thatthesethingswouldavailthemagainstAllāh.Bytheirbehaviour,theyturnedthebliss into misery, and changed the reward into punishment. Allāh says: Thelikenessofthisworld’slifeisonlyaswaterwhichWesentdownfromthesky;by itsmingling the herbage of the earth of whichmen and cattle eat grows;untilwhentheearthputsonitsgoldenraimentanditbecomesgarnished,anditspeoplethinkthattheyhavepoweroverit,Ourcommandcomestoit,bynightor by day, soWe render it as reaped, as though it had not been in existenceyesterday;…Andon thedaywhenWewillgather themall together, thenWewillsaytothosewhoassociatedothers(withAllāh);Keepwhereyouare,youandyourassociates; thenWeshallseparate themwidelyone fromanother…and theyshallbebroughtback toAllāh, their trueMaster,andwhat theydidfabricateshallescapefromthem(10:24—30).TheseversesshowthatthelifeanditsadornmentsareinthehandsofAllāh;nonebutHecontrolsthem.Man,inhisfoolishness,isdeceivedbyitsappearanceandthinksthatheisincontrolof his own affair, and that it is hewhomanages it and keeps it in order.Heascribes some associates in it, like idols and things like idols (wealth andchildrenetc.).ButAllāhwillmakehimawareofhisfollies;theembellishmentswillgoaway, therelationshipbetweenhimandhisassociateswillbecutoff,andallthatmanhadfabricatedagainstAllāhwillbelosttohim.Thenhewill

understand that what he was admonished with in this world was true. Alas!understandingatthattimewhenhewillbereturnedtohisLord,willnotbenefithimatall.Allāhsays:‘‘Ithasbeenmadetoseemfairtomentheloveofdesires…’’

The question is:Who has made it to look fair to man? The world appearsbeforeman’seyesasabeautifulandadorablething—itshowstheeleganceofindependenceandbeautyofpurpose.DoesAllāhmakeitappearinthislight?Reasonsays,No.TheAll-knowingWiseLordistoogreattomanageathinginsuch a way that it would defeat His Own purpose. He says:… surely AllāhattainsHispurpose(65:3);andAllāhispredominantoverHisaffair(12:21).Ifthisphenomenonistobeattributedatall,itshouldbeattributedtoSatan.Allāhsays:…andSatanmadewhattheydidfair-seemingtothem(6:43).AndwhenSatanmadetheirdeedsfair-seemingtothem…(8:48).Ofcourse, it isallaccordingtothesystemdecreedbyAllāh.Hehasgiven

themanfreedomofwilltochoosehisownpath,andAllāhdoesnotinterferein theman’schoice.This system iscalled ‘‘permission’’, it is so that the testmay be conducted, and so that the spiritual training may progress in a justmanner.Allāhsays:Domen think that theywillbe leftaloneonsaying, ‘‘Webelieve’’,andnotbetried?AndcertainlyWetriedthosebeforethem,soAllāhwillcertainlyknowthosewhoaretrueandHewillcertainlyknowtheliars.OrdotheywhoworkevilthinkthattheywillescapeUs?Evilisitthattheyjudge(29:2—4).Thereisaverseinwhichthis‘‘makingfair-seeming’’hasbeenattributedto

Allāh:Thus haveWemade fair-seeming to every people their deeds (6:108).Thisversemaybeexplainedbytheabove-mentionedsystemof‘permission’’.Itmayalsobeexplainedinthelightofthepreviouslyexplainedverse:SurelyWehavemadewhateverisontheearthanembellishmentforit,sothatWemaytrythem(asto)whichofthemisbestindeed(18:7).This ‘‘making fair-seeming’’ is of two kinds. First, world and worldly

embellishmentsaremadefair-seemingtomansothathemayuseitwisely—togethappinessinthenextworld,andtoseekthepleasureofAllāhinallhisactionsthroughthiswealth,honour,childrenandself.ItisagoodanddivinelyinspiredcharaceristicandAllāhhasattributed it toHimself in theverse18:7(SurelyWehavemadewhatever ison theearthanembellishment… ), and inotherversesmentionedearlier.Alsothefollowingversereferstothisreality:Say: ‘‘Who has prohibited the embellishment of Allāh whichHe has broughtforthforHisservantsandthegoodprovisions?’’(7:32).Second,world ismade toappear lovely in theeyesofman, toensnarehis

heart, so that he may forget his Creator. It is an evil plan which Allāh has

attributedtoSatan,andadmonishedHisservantstoremainonguardagainstit.Forexample:…andSatanmadewhattheydidfair-seemingtothem…(6:43);He(Satan)said:‘‘MyLord!becauseThouhastleftmetostray,Iwillcertainlymake(evil)fair-seemingtothemonearth,andIwillcertainlycausethemalltogo astray… ’’ (15:39);… the evil of their doings is made fair-seeming tothem…(9:37),etc.Sometimeseven this typeof ‘‘makingfair-seeming’’ isattributed toAllāh,

inasmuchasSatanandallothercausesofgoodandevildowhatevertheydoonly because Allāh has given them the ‘‘permission’’ (as explained above).ThissystemwasnecessarytoattaintheDivinepurposeoftest,inorderthatthedoersofgoodmaysucceedbecauseoftheirgoodintentionandchoice;andthesinnersmaybeseparatedfromthem.The above explanationmakes it clear that it is notAllāhwho hasmade it

seem fair to men the love of various desires mentioned in the verse underdiscussion. No doubt, every ‘‘making fair-seeming’’ may be attributed toAllāh,eitherdirectly,(if it isagoodadornmentleadingmantoHisworship)or indirectly, that is,bypermission(if itmakesone toforgetone’sCreator).But this verse contains some factors which cannot be attributed to Allāhdirectly.Therefore,itwasinkeepingwiththegoodmannersoftheQur ’ānnottoattributethisadornmenttoAllāh;instead,itattributesittosomeunspecifiedagent—itcouldbeeitherSatanorthemanhimself.Anexegetehas rightly said that the implieddoerof theverb, ‘‘Ithasbeen

madetoseemfair ’’,isSatan,becausetheloveofdesiresisnotalikeabletrait,nor is the love of excessivewealth; and therefore, it cannot be attributed toAllāh.AllāhhasattributedtoHimselfthegoodthingsmentionedattheendofthisverseandinthenextone.But another commentator has said that it cannot be attributed to Satan.He

says:Themattersrelatedtothehumannatureanditsloveandinclinationscanneverbe ascribed toSatan;whatmaybe attributed tohim is evilwhisperingthat makes evil thoughts and deeds look attractive to man. He continues hisargumentasfollows:TheQur ’ānhasneverattributedtoSatananythingexceptmakingevildeedfair-seeming.Allāhsays:AndwhenSatanmade theirdeedsfair-seemingtothem(8:48);…andSatanmadewhattheydidfair-seemingtothem (6:43). But the Book does not attribute the realities and natures of thethingsexcept to theWiseCreatorWhohasnopartner.Allāhsays:SurelyWehavemadewhateverisontheearthanembellishmentforit,sothatWemaytrythem (as to)which of them is best in deed (18:7);Thus haveWe made fair-seeming to every people their deeds (6:108). The verse talks about the‘‘people’’,whichisanotherwayoftalkingaboutthenatureofsociety.

Comment:He is rightwhenhesays that therealitiesandnaturesof thingscannotbeattributedtootherthanAllāh.Butheismistakeninthinkingthattheversespeaksaboutthenaureofman,orabouthisnaturaltraits.Thisstatementofoursmaybeunderstoodifwolookatthecentralthemeofthischapter.Themainpurposeofthischapteristodescribethefollowingrealities:Allāh isSelf-subsistingbyWhomallsubsist:Hemanagesallaffairsofall

Hiscreatures;Hecreates themand looksafter them.Heguides them to theireternal bliss. Those who indulge in hypocrisy, reject His signs or revoltagainstHimbydiffering inHisBook— thehypocrites, theunbelievers, thepolytheistsand thePeopleof theBook—inshort,all thosewhoobeySatanand follow their desires, cannotweaken the authority ofAllāh, nor can theyoverpower Him, nor is His all-encompassing management affected by theirmis-behaviour. Everything, including the creatures’ belief and disbelief,obedienceanddisobedience, isbasedonthesystemdecreedbyAllāh.Hehascreated in thisworld the systems of the cause and effect, and of the test andtrial. He has created the nature, its properties and traits, its inclinations andactions. Ithasbeendoneso thatmanmayproceed forward tohisLord,mayattainnearnesstoAllāhandmaygeteternalhonourintheDivinepresence.It was because of this system of test that He permitted Satan and did not

preventhimfromwhisperingintomen’sheartsandputtingevilideasintotheirminds.NordidHepreventmanfromobeyingSatanorfollowinghisownbasedesires. By this ‘‘permission’’ the test and trial remains free and fair; thosewhobelievearedistinguishedfromthedisbelieversandthehypocrites;andthepure hearted servants of Allāh are raised in status to become witnesses ofAllāh.These things have been described in this chapter to give comfort to the

believers.At that time theywere overwhelmed by hardships and difficulties.Within theirsociety, theyhadtoendure thedouble-dealingsof thehypocritesandignoranceofthosewithdiseaseintheirhearts.Thesetwogroupsdisturbedtheirplansanddisruptedtheiraffairs;asaresultthecommandsgivenbyAllāhandHisApostlewerenot fullyobeyed.On theoutside, theywere inconstantdangerfromvariousgroups.Therewere,withinArabia,thepolytheistsandthePeopleof theBook(especially, theJews);and theneighbouringRomansandPersians were threatening them with all their might and forces. All thosedisbelieversweremistakenandconfusedin their ideasandideals.Theywereentangled in this transient world and its embellishments; they thought that itwas theirgoaland finaldestination.Theyhad forgot tent that thisworldwasonlyapath,andthedestinationwasthenextworld.Itisobviousthatthechapterdiscussesthenatureofthepeople,butinawider

framework that includes the purpose of their creation, and all that it entails,like the character andbehaviour, thegoodandevil deeds, theobedience anddisobedience. Itdeclares thatall this isunder themanagementofAllāh,Whocanneverbedefeatedoroverpowered—neitherinthisworldnorinthenext.In this world, all things happen by His ‘‘permission’’, whichmakes the testmeaningful.Inthenextworld,allwillbebasedontheprincipleofrecompense—goodforgoodandevilforevil.Theverses under discussion alsowere revealedwith the same theme.The

disbelievers were given those bounties in order that they might obtain withtheir help the pleasure of Allāh and enter into His paradise. Instead, theyrejected the signs of theirLord and changed those bounties into a source ofeternalmisfortune; they reliedon thoseworldlyembellishments;and thoughtthat those things would avail them against Allāh; in short, they were soenchanted by created things that they forgot the Creator. But these peoplecannotweakentheholdofAllāhoverthem;theycannotoverpowerHim,norcantheyescapefromHim.Allāhshallcatchthemfortheirsins,andshallhelpHis believing servants against them. He shall gather all the disbelieverstogetheruntohellanditisanevilabode.Itistheirgreatestmistaketorelyonthatwhich isonlyaprovisionof thisworldly life,and to forget that thebestdestinationiswithAllāh.Theseverses toospeakabout thenatureof thedisbelievers,but inawider

contextthatincludestheirgoodandbaddeeds.Therefore, it iswrongon thepartof thatexegete to think that,because the

versespeaksabouthumannature, theverb, ‘‘Ithasbeenmade toseemfair ’’,cannotbeattributedtootherthanAllāh.Further, he has offered the verse: ‘‘Thus have We made fair-seeming to

every people their deeds’’, as a proof that realities can only be attributed toAllāh, and it is only the deeds thatmaybe attributed toSatan.But this verseclearlyprovestheopposite,becauseitattributesthedeedstoAllāh.Itscontextfurtherstrengthensthisproposition.Thecompleteverseisasfollows:Anddonot abuse thosewhom they call upon besidesAllāh, lest exceeding the limitstheyshouldabuseAllāhoutofignorance.ThushaveWemadefair-seemingtoevery people their deeds; then to their Lord shall be their return, soHewillinformthemofwhattheydid(8:108).Itmakesclearwhatwehavesaid.Another exegete has said: This ‘‘Making fair-seeming’’ is of two types:

Commendable and condemnable. Likewise, human actions are of two kinds:goodandevil.Onlythatwhichiscommendable,goodandpraiseworthycanbeattributedtoAllāh;andtheothertypeisescribedtoSatan.Comment:Theabovestatementiscorrecttoacertainextent—insofaras

the direct attribution is concerned. In otherword, it is valid about the directactions of Allāh. Allāh does not do except good and He does not enjoinindecencyandevil.Butthereisnoreasonwhyactions,otherthanthegoodandpraiseworthy,shouldnotbeattributedtoHimindirectly.Inotherwords,Allāhmay‘‘permit’’Hiscreaturestodogoodorevilastheylike.TheydowhatevertheydobythepowergiventothembyAllāh,andaccordingtothesystemoftestdecreedbyHim.Andinthissense,allactionsmaybeascribedtoAllāh—indirectly,ofcourse.IfonesaysthatsomeactionscannotbeascribedtoAllāhevenindirectly,itwouldbedifficultforhimtobelievethatAllāhistheLordofeverything,CreatorofeverythingandOwnerofeverything,orthatHehasnopartnerorcolleagueinanyaffairatall.Moreover,theQur ’āncontainsmanyversesinwhich‘‘unpraiseworthy’’actionshavebeenascribedtoAllāh:AllāhmakeswhosoeverHewillsgoastray (13:27);…Allāhmade theirhearts turnaside (61:5); Allāh mocks them and leaves them alone in their inordinacy(2:15);… We order the people of it who lead easy life, so they transgresstherein(17:16);therearemanyversesofthiskindintheQur ’ān.Whatisthesourceofthiserroneousideasofpeoplelikethatexegete?They

looked at things andmeditated on theirmutual relationship, on their actionsand their effects. They thought that every single thing has an independentexistence,isseparatefromallsurroundingthings,andhasnoconnectionwiththingsthathavepassednorwiththosethatareyettoappear.Allāh has decreed that every event should be a result of interaction of

numerous causes. But these people put every thing and every event in aseparatepigeonhole,unconnectedwithanyotherthingorevent.Accordingtotheirthinking,eacheventisrelatedonlytoitsimmediatecause,andeachactionbelongsonlytoitsdoer;other,distantcauseshavenothingtodowiththateventoraction.Planetsrevolve,riversflow,shipsrun,earthsupportsitsinhabitants,vegetablesgrow,animalswalkandmanlivesandstrives:Allthesephenomenaareseparatefromeachother;thereisnobondthatbindsthemtooneanother;neither any metaphysical reality joins them together nor any physical forcekeepsthemunited.Goingastepfurther, theyascribedthesameseparateness tohumanactions

andaffairs.Virtueandevil, felicityand infelicity,guidanceandmisguidance,obedience and disobedience, benevolence and malevolence, justice andinjustice,nothingisrelatedtoanyotherthing,nothinghasanyconnectionwithanythingelseinitsexistence.Thesepeoplehaveoverlookedthemostobviousreality—thattheuniverse,

withallsortsofcreaturesandallkindsofcomponents,isasingleentity,whoseparts are finely aligned together. Not only that— its components are often

interchanged:Todayitisahumanbeing,tomorrowitwillchangeintodustandthedayaftertomorrowwillgrowasagrass;one’slifeistheother ’sdeath;the‘‘new’’arisesfromtheashesofthe‘‘old’’.Theeventshappeninghereinarelikewiseallrelatedtoeachother;theyare

the links that are connected together to form the chain that is called theuniverse.Anapparentlyinsignificantalterationinthepositionofasmall linkaffects the positions of all other links on both sides.Aminute change in anatomcauseschanges in thewholesystemof theworld,althoughwemaynotnoticeit.(Ifwedonotknowthatathingexists,itdoesnotmeanthatitdoesnotexist.)This universal inter-relation was known to, and described by, the ancient

philosophers; and it has been fullymanifested bymodern sciences. And theQur ’ān had explained to the Muslims this phenomenon long before theylearned it fromphilosophers,scientistsandmathematiciansofothernations,and then started to do their own researches on these lines.TheDivineBooktellsushowthesystemoftheheavensandtheearthareinterlocked,howoneaffects the other, how all are joined together in attaining to the purpose ofcreation,howtheDivinedecreepermeateseverything,howallareproceedingtowardstheirLord,andhowthefinaldestinationiswithAllāh.Likewise,thecharacteristicsandattributesofouractionsarelinkedtogether.

Eventheoppositeactionsstandfacetofacewitheachother,andifoneofthemgoesaway,theotherwouldnotberecognized.Itresemblesthephysicalworldwheremakingofone thingdependsonunmakingof theother,and theone’sprogress causes theother ’s retrogress. If oneof theopposite ismissing, theother ’s desired effects on the societywould also disappear. The same is thecaseofvirtueandevilasshownbytheDivinereligion.Obedienceisavirtuebecausedisobedienceisanevil;gooddeedsdeservegoodrecompensebecausebad deeds attract severe requital; reward is pleasant because punishment isunpleasant;andpleasureisdesiredbecausedispleasureisundesirable.Manbynaturegravitatestowardsfelicityandhappiness;andrunsawayfrominfelicityand unhappiness. If this natural movement stops, the existence itself woulddissolveintonothingness.Obedience,thengooddeeds,thenreward,thenpleasure,thenhappiness—it

isachainthatrunsparalleltodisobedience,thenevildeeds,thenpunishment,then displeasure, then unhappiness. Each side manifests itself by hiding theother;eachonegetslifeinthedeathofitsopposite.Howcanonecalltogooddeedswithoutwarningagainstitsoppositemisdeeds?Wecansee in this light that in theDivinewisdomitwasnecessary for the

universe to contain the opposites — virtue and evil, obedience and

disobedience.Atthisstage,thereappearsanimportantdifference:Creationanddestruction, making and unmaking in all things, except human actions, areattributedtoAllāh,becausethecreationandallitsaffairsareinHishands,Hehas no partner or colleague.So far as the actions are concerned, if they aregood and virtuous, they too are directly attributed to Allāh, becauseHe hasguided theman to them.Butevildeedsandaffairs, likewhisperingofSatan,overpowering of man by desires or rule of a tyrant over a nation, may beindirectly attributed to Allāh, inasmuch as He withdraws His help from thedoersof suchdeedsand leaves themfree togoastray. It is this factor that iscalled ‘‘permission’’. It is correct to say that Allāh has permitted Satan tomisguidehumanbeingswithhiswhisperingsanddeceptions;thatHedoesnotpreventmanfromfollowinghisbasedesires;andthatHedoesnothinder,anunjustpersonfromhisoppression.Hehasdecreedthissystembecausefelicityandinfelicityarebasedonfreedomofchoice;ifamansucceeds,itshallbebyhis own free choice; and if he fails, it too shall be by his own free choice.Otherwise, the proof ofAllāh could not be, completed againstHis servants,andtheintendedtestwouldbeirrelevant.What prevented the said exegete and others like him from letting the

Qur ’ānicargumentsandexpressionsprogresstotheirlogicalresult,wastheirreluctance to accept what seemed to them a wrong conclusion. Those whobelievedthateverythingisdonebyAllāhandthatthereisnocauseotherthanAllāhweredisinclinedtoacceptthatthingswerelinkedtogetherinachainofcauseandeffect,because,accordingtotheirthinking,itimpliedareductionintheallpervasivepowerofAllāh.Othersthoughtthatifdeedsofalltypescouldbe attributed to Allāh— directly or indirectly— it would absolve themanfromresponsibilityofhisaction,asitwouldmeanthathewasnotfreeinhisaction; rather he was a helpless tool in the hands of Allāh. Once it wasaccepted, the system of test, reward and punishment would be negated; andtherewouldbenojustificationforordainingtheDivinelawandreligion.But they should have meditated on the words of Allāh revealed in the

Qur ’ān:…andAllāhispredominantoverHisaffairs(12:21);…surelyHisisthe creation and the command (7:54);Now surely of Allāh is what is in theheavens and the earth… (10:55). There aremany similar verses that provewhatwehaveexplainedabove;andashortdescriptionofthistopicwasgivenunder theverse:SurelyAllāh isnotashamed toset forthanyparable— (thatof)agnatoranythingabovethat(2:26).Nowwereturntoouroriginaltopic:Apparentlythedoeroftheverb,‘‘Ithas

beenmadetoseemfair ’’,issomethingotherthanAllāh—itiseitherSatanortheman’ssoulitself.Therearefourreasonstosupportthisviewofours:

First: The verse condemns the disbelievers because they are inclined tothese embellishments of the world—wealth and children— and think thatthese thingsmay avail them against Allāh. It is an adornment that turns oneaway from remembrance of Allāh, and it is not proper to ascribe such a‘‘makingfair-seeming’’toAllāh.Second:Ifthis‘‘makingfair-seeming’’isattributedtoAllāh,itwouldpoint

tothenaturalinclination,ingrainedinhumancreation.Inthatcase,itwasmoreappropriate to use the word, ‘‘al-insān’’ ( ناسنالا =humanbeing,man)or‘‘childrenofAdam’’;becauseAllāhusessuchwordsonsuchoccasions:CertainlyWecreatedman(alinsān)inthebestmake.ThenWerenderedhimthelowest of the low (95:4— 5);And surelyWe have honoured the children ofAdam,andWecarrytheminthelandandthesea,andWehavegiventhemofthegoodthings,andWehavemadethemtoexcelbyanappropriateexcellenceover most of those whom We have created (17:70). But in the verse underdiscussion Allāh has used the word, ‘‘an-nās’’ ( سانلا =men,people)whichmoreoftenthannothasbeenusedintheQur ’āntoshowworthlessnessofthepeoplereferredto,toshowtheirimmaturityandnarrow-mindedness. Forexample, …butmostmendonotconsenttoaughtbutdenying(17:89);Oyoupeople!SurelyWehavecreatedyouofamaleandafemale…(49:13),etc.Third:Theitemsofdesiresenumeratedinthisversedonotfitproperlythe

inclinations ingrained in human nature. If the Qur ’ānwanted to refer to thenaturaldesires,thenitwouldhavebeenmoreappropriatetochangethewords,‘‘womenandsonsandhoardedtreasuresofgoldandsilver ’’withthewords,‘‘spouses, andchildren andwealth’’.After all thenatural inclination towardstheopposite sex is found inwomenasmuchas inmen;and theparents lovetheirdaughtersasmuchastheirsons;andmanloveswealthingeneralandnotonlythehoardedtreasuresofgoldandsilver.Thosewhosaythatthedoeroftheverb,‘‘Ithasbeenmadetoseemfair ’’is

Allāh, have had to say that the word, ‘‘women’’, refers to matrimony ingeneral; the ‘‘sons’’means childrenof both sexes; and thephrase, ‘‘hoardedtreasuresof gold and silver ’’ stands forwealth ingeneral.They say that thewordsusedintheversehavebeengivenjustasthemostpopularexamplesofeveryitem.Butitisstretchingthemeaningstoofar.Fourth:Tosay that it isAllāhWhohasmade these items fair-seeming to

menisnotinconformitywiththeendoftheverse:‘‘thisistheprovisionofthelife of this world; and Allāh is He withWhom is the best destination. Say:‘Shall I tell youofwhat is better than these?’ ’’Obviously thesewordshavebeen used to divert their attention from theseworldly desires, and create inthemloveofthethingsthatarewithAllāh—paradise,purematesandpleasureofAllāh. The natural desire ofworldly embellishments has been created byAllāh,inorderthatmanmayusethemtoreachhisspiritualdestination—thesameparadiseandpleasureofAllāh.Thatnaturaldesireisthemeanstoobtainthat result. IfAllāh admonishedmen to forget theseworldly desires and yettoldthemtoreachtheintendedgoalitwouldbeself-contradictory.Whowouldwanttosatiatehishungerandyetabstainfromfood?Question:Thisverseinitsthemeisnotdifferentfromtheverse,Say:‘‘Who

hasprohibitedtheembellishmentofAllāhwhichHehasbroughtforthforHisservants and thegoodprovisions?’’Say: ‘‘These are for thebelievers in thelifeofthisworld,purely(theirs)ontheResurrectionDay…’’(7:32).Inthisverse the embellishment is ascribed to Allāh; likewise, the doer of this‘‘makingfair-seeming’’intheverseunderdiscussionshouldbeAllāh.Reply:Thereisacleardifferenceintheimportofthetwoverses.Theverse

underdiscussioncondemns thesedesires;because theydivert theattentionofmenfromAllāhandfromwhatiswithAllāh.Itexhortsthemtoturnasidefromtheseworldly entanglements and to look forward towhat iswithAllāh. Thetheme of the verse of Chapter 7 is quite different. It says that theseembellishments have been created for the benefit of human beings; thebelievers enjoy them in this world together with the others; and it will bereserved for thebelieversonly in thenextworld. It shouldbenoted that thisverse uses theword ‘‘His servants’’, instead of the ‘‘men’’ and it counts theembelilishmentas‘‘thegoodprovisions’’.Question:Whathasbeenmade fair-seeming is ‘‘the loveofdesires’’,not

thedesiresthemselves.Thefactthatloveseemsfairtomanandattractshimisanaturalreality.Theexpression,thatlovehasbeenmadefair-seemingtomen,meansthatithasbeenmadeeffectiveintheirhearts;inotherwords,lovehasbeen created in their hearts; and creation cannot be attributed to other thanAllāh.Therefore,Heisthedoerofthisverb.Reply: The context (towhichwe have referred) shows that adornment of

lovemeans that lovehasbeengivenapower thatattractspeople to itselfandprevents themfrom lookingatother things.Adornment is anattractive thingthat isusedorwornbyanother thing; itattracts thepeopleprimarilytoitselfandthentransfersthatattractiontotheweareroruser.Awomanusescosmeticsand ornaments, in order to attract her man to herself — by way of those

embellishments.Primarilythemanisattractedbythoseembellishments,buttherealobjectiveofthewomanistoattracthimtoherself.Inthisbackground,thesemantic flow of the word, ‘‘It has been made fair-seeming… the love ofdesires… ’’ is that primarily the love attracts themen to itself but the realobjectiveistoenchantthepeopleandletthemsinkininordinatedesireofthenamedtrinketsoftheworld.Inshort,theeffectofloveisnotthetrueobjective;andthereforetheargumentmentionedinthequestionisoutofplace.Therealgoal (whichhasbeencondemned) is thedesire, asmaybe seen in theverse:But there followed after them an evil generation, who neglected prayer andfollowed the sensual desires, so they shall soonmeet (the result of their) sin(19:59). This meaning is supported by the given list of the desired things.Moreover, the word ‘‘desire’’, although used here for desired things, has ashadeofinordinatepassioninitsmeaning.QUR’ĀN:ofwomenandsonsandhoardedtreasuresofgoldandsilverand

well-bred horses and cattle and tilth: ‘‘an-Nisā’ ’’ ( ءاسنلا =women) is plural, it has no singular from thisroot; ‘‘al-banīn’’ ( نینبلا = sons)is plural of al-ibn ( نبالا = male offspring, direct or indirect); ‘‘al-qanātīr’’ ( ریطانقلا ) is plural of al-qintār ( راطنقلا =a waterskin full of gold, a filled waterskin); ‘‘ al-muqantarah’’ ( ةرطنقملا ) is passive participle(object-noun) of al-qintār although the latter isaninflexiblenoun.InArabiclanguage,theyoftenascribetoaninflexiblenouna shadeofmeaning thatmakes it resemble an infinitiveverb, and thenmakevariouswords from it, for example, al-bāqil ( لقابلا ), at-tāmir ( رماتلا ) andal-‘attār ( راطعلا ) for seller of al-baql ( لقبلا = vegetable), at-tamr (

رمتلا = date) and al-‘itr ( = رطعلا perfume) respectively.It qualifies the word al-qanātīr ( = ریطانقلاtreasures) with an adjective al-muqantarah ( ةرطنقملا =treasured,hoarded)whichisderivedfromthesameword.Thisdevicedoublyconfirms the meaning of the qualified words, forexample,danānīr mudannarah ( ةرندم ریناند = coined dinars), dawāwīn mudawwanah( ةنودم نیواود = recorded register), hijāb mahjūb ( بوجحم باجح = veiledcurtain) and sitr mastūr ( روتسم رتس = concealed screen).‘‘al-Khayl’’( لیخلا = horses) ; ‘‘al-musawwamah ’’ ( ةموسملا )has two meanings: left free to pasture orbranded. ‘‘al-An‘ām’’ ( ماعنالا ) is pluralof anna‘ am ( معنلا ) which means

camel, cow, buffalo, goat and sheep;albahīmah ( ةمیهبلا ) is more generalthan that and is used for all quadrupedsand excludes carnivora, birds and insects. ‘‘al-Harth’’ ( ثرحلا =tilth) has a meaning of earning in it; it means farming(or -cultivated plant) for alivelihood.The listofdesired thingsgivenheredoesnotmean thateverymanhasso

manylovesofdesires,assomeexegeteshavethought; theytooktheverse torefer to thenatural loveof spouse, childrenandwealth.But then theyhad toexplain why human being has been referred to as ‘‘men’’ or people, why‘‘children’’hasbeenchangedto‘‘sons’’andwhy‘‘wealth’’hasbeendescribedas‘‘hoardedtreasures’’.Thefact,however,isthattheverseonlysaysthatpeople,intheirinordinate

love of worldly desires, are of various types: There are some lecherouspersonswhose only aim in life is lusting afterwomen; it brings in its trainnumerous sins and social ills, like using musical instruments, singing,drinkingliquorandmanyotherevils.Suchdebaucheryisfoundmostlyinmen;womenasarulearefreefromit(except,inrarecases).Thentherearethosewho ardently love their sons andwant their number to increase in order tobecome a strong and powerful clan; this tendency is more prominent innomadictribes,anditespeciallyconcernsthesons,notthedaughters.Athirdcategoryisofthosegreedyavariciouspersonswholiveonlyforthepurposeof hoarding treasures and riches; this madnessmanifests itself especially infillingtheircofferswithgoldandsilver,orsimilarthingslikecurrencynotesand bonds, other items are not valued very much by such people. Thiscovetousness is predominent in inhabitants of villages and towns, and isseldom seen in nomads. Finally, come those who want to own a string ofpedigreed horses. (It is thosewho are fond of horsemanship or horse-race);someotherslovetohavecattle;yetotherseagerlydesireforagriculturalfarm.Thelastnamedthreetypesofdesirearesometimesfoundtogether.People usually are overwhelmed by one of the above-mentioned desires

primarily,andtherestisgivenasecondaryplace.Oneseldom(or,never)findsamanwhoseloveofalltheseitemsisofequaldegree.Otherdesired‘‘things’’,likepower,position,prestige,presidency,ministry

etc., are only imaginary things, that have no existence outside imagination.Man desires them not for their own sake, but only because they give him achancetoacquirewealth.And,inanycase,itisnotthepurportoftheversetoenumerateallthedesires.

It proves what we mentioned earlier that the ‘‘love of desires’’ meansinordinateattachment to these things (and it is ascribed toSatan); it doesnotrefertothenaturallovethathasbeeningrainedinhumanpsyche(andwhichisattributedtoAllāh).QUR’ĀN:thisistheprovision…bestdestination:Thesedesiresaresuchas

may be useful to manage the affairs of this life; but this life itself, like itsprovisions,isatransientthing;itwillsoonceasetoexist.ThegoodlifeandthebestdestinationisonlywithAllāh.QUR’ĀN:Say: ‘‘Shall I tell you… andAllāh’s pleasure: It elaborates the

preceding sentence, ‘‘andAllāh isHewithWhom is the best destination’’. Itputs, inplaceof theabove-mentioned transient andmisleadingdesires,otherthings that are best for theman, because they shall remain for ever and arereally good, without any shade of imperfection. Although these goodenjoymentsaresimilartothoseevildesires,buttheyarefreefromallevilandbad effects, and they do not divert theman’s attention from sublimeDivinerealities.The threegoodenjoymentsare theparadise, thepurematesand thepleasureofAllāh.Among the blessings of the paradise are the pure mates. The verse has

already mentioned the paradise. Then what was the need of mentioning the‘‘pure mates’’ separately. It is because sexual intercourse is the greatestphysical pleasure of a human being. It was for the same reason that thepreceding verse mentioned ‘‘women’’ before ‘‘sons’’ and ‘‘hoardedtreasures’’.‘‘ar-Ridwān’’ ( ناوضرلا ) is also read as ar-rudwān (

ناوضرلا );itmeanspleasure,whenarealityisagreeabletoone’sheart;as-sukht( طخسلا =displeasure)isitsopposite.TheQur ’ānrepeatedlymentionsthepleasureofAllāh.Allāhispleasedwith

aservantifheobeysHiscommand;alsoHeispleasediftheservantacquiressuchattributesandqualitieswhicharegoodandpraiseworthy.Butinmost—nay,all—placeswhereithasbeenmentionedintheQur ’ān,itisrelatedtotheobedience.Thatiswhysometimesitisdescribedsidebysidewiththepleasureoftheservant.AllāhispleasedwithHisservantbecauseofhisobedience;theservant is pleasedwithhisMasterbecauseof thegood rewardgiven tohim.Allāhsays:AllāhiswellpleasedwiththemandtheyarewellpleasedwithHim(98:8);O tranquilled soul (that art at rest)!Return to thy Lord, well pleased(withHim),wellpleasing(toHim)(89:27—28);And(asfor)theforemost,thefirst of the Emigrants and the Helpers, and those who followed them ingoodness,AllāhiswellpleasedwiththemandtheyarewellpleasedwithHim(9:100).

PleasureofAllāhhasbeencountedhereasoneofthosethingsthatarebetterformenthanthedesiresofthisworld’slife.Itshowsthatthispleasureitselfisoneofthethingsthatmanshoulddesire—or,itaccompaniessuchthingsthatshouldbedesiredbyhim.Thatiswhyithasbeenjoinedinthisversewiththegardensandthepurewives.Inotherverses,ithasbeenjointlymentionedwithgrace, forgivenessandmercyofAllāh:…seeking thegrace from theirLordand (His)pleasure… (5:2);and forgiveness fromAllāhand (His)pleasure…(57:20);…mercyfromHimselfand(His)pleasure…(9:21).The verse under discussion implies a sublime reality that one may

comprehendonmeditatingontheversesmentionedabove,forexample,Allāhiswellpleasedwiththem…(98:8)and:wellpleasedwithHim,wellpleasing(to Him) (89:28). The verses say that Allāh is well pleased with them; it isdifferent from saying thatHe iswell pleasedwith their deeds. It proves thatAllāhshallneverrejectanyoftheirprayers;HeshallneverdisappointtheminwhatevertheyaskHimfor.It leadstoustotheverse:Theyhave thereinwhattheywishandwithUsismoreyet(50:35).Inshort,whenAllāhispleasedwithaman,thatmanshallbegrantedallhiswisheswithoutanyreservation.Nowwemayrealizethetruesignificanceoftheverses.Manthinksthatifhe

acquires the worldly objects mentioned in the preceding verse — andespeciallythehoardedtreasures—itwillgivehimfreedomofaction;hewillbe able to dowhatever hewishes and hewill get unlimited power; but he isgrosslymistakeninit.SuchunlimitedpowercomesonlyfromthepleasureofAllāh,WhohaseveryaffairinHisownhands.QUR’ĀN:andAllāhseestheservants:ThetwoversesshowedthatAllāhhas

createdformaninbothworldsmanybountiesandpleasantthingswhichheiswont toenjoy,forexample,sexualpleasure,food,drink,propertyandthingslike that. These items are found in both worlds, with one difference— thepleasures of this world are available to both the believers and the non-believers; but the bounties of the next world are reserved for the believersonly;non-believerswillhavenoshareinit.Aquestioncouldbeasked:Whythisdifference?Whyonlythebelieverswill

begiventhepleasant thingsof thenextworld?Thesentence,‘‘Allāhsees theservants’’,answersthisunaskedquestion.Thisdifferencebetweenthebelieverandnon-believer isbasedonabasicdifferencebetweentheirconditions,andAllāhseesthemandknowsthedifferencebetweenthem.Thedividingfactorispietyand fearofAllāh,which is found in thebelieveronly.ThatattributeofpietyandfearofAllāhhasbeenelaboratedinthenexttwoverses:‘‘Thosewhosay…forgivenessbeforedawn’’.ThepiousbelieversdeclarethattheydependontheirLordinall theiraffairs;andtheyconfirmthatdeclarationwithgood

deeds.Theunbeliever,ontheotherhand,thinksthatheisindependentofAllāh;he remains entangled in worldly desires, forgets the next world and hisultimatedestination.Therefore,heshallbedeniedthepleasuresofthatworld.Nowreadagain theverses, ‘‘this is theprovisionof the lifeof thisworld;

andAllāhisHewithWhomisthebestdestination.Say:‘ShallItellyouofwhatisbetterthanthese?’Forthosewhoguard(againstevil)aregardenswiththeirLord,beneathwhichriversflow,toabideinthem,andpuremates…’’Also,lookatotherversesofthesametheme,forexample,Say:‘‘WhohasprohibitedtheembellishmentofAllāhwhichHehasbroughtforthforHisservantsandthegoodprovisions?’’Say: ‘‘Theseare for thebelievers in the lifeof thisworld,purely(theirs)ontheResurrectionDay;thusdoWemakethesignsclearforapeoplewhoknow’’(7:32).Ifyouponderonsuchverses,youwilleasilygrasptherealityofthebountiesoftheparadise;alsoyouwillknowhowbaselessisthefollowingobjectiondirectedagainstthembymanywriters:Objection:Lookatanyworldlything;allitsactionsandreactionsemanate

from various organs and faculties which are found in its system. Allāh hasequippeditwiththoseorgansandfacultiestoprotectandpreserveitsexistence.Afterall,existenceisnotamatterofchance,nordoesithappenatrandomorwithoutapurpose.Hereistheman;hiswholebodyisequippedwiththemostefficientandmostmind-bogglingsystems,allgearedtooneaim—toingestand digest the food he takes. The digested food replaces the burnt up cells,tissuesandotherpartsofthebody;throughthisever-continuingprocess,manremains alive, his body recoups its losses and even grows.Likewise, he hasbeen given the most intricate reproductory systems — male and femalecomplementingeachotherinthemostawe-inspiringmanner.Andthepurposebehinditistopreserveandpropagatethehumanspecies.What has been said about theman, is equally true for the animal and the

vegetables.The nature very cunningly put delicious taste and irresistible pleasure in

theseactions,compellingthecreatures,andespeciallythemanandtheanimal,to do it again and again in pursuit of pleasure. Immersed in the pleasure offoodandsexualintercourse,manisseldomawarethatthenatureisusinghimfor its own goal, that is, preservation of human race. If the food and sexualintercourseweredevoidofpleasure,nomanwouldhaveindulgedinthem—even if he was told that the survival of his race depended on it. But in thepresent set-upman gladly endures whatever hardships come in his way andobtainsthosepleasures.Whenhegetshisdesire,hefeelshappyandevenproudof his achievement. But it is the nature that should really be proud of itsplanning: It wanted to keep the individual alive— and it was done through

eating; and it wanted the species to survive — and this goal was attainedthrough copulation. And what was left for the self-satisfied man? Nothingexceptthememoryofatransientpleasure.Theseworldlypleasuresare ingrained inour systembut fora limitedand

transitorypurpose.There isno reasonwhy theyshouldbe transplanted fromthisworld to thenextwhere thatpurposecannotbeattained.Thepleasureoffood,drinkandothersuchthingsismeanttoprotectthebodyfromweakness,sicknessanddeath.Thepleasureofsexualintercourseandotherrelatedthingsismeantforthecontinuityandsurvivalofthehumanrace.Ifamanistakenoutofthisworldandgivenaneverlastingexistencewhichisimmunefromdeathand annihilation; a life that is free from every hardship and difficulty, andeverysorrowandgrief,thenthereisnoreasonwhyheshouldbeencumberedwith these worldly organs and faculties. Why should he be burdened withvarious systems of the body and amyriad of organs like stomach, kidneys,bladder,spleen,liver,etc.?Afterall,theywereneededonlyintheworldlylifewhichwastransitory;whatpurposewouldtheyserveintheeternallife?Reply:Allāhhascreatedthesepleasuresaswellasthebountiesfromwhich

theyspringforth,asanembellishmentofthisworld’slife.Theaimistoattractthemaninitiallytothem—andthroughthemtothelifeitself.Allāhhassaid:SurelyWe have made whatever is on the earth an embellishment for it…

(18:7).Wealthandchildrenareanadornmentofthelifeofthisworld…(18:46).…covetingthe(transitory)goodsofthisworld’slife…(4:94).AnddonotstretchyoureyesafterthatwithwhichWehaveprovideddifferent

classesofthem,(of)thesplendourofthisworld’slife,thatWemaytherebytrythem; and the sustenance (given) by your Lord is better and more abiding(20:131).Note:Thisversecoversallaspectsofthesubjectunderdiscussion.Andwhateverthingsyouhavebeengivenareonlyaprovisionofthisworld’s

lifeanditsadornment,andwhatever iswithAllāhisbetterandmorelasting;doyounotthenunderstand?(28:60).There are many verses of the same import. They make it 'ar that all the

bountiesofthisworldhavebeencreatedtomakethislifepleasant—thislifewhich is so short and finite. If there were no life, these bounties and theirpleasureswould not have been created.This is a fact and upto this pointwetotallyagreewithouradversaries.Now comes the important reality which has been overlooked by the said

objector.When he says that theman is given an everlasting existence in thenext world, whatmeaning does he assign to the word ‘‘man’’?Man has no

otheridentityexceptthisexistencewhichheperfectsinvariousstages.Heisacombination of a spirit and a body— the body which is made of variousorgans, faculties,powersand senses.Remove theseorgansand faculties etc.,and there will remain neither any person nor his existence— nothing willsurvive. Negation of body and its various systems and organs is not just anegationofman’scontinuedexistence,itisnegationofthemanhimself.Man, in fact, is a being who procreates, eats, drinks and copulates; he

manages the thingsgiven themto,andreceiving themfrom,others;hefeels,thinks and understands; he feels happiness and is overcome by sorrow. Alltheseactionsandreactionsformhispersonality—wemaysay thathe is thesum total of these faculties and systems.ThenAllāh transfers him from thistransitoryworld to theeverlastingabodeandmakeshimaneternalbeing—either enjoying everlasting reward or undergoing abiding punishment. ButAllāhdoesnotdosobynullifyingman’sentityandgivinghimanotherone;Heonlybestowsonhispresententitythequalityofeternity,removingfromitthedefectsofchangesanddeath.Whateverbountieshe isawarded, theymustbesimilartothosehehadenjoyedinthisworld;otherwise,hewouldnotenjoyitatall.Andwhatarethepleasuresheisfamiliarwith?Thereisnothingexceptsexual intercourse, food, drink, clothes, house, friends, and other suchenjoyments.Ofcourse,therewillbeonedifference:Whilethepleasureofthisworldis transitory, thatof thenextwillbeeternal.Likewise, thepunishmentsgiven tohimshouldbesimilar to thehardshipsandafflictionsof thisworld,with the samedifference—while thecalamitiesof thisworldare transitory,thoseofthenextwillbeeverlasting.Inshort,maninthenextworldwillremainthesameman;theretoohewill

need and require the same things which he needed and required here. Thedifferencebetween the pleasures anddispleasures of thisworld and those ofthenextisthatthelatterwillbeeternalandeverlasting.This realitymanifests itself in thewordsofAllāh,whereHedescribes the

creationofman:AndcertainlyWecreatedmanofanextractofclay;thenWemadehimasmalllife-germinafirmresting-place,thenWemadethelife-germaclot, thenWemade theclota lumpof flesh, thenWemade (in) the lumpoffleshbones, thenWeclothed theboneswith flesh; thenWecaused it togrowintoanothercreation;soblessedbeAllāh,thebestofthecreators.Thenafterthatyouwillmostsurelydie.ThensurelyontheDayofResurrectionyoushallberaised (23:12—16).Note theverbs in thebeginning, ‘‘Wecreated’’, and‘‘We made’’; the Arabic verbs are derived from al-khalq ( قلخلا )which implies collection, combination and re-arrangement. Then comes theverb

‘‘ansha’nāhū’’ ( = هانأشناWe caused it to grow into); it implies a change in the mode of creation.(Obviously,itreferstotherelationofthesoulwiththebody.)Lastly,comesthedeclaration, ‘‘Then surely on theDay of Resurrection you shall be raised’’.Thesentenceaddressesthesamepersonwhowasgivenabodyandthenwascaused togrowintoanothercreation. It is thatcombinationofbodyandsoulthat will be raised on the Day of Resurrection. Likewise, Hesays:He(also)said:‘‘Thereinshallyou live,and thereinshallyoudie,and from it shallyoube

raised’’ (7:25). In otherwords, theman’s life is the earthly one,madeof itsjoysanditssorrows.Wehaveexplainedittoacertainextentundertheverse:Mankindwasbutonepeople…(2:213).Allāhsaysaboutthebountiesofthisworld:thisistheprovisionofthelifeof

this world (3:14); and then He says: and this world’s life is nothing in thehereafterbut (only some)provision (13:26).The very life of thisworld is aprovision in the hereafter; it is ameans of enjoyment in the next life. It is averyuniqueexpression;anditopensathousanddoorsofknowledgeforthosewhomayponderonit.TheverseconfirmsthetraditionoftheApostleofAllāh(s.a.w.a.):‘‘Asyoulive,soyoushalldie;andasyoudie,soyoushallberaised.’’To

sumitup,thelifeofmanismadeupoftheworldlyexistencetogetherwiththegood or evil he may have earned. It is this very life which shall be hisprovision in the hereafter, where he shall reap the reward or punishmentaccording towhat he thinks to be his success and prosperity, or failure andloss.Hewillbeawardedhispleasuresandenjoymentsandwillthusgeteternalhappiness; on the other hand, if he were deprived of those pleasures andenjoyments,hewouldremainineternalsorrow.AndthiswhatismeantbythebountiesoftheGardenandthetornmentoftheFire.Letusexplain it further.Manhasa felicityaccording tohisnature,andan

infelicity according to the same.The felicity and infelicity are related to hissurvivalasanindividualandasaspecies.Thisservivaldependsonhisvariousphysical actions, like eating, drinking, copulation etc. Allāh has made theseactionsattractivetohimbyinvestingthemwithpleasureandsatisfaction.Thus,theman proceeds on the path of perfection and beginsworking consciouslyaccording to his senses and will. At this stage, his perfection becomesinextricably interlockedwith his senses andwill.He does not recognize anyperfectionunlesshedesiresitandfeelsit,evenifitisaperfectionintheeyesofthenature.Forexample,wedonotdrawanypleasurefromthatwhichwedo

not actively feel, even if it is a natural source of pleasure, like the health,wealthandchild.Ontheotherhand,wegetpleasurefromwhatweactivelyfeeltobepleasant,evenifitisnotsoinreality,likeapatientwhobelieveshimselftobeingoodhealth.At this stage, these preliminary pleasures become real perfection for the

man,althoughaccording to thenature theywerebutpreliminaryones.WhenAllāhbestowseternityonsuchaman,hishappinesswilldependononlythosepleasureswhich hewould himselfwish for and desire.And his unhappinesswill emanate from thatwhich hewould not desire. Felicity of aman havingperception andwill emanates from thatwhichheknows anddesires; andhisinfelicityfromthatwhichheknowsbutdoesnotdesire.Themanwouldbehappyinthehereafteronlyifhegotthepleasureswhich

he used to desire in the life of this world, like the food, the drink and thespouses—andevenmore;andthisistheparadise.Andhewouldbeunhappyifhedidnotgetthat;andthisisthehell.Allāhsays:theyshallhaveinthemwhattheyplease(16:13).QUR’ĀN:Thosewhosay:‘‘OurLord!surelywebelieve,thereforeforgiveus

oursinsandsaveusfromthechastisementofthefire’’:Thepronoun,‘‘those’’,refersto‘‘thosewhoguard(againstevil)’’,mentionedintheprecedingverse.They call uponAllāh and say, ‘‘OurLord!’’BydeclaringHis lordship, theyconfess their own servitude and seekHisMercy togrant themwhat they areasking for. ‘‘surely we believe’’: The sentence is not an attempt to lay Godunder their obligation, because it isAllāhWho lays the believers underHisobligation by helping them to believe. Allāh says:… rather Allāh lays youunderanobligationbyguidingyoutothefaith…(49:17).RatheritisapleatoAllāhtofulfilforthemthepromiseofforgivenessmadewiththebelievers:…andbelieveinHim,Hewillforgiveyouofyourfaults… (46:31).Thatiswhythe next clause begins with ‘‘therefore’’, (therefore forgive us our sins),showingthatthisprayerisbasedontheprecedingclause.Theassertiveparticle ‘‘inna’’ ( نا = surely) emphasizes their truth, showing that they are firm intheirbelief.The forgiveness of sins, per se, does not necessarily mean release from

punishment.SavingasinnerfrompunishmentisagracewhichAllāhbestowsonhimwhobelievesinHimandworshipsHim.ItisnotarightoftheservantthatAllāhshouldsavehimfromthechastisementoftheFire,orthatHeshouldadmithim into theGarden.Even theservant’sbeliefandobedienceare fromthe grace of Allāh; obviously they cannot give the servant any right uponAllāh.Ofcourse,sometimesAllāhinHismercyestablishessomerightsfortheservantsonHimself;andoneofthoserightsisthepromisegiventothemthat

HewouldforgivetheirsinsandsavethemfromthechastisementoftheFire—providedtheybelievedinHim:…andbelieve inHim,Hewill forgiveyouofyourfaultsandprotectyoufromapainfulpunishment(46:31).Nevertheless, it may be inferred from some Qur ’ānic verses that the

protection from the punishment of the Fire is one and same with theforgivenessandtheGarden.Allāhsays:Oyouwhobelieve!shallIleadyoutoamerchandisewhichmaydeliver you fromapainful chastisement?You shallbelieve inAllāhandHisApostle, and struggle hard inAllāh’swaywith yourproperties and your lives, that is better for you, did you but know. He willforgive you your faults and cause you to enter into gardens beneath whichrivers flow,andgoodlydwellings ingardensofperpetuity; that is themightyachievement(61:10—12).Thelastsentences(sayingthatthebelievers’faultsshallbeforgivenandtheyshallenter intogardens)explain indetailwhat thefirst sentence had said in a generalway: ‘‘shall I lead you to amerchandisewhichmaydeliveryoufromapainfulchastisement?’’Thus,deliverancefromchastisementmeansforgivenessofsinsandentryintothegarden.It isaverysubtleidea,andweshallexplainitinamoreappropriateplace,Godwilling.QUR’ĀN:Thepatient,andthetruthful,andthedevout(ones)andthosewho

spend(benevolently)andthosewhoaskforforgivenessbeforedawn:Thefiveattributesreferto‘‘thosewhoguard(againstevil)’’;thesearethevirtueswhichareessentialforpiety,forguardingagainstevil.Patience:Thisvirtuehasbeenmentionedfirstandwithoutanycondition.It,

therefore, covers all three kinds of patience: Patience (i.e., steadfastness) inobedience of Allāh; patience (i.e., abstaining) from the disobedience; andpatience(i.e.,forebearance)infaceofacalamity.Truth:Thefinalanalysisoftruthmeansconformityofaman’sexterior—

hiswordanddeed—withhis inner-self. In thissense, itcoversall theothervirtues mentioned here, like patience and devoutness etc. Obviously, such ameaningwouldnotfitthecontext.Wehave,therefore,tointerpretitasthetruthinwordsonly.AndAllāhknowsbetter.Devoutness: It means humility before Allāh; and covers all the acts of

worshipandobedience.Spending(benevolently):Itisgivingmoneytohimwhodeservesit.As for asking for forgiveness before dawn, it makes it necessary for the

servant to pray in the last hours of night in order that he may ask forforgiveness in that prayer. Traditions say that it refers to the non-obligatoryprayeraftermidnight,andtotheaskingforforgivenessinal-qunūt ( تونقلا =the special invocation before bowing down inthe salāt) of al-watr ( رتولا =

the last, that is, eleventh rak‘ah of the prayer after midnight; it isperformed as an independent unit,with aqunūt before bowing down).AllāhhaspointedtoitasawaythatleadsmantohisLord.VideChapters73and74,where mentioning the prayer after midnight. Allāh says: Surely this is areminder,sowhoeverpleasestakestohisLordaway(73:19;76:29).QUR’ĀN:Allāhbearswitness that there isnogodbutHe,and (sodo) the

angels and those possessed of knowledge, maintaining (His creation) withjustice: The verbal noun, ‘‘ash-shahādah’’ ( ( ةداهشلاoriginallymeant‘‘tolookat’’,‘‘tosee’’;onegotknowledgeofathingoraneventbybeingpresent at the timeandplaceofoccurrenceand lookingat it.Then it was used for describing it to others and bearing witness to theknowledge thusgained.Thereafter, thewordwas concurrently used for bothmeanings,bothbeingtreatedasitsrealmeanings.Afterall,therewasnotmuchdistance from acquiring a knowledge to describing it to others.Mostly oneacquiresknowledgeofaneventwithoneaiminview: topreserve therealityandtruth—lestitbeinvalidatedorfalsifiedasaresultofadisputeorbecauseofsomeone’sattempttoconcealthetruthandusurptheright,orbecauseonereally forgets it. A witness protects the truth and reality. Acquiring theknowledge and bearing the testimony accordingly is called witnessing —protecting thetruth.‘‘al-Qist’’( طسقلا )isjustice.The preceding eight verses, beginning with, ‘‘(As for) those who

disbelieve’’andendingat,‘‘thosewhoaskforforgivenessbeforedawn’’,haveshown that there is no god other thanAllāh, and that nothing can avail oneagainstHim;whatever theman relieson in this life,whateverhe thinksmayavailhimagainsthisLord, it isbutanembellishmentandaprovision—theLord has given him that provision in order that he may use it for a betterpurpose—forhissuccessinthehereafter.ButthatsuccesscannotbeattainedexceptwithpietyandfearofAllāh.Thebountiesofthisworldarecommonlyenjoyed by both the believer and the unbeliever; but the bounties of thehereafterarereservedforthebelieversonly.Thoseverseshavedescribedthefundamental truth; now in this verseAllāh reconfirms it bearingwitness thatwhathasbeentoldaboveispuretruthwithoutashadowofdoubt.Allāhbearswitnessthat thereisnogodbutHe.Asthereisnogodbesides

Allāh,nothingwhatsoevercanavailamanagainstAllāh—beithiswealthorhischildrenoranyotherembellishmentofthislife.IfanyofthesecouldavailamanagainstAllāh,itwouldhavebecomeagoditself;oratleastitwouldberelyingonsomeothergod.ButthereisnogodexceptAllāh.

HebearsthiswitnesswhileHestandswithjusticeinHisactions,looksafterHis creation with equity. He manages the affairs of the universe through asystem of cause and effect. This system has been created by Him; andultimatelyeverything—thecause,theeffectandtheirmutualrelationship—returnstoHim.Hehasplacedinthishighwayofprogresscountlessbountiesinorder that themanmay enjoy and use them in thisworld, and then get theirbenefitinthehereafter.Itisaprovisionfortheroad;manshouldmakeitsuseasatemporarymeasure.Heshouldnotsettlepermanentlyontheroadside.Allāhbearswitnesstothesefacts,andHeisaJustWitness.Hereweshould

pointtoaveryfinepoint:The justice ofAllāh is awitness for itself aswell as forHisOneness. In

otherwords,Hisjusticeisaself-sustainingrealityandalsoprovesthatAllāhisOne.Whenwehearatestimony,weinsistthatthewitnessmustbeajustone,ofapproved probity; hemust be proceeding on the straight path of nature, andshouldnot deviate from it—neither to the right nor to the left. In short, heshouldputeverythinginitsrightplace,andshoulddoeveryworkatitspropertime and place in a properway. Such aman is called just and his testimonyshall be acceptedbecause it shouldbe free from lie and falsehood.Themanbecomesjustbyadheringtothepathofnature.Whenconformitywiththatpathand system bestows justice on aman, how can there be any doubt about thejusticeofthatsystemitself.Itisapurejustice—anditistheworkofAllāh.Whenwefeelwaxedonaccountofaneventoccuringinthenature,orwhen

wefindittakingplaceagainstourinclinationanddesire,we,inourannoyance,dispute about it and object against it. (Interestingly we depend, in thatdisputationtoo,onthesamenaturalsystem.)Thenonfurtherinvestigationwecometounderstandthereasonofthatevent,andfindthatourobjectionhadnoleg to standupon.Ormaybewe failed in our search and couldnot find anyreason for it; so what have we got in our hand? Only the ignorance of thereason. But the absence of the knowledge of reason is not the same as theknowledgeof theabsenceof reason.Tomakea longstory short, the systemfoundintheuniverse(anditisthehandiworkofAllāh)ispurejustice.AndiftherewereanyothergodbesidesAllāh,thewholesystemcouldnotbecalledall-encompassingjustice; theworkofeachgodwouldhavebeen‘‘just’’onlywithin the sphere of his own activity, only in his own jurisdiction.Thus, thejusticeofthesystemofcreationprovestheOnenessoftheCreator.Allāhbearswitness—andHeistheJustWitness—thatthereisnogodbut

He.Hetestifiesinclearwordsandsays:‘‘AllāhbearswitnessthatthereisnogodbutHe’’.Theverse contains the testimonyofAllāh forHisOneness; inthisrespect,itresemblestheverse4:166whichsays:ButAllāhbearswitnessby

whatHehasrevealedtoyouthatHehasrevealeditwithHisknowledge(also);andAllāhissufficientasawitness.TheangelsbearwitnessthatthereisnogodbutHe.Allāhinformsusinthe

versesofMeccanperiod,revealedlongbeforethisone,thattheangelsareHishonoured servants,who act according toHis commandment and declareHisgloryinHispraise:Nay!theyarehonouredservants;theydonotprecedeHimin speech and (only) according to His commandment do they act (21:26—27);…andtheangelsdeclareHisgloryinthepraiseof theirLord… (42:5).AndtheirdeclarationofHisgloryincludesthetestimonythatthereisnogodbesidesHim.Those possessed of knowledge bear witness that there is no god but He.

TheylookatandponderonHissignsintheuniverseandintheirownselves;andthosesignshaveoverwhelmedtheirperceptionandtakendeeprootintheirminds.Theforegoingdiscoursemakesitclearthat:First:Thewitness,mentionedhere, is thetestimonyinwords,as theverse

manifestlyshows. Itdoesnot refer tobearingwitnessbyactions—althoughthe Divine actions too are evidence of His Oneness. There is an intricatesystempermeating the creation right from the smallest particle to thewholeuniverse; and this oneness of system bears witness to the Oneness of theCreator.Nevertheless,thisversereferstotheverbaltestimonyonly.Second: The clause, ‘‘maintaining (His creation) with justice’’, is a

circumstantialone,referringtothesubject,‘‘Allāh’’andgovernedbytheverb,‘‘bearwitness’’.Inotherwords,His‘‘maintaining(Hiscreation)withjustice’’isnotwitnessedfor,neitherbyAllāhnorbytheangelsorthosepossessedofknowledge;ratheritmeansthatAllāh,maintaining(Hiscreation)withjustice,bearswitnessthatthereisnogodbutHe;andtheangelsandthosepossessedofknowledgebearwitnesstoHisOneness.Thismeaningisobviousfromthepositionofthisclause.‘‘thereisnogod

butHe’’,istherealitythathasbeenwitnessedfor;andtheclause,‘‘maintaining(Hiscreation)withjustice’’hasbeenseparatedfromitbythewords,‘‘and(sodo)theangelsandthosepossessedofknowledge’’.Ifthisclausewereapartofthetestimony,itshouldhavebeenjoinedtotheformerclauseandwrittenthus:‘thatthereisnogodbutHe,maintaining(Hiscreation)withjustice,and(sodo)theangels…’Someexegeteshavewritten that theclausemaybeexplained inbothways;

buttheaboveexplanationshowsthatitisnotso.Someonehasofferedaveryabsurdexplanation.Hethinksthatthetestimony

mentionedinthisverseisnotverbal,isnotgiveninwords.Accordingtohim,

ifthetestimonywereaverbalone,thebeliefinOnenessofGodwoulddependon someone’s words, and not on rational reasoning. But acceptance of thatwordandtestimonydependsonthebeliefinGod.Aviciouscircle!Hegoesontosay:Thatiswhysomeexegeteshavesaidthattheverb,‘‘bears

witness’’,hasbeenusedhereinametaphoricalsense.Thecreation,withallitsinterwoven, interdependent and intricate systems, proves that the wholeuniverse has been created by One Creator. It is as though Allāh Himself,through this practical demonstration, is speaking and testifying for HisOneness. Likewise, the angels worship Him and act according to Hiscommandment,andtheknowledgeablepeoplelookatthesignspointingtoHisOneness—andtheirattitudeandbehaviouraretantamounttothewitnessthatthereisnogodbutAllāh.Reply:Thisexplanationisbasedonafallaciouspresumption.Itistruethat

where we can acquire a knowledge ourselves through external senses orintellectual reasoning,wedonot relyonother ’s reportingor testimony.Thereason being that such a reporting or testimony does not create the firmknowledge which may be gained through intellectual reasoning or externalsenses.Butifthereisareportthatcreateasfirmaknowledgeastheintellectualreasoning (or even firmer than that), then itwill be asmuch reliable as thatreasoning(ifnotmorethanthat).Forexample,amutawātirreportisfarmoreeffective and creates a much more surer knowledge than an intellectualreasoningbasedonlogicoranalogy,althoughthelattertoocreatescertainty.Now,suppose there isawitnesswho,weknow,cannot tell lies—because

his truth andveracityhasbeenprovedbyclearproofs— thenhis testimonywouldcreateasmuchcertaintyasarationalargument.AndweknowthatAllāhcanneverutterafalsehood,becausenothingcanbefurtherfromHissublimepresence than a defect or a falsehood. His witness about His Oneness is,therefore, a true witness. Likewise, His report, that the angels and thosepossessedofknowledgebearwitnessforHisOneness,firmlyprovesthattheyreallybearthiswitness.1Moreover,thepolytheists,whoascribetoAllāhsomepartnerslikeidolsand

other deities, only believe those idols or deities to be intercessors, the linksbetween Allāh and His creation; Allāh quotes them as saying: We do notworshipthemsavethattheymaymakeusnearertoAllāh(39:3).Likewise,thosewhoareguiltyofthehiddenpolytheism,thatis, thosewho

whilebelievinginAllāhdogooddeedsforthesakeofworldlythings(e.g.,tosatisfytheirowndesire,topleasesomeotherpersons,ortogainsomewealthorprestige,andsoon),theytoobelievethatthesethingsarecreatedandgiventheirpowerbyAllāh.Inotherwords,whoeverascribesapartnertoAllāh,does

sowithabeliefthatAllāhhastakenthatpartnertoHimself;noonesaysthattheputativepartnergotthatpartnershiponitsown.Inthisbackground,whenAllāhbears witness that He has not taken any partner to Himself, it is enough torefute the claim of those who ascribe any partner to Him. Accordingly, theverse will have the same connotation as the verse:And they worship besideAllāhwhatcanneitherharmthemnorprofitthem,andtheysay:‘‘TheseareourintercessorswithAllāh.’’Say:‘‘Doyou(presumeto) informAllāhofwhatHeknows not in the heavens and the earth?’’ Glory be to Him and supremelyexaltedisHeabovewhattheysetup(withHim)(11:18).Itisarebuttaloftheclaim thatHe has got any partner.Howcan it bewhenHeHimself does notknowofanysuchpartner,neitherintheheavennorintheearth?AndHeknowseverything; nothing is hidden from Him. The fact is that the verse underdiscussionisapropositionlikeotherinformationsthathavecometousfromHis sublime presence, for example, the final clause in the verse 11:18mentioned just above, ‘‘Glorybe toHimand supremelyexalted isHeabovewhattheysetup(withHim)’’.Butasthispropositionisinfactaclaimandasthe speaker is not only just but also the source of every justice, it was putbeforetheaudienceintheformofatestimony,forthesakeofvarietyinstyle.Accordingtothisinterpretation,themeaningoftheversewouldbeasfollows:Had therebeenanydeitiesother thanAllāh,having somesay in thecreationand management of the universe, in their capacity as partners with, orintercessors before Allāh, undoubtedly Allāh would have known them andtestified for them; but He says that He does not know of any partner forHimself;itsurelymeansthatHehasnopartneratall.Also,theangelsaretheintermediaries who carry out His commandment in respect of creation andmanagement.Hadtherebeenanysuchpartner,theywouldhaveknownofhimandadmittedhispresence.ButtheytoobearwitnessthatthereisnogodexceptAllāh.Finally,theknowledgeablepersonswouldhaveknownofsuchapartnerandnoticed thehallmarksofhiscreationormanagement.But theonly signsthey see are thosepointing to theOne andonlyGod, and therefore they toobearwitnessthatHehasnopartnerorcolleague.This argument is similar to the following one: If there were in a certain

country a king, other than the king who is known to us, this king wouldcertainly have known of him; itwould have been impossible for him not toknow of someone supposed to be his partner. Likewise, the officials of thegovernment would have known of him; how could they be oblivious of hisexistencewhen theywere supposed to takeorders fromhimandenforcehisdicta among the subjects? And in the sameway, the knowledgeable personsamong the populace would have known of his presence; after all, they are

supposed to live in his kingdom and obey his laws. But the king rebuts theexistenceofanysuchpartnerinhiskingdom,andthegovernmentofficialsdonotknowofanysuchperson,andtheknowledgeableclassofthesubjectshavenotseenanythingtoprovehisexistence.Allthistogethermakesusabsolutelysurethatnosuchmanexists.QUR’ĀN: there is no god but He; theMighty, theWise: It is a sort of a

parenthetical sentence, having no connection to the main argument, yetcomplyingwiththedemandsoftheDivinesublimity.ItisasetpracticeoftheQur ’ān to declare the glory of Allāh and pay respect to Him, wheneversomething unworthy of His sublime name is mentioned. For example: Theysay: ‘‘Allāh has taken a son (to Himself)!’’ Glory be to Him (11:68). Thephrase, ‘‘Glory be to Him’’, pays respect to Allāh because the precedingsentencehadquotedasayingthatwasunworthyofAllāh’sattributes.Anotherverse:AndtheJewssay:‘‘ThehandofAllāhistiedup!’’Theirhandsshallbeshackledandtheyshallbecursedforwhattheysay (5:64).Now, in theverseunder discussion, the first partmentioned the testimony ofAllāh, the angelsand those possessed of knowledge that Allāh had no partner or colleague.Therefore, it was a right of Allāh on the reporter of that testimony (who,incidentally, isAllāhHimself)aswell ason thehearers todeclare thatHe isreallyOne, and has no partner; everyone, on hearing that testimony, shouldreiterate,‘‘thereisnogodbutHe’’.There is another verse which gives a similar lesson; it admonishes the

believerswhohearda lie spokenagainst awifeof theProphet:Andwhydidyounot,whenyouheardit,say:‘‘Itdoesnotbeseemusthatweshouldtalkofit; glory be to Thee! this is a great calumny’’ (24:16). It is a right ofAllāh,when we hear a calumny and want to declare the innocence of the personslandered,toglorifyAllāhbeforethat.Thissentence,‘‘thereisnogodbutHe,theMighty,theWise’’,isasortofa

praise for Allāh, to give Him His due respect; that is why it ends with theadjectives,‘‘theMighty,theWise’’.Inotherwords,itisnotanoffshootoftheprecedingwitness;otherwise,itwouldhaveendedwiththeadjectivesshowingHisOnenessandJustice.Allāh has a right that His oneness should be declared whenever the said

witness is mentioned; He alone is theMighty One, His might and power isabsolute,thereisnopartnerinHisgodheadtodiluteHismight;HealoneistheWiseOne,Hiswisdomdoesnotallowanyonetointerfereinthecreationorthemanagementoftheaffairs.Theaboveparagraphsshowwhythephrase,‘‘thereisnogodbutHe’’,has

beenrepeated,andwhyithasbeenendedwiththeadjectives,‘‘theMighty,theWise’’.AndAllāhknowsbetter.

1Thisreplydoesnotmeettheobjection,whichsaid:‘‘Acceptanceof(cont.page 172) that testimony depends on the belief that this verse is a truerevelationfromGod,whichinitsturndependsonthebeliefinGod.Anditisavicious circle.’’ The author too has based his reply on the assumption that‘‘thereisaGodWhoisfreefromalldefectsandfalsehoodsandWhocannot,therefore, tell a lie’’. So, the objection remains in its place, and the viciouscircleisnotbroken.Iftheacceptanceofthiswitnessdependsonbelieving—through rational arguments— thatAllāh cannot tell a lie, then it is better totakethiswitnessasasupportingargumentoftheOnenessofAllāh,andnotasthemainproof.Andthenitmaybeacceptedasaverbaltestimony.(tr.)

TRADITIONS

Muhammad ibn Ishāq has narrated throughhis chain of narrators: ‘‘When

the Apostle of Allāh (s.a.w.a.) defeated the Quraysh at Badr and returned toMedina, he gathered the Jews at themarket ofQīnaqā‘, and said: ‘O Jewishpeople!BeonyourguardagainstAllāh,lestcomestoyousimilartothatwhichhasafflictedtheQurayshatBadr;andacceptIslambeforedescendsuponyouthatwhichhasdescendeduponthem.Andyouknowthat Iamaprophet,sent(by Allāh), you find it (written) in your books.’ They said: ‘OMuhammad!Don’t be deluded if you fought against an inexperienced people who knewnothingofthe(tacticsof)warandthusyougotachancetoafflictthem.Asforus,byAllāh, ifwe foughtagainstyou,youwillknow thatweare indeed the(real)people.’ThenAllāhrevealedtheverse:Saytothosewhodisbelieve:‘Youshallbevanquished…’’’(Majma‘u’l-bayān)Theauthorsays:Theabovetraditionhasalsobeennarratedinad-Durru’l-

manthūr,qoutingIbnIshaq,IbnJarirandal-Bayhaqī(inhisad-Dalā’il), fromIbn‘Abbās.TheShī‘ahexegete,al-Qummī,toohasanearlysimilartraditioninhisat-Tafsīr.But aswould have been clear from the foregoing commentary,thistraditionisnotinperfectharmonywiththecontextoftheverses.ItseemsmorelikelythattheseverseswererevealedafterthebattleofUhud.AndAllāhknowsbetter.as-Sādiq(a.s.)said:‘‘Peopledonotenjoy,inthisworldorinthehereafter,

anypleasuregreaterthanthepleasureofwomen;andthatisthewordofAllāh:It has been made to seem fair to to men, the love of desires of women andsons… ’’ Then he said: ‘‘And certainly the people of the garden shall notsavour of anything of the garden more delicious to them than the sexualintercourse—neitherfoodnordrink.’’(al-Kāfī;al-‘Ayyāshī)The author says: It has been inferred from the sequence of the desired

things in the verse, as the women have been placed before everything else.Thenithasbeensaidthatitisonlyaprovisionofthelifeofthisworld,andthepleasuresoftheparadisearebetterthanthat.WhentheImāmsaidthatsexualintercoursewasthemostdeliciousofallthe

pleasures,hewascomparingitwiththepleasuresrelatedtothebody.1Hewasnotspeakingaboutspiritualpleasure,forexample,thedelightamangetsfromhisownexistence,orthejoyafriendofAllāhfeelsfrombeingnearertoHim,seeing His great signs and receiving His pleasure and blessings. Rational

argumentsprovethatthepleasureamangetsfromhisexistenceisthegreatest;otherproofsshowthatthepleasurehefeelsfromtheexistenceofhisLordisevengreaterthanthat;andtherearenumeroustraditionssayingthattheblissaservantenjoysfrombeingnearertoAllāhisthegreatestofallpleasures.Ithasbeennarratedinal-Kāfīfromal-Bāqir(a.s.)thathesaid:‘‘‘Alīibnal-Husayn(a.s.)usedtosay:‘ItmakesmySoulagreeabletoearlydeathandmurderwhichbeset us that Allāh has said: Do they not see that We come into theland, curtailing it of its sides? (13:41); and it refers to the departure of thelearned people (from this world).’ ’’ Other such traditions will be given inotherrelevantplaces.al-Bāqir and as-Sādiq (a.s.) said about the word of Allāh, and hoarded

treasures: ‘‘al-Qintār ( راطنقلا ) is gold thatcould fill the hide of an ox.’’ (Majma‘u ’l-bayān)The Imām said: ‘‘al-Khaylu ’l-musawwamah ( = ةموسم لیخلا

translated here as well-bred horses) means the horses which are put onpasture.’’ (at-Tafsīr,al-Qummī)as-Sādiq(a.s.)said:‘‘Whoeverrecitesseventytimeswhileheisinstanding

pasture, in his prayer of al-watr ( رتولا ),‘Iseek forgiveness from Allāh and return to Him’, and continues to do soregularly for (at least) a year, Allāh writes him among those who ask forforgivenessbeforedawn,andhe isbound toget forgiveness fromAllāh, theHigh.’’(Manlāyahduru’l-faqīh;al-Khisāl)Theauthor says: Thismeaning is given also in other traditions narrated

fromtheImāmsofAhlu’l-bayt(a.s.);anditisoneofthesunnahoftheProphet.Asimilartraditionhasbeenreportedinad-Durru’l-manthūrthroughIbnJarīrfromJa‘faribnMuhammad(as-Sādiq—a.s.)thathesaid:‘‘Whoeverpraysapartof thenight, thenasksfor forgivenessat theendof thenight,hewillbewrittenamongthosewhoaskforforgiveness.’’The statement of the Imām: ‘‘and he is bound to get forgiveness from

Allāh’’,isbasedontheirprayermentionedintheprecedingverse:‘‘OurLord!surely we believe, therefore, forgive us our sins… ’’ Allāh has quoted theirprayerwithoutanycomment;itimpliesthatHehasgrantedtheprayer.

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1 It is obvious from the last clause of the tradition where the Imām.(a.s.)

comparesitwiththefoodanddrink.(tr)

5ChapterTRANSLATIONOFTHEVERSES19—25

SurelythereligionwithAllāhisIslam;andthosetowhomthe.Bookhadbeen

givendidnotdifferbutafterknowledgehadcometothem,outofenvyamongthemselves;andwhoeverdisbelieves in thesignsofAllāhthensurelyAllāhisquickof reckoning (19).But if they disputewith you, say: ‘‘I have submittedmyself (entirely) toAllāhand (sohas)everyonewho followsme.’’And say tothosewhohavebeengiventheBookandtheunlearnedpeople:‘‘Doyousubmityourselves?’’Soiftheysubmitthenindeedtheyfollowtherightway;andiftheyturnback,thenuponyouisonlythedeliveryofthemessage;andAllāhseestheservants(20).Surely(asfor)thosewhodisbelieveinthesignsofAllāhandslaytheprophetsunjustlyandslaythoseamongmenwhoenjoinjustice,announcetothemapainfulchastisement(21).Thosearetheywhoseworksshallbecomenullinthisworldaswellasthehereafter,andtheyshallhavenohelpers(22).HaveyounotconsideredthosewhoaregivenaportionoftheBook?TheyareinvitedtotheBookofAllāhthatitmightdecidebetweenthem,thenapartofthemturnbackandtheywithdraw(23).Thisisbecausetheysay:‘‘Thefireshallnottouchusbutforacountednumberofdays’’,andwhattheyhaveforgeddeceivestheminthematteroftheirreligion(24).Thenhow(willitbe)whenWeshallgatherthemtogetheronadayaboutwhichthereisnodoubt,andeverysoulshallbefullypaidwhatithasearned,andtheyshallnotbedealtwithunjustly?(25).

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COMMENTARY

Theverses refer to thePeopleof theBook.Theyare the last—andmost

important—ofthethreegroupscommenteduponinthischapter.Itwasaboutthe.PeopleoftheBook—theJewsandtheChristians—thatamajorpartofthischapterwasrevealed.QUR’ĀN:SurelythereligionwithAllāhisIslam:Wehavealreadydescribed

the literal meaning of ‘‘al-Islām’’ ( مالسالا =to submit, to surrender oneself to Allāh). Apparently this is the meaningintended here, because it is followed by description of the difference of thePeople of the Book— the difference which they created after knowing thetruth, because of envy amongthemselves.Theexplanationof theverse, therefore,wouldbeas follows:Thereligion

with Allāh is only one; there is no difference or discrepancy in it; He hascommanded His servants to follow only this religion; it was this religionwhichwasdescribed in theBooksrevealed toHisprophets,and towhich theDivinesignspointed.ItistheIslam,thatis,surrendertothetruth,withcorrectbelief and sincere deeds; Islam is to accept willingly all the knowledge andcommandmentssentdownbyAllāh.Admittedly,thecommandmentsvariedinqualityandquantityinvariouslawsbroughtbyvariousprophets—andAllāhHimselfmentions this fact inHisBook—but in reality therewas only onereligion.Thedifferencebetweenvariouslawswasinthedegreeofperfection,itwasnotbecauseofanydiscrepancyorcontradiction.AllwereoneinasmuchasallcalledthepeopletosurrenderandsubmitthemselvestothewillofAllāh,toHiscommandmentssentthroughHisprophets.ItisthisreligionwhichAllāhexpectsHisservantstofollow,whichHehas

sent down for them. It necessarily follows that man should accept all theknowledge which has been clearly explained to him, and should stop atdoubtfulmatters—submittinghimself to thewillofAllāh,without trying tointerpretitaccordingtohisdesireandthinking.AsforthedifferenceofthePeopleoftheBook,(theJewsandtheChristians)

in thematterofreligion, itwasnotbecause theydidnotknowthe truth; theycertainly knew it; they were aware that the religion was only one, becauseAllāh had revealed the Book which clearly explained that religion to them.Nevertheless, theydifferedamongthemselvesbecause theywereenviousandunjust. Although they continued to believe in Allāh, their envy and injustice

made themdisbelieve in the signsofAllāh, in theBookofAllāh,whichhadclearlyexplained to them the realityof religion.Andwhoeverdisbelieves inthesignsofAllāhthensurelyAllāhisquickofreckoning;Hewillquicklycallthem to account in this world as well as in the hereafter. They shall berecompensedinthislifewithdisgraceandignominy,andinthehereafterwithpainfulchastisementoftheFire.Whydowesaythatthereckoningspansbothlives?ItisbecauseAllāhsays

aftertwoverses:‘‘Thosearetheywhoseworksshallbecomenullandvoidinthisworldaswellasthehereafter ’’.Theaboveexplanationmakestwothingsclear:First: The clause, ‘‘the religion with Allāh’’, refers to religion in the

meaningofsharī‘ah; theverse says:There isonlyone religionordainedbyAllāh, thedifferencebetweenvariousprophets’ sharī‘ah being in the qualityonly;andthequalitydifferedbecauseofthecapabilitiesofthevariousnationsforwhichthoserulesweremade.In this verse, religion does not refer to the system of creation. In other

words, it does not say that all peoplewere createdwith a natural instinct tobelieveinGod.Second: The word ‘‘al-āyāt’’ ( تایالا = signs) refers to the verses of the

DivineBooks,senttotheprophets;itdoesnotrefertothesignsinthecreationwhichleadonetothebeliefinoneGod.TheversecontainsathreattothePeopleoftheBook:Theyshallsurelybe

punished for their envy and rebellion. It is similar to the threat addressedearlier to thepolytheists anddisbelievers:Say to thosewhodisbelieve: ‘‘Youshallbevanquishedandgatheredtogethertohell…’’(3:11).Probably,thatisthereasonwhythenextversejoinsthePeopleoftheBookandthepolytheiststogetherandsays: ‘‘Andsay to thosewhohavebeengiven theBookand theunlearnedpeople:‘Doyousubmityourselves?’’’Thereisathreatimpliedbythetoneofthisquestiontoo.QUR’ĀN: But if they dispute with you, say: ‘‘I have submitted myself

(entirely) to Allāh and (so has) everyone who follows me’’: Obviously, thepronoun ‘‘they’’ refers to the People of the Book. The disputation points totheir arguments about the difference.Theywould say: ‘‘Our difference doesnotemanatefromanyenvyorinjustice;wehavetriedourbesttoacquiretheknowledge of the realities of religion; nevertheless, in this endeavour eachone’s thinking process andwisdom has led him to a different conclusion. Itdoesnotmeanthatwehavebecomearrogantorrebellious,northatwearenotsubmissive to Allāh. Even what you call us to, 0 Muhammad! similarlyemanatesfromadifferentprocessofthinking.Youtoohavedifferedfromus

in the same way ’’. Allāh demolishes such disputations in the next twosentences:‘‘…say:‘Ihavesubmittedmyself(entirely)toAllāh…’’’and‘‘…saytothosewhohavebeengiventheBookandtheunlearnedpeople:‘Doyousubmit yourselves?’ ’’These sentences are not an attempt to avoid the issue;theycontaintheclearrebuttalofthedisputationsofthePeopleoftheBook.Theconnotationoftheverse,readinconjunctionwiththeprecedingone,is

asfollows:ThereligionwithAllāhissubmissiontoAllāh;theBookssentbyAllāhare

unanimous on this point, and the untainted wisdom accepts it. Nobody can,therefore,blameyou,OMuhammad!forsubmittingtothewillandcommandofAllāh.YouareaMuslim.IfthePeopleoftheBookdisputewithyouaboutthereligion,thenyoushouldtellthemclearlythatyouhavesubmittedyourselfentirelytoAllāhandsohavedoneallyourfollowers.Thisistherealreligionandnoargumentcanbebroughtagainstthisreality.Thenyoushouldaskthemwhether they toowould submit themselves toAllāh. If theydid so, then theywould indeed proceed on the right path, they would accept what had beenrevealedtoyouandtothoseprophetswhocamebeforeyou;therewouldbenoargumentagainstthemandyourmutualdifferencewouldcometoanend.Ontheother hand, if they turnedback, thendonot enter into anydisputationorargumentwiththem.Itisaself-evidenttruththatreligionistotalsurrendertoAllāh, and there is nopoint in labouring to prove a self-evident reality.YoushouldjustconveytheDivinemessagetothemandthatisall.Allāh has joined the People of the Book and the unlearned polytheists

togetherinthisverse:‘‘AndsaytothosewhohavebeengiventheBookandtheunlearnedpeople:‘Doyousubmityourselves?’’’ItisbecausebothbelievedinreligionandinAllāh,althoughtheydifferedbecauseoftheirrespectivebeliefsofmonotheismandpolytheism.Thephrase,translatedhereas‘‘Ihavesubmittedmyself(entirely)toAllāh’’,

literally means, I have submitted my face to Allāh. ‘‘al-Wajh’’ ( هجولا =face, front).Mostof the sensesandorgansofperceptionareconcentrated intheface;therefore,submittingone’sfacetoAllāhsignifiestotalsubmissiontoAllāh’s will, willing obedience to Hiscommandments.Theclause,‘‘and(sohas)everyonewhofollowsme’’,showstheexcellence

oftheProphet,andalsoenhancestherankofthefollowersbyjoiningthemtohim(s.a.w.a.).QUR’ĀN:AndsaytothosewhohavebeengiventheBookandtheunlearned

people … : ‘‘the unlearned people’’ refers to the polytheists; it shows thecontrastbetweenthemandthePeopleoftheBook;alsothePeopleoftheBook

usedtocallthemunlearned,asAllāhquotesthemassaying:Thereisnotuponus in thematter of the unlearned people any way (to reproach) (3:75). ‘‘al-Ummiyy’’ الا ( يم =onewhodoesnotreadorwrite).Theclauses‘‘andiftheyturnback,thenuponyouisonlythedeliveryofthe

message;andAllāhseestheservants’’signifythreethings:First: Undesirability of unnecessary disputations; entering into arguments

with someone who denies a self-evident truth would inevitably lead toobstinacyandobtrusiveness.Second: The total authority concerning the people and their affairs is of

Allāh; theProphet isanApostleandaconveyerof theDivinemessage,he isnotaguardtowatchovermen.Allāhsays:Youhavenoconcern in theaffair(3:128);Youarenotawatcheroverthem(88:22).Third: The clauses contain a threat to the People of the Book and the

polytheists; the connotation cannotbe lost toonewho reads the clauses.Theverses,intheirthemeandthethreat,aresimilartotheverses:Say:‘‘WebelieveinAllāh…andtoHimdowesubmit’’.Ifthentheybelieveasyoubelieve,theyareindeedontherightcourse,andiftheyturnback,thentheyareonlyingreatopposition;soAllāhwillsufficeyouagainst them,andHeis theHearing, theKnowing(2:136—137).AccordingtothisverseifthePeopleoftheBookturnback, then itmeans that theyareobstinate in theiroppositionandheedless tothe truth; then it comforts the Prophet in a way that contains a threat to hisadversaries.Likewise,theverseunderdiscussiontellstheProphet,‘‘andiftheyturnback,thenuponyouisonlythedeliveryofthemessage’’;itisahintthattheProphetshould leave themto theirLordWhoseesHisservantsandWhowoulddealwiththeminasuitableway,andpunishthemastheydeserve.Some exegetes have written that the verse gives the people freedom of

religiousbeliefandthatthereisnocompulsioninreligion.Buttheexplanationgiven above manifestly shows that it implies the opposite of freedom; itthreatensthedisbelieverswithchastisementsiftheydidnotsubmitthemselvestoAllāh.‘‘Allāh sees the servants’’: It could have been. phrased as ‘‘Allāh sees the

men’’or‘‘Allāhseesthem’’;insteadAllāhchosetheepithet,‘‘theservants’’,toremindthemthattheyareHisservantsandslaves;Hisorderagainstthemwillcertainly be carried out in its entirety, because they are totally dependant onHim,whethertheyconsciouslysubmittedtoHimornot;theycanneverescapeHisjudgment.QUR’ĀN:Surely(asfor) thosewhodisbelieve in thesignsofAllāh…and

they.shallhavenohelpers:Theversedealswithanotheraspectofthesubject;nevertheless, it has a threatening overtone, not unlike the last parts of the

preceding verse. This verse too speaks about the People of the Book,especiallytheJews.‘‘Thosewhodisbelieve…and slay theprophets…and slay those among

men who enjoin justice.’’: The verbal form used in these sentences impliespersistenceandcontinuity.Itconveystheideathatitwastheiringrainedhabit,acharacteristictrait,todisbelieveindivinelysentcommunications,torejecttherevealedtruthoutofenvyandarrogance,tomurdertheprophets—andsuchaslayingwasundoubtedlyagainst justiceand tokill thoseof theircompatriotswho called them to justice and tried to keep them away from injustice andrebellion.AndthehistoryoftheJewsconfirmsthatthesethingswereapartoftheirnational character; theyhadmurderedamultitudeof theirprophets andgoodbelieverswhoenjoinedthegoodandforbadetheevil.TheChristianstoofollowedintheirfootstepsandkilledcountlessgoodChristians.‘‘announce to themapainful chastisement’’; It announces that thewrathof

Allāh had descended upon them. The chastisement was not confined to thehereafteronly;theyweretobepunishedinthislifetoo.Readfortheproofthenext‘‘Thosearetheywhoseworksshallbecomenullinthisworldaswellasthe hereafter ’’. In the hereafter they shall have to endure the painfulchastisementoftheFire;inthisworld,theywerepunishedwithmassmurders,dispersion, loss of lives and properties, and Allāh has inflicted them withenmity and hatred among themselves which is to continue upto the Day ofResurrection,astheQur ’ānicverseshavesaid(e.g.,5:14).Thisverse(3:22),moreover,provestwothings:First:Ifamankilledsomeonejustbecausethelatterusedtoenjointhegood

andforbidtheevil,thekiller ’sgooddeedswouldbecomenullandvoid,wouldbeforfeited.Second: On the Day of Resurrection, intercession shall not avail such a

killer,becauseAllāhsays:‘‘andtheyshallhavenohelpers’’.QUR’ĀN:Haveyounotconsidered…and theywithdraw: It furthershows

howsteepedthePeopleoftheBookareintheirenvyandrebellion.Theyrebelagainst Allāh by creating disputes and frictions in religion. When they areinvitedtotheBookofAllāhinorderthatitmightdecidebetweenthemtheydonotagree to it, they turnawayandwithdraw from it.This tendencyof theirsemanates fromtheirself-delusion that theFireshallnot touch thembut forafewdays;theyaredeceivedbytheirownforgery!The words, ‘‘those who are given a portion of the Book’’, refer to the

Peopleof theBook.Thischangedphrasingpoints toawell-knownhistoricalfact: The Jews and the Christians do not have in their hands the completeBooks;what they have got is only someportions of the revealedScriptures.

Theyhavealtered,changedandeditedtheBookssoextensivelythatthemajorpartoftheoriginalhasbeenlostforever.Thelastsentencetooalludestothisfact:‘‘andwhattheyhaveforgeddeceivestheminthematteroftheirreligion’’.Theverse,inshort,says—andAllāhknowsbetter—thattheJewsandthe

ChristiansturnbackfromthejudgmentoftheBookofAllāh,beingdeceivedby their own claim, and misled by what they have themselves forged; theydemonstrate,bytheirbehaviour,thattheydonotneedtheBookofAllāh.QUR’ĀN:This is because…matter of their religion: Itsmeaning is quite

clear.Usuallyamanisnotdeceivedbyhisowndeception;thenhowdidthosepeoplefallpreytotheirownforgery?Itwasbecausethedeceivedpeoplehadnotforgeditthemselves;itwasforgedbyapastgeneration.ThenwhydidtheQur ’ān ascribe that deception and forgery to those Jews andChristianswhowerecontemporariesof theProphet? Itwasbecause theywereonenation—thelatergenerationswere(andare)pleasedwithwhattheirancestorshaddone.Moreover,itwasnotimprobableforthePeopleoftheBook,andespecially

theJews,tobecarriedawaybytheirowndelusion—knowingwellthatitwasadelusion—ortoboastoftheirexploitsinthisfield.Allāhhasdescribedtheirinvolvementinanevenmoreastonishingdeception:Andwhentheymeetthosewhobelievetheysay:‘‘Webelieve’’;andwhentheyarealoneonewithanothertheysay:‘‘DoyoutalktothemofwhatAllāhhasdisclosedtoyouthattheymayarguewithyoubythisbeforeyourLord?Doyounotthenunderstand?’’What!DotheynotknowthatAllāhknowswhattheyconcealandwhattheyproclaim.(2:76—77)Also,man’s actionsemanate for themostpart from the traits ingrained in

his psyche; he always returns to the thingswhich his psychological build uphasmadeattractivetohim.Whenheisattractedbythatpull,knowledgeisleftbehind, and becomes ineffective. For example, the drug addicts, the chain-smokersandthepeoplelikethemusethosethingsalthoughtheyknowthattheyareextremelyharmfulandruinoustotheirhealth,andtheyarefullyawarethatsuch things must be avoided. But the ingrained habit becomes the secondnature,andtheaddictisirresistiblypulledtothose‘‘pleasures’’,withoutgivinghisknowledgeorthinkingpoweranychancetoinfluencehisdecision.Likewise,thePeopleoftheBook,asaresultoftheirperennialindiscipline,

hadacquired the traitsofarrogance,envyand rebellion,andwereovercomeby the irresistible urge to base desires. This had become a second nature tothem.And under its influence they forgedmany things— the forgeries thatwere disastrous to their religion. And they repeated those forgeries —knowing fully well that they were lies — so often and so long that theythemselves began believing in them, and the repeated falsehood replaced the

truthintheirmind;theyfellpreytotheirowndevices.Psychologistsknowthatsuch phenomenon does occur from time to time. The continuously repeatedanddiligentlytaughtforgeriesgotholdofthewholenationstosuchanextentthat they became deceived in the matters of their religion, and refused tosubmitthemselvestoAllāhandacceptthetruthrevealedinHisBook.QUR’ĀN:Thenhow(willitbe)when…shallnotbedealtwithunjustly:The

phrasegovernedbytheinterrogative‘‘how’’wasomittedbecauseitcouldbeunderstoodfromthecontext;itcouldbesomethinglike,howwillitbe,or,howwilltheyfare.Theversecontinuesthethreateningmodeoftheprecedingverses.Itshows

that those, who turn back and withdraw when called to the Book of Allāh,cannotdefeattheDivinejudgment.TheDayofReckoningisapproachingfast;howwilltheybehaveonthatDayaboutwhichthereisnodoubt?Thentheywillbequitesubmissive,inclearcontrastwiththeirarroganceandhaughtinessofthisworld! Itwas to show this contrast thatAllāh used theword, ‘‘We shallgatherthemtogether ’’,anddidnotsay,Weshallraisethem,or,Weshallmakethemalive.Themeaningof theverses isas follows—andAllāhknowsbetter:When

thePeopleoftheBookareinvitedtotheBookofAllāhinorderthatitmightdecidebetweenthem,thenapartofthemturnbackandwithdraw;itisbecausetheyaredeceivedbywhattheyhaveforgedinthematteroftheirreligion,andalsobecausetheyarrogantlyrefusetosubmittothetruth.Well,whatwilltheydo whenWe shall gather them together on the day about which there is nodoubt, the day when the judgment will be decisively, truthfully and justlypronounced, and every soul shall be fully paidwhat it had earned, and theyshallnotbedealtwithunjustly,becausethejudgmentswillbebasedonjustice?Astheyknowthisfact,itisnecessaryforthemnottoturnawayfromtheBookofAllāh,not towithdrawfromit,as thoughtheycoulddefeat thepurposeofAllāh or could overrule His decrees! Do not they know that every powerbelongstoAllāh,andthatthislifeisbutatrial?

TRADITIONS

Muhammad ibnMuslim said: ‘‘I asked the Imāmabout thewordofAllāh,

Surely the religion with Allāh is Islam. And he said: ‘that (Islam) whichcontains(true)belief’’’.(al-‘Ayyāshī)IbnShahrāshūbnarratesfromal-Bāqir(a.s.)aboutthewordofAllāh:Surely

thereligionwithAllāhisIslam,thathesaid:‘‘Submittingto‘AlīibnAbīTālibin(his)mastership.’’Theauthorsays:Theexplanationisbasedontheprincipleofthe‘‘flow’’

of the Qur ’ān. And probably the preceding tradition too has the sameconnotation.The samenarrator reports that ‘Alī (a.s.) said: ‘‘I shall define Islamas no

onehasdefinedbeforeme,andnooneshalldoafterme.Islamissubmission,andsubmissionisconviction,andconvictionisaffirmation,andaffirmationisacknowledgement, and acknowledgement is discharge (of obligation), anddischarge (of obligation) is action.Thebeliever has takenhis religion fromhisLord.Certainly.Thebeliefofabelieverisrecognizedinhisdeed,andthedisbeliefof anunbeliever is recognized inhisdenial.Opeople! (look after)your religion, (look after) your religion, because a sin in it is better than agood (deed) in other (religions); the sin (committedwhile believing) in this(religion)willbeforgiven,andthegood(deed)inother(religions)willnotbeaccepted.’’The author says: The words of the Imām, ‘‘I shall define Islam’’: ‘‘an-

Nisbah’’ ( ةبسنلا = literally, relation, to relate) heremeans to define;Chapter112(theUnity)hasbeennamedinsometraditionsasthechapterofan-nisbahofAllāh.The Imām has defined all the terms with the help of their concomitants,

except the first word, ‘‘al-Islām’’ ( مالسالا =submission) which has been explained with its more clearly understoodsynonym ‘‘at-taslīm’’ ( میلستلا = submission).Wemayalsopossibly take theword, Islam, tosignify the religion brought by Muhammad (s.a.w.a.); in that case the firstphrasetoo(Islamissubmission)wouldbeadefinitionwithaconcomitant.However, the Imām means to say: This religion known as Islam entails

submissionofman, in his person andhis action, toAllāh; he surrenders hissoul and all his activities toAllāh’s command andwill; it is calledat-taslīm(submission);at-taslīm in its turn entails firm conviction and certainty about

Allāh, in awayasnot to allowanydoubtwhatsoever aboutHim; convictionentails affirmation of the religion’s truth; and affirmation entailsacknowledgementofitsfirmness,thatis,thefactthatreligionisfirmlyrootedandunshakable;andthisacknowledgement leads thebeliever todischargeallhis obligations accordingly, and the discharge of obligations necessitatesactingaccordingtothedictatesofreligion.‘‘andthegood(deed)inother(religions)willnotbeaccepted’’,thatis,the

doerwillnotbegivenitsrewardinthehereafter.Oritmaymean:ItwillnotcreateanygoodimpressionwithAllāheitherinthisworldorinthehereafter.Aswe have explained the sentence, it is not in conflictwith other traditionswhichsaythattheunbelieversarerewardedfortheirgooddeedswiththegoodprovisionsofthisworld.Allāhhassaid:Sohewhohasdoneanatom’sweightofgoodshallseeit(99:7).Abū ‘Ubaydah al-Jarrāh said: ‘‘I said: ‘OApostle of Allāh! which people

shallsuffertheseverestpunishmentontheDayofResurrection?’Hesaid:‘Aman who killed a prophet or (murdered) a man who enjoined good andforbadeevil.’Thenherecited:‘(thosewho)slaytheprophetsunjustlyandslaythoseamongmenwhoenjoinjustice…’Thenhesaid:‘OAbū‘Ubaydah!theIsraeliteskilledforty-threeprophets inonehour.ThenstooduponehundredandtwelvepersonsfromamongthedevoutIsraelitesandenjoinedthosekillerstodogoodandforbadethem(todoany)evil.Thereupon,theykilledallthose(devoutpersons)by theendof the sameday.And it is this (massacre)whichAllāhhasmentioned(inthisverse).’’’(Majma‘u’l-bayān)Theauthorsays:Thesameexplanationhasbeennarrated inad-Durru’l-

manthūr,throughIbnJarīrandIbnAbīHātim,fromAbū‘Ubaydah.It is reported inad-Durru’l-manthūr: IbnIshāq, IbnJarīr, Ibnu’l-Mundhir

andIbnAbīHātimhavenarratedfromIbn‘Abbāsthathesaid:‘‘TheApostleofAllāh (s.a.w.a.)went to a group of the Jews in (their) house ofmidrash, andinvitedthemtoAllāh.al-Nu‘mānibn‘AmrandHarthibnZaydaskedhim:‘Onwhichreligionareyou?OMuhammad!’Hesaid:‘‘OnthefaithandreligionofIbrāhīm.’Theysaid:‘ButIbrāhīmwasaJew!’ThereupontheApostleofAllāh(s.a.w.a.)toldthem:‘ThenbringtometheTorah;itis(thejudge)betweenyouand us.’ They rejected his (proposal). Then Allāh revealed: Have you notconsideredthosewhoaregivenaportionoftheBook?…deceivedtheminthematteroftheirreligion.’’Theauthorsays:Somepeoplehavenarratedthattheverse,‘‘Haveyounot

considered…’’,wasrevealed inconnectionwith theepisodeofstoning.Weshallgiveitsdetailundertheverse:OPeopleoftheBook!indeedhascometoyou Our Apostle making clear to you much of what you concealed of the

Book…(5:15).However,thesetwotraditionsarefromahād,1andarenotsostrong.

1 Ahād, the plural of al-wāhid ( حاولاد =one).InIslamicterminologyitisusedforatraditionwhichisnotnarratedbyagreat enough number of narrators as to create a certainty of itstruth.(tr)

6ChapterTRANSLATIONOFTHEVERSES26—27

Say: ‘‘O Allāh, Master of the Kingdom! Thou givest the Kingdom to

whomsoever Thou pleasest and takest away the Kingdom from whomsoeverThoupleasest,andThouexaltestwhomThoupleasestandabasestwhomThoupleasest; in Thine hand is the good; surely, Thou hast power over all things(26).Thoumakest thenight to enter into thedayandThoumakest thedat toenterintothenight,andThoubringestforththelivingfromthedeadandThoubringest forth the dead from the living, and Thou givest sustenance towhomThoupleasest,withoutmeasure’’(27).

COMMENTARY

The twoversesdohaveasortofconnectionwith thepreceding talkabout

thePeopleoftheBook,andespeciallytheJews.Theywereearlierthreatenedwith the chastisements of this world and the hereafter. It was a part of thatchastisement that Allāh deprived them of their kingdom, and they wereinflictedbyabasementandhumiliationuptotheDayofResurrection;alsotheylostsomanylivesandtheirrulewasshornofsovereignty.Apart from that, the main theme of the chapter, as was mentioned in the

beginning,istoshowthatthecreationandallitsaffairsaretotallyinthehandsofAllāh;He is theMaster of theKingdom,He givesKingdom, honour andgood to whomsoever He pleases; and takes away theKingdom, honour andgoodfromwhomsoeverHepleases.Theversesare,thus,intotalconformitywiththethemeofthechapter.QUR’ĀN: Say: O Allāh, Master of the Kingdom! The verse advises the

believertoseekrefugewithAllāh—inWhosehandisallthegoodandallthepower — in order that he may remain unaffected by baseless ideas of thehypocrites, thepolytheists and thePeopleof theBook, thegroupswhowereundertheillusionthattheyhadthekingdomandhonoursintheirhandsandthatinthiswaytheywereindependentofAllāh!Suchthoughtsweretheirundoing;theyweretotallylostandruinedbecauseofthisillusion.ThebelievershouldsteerclearofsuchideasandshouldpresenthimselfwithhumilitybeforeAllāhWhobestowsgoodandgivessustenancewithoutmeasuretowhomsoeverHepleases.Themeaningof‘‘al-milk’’( كلملا =property,possession)isknownto,andunderstoodby,all;andwerecognizeitasalawfulconceptandreality.‘‘Possession’’isoftwokinds:1.RealPossession:Itistheabilityinherentinacreature,forexample,man,

to dispose, manage and manipulate another thing in any way he likes. Forexample,amanmayuseornotusehiseyesight,dependingonhischoice;hemayusehishandingettingholdofathingorlettingitgo;andsoon.Thereexistsbetweensuchapossessorandsuchapropertyareal,unchangeableandun-transferable relationship;a relationship thatmakes thepropertydependenton the possessor for its very existence — it cannot be separated from thepossessorwithoutbeingdestroyed.Intheaboveexample, theeyeorthehandcannot be removed from theman without losing its usefulness and even itsexistenceintheprocess.In this category comes the possession and ownership, which belongs to

Allāh,ofthisuniversewithallitsbigandsmallcomponents,aswellasofallitsaffairs.Hehastheright,authorityandpowertodowithit,andinit,asHepleases.2. Conventional Possession: It is the possession based on man-made

convention;theabilityof,letussay,amantodisposeandmanageathing,ashe likes— the authority based on the convention laid down bywisemen toachieve the society’s aims.They lookedat theplaneof creationand found itreplete with real possession and its effects; so they invented a similarinstitution for the plane of civilization and laid down the system of theconventionalpossessionforthesociety.Theirgoalwastoobtainbenefitsfromthe world’s provisions similar to those a real owner gets from his realpossession.Thisrelationshipbetweenaconventionalownerandhispropertyisnot a real thing; it is just anabstract ideabasedon society’s convention; andthat is why such an ownership, unlike the real one, may be transferred toanotherpersonthroughtrade,gift,inheritanceetc.‘‘al-Mulk’’ ( كلملا = kingdom) too is a sort of ‘‘al-

milk’’ (possession) inasmuch as the king or ruler owns what the people ofa country do own; he manages and disposes what the people have in theirpossession,without thereoccurringanyclashbetween theirmanagementandhis,betweentheirwillandhis.Itisinfactanownershipoverownership—theking’sownershipbeingverticallyabove thepublic’s; in thesamewayas, forexample,amasterownshisslaveandalsoallthatisownedbytheslave.Thekingdomtoo,beingasortofpossession,isdividedintotwocategories:

therealandtheconventional.AllāhistheabsoluteOwnerofeverything;HisistheabsoluteLordshipand

absolutemanagement;HeistheCreatorofeverythingandGodofeverything.Hesays:That isAllāh,yourLord, theCreatorofevery thing; there isnogodbutHe(40:62);whateverisintheheavensandwhateverisintheearthisHis(2:255).Therearenumerousversesshowingthatwhateveriscalleda‘‘thing’’exists becauseofAllāh, is dependent in its quiddity and existenceonHim; itcannot stand without Him. Nothing can prevent Allāh from disposing andmanagingathinginanywayHepleases;andasweexplainedearlier,itistherealpossession.AndHeisalsotheabsoluteKingofthecreation,becauseHeisitsabsolute

Owner.There isasystemofownershippervading theuniverse—thecausesown their effects; every thing owns its active faculties and powers; thosefacultiesandpowersowntheiractivities.Forexample,manownsallhislimbs,organs and faculties like the eyes and ears; and the eyes and ears own theirfaculties of sight and hearing.Asmentioned above,Allāh owns every thing;

therefore,Heownseveryowneraswellasallhis(orits)possessions;andthisis what is called the Kingship. He is therefore the absolute King of all thecreation. He has said: to Him belongs the Kingdom, and to Him is due (all)praise(64:1);…withamostPowerfulKing(54:55);therearenumeroussuchverses.Needlesstosay,itistherealpossessionandkingships.Asfortheconventionalpossessionandkingship,thistooactuallybelongsto

Allāh.AllāhistheconventionalOwnertoo,becauseitisHeWhobestowstheownershiptoeverythingwhichownsanything.HecouldnotdosounlessHeHimself did own that thing; otherewise it would have looked as if He wasbestowingathingHedidnotowntosomeonewhocouldnotown!Allāhsays:and give them of thewealth of AllāhwhichHe has given to you… (24:33).Also,HeistheconventionalKing,becauseHeistheLaw-giverandtheRuler,Whoregulates,byHisorder,all the thingswhich thepeopleown, justas thekings regulate the financial affairsof their subjects.Allāh says:Say: ‘‘I seekrefugeintheLordofmen,theKing,ofmen’’(114:1—2);AndHegivesyouallthat you askHim; and if you count Allāh’s bounties, youwill not be able tocomputethem(14:34);andspendoutofwhatHehasmadeyoutobesuccessorsof(57:7);AndwhatreasonhaveyouthatyoushouldnotspendinAllāh’sway?AndAllāh’s is the inheritanceof theheavensand theearth (57:10);Towhombelongsthekingdomthisday?ToAllāh,theOne,theSubduer(ofall)(40:16).TheversesshowthatAllāhownedallthatisinourhandsbeforeitcameinourpossession,andHecontinuestoownitevenwhenitbelongstous,andHewillremainitsowner(orletussay,Inheritor)whenwearegone.HisKingshipandownershipremainsunaffectedthroughout.It appears from the above that the words, ‘‘O Allāh, Master of the

Kingdom’’,pointtothefollowingthreethemes:First:ToAllāhbelongseverykingdom;HeistheOwneroftheKingdom.In

otherwords,He is theKingof thekings;Hegives everykinghis kingdom,every ruler his rule; He says:… because Allāh had given him the kingdom(2:258);andWehavegiventhemagrandkingdom(4:54).Second: The Divine name ‘‘Allāh’’, precedes the epithet, ‘‘Master of the

Kingdom’’; this arrangement explains the basis of His Kingship; He is theMasteroftheKingdombecuseHeisAllāh,GreatisHisMajesty!Third: ‘‘The Kingdom’’ here refers to its both kinds— the real and the

conventional. (And Allāh knows better!) The matters mentioned in the firstverse(ThougivesttheKingdomtowhomsoeverThoupleasestandtakestawaythe Kingdom fromwhomsoever Thou pleasest, and Thou exaltest whom Thoupleasest and abasest whom Thou pleasest) refer to various aspects of theconventional kinship; while the next verse refers to the affairs of the real

kingship.Allāhis,therefore,theabsoluteMasteroftheKingdom.QUR’ĀN:ThougivesttheKingdomtowhomsoeverThoupleasestandtakest

away the Kingdom from whomsoever Thou pleasest: The statement isunrestrictedand thuscoverseverykingdom,nomatterwhether it isobtainedlegally or illegally, norwhether it is based on justice or injustice. (Wehaveexplained thissubjectunder theverse2:258;…becauseAllāh .hasgivenhimthekingdom.)Thekingdom,perse, isoneof thebountiesofAllāh; ithasthepotentialofdoinggoodin,andimproving,thehumansociety.Man,byhisverynature,lovestoruleanddominateoverothers.Akingship,whichfallsintothehandsofanundeservingperson,isdislikedandcondemned,notbecauseitisakingship,butbecauseithasbeencapturedbyonewhohasnorighttoit,(e.g.,whensomeoneusurpsitthroughcoupd’etat),orbecauseofhisbadcharacter,injusticeandoppression.Thissecondreasonis,inaway,anotherfacetofthefirst.Tosumitup,ifthekingortherulerisgood,ableandjust,thenthekingdom

is a bounty of Allāh for him. On the other hand, if he is undeserving andundesirable, then for him it is an affliction and trial. In either case, it isattributedtoAllāh,andisameansoftrial,bywhichAllāhtestsHisservants—therulerandtheruled.We have described earlier somewhere that when the Qur ’ān attaches the

provisoof ‘‘Allāh’spleasure’’,as in thisverse, itdoesnotmean thatAllāh’sactions are done without a reason or without an aim. This proviso is areiterationthatAllāh’spowerandHiswillaresupreme;thatAllāhisnotunderany compulsion to do or not to do any particularwork; nobody can obligeHiminanyway;whateverHedoes, it isdoneaccording toHisabsolutewillandpower,andnotbecausesomeonecompelsHimtodoso.Nevertheless,allHisactionsaredoneandallHisdecreesissuedforonepurpose:thegoodandwell-beingofHisservants.QUR’ĀN:and Thou exaltest whom Thou pleasest and abasest whom Thou

pleasest:‘‘al-‘Izz’’( علاز =tobehardtoget;tobedifficulttoobtain).Wesayfor a rare book or thing that it is ‘azīzu ’l-wujūd ( دوجولازیزع );a man having a high prestige in his tribe, country or nation iscalled ‘azīzu ’l-qawm,because it is difficult to subdue or overpower him.Then itwas used for alltypes of difficulties; it is said “ya‘izzu ‘alayya kadhā”( اذآ يلعزعی =it is hard for me to; it grieves me to). Allāhsays: … grievous to him is your fallingintodistress…(9:128).Also,itisusedforoverpowering.Thereisaproverb:man ‘azza bazza ( زب زع نم = he who

vanquishes, takes the booty). Allāhsays: … and he has prevailed against meindiscourse(38:23).Butthebasicmeaninginalltheseusagesisthesame.Opposite to it is ‘‘al-dhull’’ ( لذلا = to be easy to get or

subdue —by real or supposed overpowering). Allāh says: Andabasementandhumiliationwerebroughtdownoverthem(2:61);andloweruntothem the wing of humility out of compassion (17:24); … humble before thebelievers … (5:54). The words translated as ‘‘abasement’’, ‘‘humility’’ and‘‘humble’’arevariousderivativesof‘‘al-dhull’’.al-‘Izzah ( ةزعلا =

exaltation;might;honour)isaninseparableattributeoftheabsoluteKingshipofAllāh.Whoever,otherthanAllāh,possessesanythinghegetsitisbecauseAllāhhasgivenhimitsownership;whoevergetskingship,itisbecauseAllāhgiveshimthatkingdom.Therefore,realhonourandexaltationbelongonlytoAllāh;whateverhonourisenjoyedbyothers,itisbutagiftbestowedbyAllāh.Hesays:Dotheyseekhonourfromthem?ThensurelyallhonourisforAllāh(4:139);…and to Allāh belongs the might and to His Apostle and to the believers …(63:8). This is the true honour, real might. What others have got is onlyabasementintheguiseofmight,humiliationbehindthemaskofhonour.Allāhsays:Nay! those who disbelieve are in (self-) exaltation and opposition (38:2).

Then to show that that self-exaltation is just an allusion, Allāh immediatelyremindsthem:HowmanydidWedestroybefore themof thegenerations, thentheycriedwhilethetimeofescapinghadpassedaway(38:3).Abasement and dishonour, being the opposite of might and honour, are

governed by the opposite factors. Everything, other than Allāh, by itself isabase andwithout any honour— except himwho is exalted byAllāh; ‘‘andThouexaltestwhomThoupleasestandabasestwhomThoupleasest’’.QUR’ĀN:inThinehandisthegood;surelyThouhastpoweroverallthings:

‘‘al-Kahyr’’ ( ریخلا = thegood) basically connotes ‘selection’. We call athing ‘khayr’ (good) when wecompareitwithanotherthingandchooseit—thusitis‘khayr’(good)becauseitisthechosenone,theselectedon.Andwhydidweselectit?Becauseitwasmore suitable for the purposewe had inmind. In otherwords, this thing isgood because it is ameans to obtain the ultimate good, that is, the purposeaimedat.Thereal‘‘good’’.isthatwhichisdesiredforitself.Itiscalledgood

becauseitischosenwhencomparedwithotherthings.The word ‘‘good’’ carries a connotation of favourable comparison with

otherthings.This.hasgivenrisetoamisunderstandingthatitisanadjectiveof comaparative degrees, and that originally it was akhyar ( ریخا ).But it is not so; it is not in comparative degree, although its root meaningcarries a comparativevalue, and therefore it is oftenusedas a substitute for‘‘better ’’, ‘‘more exalted’’ etc. We say: Zaydisafdal ( لضفا =more exalted) than ‘Amr; the samemeaning is conveyedwhenwe say:Zaydiskhayrun ( ریخ ) than ‘Amr. We may say: Zaydafdaluhumā ( امهلضفا دیز ), or we may change itto Zayd khayruhumā ( امهریخ دیز )bothsentenceswillconveythesamemeaning:Zaydisthebetterofthetwo.Butthis inter-changeabilitity of the two words does notmakeal-khayr an adjective of comparative degree; otherwise, it would have beenconjugated on the paradigmof comparative degree, i.e., on the paradigmof‘‘aftdal,afādil,fudlā,fudlayāt’’( .( تایلضف ، يلضف ، لضافا ، لضفا But‘‘khayr’’ isnotconjugated like that. Instead we say: khayr, akhyār, khayrah, khayrāt( تاریخ ، ةریخ ، رایخا ، ریخ ) like shaykh, ashyākh, shaykhah, shaykhāt( تاخیش ، ةخیش ، خایشا ، خیش =oldman,oldmen,oldwoman,oldwomen).Therefore,it is a as-sifatu ’l-mushabbahah ةهبشملا ةفصلا ) =adjectivedenotinganinseparableattribute).Moreover,khayrisalsousedinplaceswherethecontextdoesnotallowany

comparison.Forexample,Say:‘‘WhatiswithAllāhisbetter(khayrun= ریخ )thansport…(62:11).Nowthereisnogoodinthesportsothatitcouldbesaid,‘‘betterthansport’’.Whatitactuallymeansis:WhatiswithAllāhisgood,andthe sport is not good. (Those who think that the word al-khayr, is incomparativedegree,saythatinthesentencesliketheabove,thewordloosesitscomparativevalue.Suchexplanationsneeednocomment!)Thefactisthatal-khayr gives a connotation of selection and choosing, and generally, but notnecessarily,thethingwhichisnotselectedalsohassomegoodinit.TheabovediscourseshowsthatAllāhis‘‘good’’absolutelyandwithoutany

reservation or condition, because He it is Who is the ultimate goal anddestinationofeverything.Yet,theQur ’ānhasneverusedthiswordasaDivinename,althoughithasbeenusedasanadjectivereferringtoAllāh:andAllāhisbetterandmoreabiding(20:73);aresundrylordsbetterorAllāhtheOne,the

Supreme?(12:39).Of course, the word, khayrun ( ریخ =

better,best)hasbeenusedas the firstconstructof thoseDivinenameswhichare in genitive case; forexample:andAllāh is thebest (khayr)ofsustainers (62:11) ;andHe is thebestof thejudges(7:87);andHe is thebestofdeciders (6:57);andHe is thebestof thehelpers(3:150);andAllāhisthebestofplanners(3:54);andThouartthebestofdeciders(7:89);andThouartthebestoftheforgivers(7:155);andThouartthebestofinheritors(21:89);andThouartthebesttocausetoalight(23:29);andThouartthebestofthemercifulones(23:109).Thereasonforthisfinedistinctioninusageisnotdifficulttounderstand.As

theword,al-khayr,hasaconnotationofselectionandoption,itwasnotusedasanameofGod—itwouldnothavebeenpropertocompareHiminageneralway with others, because all are subservient to Him. But there was no suchdifficulty in using theword as an adjective or as a relative description in agenitivecase.The sentence, ‘‘in Thine hand is the good’’, has a semantic value of

restriction: the definite article in ‘‘the good’’ makes it cover all and everygood; and the adverbial clause of place, ‘‘in Thine hand’’, coming at thebeginningofthesentence,putsallthegoodexclusivelyintothehandofAllāh.Themeaningthereforeis:Everygood,whichanyonemayeverdesire,isonlyunderThymanagementandcontrol; it isThouWhogives it towhomsoeverThoupleasest.The sentence gives the reason of the preceding ones, which mention His

giving the kingdom and honour towhomsoeverHe pleases and taking themawayfromwhomsoeverHepleases.Itexplainstheparticular,thatis,bestowingkingdomandhonour,withthehelpofageneralattribute,‘‘good’’:‘‘good’’isan all-encompassing term, which covers other bounties too. Allāh controlsevery ‘‘good’’, and kingdom and honour are two of those good things;therefore,itisAllāhwhobestowsthemtowhomsoeverHepleases.Thetakingawayofthekingdom.andabasingare‘good’inthesamewayas

givingthekingdomandexaltingare.Itistruethattheyare‘‘evil’’;butwhatisevil?Itisabsenceofgood.Takingawaythekingdomisthesameasnotgivingthekingdom;abasingisthesameasnotexalting.Tosay,Allāhhasthepowertogive it, is thesameassaying,Hehas thepower towithold it.Wheneverygood emanates from Him, then every withholding of the good mustnecessarily emanate fromHim.Whatwe have to be careful about is thatweshouldneverattributetoHimanythingwhichisbeneathHissublimesanctity;

for example, we cannot say that the sins, errors and improprieties of theservants emanate fromHim. Nevertheless, wemay say that Allāh leaves thesinnerstodoastheywish,andthatHedoesnothelpsuchservants.(Wehaveexplainedthismatterbefore.)Letuslookatthismatterfromanotherangle:Therearegoodandevilinthe

sphere of creation, like giving the kingdom and taking it away, exaltingsomeone and abasing him and so on. The good, at this level, is a positivereality,and there isnodifficuty inattributing it toAllāh.Andtheevil,at thislevel, is just not giving the good to someone, and even here, there is nodifficultyinattributingittoAllāh;HeistheonlyMasterofevery‘‘good’’;ifHe gives to someone from that good, thenHe should be thanked; if, on theotherhand,Hewithholds it fromsomeone, thennobodyhasany right toaskHim why, or to compel Him to give it.Whatever He does, is done for thegeneralwell-beingofHiscreatures,forthegoodofthesystemwhichpervadeseverysinglecomponentoftheuniverse.Likewis,therearegoodandevilinthesphereoflegislation—variouskinds

ofobedienceanddisobedience.Manisresponsiblefortheseactions,inasmuchastheyaredonebyhisownchoiceandwill.Certainly,suchactionscanneverbeattributedtootherthanthemanhimself.Itisthisrelationshipbetweenmanandhisactionswhichmakesitpossible tosay, this isgood,or, that isbad.Ifmanhadnofreedomofwillandchoice,noneofhisdeedscouldbetermedasgoodorevil.AndthesedeedscannotbeattributedtoAllāh,exceptinthesensethat He helps (in good deeds) or withholds His help (from evil ones),accordingtothereasonsdemandingsuchhelporitswithdrawal.Itshowsthatthegood,allofit,isinthehandofAllāh,andalltheaffairsof

theuniverse—gainandloss;goodandevil—emanatefromthatgood.Anexegetehaswritten:Thereisadeletedbyimpliedwordinthesentence,

‘‘inThinehandisthegood’’;accordingtohim,itactuallysays,inThinehandisthegoodandevil.Hegivestheexampleofanotherverse:andHehasgivenyou garments to preserve you from the heat (16:81), in which ‘and cold’, isimplied.We understand tine motive of the above assertion. He wanted to keep his

distance from the Mu‘tazilities. The Mu‘tazilites do not attribute an evil toAllāh, not even indirectly. Of course, their stand was wrong and we havealreadydealtwiththistopicinapreviousvolume.Butitdoesnotjustifysuchstrange implied additions to the speech of God; it is astonishing to seesomeone having the audacity to hazard such explanations in respect of theQur ’ānicverses.QUR’ĀN:Thou hast power over all things: It shows why all good is in

Allāh’shand.Hehasabsoluteandexclusivepowerovereverything;itfollowsthatanyonewhohasgotanypower,getsitbytheauthorityofAllāh.Ifnotso,thenthatperson’spowerwouldbeoutsidethepurviewofAllāh’spower;inthatcase,Allāhwould not have power over all things.Butwe know thatHe hasabsoluteandall-encompassingpower;andtherefore,everyimaginablegoodisinHispower.Consequently,allthegood,thatemanatesfromothers’hands,is,in fact,bestowedbyAllāh. Inshort, thegood,perse, is inHishandsonly. Itwasthisexclusivenesstowhichtheprecedingsentencehadreferred:‘‘inThinehandisthegood’’.QUR’ĀN:ThoumakestthenighttoenterintothedayandThoumakestthe

day to enter into the night: al-Wulūj ( جولولا ) is to enter;its transitive is ‘‘al-īlāj’’ ( جالیالا = tomakeenter,toinsert).Apparently, theabovesentencesrefer to thecontinuouslychanging lengths

ofdaysandnights,throughouttheyear,dependingonthelatitudeofaregionandthepositionoftheearthvis-a-visthesun.Inthenorthernhamisphere,frommid-wintertomid-summer,daysbecomelongerandlongerandnightsshorterand shorter — it is the entering of the day into the night. And from mid-summertomid-winter,nightsbecomelongerandlongeranddaysshorterandshorter—and it is theenteringof thenight into theday.Theposition in thesouthern hemisphere is just opposite. When the nights are longer in onehemisphere, theyare shorter in theother; the samehappenswith thedays. Inthisway,Allāhisalwaysmakingthedaytoenterintothenight,andthenighttoenterintotheday.As for the two imaginary points of the north and the south poles, and the

imaginarylatitudeoftheequator,itseemsthatthedaysandthenightsremainequalthroughouttheyear.Butinrealitychangesoccuratthosepointstoo1.

1 This explanation is correct, as far as it goes. But another explanation,givenbyMauriceBucaille,seemsmorecomprehensive.‘‘[The astronauts have seen]how theSunpermanently lights up (except in

thecaseofaneclipse)thehalfoftheEarth’ssurfacethatisfacingit,whiletheotherhalfoftheglobeisindarkness.TheEarthturnsonitsownaxisandthelightingremainsthesame,sothatanareaintheformofahalf-spheremakesone revolution around the Earth in twenty-four hours while the other half-sphere,thathasremainedindarkness,makesthesamerevolutioninthesametime.ThisperpetualrotationofnightanddayisquiteclearlydescribedintheQur ’ān.Itiseasyforthehumanunderstandingtograspthisnotionnowadaysbecause we have the idea of the Sun’s (relative) immobility and the Earth’s

rotation. This process of perpetual coiling, including the interpenetration ofonesectorbyanotherisexpressedintheQur ’ān…’’(TheBible,theQur’ānandScience;NorthAmericanPublications,Indianapolis;1979;p.164.)(tr.)QUR’ĀN: and Thou bringest forth the living from the dead and Thou

bringest forth thedead fromthe living:That is,Allāhbrings forthabelieverfromtheloinofanunbeliever,andanunbelieverfromtheloinofabeliever.Allāh has named belief as life and light, andHe calls disbelief as death anddarkness.Forexample,Hesays:IshewhowasdeadthenWeraisedhimtolifeandmadeforhimalightbywhichhewalksamongthepeople,likehimwhoselikenessisthatofoneinutterdarknesswhencehecannotcomeforth(6:122).Thesentencesmayalsobeexplainedinageneralway:Allāhcreatesliving

organism, like vegetable and animal, from the earth which has no sense orfeeling; and thengivesdeath to the living things returning them to the earth.TheQur ’ānic verses almost clearly say thatHe changes the living into deadand thedead into living.He says:… thenWe caused it to grow into anothercreation;soblessedbeAllāh,thebestofcreators.Thenafterthatyouwillmostsurelydie(23:14—15).Thereareotherverseshavingthesameconnotation.Some scientists say: The life emanated from some germs, evolving from

one germ into another, and from that into a third and so on; that it did notspring up from senselessmatter. The reason for this hypothesis lay in theirbelief that the universe came into being by itself, it was not created1. Butexperimentsshowthat the livinggerms tooareovercomebydeath.Thus thelife changes intodeath, establishinga correlationbetween the two. (We shallfurtherexplainthissubjectsomewhereelse.)However,thisverse,‘‘Thoumakestthenight…bringestforththedeadfrom

the living’’, describes Allāh’s management of His real possession; as theprecedingverse,‘‘ThougivesttheKingdom…abasestwhomThoupleasest’’,showsHismanagementofHisconventionalpossession.The twoverses run parallel to each other:One describing four aspects of

Hismanagementwhichstandfacetofacewiththeotherfourdescribedbytheother.Theformermentionsgivingthekingdomandtakingitaway; thelattersubtends itwith thedescriptionofmaking thenight toenter into thedayandmakingthedaytoenterintothenight.Thentheformertalksaboutexaltingandabasing; and the latter speaksofbringing forth the living from thedeadandviceversa.This juxtapositionprovidesa refreshing insight into theQur ’āniceloquence.

1Thatis,theywantedtoavoidansweringthequestion:Howdidalivingcell

evolvefromalifelessmatter?Howcouldthematterbethesourceoflifewhenithadnolifeitself?(tr.)Togiveakingdomtosomeoneis to lethimimposehisauthorityoverhis

compatriots;thus,toacertainextent,thefreedomofthepeopleislostintotheauthorityoftheruler.Itisnotdissimilartomakingthenightdominateovertheday;thenight(comparabletosubjugation)takesawaycertainportionsoftheday(comparabletothefreedomofthepeople).Theoppositeistruefortakingawaythekingdomvis-a-vismakingtheday

toenterintothenight.To exalt someone is similar to giving him a new life; he would have

remainedunknownandunrecognized,ifAllāhhadnotbestowedhonouruponhim.Thatiswhyithasbeenputparalleltobringingforththelivingfromthedead.Likewise,abasingandbringingforththedeadfromthelivingstandfaceto

face.Honourislife;anddishonour,death.Also,Allāh, inHisBook,describes thedayashavingamanifestsign,and

thenightashavingoneblottedaway;Hesays:…thenWehavemadethesignofthe night blotted away and We have made the sign of the day manifest …(17:12).Lookingathumansocietyfromthispointofview,establishmentofakingdomanditsdownfallaremirrorsofthemanifestationofthedayandtheeffacementofthenightrespectively.In the same way, He counts life as the fountain-head of knowledge and

power;anddeathdeprivesmanofthesefaculties;Hesays:Dead(arethey),notliving, and they know not when they shall be raised (16:21). And he hasexclusivelyreservedthehonourandmighttoHimself,andtoHisApostleandthe believers: and to Allāh belongs the might and to His Apostle and to thebelievers (63:8). And it is these who, according to the Qur ’ān, are alive.Consequently, might and respect is the mirror of life, and humiliation andabasementrepresentsdeath.Itisnowclearhowgivingofkingdomandtakingit awayaswell as exalting and abasing (of the formerverse) runparallel tomaking the night to enter into the day, andmaking the day to enter into thenightaswellasbringingforththelivingfromthedead,andthedeadfromtheliving(inthelatter)respectively.Theconcludingsentenceofthelatterverse,(andThougivestsustenanceto

whom Thou pleasest, without measure) likewise stands face to face with theconcludingsentenceoftheformer(inThinehandisgood…),asthefollowingparagraphmakesitclear.QUR'AN: and Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou pleasest, without

measure: Apparently it gives the reason for the foregoing factors; theconjunctive, ‘‘and’’, is, therefore, for explanation; and it explains the afore-mentionedparticularactionsintermofageneralfaculty.Themeaning:AllāhmanagesHiscreaturesintheforegoingwaybecauseHeistheSustainer,WhogivessustenancetowhomHepleases,withoutmeasure.That iswhywe said earlier that it stands face to facewith the concluding

sentence of the former verse; because, ‘‘in Thine hand is the good; surely,Thou has power over all things’’ also explains the reason of the actionsmentionedtherein.

SUSTENANCEINTHEQUR’ĀN

ar-Rizq ( قزرلا ),

usually translated as sustenance, maintenance, or means of livelihood, is awell-knownconcept.Aglanceatitsvarioususagesshowsthatthewordhasaconnotation of bestowal by someone to someone else, for example, thesustenancegivenby theking to thesoldiers.Originally, itwasused foronlythefoodstuff.Forexample,Allāhsays:and theirmaintenanceand theirclothingmustbe

bornebythefatheraccordingtousage(2:233).Markthattheclothinghasnotbeencountedasapartofthemaintenance.Thereafter,themeaningwasextendedtoincludeeveryfoodstuff,evenifthe

giver was not known— in any case, it was a bestowal of good luck. Theprocessofgeneralizationcontinued,andnowitisusedforeveryusefulthing— food or something else— which comes to someone; it includes all theparaphernalia of life, like: wealth, prestige, family, supporters, beauty,knowledgeandsoon.Allāhsays:Orisitthatyouaskthemarecompense?Buttherecompenseof

yourLordisbest,andHeisthebestofthosewhoprovidesustenance (23:72).Also,HequotesShu‘ayb(a.s.)assaying:Omypeople!haveyouconsideredifIhaveaclearprooffrommyLordandHehasgivenmeagoodlysustenancefromHimself… (11:88).Here the sustenance refers to the prophethood and the

Divineknowledgeetc.Allāh says: Surely Allāh, He is the Bestower of sustenance, the Lord of

Power,theStrong(51:58).ThecontextconfinesthebestowalofsustenancetoAllāhonly.Theverseleadsustothefollowingconcepts:First:Bestowalofsustenance,inreality,cannotbeascribedtoanyoneother

thanAllāh.Ofcourse,therearesomeversesthatattributeittoothersalso;forexample: and Allāh is the Best of sustainers (62:11). (There are manysustainers, butAllāh is theBest.)Also,He gives the order:…andmaintainthemout of it, and clothe them (4:5).But such usages do not give them anyindependent status; the only Sustainer is Allāh, others are just a means ofconveyingAllāh’sgifttoHisservants.ItisnotdifferentfromtheKingdomandthe Might which actually belong to Allāh, although others too get them byAllāh’sbestowalandpermission.Second:Whatever good the people get and which theymake use of, and

derivebenefitfrom,intheirexistence,istheirsustenance;anditisAllāhWhobestows it to them. There is a large number of the verses of sustenance toprovethisfact.Inaddition,therearenumerousversesonthethemeofcreation,management, decree, possession, will, and good, which prove that all thesethingsbelongexclusivelytoAllāh—andgivingsustenanceisinterwovenwiththesefactors.Third: Suppose a man takes advantage of a certain thing to obtain an

unlawfulbenefit.Inasmuchasitwasthecauseormeansofasin,itwouldnotbeattributedtoAllāh.Allāhhasclearlysaidthatontheleveloflegislation,Hedoesnotsanctionanysinorevil.Hesays:Andwhentheycommitanindecencytheysay:‘‘Wefoundourfathersdoingthis,andAllāhhasenjoineditonus.’’Say: ‘‘SurelyAllāhdoesnotenjoin indecency;doyousayagainstAllāhwhatyou do not know?’’ (7:28). Also, He says: Surely Allāh enjoins the doing ofjusticeandthedoingofgood(toothers)andthegivingtothekindred,andHeforbidsindecencyandevilandrebellion…(16:90).ItisjustunimaginablethatHewouldforbidathingandthen,atthesametime,wouldallowit;orthatHewoulddeclaresomethingunlawfuland thenconfineaservant’ssustenance toit! And unlawful benefit is not ‘‘sustenance’’ on the level of legislation.Nevertheless, it is ‘‘sustenance’’ on the level of creation. The religiousresponsibilitydoesnotreachuptothelevelofcreation—andthereisnothingbadon that level.When theQur ’ānsays thatAllāhgivessustenance toeverybody,itlooksatthissubjectfromthelevelofcreation.ADivinetalkcannotbereducedtothelevelofthesimpletons’understanding;inotherwords,itcannotoverlook the deep Divine realities just because they are beyond the mentalcapacityof commonman.TheHolyBookcontainswhat is ahealing for thebelievers’hearts;nobodymayfallintoperditionbyitexcepttheunjust:AndWerevealoftheQur’ānthatwhichisahealingandamercytothebelievers,anditaddsonlytotheperditionoftheunjust(17:82).Moreover,thereareversesshowingthatitwasAllāhWhogavekingdomto

Namrūd (Nimrod), Pharaoh and others like them, and bestowed wealth andtreasures to Qārūn and his like. They got all these things not without thepermissionofAllāh;Hegavethemthekingdomandwealthasameansoftrial,totesttheirspiritualcondition,andtocompleteHisproofagainstthem;itwasasthoughAllāhleftthemtogoastrayiftheysowished,andgavethemenoughropetohangthemselves.Itshouldbenotedhere that, in theaboveexamples,we took thosecases to

the levelof legislationandyet foundgoodexplanations for them thatwouldsatisfy the reason and were not against the sublime Divine Justice. If suchthingsareunobjectionableattheleveloflegislation,certainlytherecanbeno

objection in providing sustenance, at the level of creation — even if it be‘‘unlawful’’forlegislation’spointofview.AllāhhassaidthateverythinghasbeencreatedbyHim,issentdownbyHim

from His treasures of mercy: And there is not a thing but with Us are thetreasures of it, andWe do not send it down but in a knownmeasure (15:21).Further,Hehassaid:andwhateveriswithAllāhisbetter…(28:60).Thesetwo(andothersimilar)versesreadtogetherprovethatwhateveramangetsinthislife,itcomesfromAllāhandisgoodandbeneficialforhim.Thisthememayalso be inferred from the verse:Who made good every thing that He hascreated…(32:7),readinconjunctionwiththeverse:ThatisAllāh,yourLord,theCreatorofeverything;thereisnogodbutHe(40:62).Yet,thereisnodenyingthatsomeDivinegiftsappeartobeevilandharmful

to the recipient. But its evil and harm is just relative; it may be so for thisparticularperson,whileitbringsgoodandbenefittoagreatmanypeople;inotherwords, thatpersonalhardshipmaybegood, in thewidercontextof theworld-system.Oritcouldhavebeenmisusedbythemanhimself.Allāhpointsto this factor whenHe says: and whatever misfortune befalls you, it is fromyourself(4:79).However,wehavealreadydealtwiththissubjectinapreviousvolume.In short, whatever good Allāh bestows on His creatures (and all that He

bestowsisgoodandbeneficial),itiscalledsustenance,initsliteralsense:itisagiftthatbenefitstherecipient.Probably,itisthisthemethattheverse20:131pointsat:andthesustenance(given)byyourLordisbetter…Theabovediscourseshowsthat,foralmostallpracticalpurposes,thethree

concepts— sustenance, good and creation— are one and the same. Everysustenance isgoodandcreated;andeverycreation isasustenanceandgood.Nevertheless, there is a fine difference between sustenance and good on onesideandcreationontheother.Sustenancepresupposestheexistenceofsomethingtobesustained,towhom

the sustenance would be given. Food is sustenance for the digestive systembecauseitneedsthatfood;thedigestivesystemissustenanceforthemanasheneedsit;thatmanissustenanceforhisparentsbecausetheybenefitfromhim;likewise,theexistenceisasustenancefortheman,perse.Allāhsays:…Whogavetoeverythingitscreation…(20:50).Likewise, good presupposes a selector who would choose what he wants

fromamongalotofthings.Foodisgoodforthedigestivesystembecauseitneeds it, and opts for itwhen given a choice; the digestive system is, in thesameway,goodfortheman,andsimilarlytheexistenceisgoodforhim.Butasforcreation,itdoesnotrequireanyactualorimaginarypre-existing

thing.Food,digestivesystem,man,everythingiscreatedinitsownright;itbyitselfistheobjectofcreation;itdoesnotneedanyotherobject.EverysustenancebelongstoAllāh;everygoodbelongstoAllāh.Whatever

sustenancecomesfromHim,whatevergoodisgivenbyHim,itisgivengratis,notinexchangeoforreturnforanything.SupposeyouwantedtogivetoAllāhsomething as price of the sustenance; well, what could you give Him?Whatever youmay think of, it already belongs to Allāh; you have no rightwhatsoeveronanything.ItisjustamercyofAllāhthatHehasundertakentogivesustenancetoeveryone,andhasmadeitobligatoryforHimselftosustainallthecreatures;Hesays:AndthereisnoanimalintheearthbutonAllāhisthesustenanceofit(11:6);andintheheavenisyoursustenanceandwhatyouarethreatenedwith.AndbytheLordoftheheavensandtheearth!itismostsurelythetruth,justasyoudospeak(51:22—23).ItshowsthatalthoughsustenanceisarightonAllāh—becauseHeHimself

has undertaken to give sustenance to everyone—yet it is in fact a free giftfromHim,becausenocreatureisinhisownrightentitledtogetit.Theabovetalkmakesonethingclear:Evenifamanobtainshissustenance

unlawfully, originally hewas allotted a lawful sustenance. It is unimaginablethatAllāhwouldundertaketogivesustenancetoaman,thencompelhimtogetit throughunlawfulmeans; and thenwould tell himnot to use it, andpunishhimifhedisobeyed.Letusexplainitinanotherway:SustenanceisaDivinegiftcontaininggood;

assuchit isaDivinemercyforall thecreatures.Wehavealreadymentionedthattherearetwokindsofmercy:Thereisageneralmercywhichcoversalltheservants,believersandunbelievers,piousonesandsinnersalike;andit isnot confined to the human beings, it encompasses other creatures too. Andthereisaspecialmercy,theonethatisreservedforthewalkersonthepathoffelicity and righteousness, for example, true belief, piety and ultimately theparadise. Likewise, there are two kinds of sustenance: A general sustenancewhichisprovidedtoeverythingforitsprotectionandsurvival;andaspecialsustenancewhichremainswithinthelimitsoflegality.The general mercy as well as the general sustenance is foreordained and

measured; Allāh says: and Who created every thing, then ordained for it ameasure (25:2). Likewise, the special mercy and the special sustenance areforeordainedandmeasured.Forexample,guidanceisaspecialmercy;andonthelevelof legislationit isforeordainedanddecreedforeveryman,beheabelieveroranunbeliever.ThatiswhyAllāhraisedtheprophetsandsentdownthebooks.Hesays:AndIdidnotcreatethejinnandthehumanbeingsexceptthattheyshouldworshipMe,IdonotdesirefromthemanysustenanceandIdo

not desire that they should feed Me. Surely Allāh, He is the Bestower ofsustenance, theLord of power, the Strong (51:56—58).Also,He says:Andyour Lord has commanded (decreed) that you shall not worship (any) butHim…(17:23).Itmeansthatworship(whichdependsonguidanceandisoneofitsconcomitants)isadecreedmeasure—ontheleveloflegislation.Andsoisthespecialsustenance(whichisobtainedlawfully),onthesamelevel.Allāhsays:Theyarelostindeedwhokilltheirchildrenfoolishlywithoutknowledge,andforbidwhatAllāhhasgiventothem,forgingalieagainstAllāh;theyhaveindeedgoneastray,andtheyarenotthefollowersoftherightcourse (6:140).Also,Hesays:AndAllāhhasmade someof youexcelothers in themeansofsubsistence,sothosewhoaremadetoexceldonotgiveawaytheirsustenancetothosewhomtheirrighthandspossess,sothattheyshouldbeequaltherein…(16:71). These two verses are unconditional and general; they cover thebelievers as well as the unbelievers, and include the one who obtains hissustenanceinlawfulwayaswellastheonewhodoessounlawfully.Onethingmore:Aswasexplainedinthebeginning,sustenanceisthegiftor

bestowalwhichthesustainedbenefitsfrom.Itfollowsthatonlythatmuchofitcan be truly called sustenancewhich is used up by the sustained.Aman hasbeengivenalotofwealth,butheeatsonlyasmallportionofit;therefore,hissustenance,strictlyspeaking,istheportionheateup;theremaindercannotbecalledhissustenanceexcept in thesense thathewasgiven it. Inotherwords,whenwesay,Zaydhasgotample(orlittle)sustenance,itdoesnotnecessarilymeanthathehasgotalotof(orlittle)wealth.Therearesomeotheraspectsofthistopic,whichweshallwriteaboutunder

theverse:AndthereisnoanimalintheearthbutonAllāhisthesustenanceofit, and He knows its resting place and its depository; all (things) are in amanifestbook(11:6).Nowwecomebacktotheclauseunderdiscussion,thatis,‘‘andThougivest

sustenance to whom thou pleasest, without measure’’. The sustenance is‘‘withoutmeasure’’becauseAllāhgivesit tothecreaturesgratis,andtheybythemselveshavegotnorighttoit.Whatevertheycouldofferinexchange,eventheirrequests,invocationsandthanks,inrealitybelongstoAllāh,theyhavegotnothing of their own to offer in consideration of the sustenance. Therefore,thereisnomeasureforthesustenancegivenbyAllāh.Clearly,theclausedoesnotimplythatthegivensustenanceisunlimitedandunmeasured.Howcanitbewhen the verses of ‘‘measure’’ clearly refute it? For example, Allāh says:SurelyWe created every thing according to ameasure (54:49); and whoeverfears Allāh, He will make for him an outlet, and give him sustenance fromwhence he thinks not; and whoever trusts in Allāh, He is sufficient for him;

surelyAllāhattainsHispurpose;Allāh indeedhasmadeameasure foreverything(65:2—3).Sustenance,therefore,isafreegiftfromAllāh,yetitismeasuredaccording

tothepleasureofAllāh.Thetwoversestogethermakethefollowingconceptsclear:—First:ThepossessionaswellastheKingdomexclusivelybelongstoAllāh.Second:EverygoodisinHishand,andcomesfromHim.Third: Sustenance is a gift from Allāh, without any recompense or

exchange.Fourth: Kingdom, might, honour, and every single conventional good,

occurring in the social framework, (like: wealth, prestige,power, etc.) arevariousaspectsofthesustenance,givenbyAllāhtoHisservants.

TRADITIONS

‘Abdu’l-A‘lā(mawlā,clientoftheĀl[tribeof]Sām)hasnarratedfromAbū

‘Abdillāh (a.s.).He says: ‘‘I toldhim: ‘SayOAllāh;Master of theKingdom!Thou givest the kingdom to whomsoever Thou pleasest and takest away thekingdomfromwhomsoeverThoupleasest.IsitnotthatAllāhgavethekingdomto theUmayyads?’He said: ‘It is not as you think. SurelyAllāhMighty andGreat is He! gave the kingdom to us, and the Umayyads usurped it; it is asthoughaclothbelongstoaman,andanotherpersontakesitaway;yettheclothdoesnotbelongtothemanwhotookitaway.’’’(al-Kāfī)The author says: al-‘Ayyāshī has narrated a similar tradition through

DāwūdibnFarqadfromAbū‘Abdillāh(a.s.).We have already explained that giving the kingdom is of two kinds: (1)

Givingitatthelevelofcreation:Suchakingdommeansthatthekingenjoysanover-ridingauthorityoverthepeopleandtheyaresubduedbyhispower—itmakesnodifferencewhetherhisruleisbasedonjusticeornot.Forexample,AllāhsaysreferringtoNimrod:…becauseAllāhhadgivenhimthekingdom(2:258).Theeffectofsuchakingdomisthattheking’swordsareobeyed,hiscommand carried out and his will enforced. (We shall later explain what akingdomon the level of creation really entails.) (2)Giving it at the level oflegislation, that is,decreeingthathe isakingwhoseobedienceisobligatory.Forexample,Allāhsays:SurelyAllāhhasraisedTālūt tobeakingoveryou(2:247).Theeffectofthistypeofkingdomisobligationofthepeopletoobeytheking’scommandandconfirmationofhismastershipofthepeople.Suchakingdomisalwaysbasedonjustice;andislikedandpraisedbyAllāh.NowthekingdomtheUmayyadshadgotwasoftheformertype,thatis,the

one decreed at the level of creation,with its accompanying effect of overallauthority on the people. But the questioner was confused; and erroneouslythoughtthatithadtheeffectoftheothertypeofkingdom—heassumedthattheUmayyadswereentitledtotheobedienceofthepeople, that theyweretherightfulmastersoftheummah,andhadgotalawfulandpraiseworthystatusinthe eyes ofAllāh. The Imām told him that such a kingdom (on the level oflegislation) did not belong to the Umayyads — it belonged to the rightfulsuccessorsoftheProphet,thatis,theImāms,andonlytheywereentitledtotheunquestioningobedienceoftheummah.Inotherwords,thesamekingdomwhichintheUmayyad’shandswasdevoid

ofeveryvirtue,wouldhavebeenpraiseworthyifitwereintheImāms’hands.

IntheUmayyds’handsitwastotallycondemnable,becausetheyhadusurpeditfrom its rightful owners. Nevertheless, its bestowal would be attributed toAllāhasaplantogivethemenoughropetohangthemselves,asHedidinthecaseofNimrodandPharaoh.TheUmayyadsthemselveshadmisunderstoodtheconnotationsofthisverse,

andthoughtthattheirkingdomwasthesignofDivineapprovaloftheirrule,asmaybeseeninKitābal-Irshād(ofal-Mufīd)whereitmentionstheeventsafterthemartyrdomofImāmal-H usayn(a.s.)andhiscompanions:al-Mufīdsays:‘‘Whentheheads(ofthemartyrs)wereputbeforeYazīdandamongthemwastheheadofal-H usayn(a.s.),Yazīdrecited:Wewillspliteventheskullofamanweheldingreatrespect;Buttheyweredisobedientandoppressive.’’Againal-Mufīdsays:‘‘Then(Yazīd)lookedtowardsthepeopleofhiscourt

andsaid:‘Verily,this(al-Husayn)usedtoboastagainstmeandsay:‘‘MyfatherisbetterthanthefatherofYazīd,andmymotherisbetterthanhismother,andmygrandfatherisbetterthanhisgrandfather,andIambetterthanhim.’’Asforhisclaim thathis fatherwasbetter than the fatherofYazīd, indeedmyfatherdisputedwithhis fatherandAllāhdecreed in favourofmyfatheragainsthisfather.AndasforhissayingthathismotherwasbetterthanYazīd’smother,bymylifehewasright;certainlyFāt imah,daughteroftheApostleofAllāhwasbetter than my mother. And as regards his saying that his grandfather wasbetterthanmygrandfather,noonebelievinginAllāhandtheLastDaycansaythatheisbetterthanMuhammad.Andasforhissayingthathewasbetterthanme,perhapshehadnotreadthisverse:Say:‘‘OAllāh,MasteroftheKingdom!ThougivestthekingdomtowhomsoeverThoupleasest…’’’’’AndZaynab,daughterof‘Alī(peacebeonhimandher)rebuttedhisclaims

usingthesameexplanationasas-Sādiq(a.s.)didinthistradition.as-SayyidibnTāwūsandothershavereportedherreply,inwhichshe,interalia, said: ‘‘Doyouthink,OYazīd!that—justbecauseyoucutusofffromtheregionsoftheearthandthehorizonsofthesky,sothatwearebeingheldlikethecaptives—weareabasedbeforeAllāh?OrthatyouareexaltedbeforeHim?Orthatithashappenedbecauseofyourgreat importancewithHim?So(now)youbehavearrogantly and look around hilariously and cheerfully, when you find theworld in your bondage and (your) affairs well in order, and when ourkingdomandour authority is totallyusurpedbyyou!Take it easy!Don’t behasty!!HaveyouforgottenthewordsofAllāh:Andletnotthosewhodisbelievethink thatOur granting them respite is better for their souls;We grant themrespiteonlythattheymayaddtotheirsins;andtheyshallhaveadisgracefulchastisement(3:178).’’

It is reported inMajma‘u ’l-bayān about the words of Allāh, and Thoubringest forth the living from the dead… : ‘‘It is said that it means: Thoubringest forth the believer from the unbeliever and Thou bringest forth theunbeliever from the believer.’’ Further, it is written: ‘‘And thismeaning hasbeennarratedfromAbūJa‘far(al-Bāqir)andAbū‘Abdillāh(as-Sādiq),peacebeonthem.’’Theauthorsays:Anearlysimilartraditionhasbeennarratedbyas-Sadūq

fromal-‘Askarī(a.s.).IbnMarduwayh has narrated through the chain of Abū ‘Uthmān an-Nahdī

fromIbnMas‘ūdorSalmānfromtheProphetaboutthewords,Hebringsforththe living fromthedeadandHebrings forth thedead fromthe living, that hesaid:‘‘Thebelieverfromtheunbelieverandtheunbelieverfromthebeliever.’’(ad-Durru’l-manthūr)It is reported through the foregoing chain from Salmān al-Fārisī that he

said: ‘‘TheApostle ofAllāh (s.a.w.a.) said: ‘WhenAllāh createdAdam (a.s.),Hetookouthisoffspring, thenHetookahandful inHisrighthandandsaid:‘‘Thesearethepeopleofthegarden;andIdon’tcare.’’AndHetookahandfulin theother(hand)andcameinto iteverybad(person);andHesaid: ‘‘ThesearethepeopleoftheFire;andIdon’tcare.’’ThenHemixedone(group)withtheother.Thuscomesoutanunbelieverfromabeliever,andabelieverfromanunbeliever;andthatis(themeaningof)Hiswords,ThoubringestforththelivingfromthedeadandThoubringestforththedeadfromtheliving.’’’(ibid.)The author says: Several exegetes have narrated this meaning from

Salmān,withthechainofnarratorsdisconnected.Thetraditionisoneofthoserelated to the ‘‘tiny particles’’ and the covenant; and,Allāhwilling,we shallexplaintheminamoresuitableplace.MuhammadibnYahyānarratedfromAhmadibnMuhammadandseveralof

our companions, from Sahl ibn Ziyād, from Ibn Mahbūb, from AbūHamzahath-Thumālī that Abū Ja‘far (a.s.) said: ‘‘The Apostle of Allāh, mayAllāh bless him and his progeny, said in (his) last pilgrimage: ‘Verily, theTrustworthySpirit(i.e.,Gabriel)hasrevealedtomyheartthatnosoulwastodieuntil ithadcompleted its sustenance.Therefore,beonguardagainst (thewrathof)Allāh,andactdecentlyinseeking(thesustenance).Evenifyoufeelthatasustenance is late incomingtoyou, itshouldnot induceyou toseek itthroughsomethingthatisasinagainstAllāh;forsurelyAllāhhasdistributedthe sustenance among His creation, with lawful means, and He has notdistributed it with unlawful means. Therefore, whoever fears Allāh andremainspatient,hissustenancecomestohimfromlawfulmeans;andwhoevertearsapartthecurtain(putby)Allāhandtakesit(i.e., thesustenance)through

unlawfulmeans,hislawfulsustenanceisreduced(proportionately)and(also)hewillbeanswerableforthat.’’’(al-Kāfī)‘Alī(a.s.)said:‘‘OsonofAdam!Livelihoodisoftwokinds:thelivelihood

whichyouseekand the livelihoodwhichseeksyou; ifyoudonot reach it, itwillcometoyou.Therefore,donotimposeayear ’sworryonyouroneday’sworry.Whateveryougeteverydayshouldbeenoughforyoufor theday. IfyouhaveawholeyearofyourlifeeventhenAllāh,theSublime,willgiveyoueverynextdaywhatHehasdestinedasyourshare.Ifyoudonothaveayearinyour life thenwhyshouldyouworryforwhat isnotforyou.Noseekerwillreachyourlivelihoodbeforeyounorwillanyoneoverpoweryouinthematterofthatlivelihood.Similarly,whathasbeendestinedasyoursharewillnotbedelayedforyou?’’(Nahju’l-balāghah)IbnTarīf narrated from Ibn ‘U1wān, from Ja‘far (a.s.), that his father (al-

Bāqir — a.s.) said: ‘‘The Apostle of Allāh, may Allāh bless him and hisprogeny,said:‘Verily,thesustenancecomesdownfromtheheaventotheearth(abundantly)likethenumberoftherain-drops,toeverysoulaccordingtowhathas been alloted to it. Yet, Allah is veryMunificent; so you should beseechAllāhforHismunificence.’’’(Qurbu’l-asnād)The author says: Numerous traditions have been narrated of the same

connotation.Weshalldiscuss,Allāhwilling,intheChapterofHūd(ch.11),thetraditionsofsustenanceindetail.

ANESSAYONKINGDOMANDITSPLACEINSOCIETY

Ithasalreadybeenexplainedthatpossessionandpropertyareamongthose

conventionalbutessentialconceptswhichmancannotdowithout—itmakesnodifferencewhetherhelivesaloneorinasociety.Possessionbasicallyisarecognizedrelationshipbetweentheownerandtheproperty.Likewise, kingdom is a conventional, nevertheless essential, concept; a

subjective institutionwhichman cannot dowithout.But it is as amemberofsociety,notasanindividual,thatmanneedsthisinstitution.Nosoonerdothepeopleestablishasocietythantheystartdisputingwithoneanother;everyonewantswhat is in theother ’shandseven if itmeans trespassing the limitsandcrushing other ’s rights under his heels. This tendency leads to chaos andconflict.Thesocietywhichwasestablishedtoensurehappyandpeacefullife,becomesasourceofmiseryanddisorder;themedicineturnsintoapoison.This anomaly cannot be removed except by creating an overall authority

whichcouldcompeleachmembertoremainwithinthelimits—thuscurbingtherecklessambitionsoftheoppressorandgivingnewhopeandvigourtotheoppressed.Thatauthority,whichiscalledkingdomorrulership,letseveryoneenjoyhisduerightsandkeepseverymemberinhisproperplace.Exploitation of weaker sections has been a constant feature of human

history.Inancienttimessomestrongpersonsimposedtheirwillonthesocietyand subdued their compatriots to accept them as their overlord or king.Although such kings and their officers themselves were mostly epitome ofoppressionandinjustice,stilltheirpresencewasofsomebenefittothesociety.They,intheirowninterest,didnotallowanysectiontooppresstheothers—because they did notwant anyone to become strong enough to rise one dayagainsttheirownauthority.Inthiswaypeacereignedinthesociety;everyonewasafraidoftheautocratickingandnoonehadanyopportunityorinclinationtothinkaboutthegeneralwelfareofthesociety.Ifanindividualrulerwaslessoppressive, the subjects sang his praise; if he was unjust beyond theirtolerance,theycomplainedandcried.Sometime a king or ruler was killed or overpowered; and the subjects

experiencedchaosanddisorder,topreventwhichtheymadesomestrongandablemantotakethereinofpowerinhishands,andheascendedthethrone;andthusbeganthesamestoryofoppressionandinjustice.This continued for a long time. Ultimately, society was fed up with the

autocratic and dictatorial monarchy. In order to restrain the king’s hands,

people devised constitutions, delineating the mutual rights and duties of theruler and the ruled, and somehow or other forced the king to agree. Theautocraticmonarchythusbecameaconstitutionalone.Yet,itwasahereditaryinstitution.Thenthepublicbecameawareofanotherbigdefect:Onceakingascended

thethrone,therewasnowaytoremovehim,nomatterhowunjustorunfithemightprove.Anotherdefectwasitshereditarynature;thefirstbornchildofaking got the kingdom, irrespective of his physical, moral and intellectualabilities.Theyfoundtheanswerinrepublic.Nowtheyhadanelectedpresidentforafixedperiodinsteadofahereditarykingwhoruledforlife.Various nations invented various other system to restrain their rulers; and

futuremightbeholdingvarioushithertounimaginedsystemsinstoreforus.All these attempts throughout the world, to regulate the functions of the

ruler,proveonething,ifnothingelse.Humanityreallyneedstheinstitutionofrulership,nomatterbywhatnameitiscalledinacertaincountryatacertaintime. One overriding authority must subdue all other people’s individualambitionsandaims;otherwise, societywill suffer fromdiscord,conflictanddisorder.Thatiswhywesaidattheoutsetthatkingdomisanessentialconceptofthesociety.Andlikeallothersuchconcepts,societyisconstantlytryingtoperfectitbyremovingfromittheharmfulelements.The institution of prophethood has played themost important part in this

process.Whenanideaspreadsinthepublic—especiallyifitisinaccordwiththe nature, and satisfied the human expectations— it becomes the strongestbondtounitthedifferinggroups,tounifythedivergentviewsandtoturntheindividualsintoawelldisciplinedsociety,whichnopowercandefy.Prophethood since its earliest days calls the people to do justice and to

abstainfrominjustice;itteachesthemtoworshipAllāhandtosubmitonlytoHim; and it forbids them to follow the arrogant pharaohs and exploitingnimrods. This cry has constantly been raised generation after generation, inone nation after another, exhorting the big bosses to submit to the rule ofjustice,andencouraging theweakersections tostandupfor their rights. It isimpossible for such a powerful factor to remain active in the society for somany centuries and not to affect the human psychology, not to mouldmankind’swayofthinking.The Qur ’ān often quotes revelations to this effect sent to the previous

prophets,Nūh (a.s.)isquotedcomplainingbeforehisLord:‘‘MyLord!surelythey have disobeyed me and followed him whose wealth and children haveadded tohimnothingbut loss.And theyhaveplannedaverygreatplan.Andtheysay:‘Bynomeansleaveyourgods…’’’ (71:21—23).Thesame thing

appearsinhisdisputationwiththebigbossesofhispeople:Theysaid:‘‘Shallwe believe in you while the meanest follow you?’’ He said: ‘‘And whatknowledgehaveIofwhattheydo?TheiraccountisonlywithmyLord,ifyoucouldperceive’’ (26:111—113).Likewise,Hūd(a.s.)admonishedhispeople:‘‘Do you build on every height amonument?Vain is it that you do:And youmake strong fortresses that perhaps youmayabide:Andwhen you lay hands(on men) you lay hands (like) tyrants’’ (26:128 — 130). And Sālih (a.s.)advised his people: ‘‘Therefore, guardagainst (the punishment of)Allāh andobeyme:Anddonotobeythebiddingoftheextravagant:Whomakemischiefinthelandanddonotactright’’(26:150—152).InthesamewayMūsā(a.s.)stoodupagainstPharaohtoopposehistyranny

andtodefendandliberatetheIsraelites;thesamestancewastakenbyIbrāhīm(a.s.)againstNimrod;andby‘Īsā(a.s.)andotherIsraeliteprophetsvis-a-vistheoppressorsoftheirtimes.Allofthemcondemnedandattackedthearroganceand injusticeof theirkingsandrulers,andcalled theirpeople to throwawaytheyokesoftyrannyandstandboldlyagainsttheexploitorsandtransgressors.SofarastheQur ’ānisconcerned,itisnosecrethowitexhortsthepeople

not to yield to the transgressors, not to surrender to the oppressors; itencouragestheoppressedtostandupboldlyagainsttheoppressortosafeguardhisself-respectandhumandignity;anditwarnsthearrogantofthebitterfruitsofhaughtiness,ofthechastisementthatawaitstheoppressionandinjustice.Forexample:HaveyounotseenhowyourLorddealtwith‘Ād,(thepeopleof)Iram,possessorsofmanycolumnedbuildings, the likeofwhichwerenotcreated inthecities;and(with)Thamūd,whohewedouttherocksinthevalley;and(with)Pharaoh,thelordofstakes;whotransgressedinthecities,sotheymadegreatmischief therein? Therefore your Lord let fall upon them the whip ofchastisement.MostsurelyyourLordisonwatch(89:6—14).TheQur ’āniccomment,attheendofthestoryofTālūt,isinitselfenoughto

provethatthekingdom(orrulership)isessentialforthemankind:AndwereitnotforAllāh’srepellingsomemenwithothers,theearthwouldcertainlybeinastate of disorder; but Allāh is Gracious to the creatures (2:251). We haveshowninitscommentaryhowitconfirmsthisinstitutioninageneralway.ManyversesintheQur ’āntalkaboutkingdom,guardianshipandobligation

ofobedienceetc.SomeofthemcountthekingdomasabountyandgiftfromAllāh:…andWehavegiventhemagrandKingdom (4:54);…andmadeyoukings and gave you what He had not given to any other among the nations(5:20); … and Allāh grants His Kingdom to whom He pleases … (2:247).Nevertheless,itisanhonouronlywhenitisaccompaniedbypiety.Pietyistheonlybasisofhonour,totheexclusionofallotherillusorysourcesofrespect.

Allāhsays:Oyoupeople!surelyWehavecreatedyouofamaleanda femaleandmadeyounationsandtribesthatyoumayrecognizeeachother;surelythemosthonourableofyouwithAllāhisthemostpiousofyou…(49:13).But it is only Allāh Who decides the worth of a servant’s piety.

Consequently,nooneshouldusehispietyasalevertohoisthimselfoverhiscompatriots.Nobodyshouldboastaboutanythingwhatsoever: If thecauseofboasting is someworldly thing, then it isobviouslyworthless; if it concernsthenextworld,thenit is inthehandsofAllāh.Inanycase,aMuslim,whoisgiventhisgraceofAllāhwhichwecallKingdom,hasnothingtoboastabout,nor any reason to thinkhimself as superior to theothers.All hehasgot forhimselfisanunenviableburdenofresponsibilitiesofthestate.WhatbrightensthisgloomypictureisthehopethathisLordwillgivehimgreatrewardinthenextlifeifhemanagestheaffairsofthestatewithjusticeandpiety.ThisisthespiritwhichanimatedthewholelivesofthetruefriendsofAllāh.

Weshallwritelateron,Allāhwilling,onthistopic,lookingatthelivesoftheProphet and his purified progeny; we shall describe, with the help of thecorrect traditions, what they gained for themselves from their kingdoms:‘‘nothing’’; their only interest in the kingdom and authoritywas to use it tocrushthetyrants,tocuttherootofmischiefintheearth,tobringthearrogantsandtransgressorsbackwithinthelimitsofreligion.Andthatistheonlyworthofthekingdom.TheQur ’āntreatsthekingdomasatoolwhichisnecessaryforrunningthe

affairsof society— just as education andmartial power isnecessary for itsintellectual anddefenceneeds.Kingdom is an instrumentof society; it isnotthe foundationuponwhich thesocietystands.TheQur ’āndoesnot invite theMuslims to unite to establish an empire to shame the Byzantine and Iranianempires; itcalls themtounite inIslam,andadmonishes themnot todiffer inreligion.Thisunity in religion is the foundationwhich the Islamicsociety isbuilt upon. Allāh says: And (know) that this is My path, the straight one,thereforefollowit;andfollownot(other)ways,fortheywillscatteryouawayfromHisway (6:153);Say: ‘‘OPeopleof theBook!come toaword,commonbetweenusandyou,thatweshallnotworshipanybutAllāhand(that)weshallnotassociateanythingwithHimand(that)someofusshallnottakeothersforlordsbesidesAllāh’’;butiftheyturnback,thensay:‘‘BearwitnessthatweareMuslims’’ (3:64).Clearly, theQur ’āncalls thepeople tosurrender tonooneexcept Allāh; the society which it recognizes is the one that is based onreligion.Itdemolishesallotherloyalties;aMuslimisnottosubmittoanyonebesides Allāh; he is not to bow down before any magnificent palace orgrandiosecastle;heisnottohumiliatehimselfbeforeanyCeasarorKhusraw.

Consequently, theQur ’ān does not recognize the artificial boundarieswhichhavecuttheearthofAllāhintosmallpieceswhichtheycallcountries,northeresulting ‘‘nationhood’’ that divides the humanity into territorial segments,puttingonegroupagainsttheothers.

APHILOSOPHICALDISCOURSEONATTRIBUTIONOFKINGDOMANDOTHERABSTRACTSCONCEPTSTO

ALLĀH

TheCreator,astheEssentialBeing,istheultimateCauseofallthatisthere

in theuniverse; the relationshipbetweenHimand theuniverse (thewhole aswellasitscomponents)isthatofthecauseandeffect.Itisaprovedaxiomofphilosophythatcausalitygovernstheexistenceonly—therealexistenceoftheeffect emanates from the existence of its cause; other things, for example,quiddity,areoutsidethedomainofthecause.Consequently,thatwhichhasnorealexistence,doesnotcomewithinthesystemofthecauseandeffect;andasitisnottheeffectofanycause,ithasnochainofcausalityreachinguptotheultimateCause.Problemarisesabouttheabstractideasandimaginaryconcepts,whichhave

norealexistenceoutsidetheimagination.Beingdevoidofrealexistence,theycannot be said to be caused by the ultimateCause, that is,Allāh.But one ofthose imaginary concepts, is the sharī‘ah with its commandments andprohibitions, its rules, principles and conventions. So are the kingdom, thehonour,thesustenanceetc.ShouldnotthesethingsbeattributedtoAllāh?Iftheanswerisyes,thenhow?Reply: These concepts, although devoid of real existence, leave in their

tracksomeeffectswhichareinseparablefromthem;andtheseeffectshaverealexistence. As these effects can be, and are, attributed to Allāh, the conceptsfrom which they emanate can as easily be attributed to Him. Kingdom, forexample, is an imaginary concept, which has no real existence outside ourimagination;wehaveestablishedthisinstitutiontoachievearealbenefit.It isthrough this abstract idea of kingdom that we try to curb the unscrupulousoffendersofthesociety,toreintheunrestraineddesignsofthetransgressors,andtoavengetheoppressedfromtheoppressor.Thesearerealfactsandtheycan, andare, attributed toAllāh.As theseeffectsofkingdomareascribed toAllāh,socanbethekingdomitself,byassociation.Thesameappliestothehonour,therulesofthesharī‘ahand itsprinciples

etc.Inshort,allsuchabstractideasandconceptsmaybeattributedtoAllāh,by

attributingtheireffectstoHim,inawaythatisinkeepingwiththesanctityofHisname.

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7ChapterTRANSLATIONOFTHEVERSES28—32

Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends rather than the

believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing (to do)with Allāh,except (when) you guard yourselves against (them) for fear from them; andAllāhcautionsyouofHimself;and toAllāh is theeventualcoming (28).Say:‘‘Whetheryouhidewhatisinyourheartsormanifestit,Allāhknowsit;andHeknowswhateveris intheheavensandwhateveris intheearth;andAllāhhaspoweroverallthings’’(29).Onthedaythateverysoulshallfindpresentwhatithasdoneofgoodandwhatithasdoneofevil;(it)shallwishthatbetweenitand that (evil) therewerea longdurationof time;andAllāhcautions youofHimself; andAllāh isCompassionate to the servants (30).Say: ‘‘If you loveAllāh,thenfollowme,Allāhwillloveyouandforgiveyouyoursins;andAllāhisForgiving,Merciful’’ (31).Say: ‘‘ObeyAllāhand theApostle’’; but if theyturnback,thensurelyAllāhdoesnotlovetheunbelievers(32).

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COMMENTARY

Theversesarenotdisconnectedwiththeprecedingones,whichadmonished

thePeopleoftheBookandthepolytheists.Iftheword‘‘unbelievers’’,comingatthebeginningoftheseverses,coversthePeopleoftheBooktoo,thentheseversesforbidthebelieverstobefriend,andfraternizewith,thepolytheistsandthePeopleoftheBookalltogether;ifitreferstothepolytheistsonly,thentheversesadmonishthebelieversnottobefriendlywiththem;insteadtheyshouldjointhepartyofAllāh,lovingHimandHisApostle.QUR’ĀN:Letnot thebelieverstaketheunbelieversforfriendsratherthan

the believers: ‘‘al-Awliyā’ ’’ ( ءآیلوالا = friends), the pluralof al-walīy ( يلولا ), is derived from al-wilāyah ( ةیالولا ).The root word denotes authority to manage something, that is,guardianship.Guardianofaminor,insaneoridiotiscalledhisal-walīy,becausehehasthe

authoritytomanagetheiraffairsandproperty,althoughthepropertybelongstothesaidward.Then thewordwasused—with increasing frequency—in thecontextof

love; if two people love each other, each feels free to look after the other ’saffairs.Love empowers the beloved tomanage the affairs, and influence thelife,ofthelover.In this verse, taking the unbelievers for friends means establishing a

psychologicalrapportwith them.Suchafriendshipwould taint thebeliever ’svision,andwouldadverselyaffecthisthoughtsandcharacter,encouraginghimto followhisunbeliever friends inhis life andmanners.The clause, ‘‘ratherthan the believers’’, points to this fact. It refers to a stagewhen the believerpreferstheunbelieversratherthanthebelieversastheobjectofhisloveandasthemodelforhislife;themorehemovesnearertohisunbelieverfriends,themorehedistanceshimselffromthebelievers.Many verses strictly forbid the believers to take the unbelievers, and the

Jews and the Christians for friends; but in every instance, there are clauseswhichdelineatewhichtypeoffriendshipisforbidden.Forexample,thisversecontainstheabovementionedclause,‘‘ratherthanthebelievers’’; theverse:Oyouwho believe! do not take the Jews and theChristians for friends (5:51),goesontosay:theyarefriendsofeachother;andtheprohibition:Oyouwhobelieve!donottakeMyenemyandyourenemyforfriends…(60:1),isfurther

onexplainedbythewords:Allāhdoesnotforbidyourespectingthosewhohavenotmadewaragainstyouonaccountofyourreligionandhavenotdrivenyouforthfromyourhomes…(60:8).Theadjectivesusedintheverseunderdiscussionpointtothereasonofthe

prohibition. The believers should not take the unbelievers for friends ratherthanthebelievers.Beliefanddisbeliefarediametricallyopposedtoeachother;they can never reconcile. The same mutual repulsion would permeate thewholelivesofthebelieversvis-a-vistheunbelievers.Theirthoughtsanddeeds,theirspiritualjourneytowardsAllāh,andinshorttheirwholebeingwouldbetotallydifferentfromtheoppositeparty.Suchapositionisnotinharmonywiththatoffriendship;becausefriendshipdemandsunityandrapport.Andwhen such a friendship begins andgrowswith complete disregard to

the friendship with the believers, it first spoils the fruits of the faith, thendamages its branches and finally destructs its very roots. That is whyAllāhwarned them in the next sentence, ‘‘and whoever does this, he shall havenothing (to do)withAllāh’’.Then comes the exception of taqiyyah, becausetaqiyyahisonlyashowoflove,notitsreality.‘‘rather than the believers’’: dūn ( نود )

isapropositionofplace,meaning:below,under(inrank,value);thissideof,short of; without, with the exclusion of; leavingaside.‘‘min dūn’’ ( نودنم )signifies, ‘beginning from a place below that of the believers’, because thebelievers are far above them in rank. Originally this preposition denotednearness combined with lowness, forexample,dūnaka Zayd ( = دیزكنودZaydisnearyoubutbelow;hedoesnotmeasureuptoyou).Thenitwasusedfor ‘other than’, ‘besides’, forexample, …twogodsbesidesAllāh...(5:116);…andforgiveswhatisbesidesthattowhomsoeverHepleases…

(4:48). Also, it is used as a nomen verbi; in this sense, dūnaka Zayd wouldmean:adheretoZayd.Theselaterusagesarebasedonsomeassociationwiththeoriginalmeaning,notthatthewordwasmadeforthem.QUR’ĀN:andwhoeverdoesthis,heshallhavenothing(todo)withAllāh:

‘‘does this’’, that is, takes the unbelievers for friends in preference to thebelievers.Thismisconduct ishatedsomuchby theSpeaker thatHedoesnotliketomentionitinwords,andjustalludestoit;peopleoftenusepronounsto

refertoindecentthings.AlsoAllāhdidnotsay,whoeverofthebelieverdoesthis; it was far beneath the dignity of the believers to attribute such amisconducttothem.Theclause,‘‘heshallhavenothing(todo)withAllāh’’,literallymeans,heis

notfromAllāhinanything.Idiomatically,thisexpressionshowsthatheisnotof thegrouporpartyofAllāh.Allāhsays:Andwhoever takesAllāhandHisApostleandthosewhobelieveforaguardian,thensurelythepartyofAllāharetheythatshallbetriumphant(5:56).AlsoIbrāhīm(a.s.)isquotedassaying:…thenwhoeverfollowsme,heissurelyofme…(14:36).Anyhow,thesentencemeans:Whoeverdoesthis,heshallinnowayremain

withthepartyofAllāh;histhoughtsanddeedswillbethoseoftheenemiesofIslam.QUR’ĀN:except(when)youguardyourselvesagainst (them) for fear from

them: ‘‘al-Ittiqā’ ’’ ( ءآقتالا = to seek protection because of fear); theword issometimes used for fear, by association; probably taqiyyah has the sameconnotations.Theexceptioninthissentenceisdisjoined:Toshowattachmenttosomeone

because of his fear without loving him in reality is quite different frombefriendinghimandhavingarapportwithhim;loveandfeararetwooppositefeelingsandhaveoppositeeffectsontheheart;howcantheybefoundinoneplace?Theverseclearlyallowstaqiyyah,asisshownbythetraditionsoftheImāms

ofAhlu’l-bayt.Also,itisclearlyprovedbytheverserevealedabout‘Ammār,and his parents, Yāsir and Sumayyah:He who disbelieves in Allāh after hishavingbelieved—nothewhoiscompelledwhilehisheartisatrestonaccountoffaith,buthewhoopens(his)breastfordisbelief—ontheseisthewrathofAllāh,andtheyshallhaveagrievouschastisement(16:106).TheQur ’ānandthesunnahbothagreethattaqiyyahispermissibleinplaces.

Also,reasonsupportsit.ThemainpurposeofthereligionandtheApostleistokeepthetruthalive;andsometimesthispurposecanbeachievedbypractisingtaqiyyah, by keeping good relations with the enemies of the religion, whilediscarding taqiyyah would serve no purpose at all. It is a reality which noreasonableman can deny.We shall furtherwrite about it under ‘Traditions’,and also under the verse 16:106 mentioned just now (… not he who iscompelledwhilehisheartisatrestonaccountoffaith…).QUR’ĀN:and Allāh cautions you of Himself and to Allāh is the eventual

coming: ‘‘at-Tahdhīr’’ ( ریذحتلا ) is the transitive ofal-hadhar ( رذحلا = to beware of a frightful thing). Allāh has warned Hisservants ofHis chastisement, asHe says:… surely the chastisement of your

Lordistobedreadedof(17:57).AndHehaswarnedthemofthehypocritesandthemischief of the unbelievers, asHe says:… they are the enemy, thereforebeware of them (63:4);… and be cautious of them, lest they seduce you…(5:49).ButinthisverseaswellasinafollowingoneHecautionsthemofHisOwn Self. The crime of befriending the unbelievers to the exclusion of thebelieversissoseriousthatnocurtainorprotectionremainsbetweenAllāhandthe criminal, there is nothing to save him fromAllāh, there is no helper orintercessor to intercede on his behalf; he is left without any shield, to facedirectlythechastisementofAllāh.Thisstyleputsutmostemphasistothethreat,and its repetition in a following verse further intensifies it; then it has beenfurther highlighted by the concluding clauses, ‘‘and to Allāh is the eventualcoming’’(inthisverse)and‘‘AllāhisCompassionatetotheservants’’(intheother),asweshallexplainlateron.Look at this verse and the others obliging the Muslims not to take the

unbelieversforfriends.YouwillseethatthissinistentamounttorejectingtheguardianshipofAllāh,goingout from thebandofHis servants, and joiningthe party of His enemies — to damage the affairs of the religion. Thistransgression is a dry-rot that destroys the fibre of religion; it is moredamagingandharmfultoIslamthantheopendisbeliefandpolytheismoftheunbelievers and pagans.One can easily prepare for an open enemy and canrepulsehisattacksonone’sfortress;butitisnotsoeasyiftheenemyisinsideandposesasafriend.IfaMuslimestablishesfraternalbondswiththeenemiesof Islam, his character is gradually influenced by their manners, deeds andthoughts.Atimecomeswhendisbeliefreplacesthebelief;theMuslimsslowlydiscard the tenets and symbols of Islam one after the other, and before theyrealize it, Islam loses its hold on the society. It is deathwithout anyhopeofrevival,perditionwithoutanychanceofresurrection.Itis‘‘thetransgression’’;andhiscaseisdirectlyinthehandsofAllāh:Have

younotseenhowyourLorddealtwith‘Ād,(thepeopleof)Iram,possessorsofmanycolumnedbuildings,thelikeofwhichwerenotcreatedinthecities;andwithThamūd,whohewedout the rocks in thevalley,and (with)Pharaoh, thelord of stakes; who transgressed in the cities, so they made great mischieftherein?ThereforeyourLordletfalluponthemthewhipofchastisement.MostsurelyyourLordisonwatch(89:6—14).Thetransgressionleadsthe

transgressortoaplacewhereAllāhisonwatch—andwherethereisnoonebutAllāh;andHesmites theguiltywith thewhipofHischastisement—andthereisnoonetoprotectthetransgressorfromHim.Itisforthesamereasonthatthosewhotaketheunbelieversforfriendshave

been warned of Allāh Himself: Such a friendship is open transgression, atransgressionthatdamagesanddestroysthereligionofAllāh.Thesamethemehasbeenexplainedintheverse:Standfastthen(intheright

path)asyouarecommanded,asalsohewhohasturned(toAllāh)withyou,anddonottransgress(Omen!),surelyHeseeswhatyoudo.Anddonotinclinetothose who are unjust, lest the Fire touch you, and you have no guardiansbesides Allāh, then you shall not be helped (11:112 — 113). This verse,accordingtothetraditions,istheonewhich,theProphetsaid,hadagedhim.However, this verse and the one under discussion, clearly show that

inclination towards the unjust and the unbelievers is a transgression whichthrows one into the Fire where he will not find any helper; it is thechastisementgivenbyAllāhHimself,andnoonecansavefromit.The sentence, ‘‘and Allāh cautions you of Himself’’, shows that the

threatened punishment is a firmly-decreed affair which cannot be cancelled.What the offender has been warned of is Allāh Himself; there is nothingbetweenAllāh and the culprit; and there is no protector fromAllāh;He hasthreatened to punish this offender, andwhatHe has said is surely to happen.Thesamethingappearsfromtheverse11:113quotedabove:… lest theFiretouch you … then you shall not be helped. ‘‘and to Allāh is the eventualcoming’’: You cannot escape from Him; nobody can stop you from thiseventualreturntoAllāh.Asmentionedearlier,itre-emphasizesthethreat.Theseverses, ‘‘Letnot thebelievers take theunbelievers for friends…’’,

are among those which, in the form of admonition, contain a prediction ofwhatwas tohappen in thisummah in thecomingdays;we shall explain it indetail,Allāhwilling,inChapter5(TheTable).QUR’ĀN: Say: ‘‘Whether you hide what is in your hearts or manifest it,

Allāhknows it’’:The theme is the sameas in theverse:…andwhetheryoumanifestwhatisinyoursoulsorhideit,Allāhwillcallyoutoaccountforit(2:284).Nevertheless,afinedifferenceinstyleattractsourattention,Theverse2:284 talksaboutcalling toaccount,andaccounting ismoreoften thannotamanifest affair; therefore in this versemanifesting comesbefore hiding.ButtheverseunderdiscussiontalksabouttheknowledgeofAllāh,andknowledgeis more germane to what is hidden in the hearts; therefore this verse hasreversedtheorder,mentioningfirstwhatishiddeninthehearts,thencomingtowhatismanifest.AllāhorderedHisApostletoconveythismessagetotheoffendingservants;

it is becauseHe did not like to address directly thosewho,He knew,wouldsurely disobey His order and would befriend the unbelievers. It shows Hisdispleasureinthesamewayasthewordsintheprecedingverse:‘‘andwhoever

doesthis…’’QUR’ĀN:andHeknowswhatever is in theheavensandwhatever is in the

earth;andAllāhhaspoweroverallthings:Ithasthesameconnotationastheverse2:284,mentionedabove.QUR’ĀN:Onthedaythateverysoulshall findpresentwhatithasdoneof

goodandwhatithasdoneofevil:Apparently,itisapartofthemessagewhichtheProphetwastoconvey.‘‘Ontheday’’mayrefertoadeletedbutunderstoodverb, ‘‘remember ’’ or ‘‘describe’’— Remember (or Describe) the day thateverysoul…Alternativelythisadverboftimemayqualifytheprecedingverb,‘‘Allāhknowsit’’or‘‘Heknows’’,thatis,Allāhshallknowonthatdaywhatisinyourhearts;orHewillknowonthatdaywhatisintheheavensandtheearth.There is nodifficulty in this interpretation; it is not thatHewouldnot knowthese things before theDay of Judgment;what the expressionmeans is this:We, the servants of Allāh, will manifestly see the effects of His all-encompassingknowledgeonthatday.Accordingtothisexplanation,thisversedescribes themanifestationofHisknowledgeon thatday in thesamewayasthefollowingversesdescribemanifestationofHispoweronthatveryday:(of)the day when they shall come forth; nothing concerning them shall remainhiddentoAllāh.TowhombelongstheKingdomthisday?ToAllāh,theSubduer(ofall)(40:16);…thereisnoprotectortoday1fromAllāh…(11:43);…and0that thosewhoareunjust could see,when they see the chastisement, that thepower iswhollyAllāh’s… (2:165);…and the commandon that day shall beentirelyAllāh’s (82:19).Obviously, toAllāhbelongsall theKingdom,powerandcommand,always—beforeandaftertheDayofJudgmentaswellasonthatday.Buttheseversesespeciallyrefertothatdayinthisconnection,becauseit will be on that day that we, the servants of Allāh, will clearly see HisKingdomandrule,withoutanydoubtaboutHisexclusiveauthorityandpower.Likewise,iftheever,‘‘Heknows’’,isqualifiedbytheadverb,‘‘thatday…

’’, it would not mean that Allāh would not know the hidden secrets of HisservantsortheirgoodandevildeedsbeforetheDayofJudgment.‘‘On the day that every soul shall find presentwhat it has done… ’’ The

word translated here as ‘‘present’’ is muhdaran ( ( ارضحمwhich literallymeans,presented,brought in.Thechoiceof thisword, ratherthanhādiran ( ارضاح =present), points to the fact that the good and bad deeds are existent and safefromextinction, because only such a thingmaybe brought in and presentedwhichalreadyexists(evenifoutofsight);AllāhwillbringthedeedsinontheDay of Judgment. But who would be preserving them all these days, if not

Allāh?ThistooshowsthatHispower,authorityandKingdomarenotconfinedto the Day of Judgment. Hesays:andyourLordis thePreserverofall things (34:21);andwithUs isawritingthatpreserve(50:4).‘‘Tajid’’ ( ذجت = shall find) isderivedfromal-wijdān ( نادجولا = to find); its

oppositeistolose.‘‘ofgood’’and‘‘ofevil’’:‘of’’describesthethingthatwillbepresented.‘‘good’’and‘‘evil’’havebeenusedascommonnoun,toshowitsgenerality— he will find there every good however trivial and every evilhoweverinsignificant.Itappearsfromthecontextthatthesecondclause,‘‘whatithasdoneofevil’’isinconjunctionwiththeprecedingone,‘‘whatithasdoneofgood’’.It is one of those verses which prove embodiment of deeds, as we have

describedindetailinapreviousvolume.QUR’ĀN: (it) shallwish that between it and that (evil) therewere a long

durationoftime:Thesubjectofthissentenceisadeletedpronounreferringtothe soul. ‘‘Law’’ ( ول =if) is a conjunctive, as a rule introducing hypothetical conditionalclauses; ‘‘law’’followed by ‘‘anna’’ ( ناول =if) introduces nominal clauses; this combination has frequently been used intheQur ’ān;therefore,noattentionshouldbepaidtotheclaimofawriterthatthis combination was notcorrect.‘‘al-Amad’’ ( دمالا ) denotes distance of

time. ar-Rāghibr has said in hisMufradātu ’l-Qur’ān: al-Amad and al-abad ( دبالا )have nearly the same meaning; but al-abad denotestheeternalduration,withoutanend;thatiswhyitisneverrestrictedbyalimit,itcannotbesaid,tothisorthatal-abad.Ontheotherhand,al-amadgenerallysignifies a limited duration but with unknown limit; sometimes the limit isspecified, for example, amada kadhā ( اذآدما =such and such period), as they say this or that time. The differencebetween al-amad(span of time) and azzamān ( نامزلا = time) is that al-amad looks at theterminusoftimewhileaz-zamānlooksatthewholeperiodfrombeginningtoend.That iswhy somehave said thatal-amad andal-madd ( يدملا = spaceoftime,distance)arenearlysimilarinmeaning.’’Thewishof theevil-doer, that thereshouldbebetweenhimandhisdeeda

long duration of time, shows that the presence of that evilwould cause himsorrow;itfollowsthatthepresenceofgooddeedwouldmakethegood-doerhappy.Hewillonlywishforalongdurationoftimebetweenhimselfandhisdeed,

and not for its complete disappearance. Why? He will see how Allāh haspreserveditfromthedayitwasdonetotheDayofJudgment;hewillrealizethatitwasofnoavailtowishthatathingundersuchDivineprotectionshoulddisappear;therefore,hewillonlywishforthenext‘‘best’’thing:Wouldthatithadnotappearedatthemostawkwardtime,inthatmostdifficultsituation.Hewillwish the same for the evil companion:Andwhoever turns himself

awayfromtheremembranceoftheBeneficentGod,WeappointforhimaSatan,sohebecomeshisassociate…UntilwhenhecomestoUs,hesays:‘‘OwouldthatbetweenmeandtheetherewerethedistanceoftheEastandtheWest’’,soevilistheassociate!(43:36—38).QUR’ĀN:andAllāhcautionsyouofHimself;andAllāhisCompassionateto

theservants: The repeatedwarning emphasizes the threat beyond any doubt.Also, it may be that this warning refers to the punishment of the Day ofJudgment(asthatisthesubjectofthisverse),whilethefirstwarningrelatedtotheresultofthatoffenceinthislifeorinbothlives.‘‘and Allāh is Compassionate to the servants’’: It reminds the servants of

their relation to Allāh— they are His servants and slaves, and He is theirCompassionate Master. Nevertheless, this clause makes the preceding threatdoubly emphatic. Such expressions are used for warning someone in theseverest term.The import of such clausewill be like this:Donot do such athing,because Ihave firmlydecidednot to forgivesuchoffence; IwarnyoubeforehandbecauseIhavecompassionforyou.Themeaningthenwillbeasfollows:AllāhisCompassionatetotheservants;

thatiswhyHehaswarnedthembeforehandnottogonearthisevil;becauseiftheydidso, theywouldhavetoundergothepunishment;andtheywouldfindnointercessororprotectortointercedeontheirbehalfortosavethem.QUR’ĀN:Say: ‘‘If you love Allāh, then follow me, Allāh will love you’’:

Whenwritingabouttheverse2:165(…andthosewhobelievearestrongerinloveofAllāh…),wehadexplainedthemeaningoflove,andsaidthatinrealityitrelatestoAllāh,andafterthatitmayrelatetoothers.No doubt, Allāh in His Book invites His servants to believe in Him, to

worshipHimwithsinceredevotion,andtosteerclearofpolytheism.Hesays:Now, surely, sincere religion is for Allāh (alone) (39:3); And they were notenjoinedanythingexceptthattheyshouldworshipAllāh,beingsinceretoHim

in religion … (97:5); Therefore call upon Allāh, being sincere to Him inreligion, though averse be the unbelievers (40:14). This theme is found inmanyotherverses.Sincerity in religion can truly be achieved only when man’s heart is not

attached to anything other thanAllāh—be it another deity or some desiredobject;beitaworldlyambitionorevensomeotherworldlygoallikeenteringthegardenorprotectionfromtheFire.WhentheheartcutsalllinkswithsuchthingsandattachesitselfexclusivelytoAllāh,thenthemanattainsthesincerityofreligion,andtheloveofAllāh.Loveistheonlylinkthatconnectsalovertohisbeloved;itattractsandpulls

thelovertothebeloved.Theloverwantstomakeupthroughthebelovedthedefects and imperfections thathe finds inhisown life.Thebiggestnews forhim is that his beloved requites his love.At this stage, both love eachother;bothbecomelovers,bothbecomebeloved.Manlovesfood,andgetsittomakeupthedeficiencywhichshowsitselfin

hunger; he loves the opposite sex, to satisfy a biological need; he loves hisfriend for genial companionship. A servant loves his master for his kindpatronage.Lookattheinstancesoflove,readthestoriesofwell-knownlovers—youwillfindeverywherethetruthofwhatwehavementioned.WhenasincereservantlovesAllāh,hisonlyambitionistoattractthelove

ofAllāhtohimself;wouldthatAllāhshouldlovehimashelovesAllāh;wouldthatAllāhshouldbecomehis,ashehasbecomeofAllāh.ThisistherealityofAllāh’slove.Love, asmentioned above, is a link that joins one thing to the other. But

Allāhdoesnotcounteveryloveastruelove.Truelovedemandsthatthelover—inthiscase,thebeliever—shouldloveallthatisrelatedtoAllāh;heshoulddevoutlyacceptall thatcomesfromHim.OnAllāhdependseverything in itsexistenceand inall itsaffairs;everythingseeksamediumtoHim;andeverybigandsmallthingultimatelyreturnstoHim.Inthisbackground,trueloveofAllāh, sincerity in that love, can be achieved only through believing in thereligion ofmonotheism, that it, Islam, and surely the religionwithAllāh isIslam. It is the religion which His representatives brought and which Hisapostlesandprophetstaught.ItisespeciallytrueaboutthereligionbroughtbyMuhammad(s.a.w.a.);itteachesasublimedevotion,anunsurpassedsincerity;itisthenaturalreligionwhichcontainsthelastlaw,broughtbyaLaw-giverwithwhomthechainoftheprophetscametoitsend.AllthesefactsmayeasilybeinferredfromtheQur ’ān,ifonepondersonit.The Prophet introduced his path as the path of monotheism, the path of

sincerity; as hewas ordered byAllāh to say:Say: ‘‘This ismyway: I invite

(you)toAllāh;withclearsight(are)Iandhewhofollowsme;andglorybetoAllāh;andIamnotofthepolytheists’’(12:108).Accordingly,hiswaywastoinvite people toAllāh,with clear sight,with sincerity,without ascribing anypartner toAllāh.Hiswaywas thewayof invitation toAllāhandof sincerityaboutAllāh.Anyonewhowants to follow him, should proceed on the samehighway.ThenAllāhsaidthatthewayofinvitationandsinceritycanbefoundonlyin

thesharī‘ahbroughtbyMuhammad(s.a.w.a.):ThenWehavemadeyoufollowasharī‘ahintheaffair,thereforefollowit…(45:18);alsoHesaidthatitmeanstotalsubmission toHim:But if theydisputewithyou, say: ‘‘Ihavesubmittedmyself(entirely)toAllāhand(sohas)everyonewhofollowsme’’…(3:20);thenHeattributedthiswaytoHimselfanddeclaredthatitwasHisstraightpath:And(know)thatthisisMypath,thestraightone,thereforefollowit(6:153).Ifweread all these verses together, it will be clear that Islam (i.e., the sharī‘ahbrought by the Prophet, containing fundamental beliefs, moral teachings,practical laws, and having his own sacred life as its model) is the path ofsincerity, that is based on love. It is the religion of sincerity, the religion oflove.Theabovediscoursemakesclearthemeaningoftheverseunderdiscussion:

‘‘Say:‘IfyouloveAllāh,thenfollowme,Allāhwillloveyou’’’.Itgivesthefollowingimport—andAllāhknowsbetter:IfyouwanttobesinceretoAllāhinyour servitude, trulybasing itonHis love, then follow thissharī‘ah; it isbased on love, and is the embodiment of sincerity and submission; it is thestraightpathofAllāh,whoeverproceedsonitissuretoreachnearertoAllāh.Ifyoufollowmeinthispath,thenAllāhwillloveyou;reachingthisstageyouwillgetwhatyouwant.Yourlovewillberequited.Thisisthegeneralimportoftheverseiflookedinisolation.Butthecontext

gives it some particular implications too. It comes soon after the versesforbiddingthebelieverstobefriendtheunbelievers.Friendshipislovebetweenthefriends.Therefore,theverseexhortsthebelieverstofollowtheProphetiftheyaresincereintheclaimthattheyloveAllāhandbelongtoHisparty.Loveof Allāh cannot be reconciled with following the unbelievers in their vaindesiresandunhealthyviews;rememberthatfriendshipcertainlymakesafriendfollowtheotherfriendinthoughtsanddeeds.OnewholovesAllāhshouldnotrunaftertheworldlytrinketsfoundwiththeunbelievers,andshouldnotsethiseyesontheirworldlyhonourandwealth.IfyouloveAllāhyoushouldfollowHisProphet inhis religion,asHedeclares:ThenWehavemadeyou followasharī‘ahin theaffair, therefore followit,anddonot followthe lowdesiresofthose who do not know. Surely they shall not avail you in the least against

Allāh;andsurelytheunjustarefriendsofeachother,andAllāhistheguardianof those who guard (against evil) (45:18 — 19). It should be noted howsmoothly the verse goes from the themeof following to that of friendship,showingthatbothare,infact,oneandthesame.Inshort,anyoneclaimingtoloveAllāh,tobelongtoAllāh,mustfollowthe

Prophet,inorderthatitmaytakehimtothestagewhereAllāhrequiteshisloveandloveshim.The versementions only love ofAllāh, and notHis guardianship because

guardianshipisfoundedonlove.Also,itmentionsonlyAllāh’slove,becausetheloveoftheProphetandthebelieversisinrealityapartofAllāh’slove;ithasnoindependentexistence.QUR’ĀN: and forgive you your sins; and Allāh is Forgiving, Merciful:

Allāh’s mercy is all-encompassing; His grace is without limit, and Hismunificencewithoutrestriction;it isnotconfinedtoanyindividualorgroup.TheriverofHismercyisflowing;everybodyisfreetotakefromitasmuchashecan.Whateverrestrictionthereis,itisnotintheriver,itisinthereceptacleone brings with him. The servants’ ability, or disability, imposes its ownlimitations;Allāhhasnotputany limit toHismercy:and thebountyof your.Lordisnotconfined(17:20).Sin is the impediment, holding one back from reaching nearer to Allāh,

frompartaking of the bounties resulting from it, like the paradise etc. If therust of sin is removed from a man’s heart, the door of Divine bliss willautomaticallyopenforhim,andhewilljointhechosenpeopleintheabodeofDivinehonourandeternalhappiness.ThatiswhyAllāhaddedforgivenessofsinstothegoodnewsofHislove.Asdescribedearlier;loveattractsthelovertothebeloved.WhentheservantlovesAllāh,itmoveshimtocomenearerwithsinceremonotheismandunalloyeddevotionandworship.WhenAllāhlovesaservant, He comes nearer to him and removes the curtains which hide thesublime reality. As mentioned above, there is no curtain except sin, andremovingitmeansforgivingthesins.Oncethathindranceisremoved,thereisnoobstacleintheway;andDivinemunificencewilltakeoverfromthere;andhecanpartakeoftheever-lastinghonourandneverendingbountiesasmuchashelikes.To understand this reality even more clearly, ponder on the verse, Nay!

rather,whattheyusedtodohasbecomelikerustupontheirhearts.Nay!mostsurely they shall on that day be debarred from their Lord (83:14— 15), inconjunctionwiththeverse,‘‘Allāhwillloveyouandforgiveyouyoursins’’.QUR’ĀN:Say:‘‘ObeyAllāhandtheApostle’’:Theprecedingverseinvited

the servants to ‘‘follow’’ theApostle.To followmeans to process behind in

someone’s track. The believer follows the Apostle in the way taken by theApostle.Theway theApostle has taken is the straight pathwhichbelongs toAllāh.Itisthesharī‘ahordainedfortheApostleandconveyedthroughhimtothe mankind; and the servants are to obey the Apostle and adhere to hissharī‘ah. That is why the order to follow the Apostle was changed to hisobedience.TheApostle’spathofsincerityisthesumtotalofhissharī‘ah—hisordersandprohibitions,hismissionandhisguidance.WhenonefollowstheApostle inhis tracks,He in factobeysAllāhand theApostle in thesharī‘ah.Allāh’snamehasbeenaddedwiththeApostle’s,toshowthattheobedienceofAllāh is one and the samewith the obedience of theApostle. TheApostle’snamewas necessary tomention with that of Allāh because the talk is aboutfollowinghistracks.Someonehaswritten that thesentencemeans:ObeyAllāh inHisBookand

obeytheApostleinhissunnah.Butwhatwehavewrittenaboveclearlyshowstheunsoundnessofthisexplanation.Itisobviousthatthewords,‘‘ObeyAllāhand theApostle’’,havebeen revealedasexplanationof theprecedingwords,‘‘If you love Allāh, then followme… ’’ Further, this verse shows that theobedienceofAllāhandobedienceoftheApostleareone;thatiswhytheword‘‘obey’’, has not been repeated. Had there been two different things to befollowed(theBook,forAllāh;thesunnahfortheApostle),itwouldhavebeenappropriate to say, ‘Obey Allāh and obey the Apostle’, as has been said inanother verse:O youwho believe!Obey Allāh and obey the Apostle and themastersoftheaffairfromamongyou…(4:59).Anyhow,theversehasthesamegeneralandparticularaspectsasthepreviousone.QUR’ĀN: but if they turn back, then surely Allāh does not love the

unbelievers:Theendingclauseshowsthatthosewhodisregardthisorderareunbelievers;thesameistheimportofotherversesobligingthebelieversnottotaketheunbelieversasfriends.Thisclause too shows thisverse tobeanexplanationof thepreviousone.

ThatversedescribedthatAllāhlovesthosebelieverswhoacceptandobeytheorder to follow the Apostle. This one says that Allāh does not love those‘‘unbelievers’’whoneglectthisordertoobeytheApostle.Theseversesmakethefollowingthingsclear:First:Taqiyyahisallowedincertaincircumstances.Second:Thepunishmentforbefriendingtheunbelieverswillnotbewaived;

the sin of disobeying this orderwill not be forgiven; it is a firmly decreedorder.Third: The Divinely ordained sharī‘ah exemplifies the sincerity towards

Allāh; and that sincerity exemplifies the loveofAllāh. Inotherwords, ifwe

analysethereligion—thesumtotalofDivineknowledgeandfaith,theethicalteachings and practical laws, with all their details — it will resolve intosincerity(asincereservantofAllāhbelievesthathisperson,hischaracterandhisactions,allbelongtoAllāh);andonfurtheranalysisthissincerityresolvesintotheloveofAllāh.Ifwereversetheprocessandstartfromtheotherend,thentheloveofAllāh

constitutes themain ingredientof thesincerity,and thesincerity leads to thesharī‘ah.Looking from another angle, religion resolves into submission, and

submissionintomonotheism.Fourth: It is disbelief to take the unbelievers for friends. It is a disbelief

related to the branches of religion, not to its roots. Other examples are thedisbeliefoftheonewhodoesnotpayzakāt,andoftheonewhodoesnotpray.It may possibly be explained in another way. The one who befriends an

unbeliever, has himself been called unbeliever, because that is the ultimatedestination where such a friendship leads to. We have described this themeearlier,andshallfurtherexplainitinChapter5(TheTable).

1‘‘Today’’inthisversereferstothedayoftheDelugeofNūh (a.s.),nottotheDayofResurrection.(tr.)

TRADITIONS

It iswritten inad-Durru’l-manthūr, about thewords ofAllāh:Let not the

believerstaketheunbelieversforfriends…:‘‘IbnIshāq,IbnJarīrandIbnAbīHātimhavenarratedfromIbn‘Abbāsthathesaid:‘al-Hajjājibn‘AmrwasanallyofKa‘b ibnal-AshrafandIbnAbi’l-HaqīqandQays ibnZayd;and theywere secretly meeting with some Helpers with a view to seduce them fromtheirreligion.(Seeingthis)Rifā‘ahibnal-Mundhir,‘AbdullāhibnJubayrandSa‘dibnKhuthaymahtoldthoseHelperstokeepawayfromthoseJewsandtobewaryof their secret talks, ‘‘lest they leadyouaway fromyour religion’’.Buttheyrefused(tolisten).ThenAllāhrevealed:Letnotthebelieverstaketheunbelieversforfriends…andAllāhhaspoweroverallthing’’’.The author says: Apparently this tradition has applied the verse to that

story.Otherwise, theQur ’ānusestheword‘‘unbelievers’’,forawidercirclethan the People of the Book. If any verse were revealed about that story, itwould have been the one forbidding friendship with the Jews and theChristians,nottheseverses.The tafsīr, as-Sāfī quotes under the words: except (when) you guard

ourselves against (them) … , from al-Ihtijāj, that the Commander of thefaithful (a.s.) said, interalia, in a tradition: ‘‘andHeorderedyou topractisetaqiyyahinyourreligion;becauseAllāhsays:Becareful,andbecarefulagain,not toexposeyourself toperdition,andnot toneglect taqiyyahwhich Ihaveorderedyou (to practise); otherwise, youwill cause sheddingof your bloodandthebloodofyourbrethren(aswell);willexposeyourbountiesaswellastheirs to ruin;andwillcause theirhumiliationat thehandsof theenemiesofthereligionofAllāh,whileAllāhhasorderedyoutoexaltthem.’’as-Sādiq(a.s.)said:‘‘TheApostleofAllāhusedtosay:‘Hehasnoreligion

whodoesnothave taqiyyah;’ thenheused tosay: ‘Allāhsays:except (when)youguardyourselvesagainstthemforfearfromthem.’’(al-‘Ayyāshī)al-Bāqir(a.s.)said:‘‘taqiyyahis(allowed)ineverymatteraboutwhichaman

fallsinpredicament;andAllāhhasmadeitlawfultohim.’’(al-Kāfī)Theauthorsays:ThereareverymanytraditionsfromtheImāmsofAhlu

’l-bayt (a.s.)— probably reaching the limit of mutawātir —containing thepermissionof taqiyyah; andyouhave already seenhow theQur ’ānic versesincontestablyproveit.Sa‘īd ibnYāsar said: ‘‘Abū ‘Abdillāh (a.s.) toldme: ‘Is religion anything

other than love?VerilyAllāh, theMighty, theGreat, says:Say: ‘‘If you love

Allāh,thenfollowme,Allāhwillloveyou.’’’’’(Ma‘āni’l-akhbār)Theauthorsays:Thistraditionhasbeennarratedinal-Kāfīfromal-Bāqir

(a.s.);alsoal-Qummīandal-‘Ayyāshīhavenarrateditintheirtafsīrsfromthesame Imām through al-Hadhdhā’; again al-‘Ayyāshī hasnarrated it inhisat-Tafsīr fromthesameImāmthroughBuraydand fromas-Sādiq (a.s.) throughRib‘ī.ThesetraditionssupportourexplanationgivenintheCommentary.as-Sādiq(a.s.)said:‘‘HewhodisobeyesAllāh,doesnotloveHim.’’Thenhe

quoted(thefollowingpoem):YoudisobeyAllāhand(atthesametime)youmanifestHislove;Bymylife!thisisastrangebehaviour.Ifyour lovewere true,youwouldhaveobeyedHim;Verily, the loverobeys

hisbeloved.(Ma‘āni’l-akhbār)as-Sādiq (a.s.) said, interalia, in a tradition: ‘‘Andwhoever likes to know

thatAllāhloveshim,hisactionshouldbeinobediencetoAllāhandheshouldfollowus.Hashenotheard the talkofAllāh, theMighty, theGreat,withHisProphet:Say‘IfyouloveAllāh,thenfollowme,Allāhwillloveyouandforgiveyouyoursins…’’’(al-Kāfī)Theauthorsays:WeshallexplainhowtheImāms’obedienceisoneandthe

samewith theobedienceof theProphetwhenwritingabout theverse:O youwho believe! obey Allāh and obey the Apostle and themasters of the affairsfromamongyou…(4:59)‘Abd ibnHamīdhasnarrated fromal-Hasan thathe said: ‘‘TheApostleof

Allāh(s.a.w.a.)said:‘Whoeverfeelsanaversiontomysunnah,heisnotfromme.’Thenherecitedthisverse:Say:‘IfyouloveAllāh, thenfollowme,Allāhwillloveyou…’’’(ad-Durru’l-manthūr)IthasbeennarratedbyIbnAbīHātim,AbūNa‘īm(inhisHilyatu’l-awliyā’)

and al-Hākim, from ‘Ā’ishah that she said: ‘‘The Apostle of Allāh (s.a.w.a.)said: ‘Polytheism is more undetectable than the crawling of an ant on a(smooth) rock in a dark night; and its least (grade) is that one should lovesomethingbecauseof(its)injusticeandshouldhatesomethingbecauseof(its)justice; andwhat is religion except loving and hating in the cause ofAllāh?Allāhhassaid:Say:‘‘IfyouloveAllāh,thenfollowme,Allāhwillloveyou…’’’’’(ibid.)Ahmad,AbūDāwūd,at-Tirmidhī,IbnMājah,IbnHabbānandal-Hākimhave

narrated throughAbūRāfi‘ fromtheProphet thathesaid: ‘‘I shouldnot findoneofyou,recliningonhiscouch,saying—whentherecomestohimoneofmycommands,inwhichIhaveorderedorprohibitedsomething—‘Wedonotunderstand(it);weshall follow(only)whatwefind in theBookofAllāh.’ ’’

(ibid.)*****

8ChapterTRANSLATIONOFTHEVERSES33—34

SurelyAllāh choseAdamandNuhand thedescendants of Ibrāhīmand the

descendantsof ‘Īmrānaboveall theworlds (33),Offspring,oneof theother;andAllāhisHearing,Knowing(34).

*****

COMMENTARY

Now begins the story of ‘Īsā, son ofMaryam,with all the related topics,

sifting the truth from the falsehoods that cover his life and personality; thechapterfurtheroffersclearargumentsagainstthePeopleoftheBook.Thetwoversesserveasthejoininglinkbetweenthecomingdiscourseabout‘Īsā(a.s.)andtheprecedingversesregardingthePeopleoftheBook.QUR’ĀN:SurelyAllāhchoseAdamandNūh…:Itwasexplainedunderthe

verse2:130(andmostcertainlyWechosehiminthisworld)that‘‘al-istifā’’’(ءآفطصالا )

meanstotakethechoicestpartofathing;topurifyathingfromallimpurities.It may be translated, for all practical purposes, as selection or choosing.Comparing it with various stagesof‘‘al-wilāyah’’ ( ةیالولا =friendshipofAllāh),wefindthatitfitsperfectlythestageof‘‘Islam’’,thatis,total surrenderof the servant to thewill of hisLord, being trulyhappywithwhat the Lord decrees forhim.But that ‘‘selection’’ is not what this verse implies. It does not say, Allāh

chose them from among the worlds. It says, He chose them ‘‘above all theworlds’’.‘‘Fromamongtheworlds’’wouldhaveimpliedthatonlytheywerethe Muslims; that the total surrender to the will of Allāh was exclusivelyreservedforthem.Obviously,suchaconnotationwouldbewrong.Theclauseusedintheverse,‘‘abovealltheworlds’’,hasgivenanewconnotationtotheselection, and shows that they were chosen and given excellence andprecedence over other people in some things exclusively given to them. Toappreciate the difference between the two selections, look at the verse 3:42which says:Andwhen theangels said: ‘‘OMaryam! surelyAllāhhas chosenyouandpurifiedyouandchosenyouabovethewomenoftheworlds’’,Clearlythefirstchoosingisrelatedtoherownvirtueswithoutlookingatanyoneelse,and the second implies a sense of comparison, exalting her over all otherwomen.FirstofthechosenoneswasAdam(a.s.).Hewasthefirsthumanvicegerent

ofAllāhappointedforthisearth,asAllāhsays:AndwhenyourLordsaidtotheangels,‘‘VerilyIamgoingtomakeintheearthavicegerent’’…(2:30);wasthefirst to open the door of repentance and Divine forgiveness, as Allāh says:

Then his Lord chose him, so He turned to him (i.e., with forgiveness) andguidedhim (20:122);andwas the firstof those forwhomAllāhordained thereligion,asHesays:SoiftherecomestoyouguidancefromMe,thenwhoeverfollowsMyguidance, he shall not goastraynorbeunhappy (20:123).Thesevirtuesexclusivelybelongtohim,andenougharetheyforone’sexcellence!ThentheversementionsNūh(a.s.).Hewas thefirstof thefiveulu’l-‘azm

apostleswhoweregivenaDivineBookandanewsharī‘ah,asweexplainedunder the verse:Mankind was but one people, so Allāh sent the prophets…(2:213).Also,hewasthesecondfatherofthehumanrace;andAllāhsentpeaceonhimintheworlds,saying:AndWemadehisoffspringthesurvivors.AndWeperpetuatedtohim(praise)amongthelatergenerations.PeacebeonNuhinalltheworlds(37:77—79).Then Allāh mentions the descendants of Ibrāhīm and the descendants of

‘Imrān among the chosen ones. ‘‘al-Āl’’ ( لآلا )of a man is someone closely related to him. ar-Rāghib says inhis Mufradātu ’l-Qur’ān:‘‘al-Āl:Itissaidthatitisanalteredformofal-ahl;yetitsdiminutive,al-uhayl ( لیهالا ) has got the ‘‘h’’ ( ه )restored; but it has the peculiarity that, unlikeal-ahl, it isalwaysannexed(ingenitiveconstruction) to thepropernamesofrationalbeings,andnottocommonnouns,placesoreras.Itissaid:ĀlofZayd;but notāl ofman, norāl of this place or that period.Also they do not, forexample,say,ālofthetailor;ratheritisalwaysannexedtoagreatandnoblepersonality, for example, āl of the Sultan, āl of Allāh. As for al-ahl, it isannexedtoalltypesofwords;forexample,theysay,ahlofAllāh,ahlof thetailor; likewise they say, ahl of this era, ahl of that town etc. (On the otherhand)somepeoplesaythatal-ālactuallymeansthenameofaperson;andthatits diminutive is uwayl لیوا ) );and it is used for someone who is very closely and personally related to aperson, either by close kinship or by love and attachment.’’Accordingly,ālofIbrāhīmandālof‘Imrānmeantheircloselyrelatedfamilymembersandthosewhowereexclusivelyattachedtothem.(Thatiswhywehavetranslatedthewordas‘descendants’.)Obviously,āl of Ibrāhīm should refer to all the purified ones among his

descendants, forexample, Ishāq, Israelandotherprophets from thehouseofIsrael as well as Ismā‘īl and his purified descendants, chief of whom wasMuhammad(mayAllāhblesshimandhisprogeny);and thosewhofollowedthemtovariousstagesofthefriendshipofAllāh.Buttheversethenmentions

āl of ‘Imrān, and it shows that āl of Ibrahim does not have such a wideconnotation.The said ‘Imrān is either the father ofMaryamor the father ofMūsā(a.s.),andinanycasehewashimselfadescendantofIbrāhīm(a.s.)andsowerehisdescendants;bymentioningthemseparately,ithasbeenmadeclearthat the phrase āl Ibrāhīm ( میهاربالا =the descendants of Ibrāhīm) refers to some, and not all, of his purifieddescendants.AllāhhassaidinanotherplaceintheQur ’ān:Ordotheyenvythepeoplefor

whatAllāhhasgiventhemofHisgrace?SoindeedWehavegiventoIbrāhīm’schildren (descendants) the Book and the wisdom, andWe have given them agrand kingdom (4:54). The context shows that this verse describes andcondemns the envy of the Israelites which they felt against Muh ammad(s.a.w.a.).Otherversestoosupportthisinterpretation.Anditmakesitclearthatthephrase, ‘‘descendantsof Ibrāhīm’’,doesnot includehere theIsraelites; inother words it has been used for Ibrāhīm’s descendants other than Ish āq,Ya‘qūb and the progeny of Ya‘qūb (who are generally called the Israelites).After excluding that branch, the only descendants to whom this phrase isapplicableareIsmā‘īlandhispurifieddescendants,includingtheProphetandhisprogeny.(Allāhwilling,weshalllaterprovethattheword,‘‘thepeople’’,usedintheverse4:54,referstotheProphet,andthatundoubtedlyheisoneofthe‘‘descendantsofIbrāhīm’’mentionedtherein.)Someotherversesalsosupport thisconnotation.Forexample:Mostsurely

thenearestofpeople toIbrāhīmare thosewhofollowedhimandthisProphetand thosewhobelieve;andAllāh is theguardianof thebelievers (3:68).AndwhenIbrāhīmandIsmā‘īlwereraisingthefoundationsoftheHouse:OurLord!acceptfromus;surelyThouarttheHearing,theKnowing;OurLord!andmakeusbothsubmissivetoTheeand(raise)fromouroffspringagroupsubmittingtoThee, and show us our ways of devotion and turn to us (mercifully), surelyThouarttheOftreturning(withmercy),theMerciful.OurLord!andraiseupinthem an Apostle from among themselves who shall recite to them Thycommunications and teach them the Book and the wisdom, and purify them;surelyThouarttheMighty,theWise(2:127—129).The phrase, the descendants of Ibrāhīm, therefore, refers to his offspring

fromthebranchofIsmā‘īl.It should be pointed out here that the verse in no way implies any

exclusiveness; it simply says that certain named prophets and familieswerechosenandgivenexcellenceoverthenations;itdoesnotsaythatotherswerenotchosenorexalted.Itfollowsthat:—1.There is no discrepancy between this verse (which is silent about the

excellence of Ibrāhīm (a.s.) himself, and of Mūsā (a.s.) and other Israeliteprophets) and numerous other verses which eulogize their virtues andexcellence.(TheQur ’ān,containsverymanysuchversesandthereisnoneedtoquotethemhere.)However,aswesaid,toaffirmonethingdoesnotmeantonegateorrejecttheothers.2.Likewise, there isnoconflictbetween thisverse and thosewhichbestow

similar excellence to the Children of Israel; for example:And certainly WegavetheBookandthewisdomandtheprophecytotheChildrenofIsrael,andWegavethemofthegoodlythings,andWemadethemexcelthenations(45:16).3.The fact that two prophets and two families were exalted and given

excellenceover thenations,doesnotmean thatotherscouldnotsimilarlybegiven excellenceover thenations; nor that someothers couldnot be exaltedandgivenexcellenceover thosealreadyexalted.Givingexcellence tooneorvariousgroups andnationsonly implies that theyweregivenprecedence, insomeworldlyorotherworldlyvirtue,overthosebelowthem.Itdoesnotsayanything on whether some others could be given excellence over them orwhethersomeotherstoocouldbeexaltedovertheworlds.4.They were chosen over all the worlds. This is not in conflict with the

concept that someamong themweremade toexcel theothers.Weknow thatAllāhchose theprophetsoverallotherpeople,butat thesame timeHegavesomeofthemmoreprestigethantheothers.Hesays:andeveryone(i.e.,oftheprophets)Wemadetoexceltheworld(6:87).AndagainHesays:andcertainlyWehavemadesomeoftheprophetstoexcelothers…(17:55).Nowwecometothe‘‘descendantsof‘Imrān’’:Apparentlythename,‘Imrān,

referstothefatherofMaryam.Thesetwoversesareimmediatelyfollowedbythe stories of the wife of ‘Imrān and their daughter, Maryam; moreover,‘Imrān, fatherofMaryam,hasbeen repeatedlymentionedbyhisname in theQur ’ān,while‘Imrān,fatherofMūsā,hasnotbeenmentionedevenonceinawayas tomakeitclear that itwashewhowas intended.All thissupports theviewthatheretoo‘ImrānreferstothefatherofMaryam;and‘‘āl‘Imrān’’( لا

نارمع =translatedhereasdescendantsof‘Imrān)referstoMaryamand‘Īsā(peacebeon both of them), alone or together with the wife of‘Imrān.Reportedly the Christians do not agree that Maryam’s father was called

‘Imrān:buttheQur ’ānisnotboundtocatertotheirviews.QUR’ĀN:Offspring, one from theother: It is said that ‘‘adhdhurriyyah’’ (ةیرذلا )

originallymeant small children: later themeaningwas extended to cover all

theoffspring.Itisthelattermeaningthatisimpliedinthisverse.Thewordisin the accusative because it has the force of an explanatoryconjunction.Theclause,‘‘onefromtheother ’’,showsthatifyoulookatanyoneofthe

group,itbeginsfrom,andreturnsto,theothers.Inotherwords,thewholeismadeofsimilarparts,onepartdoesnotdifferfromtheotherinitsattributesand qualifications. The clause, in the framework of its theme and context,impliesthatthesedescendantsdonotdifferfromoneanotherintheattributesofexcellence,andthatitisforthisreasonthatAllāhmadethemtoexcelovertheworlds;actionsofAllāharenotdonehaphazardlyoratrandom—surelysuchaselectioncannotbedonerecklessly,becauseitisthespring-headofsuchgoodthinginthisworld.QUR’ĀN:AndAllāh isHearing,Knowing:Allāh hears their speechwhich

shows their inner thoughts;Heknowswhat is in theirmindsandhearts.Thisconcludingsentencegivesthereasonwhytheywerechosen.Andtheprecedingclause, ‘‘Offspring,one from theother ’’, explainswhy thewholegroupwasconsideredworthy of thisDivine selection. The verse implies the followingconnotation:Allāhmadethemtoexceltheworlds;thatexcellenceandselectioncoveredthemall,becausetheywereagroup,eachofthembeingsimilartotheothers,intheirspiritualsublimity,surrenderofheartsandestablishedtruthofthewords;Allāh,bestowedthisexcellenceonthembecauseHeistheHearingandKnowing,Hehearswhattheysay,andknowswhatisintheirminds.

TRADITIONS

ar-Ridā (a.s.) had a talk with al-Ma’mūn; during which al-Ma’mūn said:

‘‘HasAllāhgiventheoffspring(oftheProphet—s.a.w.a.)excellenceoverallotherpeople?’’Abu’l-Hasan(ar-Ridā—a.s.)said:‘‘IndeedAllāhhasclearlydescribed,inHisdecisiveBook,theexcellenceofthe(said)offspringoverallthepeople.’’ al-Ma’mūnasked: ‘‘Where is it in theBookofAllāh?’’ ar-Ridā(a.s.)said:‘‘InHiswords:SurelyAllāhchoseAdamandNūhthedescendantsofIbrāhīm and the descendants of ‘Imrān above all the worlds; offspring, onefromtheother…’’(‘Uyūnu’l-akhbār)Ahmad ibn Muhammad narrates from ar-Ridā (a.s.) (who narrates) from

AbūJa‘far(a.s.)thathesaid:‘‘LiarishewhothinksthatHe(Allāh)isfinishedwith the (management of the) affairs, because the pleasure is of AllāhregardingHis creation;HewillswhatHe pleases and doeswhatHe pleases.Allāh has said: offspring, one from the other, and Allāh is the Hearing, theKnowing.Its(i.e.,theoffspring’s)lastisfromitsfirst,anditsfirstisfromitslast.Therefore,ifyouweretoldthatacertainthingwouldhappeninrespectofaparticularoffspring,andithappenedaboutanother(person)fromthesame(offspring),thenthethinghappenedexactlyasyouweretold.’’(al-‘Ayyāshī)Theauthor says: This tradition proves the explanationwritten earlier, of

theverse,‘‘offspring,onefromtheother ’’.al-Bāqir(a.s.)recitedthisverseandsaid:‘‘Wearefromthem,andwearethe

remnantofthatal-‘itrah( ةرتعلا =family).’’(ibid.)Theauthorsays:al-‘itrahactuallymeansthefoundation,theroot,thebasis

which a thing relies upon. That is why it is used for the children and nearrelatives of preceding generations. In other words, it refers to the verticalgenealogyofaperson.ItisbecauseofthissemanticvalueofthewordthattheImāmhastakenthe

clause(offspring,one from theother) to refer to a vertical geneological linebeginningwithAdam,andpassingthroughNūhtotheālofIbrāhīmandālof‘Imrān.ItalsoexplainswhyAllāhhasmentionedAdam(a.s.)andNūh(a.s.)withthe

twofamilies;itwasdonetoestablishanunbrokenchainofselectionrightfromthebeginningofthehumanracetoMuhammad(s.a.w.a.)andhispurifiedandsinlessprogeny.

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9ChapterTRANSLATIONOFTHEVERSES35—41

Whenthewomanof‘Imrānsaid:‘‘MyLord!surelyIvowtoTheewhatisin

mywomb,tobedevoted(toThyservice);acceptthereforefromme;surelyThouart theHearing, theKnowing’’(35).Sowhenshebroughther forth,shesaid:‘‘MyLord!surelyIhavebroughtitforthafemale’’—andAllāhknewbestwhatshebroughtforth,andthemaleisnotlikethefemale—‘‘andIhavenamedherMaryam, and I commend her and her offspring into Thy protection from theaccursedSatan’’ (36).SoherLordaccepted herwith a goodacceptanceandmadehergrowupagoodgrowing,andgaveherintothechargeofZakariyyā;wheneverZakariyyāenteredthesanctuaryto(see)her,hefoundwithherfood.Hesaid:‘‘OMaryam!whencecomesthistoyou?’’Shesaid:‘‘ItisfromAllāh.’’SurelyAllāhgivessustenancetowhomHepleases,withoutmeasure(37).TheredidZakariyyāpraytohisLord;hesaid:‘‘MyLord!grantmefromTheegoodoffspring;surelyThouarttheHearerofprayer’’(38).Thentheangelscalledtohimashestoodprayinginthesanctuary:‘‘ThatAllāhgivesyouthegoodnewsofYahyāverifyingawordfromAllah,andhonourableandchasteandaprophet,fromamongthegoodones’’(39)Hesaid:‘‘MyLord!Howshalltherebeason(born)tome,andoldagehasalreadycomeuponme,andmywifeisbarren?’’He said: ‘‘Even thus doesAllāhwhatHe pleases’’ (40)He said: ‘‘My Lord!appointasignforme.’’SaidHe:‘‘Yoursignisthatyouwouldnotspeaktomenforthreedaysexceptbysigns;andrememberyourLordmuchandglorifyHimintheeveningandthemorning’’(41).

*****

COMMENTARY

QUR’ĀN:Whenthewomanof‘Imrānsaid:‘‘MyLord!surelyIvowtoThee

whatisinmywomb,tobedevoted(toThyservice):acceptthereforefromme;surelyThouarttheHearing,theKnowing’’:When a man makes a ‘‘an-nadhr’’ ( رذنلا =

vow), he in effect binds himself to do something which hitherto was notcompulsory forhim.‘‘at-Tahrīr’’ ( ریرحتلا ) is to release from a

bond; that is why emancipation of slave is called‘‘at-tahrīr’’; the same word is used for writing, probably because writingreleasestheideasfromtherepositoryofmindandmemory. ‘‘at-Taqabbul’’ (

لبقتلا )is to accept willingly and gladly, for example, accepting a gift, accepting aprayer and soon.Thewords,‘‘Whenthewomanof‘Imrānsaid:‘MyLord!surelyIvowto

Theewhatisinmywomb,tobedevoted(toThyservice)’’’,clearlyshowthatshe made this vow during her pregnancy, and that she was pregnant from‘Imrān. It also implies that ‘Imrānwas not alive at that time; otherwise, shecould not make the vow so independently to release her child for Divineworship.Thesameideaisimpliedintheverse:…andyouwerenotwiththemwhentheycasttheirpens(todecide)whichofthemshouldhaveMaryaminhischarge…(3:44).Obviously, when the parents release the child, it does not mean that they

emancipate it from any slavery.What the said release amounts to is that thechild is freed fromthebondsofparentalguardianship; theparentsundertakenottotrainorusethechildfortheirownbenefit,nortodemandfromittheirvarious rights like obedience etc. Such a release liberates the child from theauthorityoftheparents.IfthechildhasbeenreleasedfortheserviceofAllāh,itistakenunderDivineprotectionandguardianship,anddevotesitstimetotheservice of Allāh, that is, serving in synagogues, churches and other placesreserved for Divineworship. This would continue upto the period the childwouldotherwisehaveremainedunderparentalguardianship.Reportedly theyused to release the child for the serviceofAllāh; theparentsdidnotuse thechildintheirwork,orfortheirbenefit.Hewasputinthesynagogue,tocleanit

andserveinit.Thiscontinuedtillhereachedtheageofpuberty; thenhewasfree to remain therein or to go away; if he decided to continue, he stayedtherein;andifhelikedtogoaway,hedidso.Theverseshowsthatshefirmlybelievedthechildinherwombtobeamale,

notafemale.ItisremarkablehowconfidentlyshemadethevowwithherLord,in full certainty,without attachinganyproviso; she said: ‘‘MyLord! surely Ivow toTheewhat is inmywomb, to be devoted (toThy service)’’,withoutsaying,forexample,‘ifheisamalechild’.Andsheusedthemasculineform‘‘muharraran’’ ( اررحم =released; translatedhere as,devoted) referring towhatwas inherwomb.Ofcourse,accordingtoitssyntacticalpositionitmaybeconstruedasshowingthestate of the relativepronoun‘‘mā’’( ام =what[isinmywomb]),whichmaybeusedforeithergender.Butundoubtedlyherchoiceofwordwasbasedonherbeliefthatshecarriedamalechildinherwomb.Otherwise,ifshehadtakenavowtoreleasewhatever.wasinherwomb,be

itaboyoragirl,shewouldnothaveshownsuchadisappointmentwhenshedeliveredagirl:‘‘MyLord!surelyIhavebroughtitforthafemale;’’norwasthere any reason for the Divine comment, ‘‘and the male is not like thefemale’’.One thing more. Allāh quotes (without any adverse comment) her words

showing her firm belief. It implies that her conviction was not without areason; nor was it based on her keen observations which give some suchindicationstoexperiencedwomen.Afterall,suchthingsaremereconjectures;andsurelyconjecturedoesnotavailagainstthetruthatall.AnditisahabitoftheQur ’ānthatwheneveritquotesafalseidea,itinvariablyalwayspointstoitsfalsehood.Allāhsays:Allāhknowswhateveryfemalebears,andthatofwhichthe wombs fall short of completion and that in which they increase (13:8);SurelyAllāhisHewithWhomistheknowledgeofthehour,andHesendsdowntherainandHeknowswhatisinthewombs(31:34).Theversesclearlysaythatthe knowledge of ‘‘what is in thewombs’’ is one of the unseen, exclusivelyreservedforAllāh.AndAllāhsays:TheKnoweroftheunseen!soHedoesnotrevealHissecretstoany,excepttohimwhomHechoosesofanapostle (72:26— 27). It means that others may know the unseen only through Divinerevelation. In this background, when Allāh quotes her as saying somethingconfidently about a subject exclusively reserved forAllāh, itmeans that herbelief, ( that shewas pregnant with amale child) was somehow based on aDivinerevelation.Thatiswhyshedidnotlosehopeofamalechildevenwhen

shefoundherownchildafemale;instead,sheagainsaidwithfullconvictionandcertainty:‘‘andIcommendherandheroffspringintoThyprotectionfromtheaccursedSatan’’.LookatherbeliefthatMaryamwouldhaveanoffspring—obviouslysuchacommendationwasbeyondherknowledge,ifnotbasedonrevelation.‘‘acceptthereforefromme’’:Shedidnotmentionobjectoftheverb‘‘accept’’.Possiblyitcouldbetheafore-mentionedvow,asitwasagooddeed;butmoreprobably,shewasbeseechingAllāhtoacceptherreleasedchild.Thewording of the next verse, ‘‘So her Lord accepted her with a goodacceptance’’,clearlysupportsthelattermeaning.QUR’ĀN:Sowhenshebroughtherforth,shesaid:‘‘MyLord!surelyIhave

brought it forth a female’’: By putting a feminine pronoun in ‘‘brought herforth’’, theQur ’āndidawaywith thenecessityofa longerdescription.Whatthis concise sentence actually stands for is this:When she brought forth thatwhichwasinherwombandcametoknowthatitwasafemale,shesaid:‘‘MyLord!Ihavebroughtitafemale.’’Thislastsentence,althoughaninformative,wasinfactanexclamationtoshowherdisappointment.QUR’ĀN:andAllāhknewbestwhatshebrought forth,and themale isnot

like the female: These are parenthetic sentences, and the speaker of both isAllāh,notthewomanof‘Imrān;eventhesecondsentenceisnotspokenbyher.ThereisnodoubtthatthefirstsentenceisasayingofAllāh,commentingon

hersorrowfulcry.Thewords,‘‘andAllāhknewbestwhatshebroughtforth’’,ineffectconveythefollowingidea:Allāhknewthatshehaddeliveredafemalechild;butHeintendedtofulfilthroughthisdaughterofhersallherhopesandexpectations, in a far betterway.Had thewife of ‘Imrān knowwhatAllāh’splans were in making her child a female, she would not have shown anysorrow and disappointment. As the later events showed, the male child shehoped for could not accomplish what Allāh intended this female child toachieve.Suppose,sheweregivenason,insteadofthedaughtershegot;whatcouldthatsonachieve?He,like‘Īsā,couldbemadeaprophet;hecouldgiveeyestotheblindandhealthelepers;hecouldraiseafewmenfromthedead.And thiswas the utmost he could do.But this female child,whichAllāh hasgiventothewifeof‘Imrān,willbeameanstocompletethewordofAllāh;shewill bring forth a son without a father; Allāh will make her and her sontogetherasignfor thepeople; thatsonwill talkwithpeople inhiscradle;hewill be a spirit and a word of Allāh; his likeness before Allāh will be likeAdam;andtherewillbemanymanifestsignsingivingthisdaughter,Maryam,to thewifeof ‘Imrānandgiving toMaryamason, ‘Īsā, rather thangivingasondirectlytoImrān’swife.Nowitshouldbeclearthatthewords,‘‘andthemaleisnotlikethefemale’’,

arespokenbyAllāh.Had theybeenutteredby thewifeof ‘Imrān,shewouldhavesaid, ‘and thefemale isnot like themale’;shewouldnothavereversedthesyntacticarrangementastheQur ’ānicsentencehasdone.Ifamanhopestogetaverygoodthingortobeawardedaveryhighstatus,andthenhegetsaninferiorthingoralowerrank,heregretfullysays;ThethingIgotisnotwhatIexpectedandhopedfor.Hewouldneversay:ThethingIhopedforisnotlikethatwhichIgot.Inviewoftheaboveexplanation,thedefinitearticlesin‘‘themale’’and‘‘the

female’’,(oratleastin‘‘thefemale’’)refertotheparticularsonanddaughterspokenabout;andthemeaningwouldbeasfollows:Themaleshehopedforisnotlikethefemaleshewasgiven.Many exegetes have taken the sentence, ‘‘and the male is not like the

female’’, tobeapartof thespeechof thewomanof ‘Imrān.Then theywerefaced with the difficulty of explaining its apparently reversed syntacticarrangement.Theyhavetriedwithoutsuccesstobringaboutsomeworthwhileexplanation.Anyinterestedreadershouldconsulttheirbooks.QUR’ĀN: and I have named her Maryam, and I commend her and her

offspringintoThyprotectionfromtheaccursedSatan:ItissaidthatMaryamintheirlanguagemeanstheworshipperandtheservant.1Inthatcase,itiseasytoseewhyshehastenedtonamethechildsoonafterdeliveryandmentionedthenametoAllāh.

1 Arabic Maryam is Miryām in Hebrew. According to the WestminsterDictionary of the Bible (by John D. Davis, revised and rewritten by HenrySnyder Gehman; ed. 1944) the root-word of Miryām signifies ‘‘obstinacy,rebellion’’, that is, opposite of the ‘‘reported meaning’’ of worship andservice.(tr.)Apparently,when she found out that the childwas not amale (who could

easily be released for worship of Allāh and service of the synagogue), shehastenedtogivethechildthename,Maryam—thusdedicatingherforthesaidworship and service. Thewords, ‘‘and I have named herMaryam’’, impliedthat shehaddedicated that femalechild to theworshipofAllāhand releasedher for the synagogue’s service.Thewordswere ineffect a sortof renewedvow,andthatiswhyAllāhacceptedherofferinginthesewords:‘‘SoherLordacceptedherwithagoodacceptanceandmadehergrowupagoodgrowing’’.Thereafter,shecommendedMaryamandheroffspringtotheprotectionof

Allāh from the accursed Satan, in order that she might dedicate herself forDivineworshipandremaindevotedtotheserviceofthesynagogue,inaway

thatthenamemighttrulyrepresentthenamed.SheconfidentlytalkswithAllāhabouttheoffspringofMaryam,withoutany

condition or proviso. Suchwords cannot be spoken in presence ofAllāh bysomeonewhoknowsnothingofthefuture.WhatthefutureholdsforamanisapartoftheunseenanditsknowledgeisreservedforAllāh.However,shetalkshere in the same assuredway as she didwhen shemade the vow first: ‘‘MyLord! surely I vow to Thee what is in my womb, to be devoted… ’’ Thisconfidenceshowsthatshehadtheknowledgethatshewouldgetfrom‘Imrānasonofgood faithanddeed;when shebecamepregnant and ‘Imrāndied, shebecame absolutely sure that what she carried in her womb was the samepromised son; when she delivered a daughter and became aware of hermistaken guess, she at once understood that that promise would be fulfilledthrough that daughter, that shewould get that son from the offspring of thatdaughter.Assoonas she realized this fact, she transferredhervowfrom thesonshehopedfor to thedaughtershewasgiven,named itMaryam(i.e.,onewho worships and serves), and entrusted her and her offspring to theprotectionofAllāhagainsttheaccursedSatan.All these aspects of the story may be understood frommeditation on the

wordsofAllāh.QUR’ĀN:SoherLordacceptedherwithagoodacceptanceandmadeher

grow up a good growing: ‘‘al-Qubūl’’ ( = لوبقلا acceptance),conjoined by the adjective ‘‘hasan’’ ( نسح =good), gives exactly the same meaning as‘‘at-taqabbul’’ ( لبقتلا =toacceptwillinglyandgladly).ThenwhydidAllāhchoosethreewords,‘‘withgoodacceptance’’,inplaceofone,‘‘gladly’’or‘‘gracefully’’?Itwastoshowthatgoodnessofacceptancewasthemainthemeofthetalk;andalsobecauseclear mention of ‘‘good acceptance’’ was more ennobling and moreedifying.Maryam’s mother had used two sentences in her invocation: ‘‘and I have

namedherMaryamandIcommendherandheroffspringtoThyprotection…’’ The two sentences (in answer to her call) run parallel to them. It is thenreasonabletobelievethatthefirstsentence,‘‘SoherLordacceptedherwithagood acceptance’’ is a response to her words, ‘‘and I have named herMaryam’’;andthesecondsentence,‘‘andmadehergrowupagoodgrowing’’,isthefulfilmentofhersecondplea,‘‘andIcommendherandheroffspringtoThy protection from the accursed Satan’’. Obviously, accepting a goodacceptancedoesnotrefertoacceptingthevowof‘Imrān’swifeandtogivinghertherewardinthenextlifeforthatgooddeedofhers;inotherwords,itwas

Maryamwhowasaccepted,notthevow.Maryamwasaccepted,asshegrewuptobeasincereworshipperofAllāh

andwas freed toserve thesanctuary. In this light, theacceptance implies thatshewaschosenforthispurposebyAllāh.(Wehavealreadyexplainedthatthisselectionimpliesthechosenone’stotal

surrendertoAllāh.)The words, ‘‘and made her grow up a good growing’’, mean that Allāh

bestowed on her and her offspring guidance and sanctity, and gave them apurifiedlifefreefromthewhisperingsofSatan,untouchedbyhismisleadingsuggestions.Thatiswhatiscalled‘‘cleanliness’’,inthelanguageofIslam.These two aspects, that is, good acceptance and good growing— which

ultimately mean her being chosen and purified, respectively— have beenreferred to in a forthcoming verse:Andwhen the angels said: ‘‘OMaryam!surelyAllāhhaschosenyouabovethewomenoftheworlds’’ (3:42).Weshallfurtherexplainthistopicunderthatverse,Allāhwilling.Theabovediscoursemakesitclearthatitwasinanswertohermother ’scall

thatMaryamwaschosenandpurified.Likewise,thefactthatshetogetherwithher son was made a sign for the nations, was a verification of the Divinewords,‘‘andthemaleisnotlikethefemale’’.QUR’ĀN: and gave her into the charge of Zakariyyā: Zakariyyā got her

chargebecausehisnamecameoutinthelotthatwasdrawn.Theyhaddisputedamong themselves to get the privilege of her custody; then they agreed todecide it by a lot inwhichZakariyyā’snamewasdrawn.Allāh refers to thisepisodewhenHesays:…andyouwerenotwiththemwhentheycasttheirpens(todecide)whichofthemshouldhaveMaryaminhischarge,andyouwerenotwiththemwhentheycontendedonewithanother(3:44).QUR’ĀN:wheneverZakariyyāentered thesanctuary to (see)her, he found

with her food … : ‘‘al-Mihrāb’’ ( بارحملا )means a place in mosque or house, reserved for worship. ar-Rāghib hassaid:‘‘Mihrāb (i.e., niche) of the mosque: It is said that it was given this namebecauseitistheplacewhereonefightsagainstSatanandhisdesires.Otherssaythatitisbecauseonceamanentersit,itishisdutytobeal-harīb

( بیرحلا = wrested away) fromworldly deeds andwandering thoughts. Someothershave said that originally the foremostportionof the sittingplacewascalledmihrābof thehouse;whenthemosqueswerebuilt, their foremostpartwas given the same name,mihrāb. Yet others say that thewordmihrāb wasoriginallyusedforthenicheofthemosque,asitisitsmostimportantportion;then the foremost part of a house was also given this name, inasmuch as it

resembles the mosque’s niche; and probably this (explanation) is morecorrect.Allāhhas said:Theymade forhimwhathepleasedof fortressesandimages…’’Some scholars have said that the word ‘‘mihrāb’’ here refers to what the

PeopleoftheBookcallaltar;anditisaclosestinfrontofthesynagogue,ithasadoor, to reachwhichonehas toascenda fewsteps;anyone inside remainshiddenfromotherspresentinthesynagogue.Theauthor says: In Islamicworld the recess (reserved for the leader of

prayers)inamosqueowesitsorigintothat.‘‘Rizqan’’ ( اقزر = food) in theclause, ‘‘he foundwithher food’’,has been

usedasacommonnoun,implyingthatitwasanunexpectedandunusualfood.It has been said that he used to find with her the fruits of the winter in thesummerandthoseofthesummerinthewinter.Thecommonnounmaybeinterpreteddifferentlyifwelookattheclausein

isolation. Itmaybe said that the foodwas not of unusual kind, yet theword‘‘food’’, is used as a common noun to show that Maryam’s sanctuary wasnever without some kind of food; whenever Zakariyyā went to see her, healways found some foodwith her.But such an interpretation does not agreewiththecontext.Hadthefoodbeenoftheusualkind,Zakariyyācouldnotbesatisfied by the reply that it was from Allāh and Allāh gives sustenance towhom He pleases without measure. Such a reply in that context would notremovethepossibilitythatsomeonefromthepeopleofthesynagoguevisitedher,eitherwithgoodintentionorbad.Moreover,thewords‘‘TheredidZakariyyāpraytohisLord…’’showthat

Zakariyyā thought the presence of that sustenance to be a miraculous eventwhichcouldonlybeattributedtoAllāh.Thatiswhyhefeltirresistibleurgetocall onAllāh to grant himagoodoffspring fromHimself. Itmeans that thesustenancewasofsuchunusualtypeastoshowthehonourofMaryambeforeAllāh.Thesentence,‘‘Hesaid:‘OMaryam!whencecomesthis…’’’,alsoproves

it.Thissentencecomesafterthewords‘‘hefoundwithherfood’’;yetthetwosentences are not joined by any conjunctive. Itmeans that he did not ask thequestionmorethanonce.Whenshegavethereplyandhewasconvincedofherprestige in theeyesofAllāh,hefelt itwas the time topray toAllāh togranthimtooanunusualprayerandgivehimagoodoffspringinhisoldage.QUR’ĀN:TheredidZakariyyāpray tohisLord;hesaid: ‘‘MyLord!grant

me from Thee good offspring … ’’: A thing is good at-tayyib ( بیطلا ),ifitissuitableforthepurposeitisrequiredfor.Agoodlandissuitableforitsinhabitantsinitswater,atmosphere,climateandothernecessitiesoflife.Allāh

says:And as for the good land, its vegetation springs forth (abundantly) by thepermissionofitsLord(7:58).Agoodlifeistheonewhosevariousaspectsareinharmonywitheachotherandgivesatisfactiontothemanconcerned.Bythesamereason,agoodperfumeiscalledat-tīb( بیطلا .)Accordingly, a good offspringwouldmean a childwho, in his attributes,

qualitiesandactivities,wouldfulfilthehopes,andsatisfytheambitionsofhisfather.Zakariyyā(a.s.)prayedtoAllāh:‘‘MyLord!grantmefromTheegoodoffspring.’’IthappenedwhenhesawthegraceofAllāhonMaryamandfoundouthowgreatherprestigewasbefore theLord.Hewas sooverwhelmedbythatexperience thathecouldnot refrain frompraying toAllāh tobestowonhimtooasimilarbounty.Impliedintheadjective‘‘good’’wasapleathatthesaid offspring should possess a personality much like that of Maryam, andshouldbegrantedasimilarprestigeandhonourbeforeAllāh.Hewasthenandtheregrantedallthathehadaskedfor.Allāhgavehimason,Yahyā—theprophetmostsimilar to‘Īsā(peacebe

onboth);hewasgivenallthequalitiesofperfectionandexcellencewhich‘Īsāand his Truthful mother, Maryam, were granted. It was for this reason thatAllāhnamedhimYahyā,andsenthimtoverifyaWordfromAllāh,andmadehimhonourableandchasteaswellasaprophet, fromamong thegoodones.As will be explained later, it was the nearest that any man could resembleMaryamandherson‘Īsā,peacebeonthemall.QUR’ĀN: Then the angels called to him as he stood praying in the

sanctuary:‘‘ThatAllāhgivesyouthegoodnewsofYahyā…’’:Thethirdandsecond person pronouns refer to Zakariyyā. al-Bushrā ( يرشبلا ), al-ibshār (

راشبالا ) and at-tabshīr ( ریشبتلا ),allhavethesamemeaning:Togivegoodnews,tobringgoodtidingsofwhatwould make the recipienthappy.‘‘AllāhgivesyougoodnewsofYahyā’’.ItshowsthatitwasAllāhwhogave

him the name, Yahyā; some verses in Chapter 19 also indicate the same:OZakariyyā!surelyWegiveyougoodnewsofaboywhosenameshallbeYahyā(19:7).Thename,Yah yā,anditsbestowalfromAllāhattheverybeginningofthe

goodtidings(beforehisbirthandevenconception),supportwhatwehavesaidabove,thatZakariyyāhadaskedhisLordtogivehimachildwithaprestigeinDivine presence similar to that enjoyed by Maryam. She and her son, ‘Īsā(peacebeonthem),werejointlyasignofAllāh,asHesays:andWemadeherandhersonasignforthenations(21:91).

Allāh therefore gaveYahyā, to the utmost possible extent, all the qualitiesandattributesgiven toMaryamand ‘Īsā.TheattributesofMaryamhad fullyblossomed in ‘Īsā; andYahyāwasmade to resemble ‘Īsā as completely andperfectly as was possible. Yet ‘Īsā had precedence of Yah yā, because hiscreationandbirthwasfirmlydecreedlongbeforetheprayerofZakariyyāforYahyāwasaccepted.That iswhy ‘Īsāwasgiven superiorityoverYahyā, andmadeanulu’l-‘azmapostle,bringinganewsharī‘ahandanewBook.Apartfrom such necessary dissimilarities,Yahyā and ‘Īsā resembled each other tothemaximumpossibleextent.For a glimpse of this similarity, look at the stories of Yahyā and ‘Īsā as

narratedinChapter19(Maryam).About Yahyā (a.s.):O Zakariyyā! surely We give you good news of a boy

whosenameshallbeYahyā:Wehavenotmadebeforeanyonehisnamesake…O Yah yā! take hold of the Book with strength; and We granted him wisdomwhile yet a child, and tenderness from Us and purity, and he was one whoguarded (against evil), and dutiful to his parents, and he was not insolent,disobedient.Andpeaceonhimonthedayhewasborn,andonthedayhedies,andonthedayheisraisedtolife(19:7,12—15).Now, compare itwithwhat has immediatelybeen said about ‘Īsā (a.s.):So

shetookacurtain(toscreenherself)fromthem;thenWesenttoherOurspirit,and there appeared to her a well-made man… . He said: ‘‘I am only amessengerof yourLord:That Igiveyouapureboy.’’…He said: ‘‘Even so;yourLordsays:‘ItiseasytoMeandthatWemaymakehimasigntomenandamercyfromUs’’’;…Butshepointedtohim.Theysaid:‘‘Howshouldwespeaktoonewhoisachildinthecradle?’’Hesaid:‘‘SurelyIamaservantofAllāh;HehasgivenmetheBookandmademeaprophet;andHehasmademeblessedwherever Imaybe,andHehasenjoinedonmeprayerandzakātas longas Ilive;anddutifultomymother,andHehasnotmademeinsolent,unblessed;andpeaceonmeonthedayIwasborn,andonthedayIdie,andonthedayIamraisedtolife’’(19:17—21,29—33).Theversesofthischaptertoopointtothissimilarityofthetwoprophets.Allāh named him Yahyā1; and the son of Maryam was called ‘Īsā which

reportedlymeansya‘īsh ( شیعی =he lives)2;Yahyāwassent toverifyaWordfromAllāh,thatis,‘Īsā,asAllāhsays:…aWordfromHimwhosenameistheMessiah, ‘Īsā son of Maryam (3:45); Yahyā too, just like ‘Īsā, was givenwisdomandtaughttheBookwhileyetachild;hetooispraised,like‘Īsā,tobeatendernessfromAllāhandpurity,andtobedutifultohisparents,notinsolentordisobedient;alsomuchlike‘Īsāpeacewassenttohimonthreejuncturesof

hisexistence.Also,AllāhmadeYahyāhonourableas‘Īsāwasmadeworthyofregard;andhewasmadechasteandaprophet,fromamongthegoodones,as‘Īsāwas.AllthiswasinanswertotheprayerofZakariyyā,whenheaskedforagoodoffspring,tobehisheir,andwithwhomAllāhwouldbewellpleased.Asexplained earlier, he had prayed to Allāh to his effect when he wasoverwhelmed by what he saw of the distinction and excellence of MaryambeforeAllāh.‘‘verifyingaWord fromAllāh’’: It shows thathewasaharbingerof ‘Īsā;

‘‘Word’’ in this context refers to ‘Īsā, as theverse3:45 (quoted above) saysthatMaryamwasgivengoodnewsofaWordfromAllāh.‘‘honourable’’:‘‘as-Sayyid’’( دیسلا =chief,headofcommunity);theonewho

managesthepeople’saffairsrelatedtotheirlivesandlivelihoodorconcerningasociallyacceptedvirtue;subsequently,itwasusedwithincreasingfrequency,for honorable and noble, inasmuch as the above-mentioned management ofaffairsentailshonourandexcellence—emanatingfromhisauthority,wealthorothersuchvirtues.

1Yahyā=Helives.2‘Īsā:InHebrewitisYèshūa‘;itisalaterform,byvoweldissimilation,of

Yòshūa‘ (Yūsha‘ عشویin Arabic, and Joshua in Latin), which in its turn was a contracted form ofYehòshūa‘. Itsmeaning:Yahwah, that isGod, is salvation, orYahwah saves.SeeDictionaryofProperNamesandPlacesintheBible,publishedbyRobertHale,London, 1982;EncyclopedicDictionary of theBible, published byMcGraw-HillBookCo.Inc.,1963.(tr.) ‘‘chaste’’: ‘‘al-Husūr’’ ( روصحلا = one who abstains from women). In the

presentcontextitsignifiesamanwhototallyabstainsfromwomenbecauseheforsakesalltheworldlydesires,andleadsalifeofasceticismandself-denial.QUR’ĀN:Hesaid:‘‘MyLord!howshalltherebeason(born)tome,andold

age has already come upon me and my wife is barren?’’: The question is amirror of the awe and the wonder which overwhelmed Zakariyyā when heheardthegoodnews;hewantedtoascertainhowandwhenthispromisewouldbe fulfilled. Innowaydoes thisquestion imply thathe thought itunlikely tohappen,ortoogreataboontocomehisway.Howcouldheharbouranydoubtabout itwhen hewas clearly told thatAllāhwould give him the son he hadaskedfor?Moreover,hehadalreadymentioned these twofactors (whicharethe basis of this question) in his invocation, as Allāh quotes him as saying:

‘‘MyLord! surelymybonesareweakenedandmyhead flareswithhoariness,and,myLord!neverhaveIbeenunsuccessfulinmyprayertoThee:andsurelyIfear my relatives after me; and my wife is barren; therefore grant me fromThyselfanheir…’’(19:4—5).Furthermore, the question reflects on an interesting psychological—nay,

spiritual — ecstasy experienced by Zakariyyā. No sooner did he look atMaryam and the grace of Allāh she enjoyed than he was transported to theplane of ecstasy and felt himself overwhelmed by Divine Mercy and love;whileinthatstate,heaskedfromhisLordforagoodchild,andmentionedinthatprayer thebasicfactors—hisownoldageandhiswife’sbarrenness—which had contributed to that sorrowful and pitiable condition. When hisprayerwasgrantedandhewasgiventhegoodnewsofason,itwasasthoughhewokeupfromthattrance;thenhebeganexpressinghisjoyfulastonishmentonsuchamarvellousphenomenon—Oh!WouldIbegetason,inspiteofmyoldage,eventhoughmywifeisbarren!Thesamefactorswhichinthepasthadcausedhimsorrowanddistress,now

enhancedhishappinessandjoy.We may also look at this episode in the following light. Zakariyyā was

assuredthathisprayerhadbeenaccepted;thereuponhestartedmentioningonesnagaftertheother.Actually,hewantedtoascertainastohoweachhindrancewouldbeovercome,howeachsnagwouldberemoved.Helikedtoknowallthe particulars concerning that Divine Grace, in order that his enjoymentwould be complete and his happiness perfect. We find the same emotionsshownbyIbrāhīmwhenhewasgivenasimilargoodtidings:AndinformthemoftheguestsofIbrāhīm:Whentheyentereduponhim,theysaid,‘‘Peace’’.Hesaid:‘‘Surelyweareafraidofyou.’’Theysaid:‘‘Benotafraid,surelywegiveyouthegoodnewsofaboypossessingknowledge.’’Hesaid:‘‘Doyougivemegoodnews(ofason)whenoldagehascomeuponme?—Ofwhatthendoyougivemegoodnews!’’Theysaid:‘‘Wegiveyougoodnewswithtruth;thereforebenotofthedespairing.’’Hesaid:‘‘AndwhodespairsofthemercyofhisLordbuttheerringones?’’(15:51—56)Whentheangelstoldhimnottodespair,he made it clear that his question had not emanated from any despair; howcould it be so, when despairing from the mercy of Allāh was an error, astraying,andhewasnotanerringorstrayingservant?Theangelsmustsurelyknowthatwhenamasterturnswithmercytoaslaveinawayastobringtheslave nearer to himself, to raise him in rank, and exalt him in prestige, theslave feels so exhilarated, so overjoyed, that he yearns to hear thosewordsoverandoveragain,repeatedlygoingintoall itsdetails, joyouslylookingatallitsaspects!

Onemayeasily see thegoodmannersof thepurified servantsofAllāh, ifone reflects on thewords, ‘‘and old age has already come uponme’’.WhatZakariyyāalludedtowasthefactthathehadbecometoooldtohaveability,orevendesire, toperformsexualact;as forhiswife,shesufferedfromdoubleimpediment: Old age and barrenness. The clause, ‘‘my wife is barren’’, isexpressed,in19:8,inawayastomean,mywifehadbeenbarren.Itsignifiesthatshehadnotbecomeunabletobearchildrenbecauseoftheadvancedage;thatshewasbarrenfromtheverybeginning.QUR’ĀN:He said: ‘‘Even so; Allāh does what He pleases.’’: The actual

replierisAllāh—eitherdirectlyorthroughtheagencyoftheangelswhohadcalled to Zakariyyā. But apparently the pronoun in ‘‘He said’’ refers to theangel;hewas the sayer, although the saying is attributable toAllāhas itwasconveyed toZakariyyā byHis command.This interpretation is supported bytheverse:He(i.e.,theSpirit)said:‘‘Soshallitbe;yourLordsays:‘ItiseasytoMe,andindeedIcreatedyoubefore,whenyouwerenothing.’’’(19:9)Theabovediscourseshowsthat:First: Zakariyyā heard that voice from the same placewhence he used to

heartheangel’svoicebefore.Second:‘‘Evenso’’ispredicateofadeletedsubject; thecompletedsubject

would be something like this: The matter is even so. It emphasizes that theDivineGrace,ofwhichhewasgiventhegoodnews,wascertaintoappear;itwas a firmly decreed matter which would surely take place. This reply issimilartotheonegivenbythespirittoMaryam:Hesaid.‘‘Evenso;yourLordsays:‘ItiseasytoMe;…anditisamatterwhichhasbeendecreed.’’’(19:21)Third: ‘‘AllāhdoeswhatHepleases’’: It isaseparatesentence,explaining

thereasonofthepreceding‘‘Evenso’’.QUR’ĀN:Hesaid:‘‘MyLord!appointasignforme.’’SaidHe:‘‘Yoursign

is that youwould not speak tomen for three days except by signs;… in theeveningandthemorning’’:ItiswritteninMajma‘u’l-bayān:‘‘ar-Ramz’’( زمرلا)is to make signs with the lips; sometimes it is used for gesturing witheyebrows, eyes and/or hands; but mostly it is used in the firstmeaning.’’al-‘Ashiyy( شعلای =evening)indicatestheendportionoftheday;probablyit

is derived from al-‘ashwah ( ةوشعلا =dim-sightedness);theeveningtimewasgiventhisnamebecauseitmergesintothe darkness of the night and thus affects theeyesight.‘‘al-Ibkār’’ ( راكبالا =

early morning); originally it meant to make haste, to comeearly.The verse throws light on yet another similarity between Yahyā and ‘Īsā.

Compareitwiththeadvicewhich‘Īsāgavetohismothersoonafterhisbirth:Then if you see anyman, say: ‘‘Surely I have vowed a fast to theBeneficentAllāh,soIshallnotspeaktoanymantoday.’’(19:26)ZakariyyāaskedhisLord toappoint a sign forhim.Sign is a symbol that

pointstoanotherthingoridea.Thereisadifferenceofopinionregardingthepurposebehindthisprayer:Didhewanttoascertain,withthehelpofthesign,thatthegoodnewswasreallyfromAllāh;thatitwasanangelic(oraDivine)speech, and not a satanic voice?Or, was it to know the timewhen his wifewouldbepregnant,sothathemightbesureoftheconception?Thecontextandtheframeworkofthestorydoesnotagreeverymuchwith

thesecondview.Yettheexegetesarereluctanttoacceptthefirstinterpretation.They are not inclined to say that Zakariyyāwanted to be sure of theDivineOriginof thatmessage.Theprophetsweresinlessandprotectedfromerrorsand mistakes; as such they knew perfectly well the difference between theangelicinspirationandthesatanicwhispering;theSatancouldnotinterfereintheir affairs, nor could he confuse them in away as to cast doubt about theDivinerevelationsenttothem.Thisobservation iscorrect as faras itgoes.But it shouldbe remembered

that theyknewthatdifferencenotbythemselves,butbecauseAllāhhadgiventhem that knowledge. If so, then what objection can be raised if Zakariyyāprayed to Allāh to appoint for him a sign to help him ascertain the DivineOrigin of that news? Of course, this objection could be entertained had hisprayerbeenrejected—hadAllāhrefusedtoappointforhimasignashehadaskedfor.The appointed sign itself—not being able to talk to the people for three

days— supports (nay, proves) the first view. Utmost that the Satan can doagainsttheprophetsistotouchthemwithsomeailmentsintheirbodies;toputhindrance in their mission; to sabotage their efforts; to mislead the peopleawayfromthepropheticpath;andtoencourageandstrengthentheirenemies.Allāhsays:AndrememberOur servantAyyūb,whenhecalleduponhisLord:‘‘The Satan has afflictedmewith toil and torment’’ (38:41);AndWe did notsendbeforeyouanyapostleorprophet,butwhenhedesired,theSatanmadeasuggestionrespectinghisdesire;butAllāhannuls thatwhich theSatancasts,thendoesAllāhestablishHiscommunications…(22:52).‘‘…thenIforgotthefish,andnothingmademeforgettospeakofitbuttheSatan…’’(18:63).Butsuchtouchesandafflictionsdonotgobeyondannoyingordiscomfortingthe

prophetconcerned.ButtheSatancannevergetanypoweroverthepersonoftheprophetsthemselves;theyareprotectedfromit.(Inpreviousdiscussionswehaveprovedthe‘ismahof theprophets.)Nowwecometothepresentsubjectmatter. It was the sign appointed by Allāh for Zakariyyā that he would notspeaktothepeopleforthreedays;hewouldremaintongue-tiedforallkindsofspeechesexceptfortheremembranceofAllāhandHisglorification.‘‘SaidHe:‘Yoursignisthatyouwouldnotspeaktomenforthreedaysexceptbysigns;and remember your Lord much and glorify Him in the evening and themorning.’’’ItwasasignthataffectedZakariyyā’spersonitselfandmadehimtongue-tied. Itwas such an effect aswas absolutely beyond the power of theSatan,becauseZakariyyāwasprotectedbyDivine‘ismah.Thiswas,therefore,asuresignthatitwasaffectedbyAllāh,andnotbytheSatan.Andsuchasignismoreinaccordwiththefirstviewthanthesecond.Question:Itwillbedifficult, ifwetakethefirstview,toexplaintheverse,

‘‘Hesaid: ‘MyLord!howshall therebeason(born) tome,andoldagehasalreadycomeuponme,andmywifeisbarren?’Hesaid:‘Evenso;AllāhdoeswhatHepleases.’’’ThisverseclearlysaysthathespoketohisLordandaskedHim what he wanted to ask, and got an answer to his enquiry. Now, if heharbouredanydoubtconcerningthegenuinenessofthevoice,thenwhyallthisdialogue?Andifhehadnodoubt,thenwhythisdemandtobegivenasign?Reply: Certainty and belief have many grades, varying in the degrees of

intensity.Possibly,ZakariyyāwassurefromtheverybeginningthatitwasanangelicvoicebythecommandoftheBeneficentAllāh;thenheaskedhisLordconcerningthedetailsofthebirthofhispromisedson,becauseitwasatrulyawe-inspiring phenomenon, and again he heard the angel’s voice answeringhisquestionandwasagainsureofitsgenuineness;thenheprayedtohisLordto appoint for him a sign in order that his certainty— that it was aDivinecommunication—shouldreachthedegreeoftranquillity.The clause, ‘‘Then the angels called to him’’, supports this interpretation.

an-Nidā’ ( ءآدنلا )means tocall fromadistance.That iswhy it isgenerallyusedforashout,aloudutterance—wecannot speak fromadistanceexcept ina loudvoice—althoughloudnessisnotapartofitsmeaning.Forexample,Allāhreferstotheprayer of Zakariyyā in thesewords:Whencalledhe(nādā= يدان )untohisLordinalowvoice(nidā’ankhafiyyan= 19:3 ) ( ایفخءآدن ).His prayer was termed as a call from a distance — the distance being thespiritual one between Zakariyyā’s humility and modesty and the Divine

sublimity,mightandgrandeur;otherwise,itcouldnotbedescribedas‘‘alowvoice’’. Anyhow, ‘‘the angels called to him’’ may be taken to mean thatZakariyyāhadonlyheardthevoicesoftheangelswithoutsettinghiseyesonthem. (And therefore. he decided to ask for asign.)Anexegetehaswritten:‘‘ThatAllāhgavehimasignofnotspeaking,means

thatAllāhforbadehimtospeaktothepeopleforthreedays;hewastoremainsilentandspendthestipulatedtimeinremembranceandglorificationofAllāh;itdoesnotmeanthathebecametongue-tiedandcouldnotspeaktothepeopleatall…ThefactisthatZakariyyā,beingahumanbeing,wantedtoknowtheexact time when the conception would take place, in order that he himselfmightfeeltranquillityandcouldalsoinformhiswifeofthegreatevent.Thatiswhyheaskedwhatheasked.Whenhisquestionwasanswered,hecalleduponAllāh toprescribe forhima specialprayer (inorder thathemighthasten toshowhisgratitudetoAllāh),whichwouldterminateinfulfilmentofhishope.Inotherwords,theendofthatperiodofthanks-givingwouldindicatethatthetimeofconceptionhadarrived.Thereupon,Allāhtoldhimnottospeaktothepeopleforthreedays,devotingallthattimeinremembranceandglorificationofAllāh; if therearoseaneed to talkwithsomeone,hewas tocommunicatewithhiminsignsonly.Whentheappointedthreedayspassed,itwouldbethetimetoconveythegoodnewstohiswife.’’Comment:Clearly,notraceofthisimaginarynarrativecanbefoundinthe

verses.TheQur ’ānhasnowherementioned—eitherdirectlyorindirectly—anysuchstory.Thesaidwriterhasgivenfreerein tohisfancywhenhesaysthat Zakariyyā asked for a special regimen ofworship in order to offer histhanks to Allāh, that the end of that worship period was to lead to theconception,thattheterminationofthattimewasasignforthebeginningofthepregnancy, that thewords, ‘‘youwouldnot speak tomen’’,wereanorder tohimnottospeak,andthathewantedtoconvey,attheendofthestipulatedtimethegoodnewstohiswife.

ANGELICINSPIRATIONANDSATANICWHISPERING:THESPEECHOFALLĀH

Wehaverepeatedlymentioned thatwhenaword ismadeforameaning, it

actuallylooksatthemainpurposebehindthatmeaning.Thewords,‘‘talk’’and‘‘speech’’,refertovoice,becausevoiceconveystheideaofthespeakertothehearer.Therefore,whateverconveysthatideamaybecalledatalkorspeech.Itmaybeavoiceoracombinationofseveralvoices;infact,itmaynothaveanysoundatall,asforexample, is thecasewithsignlanguageandsymbols.Ifasirenconveysacompleteidea,itmaybecalledaspeech,eventhoughitisnotuttered by mouth. Likewise, people use the word, ‘‘speech’’, for signs andsymbolsalthoughnosoundisinvolvedinthem.It isfor thisreasonthat theQur ’ānuses thewords,‘‘speech’’and ‘‘talk’’,

fortheideascreatedinman’smindbytheSatan.AllāhnarratestheclaimoftheSatan:Andmostcertainly Iwill…bid themso that theyshall slit theearsof the

cattle, and most certainly I will bid them so that they shall alter Allāh’screation…(4:119)Also,Hesays:LiketheSatanwhenhesaystoman:‘‘Disbelieve’’,butwhenhedisbelieves,

hesays:‘‘Iamsurelyclearofyou…’’(59:16)…theslinking(Satan)whowhispersintotheheartsofmen…(114:5)…theSatans fromamongmenand jinn,someof themsuggesting toothers

varnishedfalsehoodtodeceive(them)…(6:112)AndtheSatanshallsay…:‘‘SurelyAllāhpromisedyouthepromiseoftruth,

andIgaveyoupromisesthenfailedtokeepthemtoyou…’’(14:22)Satanthreatensyouwithpovertyandenjoinsyoutoabomination,andAllāh

promises you forgiveness from Himself and abundance; and Allāh is Ample-giving, All-knowing. He grants wisdom to whomHe pleases, and whoever isgrantedwisdom,heindeedisgivenagreatgood.(2:268—269)Clearly, these misleading ideas, coming into a man’s mind, have been

ascribed to the Satan, and have been called his bid, order, talk, whispering,suggestion,promiseandthreat;allthesearevariousmodesofspeechandtalk,althoughtheSatandoesnotutterthembymouth,nordoesthemanhearthembyhisears.ThelastquotedversementionsthepromiseofAllāh—forforgivenessand

abundance— face to facewith the satanic threat. It implies that this promisestandsforanangelicinspirationincontrasttothesatanicwhispering.Andthatinspirationhasbeentermedas‘‘wisdom’’.Alsothereareotherversespointingtothisrealityinvariousterms.Forexample:…and(Hewill)makeforyoualightwithwhichyouwillwalk…(57:28)HeitisWhosentdowntranquillityintotheheartsofthebelieversthatthey

mighthavemoreoffaithaddedtotheirfaith—andAllāh’sarethehostsoftheheavenandtheearth…(48:4)(We have explained this verse while writing about as-sakīnah [ ةنیكسلا =

tranquillity] under the verse: … in which there is tranquillityfromyourlord…—2:248)Therefore (for)whomsoeverAllāh intends thatHewouldguidehimaright,

He expands his breast for Islam; and (for)whomsoever He intends that Heshould leave him to err,Hemakes his breast strait and narrowas though hewereascendingintothesky;thusdoesAllāhlayuncleanlinessonthosewhodonotbelieve(6:125).It should be noted here that the satanic whispering has been called ‘‘the

uncleanlinessoftheSatan’’intheverse8:11.TheabovediscoursemakesitclearthattheSatanandtheangels‘‘speak’’to

manbyputtingideasintohismind.ThenthereisaspeakingreservedforAllāh,asHesays:Andthereisnotfor

anymanthatAllāhshouldspeaktohimexceptbyrevelation,orfrombehindaveil,orbysendingamessengersothatherevealsbyHispermissionwhatHepleases(42:51).Apartfromsendingamessenger,thatis,anangel(withwhichwearenotconcernedhere),Allāhspeakstomanintwoways:(i)Revelation,inwhich there isnoveilbetweenAllāhand thepersonspoken to; (ii)Speakingfrombehindaveilorcurtain.These are, in short, various kinds of angelic inspiration and satanic

whispering;andvariousmodesofAllāh’sspeech.AsfortheDivineSpeechwhichiscalledrevelation,itneedsnoextraneous

factor for its recognition, no other distinguishing element to ascertain itsauthenticity. It is a direct speech, without any curtain between Allāh and therecipientoftherevelation;anditisjustimpossibleforanydoubttocreepupinto such a talk. But other kinds of Divine Speech need some supportingevidence,whichinitsturnreliesonthedirectrevelation.As for a distinction between the angelic and the satanic talks, the signs

mentioned in theabovequotedversesare sufficient to separateone from theother.Theangelicinspirationaccompaniesexpandingofbreast,callstoDivineforgiveness and abundance, and encourages man to follow the religion of

AllāhasexpoundedintheDivineBookandthepropheticsunnah.Thesatanicwhispering,ontheotherhand,causesthebreasttobestraitandnarrow,temptsone to follow one’s desire, threatenswith poverty, enjoins abomination, andfinally pushes one to act in amanner opposed to theBook ofAllāh and thesunnah,andcontrarytothedemandsofthehealthynature.Theprophets and their close followers sometimes sawand recognized the

angelsand theSatan,asAllāhdescribes in thestoriesofAdam,Ibrāhīm,andLūt (peacebeon them).Obviously, in suchcases, therewasnoneed for anyextraneousidentifyingfactor.Butinothercaseswhentheydidnotseetheangel(or the Satan), they, like other believers, needed some identification toascertain that the speaker was in fact from Allāh — and that identificationultimatelydependedonthedirectrevelationfromAllāh.

TRADITIONS

as-Sādiq (a.s.) said about the words of Allāh,When the woman of ‘Imrān

said… : ‘‘Verily Allāh revealed to ‘Imrān: ‘I am going to give you amale(child),ofsoundhealthandblessed,whoshallhealtheblindandtheleperandraise the dead (to life) by the permission of Allāh; and I’ll appoint him anapostle to the childrenof Israel.’ ‘Imrān informedhiswife,Hannah,of it—and she is themother ofMaryam.WhenHannah conceived, she thought thatshewascarryingthesamemalechild.Butwhenshebroughtitforth,shesaid:‘MyLord!surelyIhavebroughtitforthafemale,andthemaleisnotlikethefemale.’ (She said it because) a female cannotbe an apostle.Allāh says:AndAllāh knew what she brought forth. Thereafter, when Allāh gave ‘Īsā toMaryam,(itwasunderstoodthat)thegoodnewsandpromise(whichAllāhhadgivento‘Imrān)wereinfactaboutthat(grandson).Therefore,youshouldnotthink it strange if we say something about one of us (Ahlu ’l-bayt) and itappears(notinhim,but)inhischildorgrandchild.’’(at-Tafsīr,al-Qummī)The author says: A nearly similar tradition has been narrated from the

sameImāminal-Kāfī,andfromal-Bāqir(a.s.)inal-‘Ayyāshī.as-Sādiq (a.s.) said about the same verse: ‘‘A released child lived in the

synagogue(and)didnotgoout.So,when(thewifeof‘Imrān)deliveredher,shesaid:‘MyLord!surelyIhavebroughtitforthafemale,andthemaleisnotlike the female.’ The female has her menstruation, and (therefore she) will(haveto)gooutoftheplaceofworship,whileareleasedchilddoesnotgooutoftheplaceofworship.’’(al-‘Ayyāshī)al-Bāqiroras-Sādiq(a.s.)said: ‘‘Shehadvowedwhatwas inherwombto

thesynagogueforservingtheworshippers;andthemaleisnotlikethefemaleinservice.’’ThentheImāmsaid:‘‘Thenshegrewup;andsheservedthemandlookedafterthem,untilsheattainedmaturity.ThenZakariyyātoldhertohideherselfbehindascreen(away)fromthe(other)worshippers.’’(ibid.)The author says: As you see, the traditions support what we said in the

Commentary.Butevidently theytaketheclause,‘‘andthemale isnot like thefemale’’, to be a part of the speech of ‘Imrān’s wife, not a comment fromAllāh. In that case, it will be necessary to explain why ‘‘the male’’ wasmentionedbefore‘‘thefemale’’,againstthenormsofgrammarandeloquence;also, itwillbeessential tofindoutareasonastowhyshegaveherdaughterthe name she gave, that is, Maryam (Released;devoted) — unless it can beshownthattherewasnocorrelationbetweenreleasingherandmakingheran

attendantofthesynagogue.Thefirsttraditionshowsthat‘Imrānwasaprophetwhoreceivedrevelations

fromAllāh. It is also proved by another tradition narrated by Abū Basīr inwhich he says: ‘‘I askedAbū Ja‘far (a.s.) whether ‘Imrānwas a prophet. Hesaid:‘Yes,hewasaprophetsent(tohispeople)…’’’(Bihāru’l-anwār)That tradition also shows that thewifeof ‘Imrānwas calledHannah, as is

generally believed. Some other traditions say that her name was Marthār(Martha?).However,itisnotanimportantsubjectforustolabouron.The same tradition (quoted from al-Qummī) goes on to say: ‘‘When

Maryamreachedtheageofpuberty,sheenteredthesanctuaryandputacurtain(on the entrance) to hide herself; and no one entered therein.AndZakariyyāusedtoenterthesanctuary;andheusedtofindwithherthefruitsofsummerinthe winter and the fruits of winter in the summer; he used to say: ‘Whencecomesthistoyou?’Andsheusedtoreply:‘ItisfromAllāh.SurelyAllāhgivessustenancetowhomHepleaseswithoutmeasure.’’’as-Sādiq(a.s.)said:‘‘WhenZakariyyāprayedtohisLordtogivehimachild

and the angels called tohimas theydid, hedesired to ascertain that the saidvoicewas(really)fromAllāh.ThereuponAllāhrevealedtohimthatitwasthesign (of itsDivineOrigin) that hewould remain tongue-tied for three days.Whenhebecametongue-tiedandcouldnotspeak,heunderstoodthatnoone,other thanAllāh,coulddothat.Andit is the(meaningof the)wordofAllāh:Hesaid:‘MyLord!Appointasignforme.’’’(al-‘Ayyāshī)Theauthorsays:Anearlysimilartraditionhasbeennarratedbyal-Qummī

inhisat-Tafsīr.IthasbeenmadeclearintheCommentarythatthisthemedoesnotgoagainstthecontextoftheverse.Anexegetehasverystronglyobjectedtomanyofthethemesexpoundedin

thesetraditions;forexample,sendingtherevelationto‘Imrān,presenceoftheoff-season fruits inMaryam’s sanctuary, request of Zakariyyā for a sign inorder that he could ascertain the authenticity of the voice etc. He has said:These are the things which cannot be proved. Neither Allāh has mentionedthemnortheProphethasdescribedthem;norcantheybeprovedbyreasonorany reliable history. There are only some Israelite (and some non-Israelite)legends.WhyshouldtheMuslimsgooutoftheirwaytoexplaintheQur ’āninterms of those unverified legends, which are anyhow too far-fetched to beacceptable?Comment:Thesaidexegetehasmadeclaimswithoutofferinganyargument

inhissupport.Ofcourse,thesetraditionsareāhād,andsomeareevenweakintheir chains; also it is not incumbent, for a scholar to accept themor to usethemasanargument.Yet,whenweponderontheversesoftheQur ’ān,wefind

ourselvesreadytoacceptthosetraditions(becausetheyareconsistentwiththeQur ’ān).ItisallthemorecorrectforthetraditionsnarratedfromtheImāmsofAhlu’l-bayt,astheydonotcontainanythemeunacceptabletothereason.Ofcourse,onehastobeonguardagainstsomeuntenablethingsattributed

to some early exegetes. For example, Qatādah and ‘Ikrimah are reported tohave said: ‘‘The Satan came to Zakariyyā and created a doubt (in hismind)whetherthegoodnewswasreallyfromAllāh.Hesaid(toZakariyyā):‘HaditbeenfromAllāh,HewouldhavetalkedtoyouinalowvoiceasyouhadcalleduntoHiminalowvoice.’’’Therearemanysuchbaselessthingswhichcannotbeacceptedatall.AnothersuchexamplemaybeseenintheGospelaccordingtoLuke,whereitsays:Andtheangelansweringsaiduntohim,IamGabriel,…And,behold,thou

shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall beperformed, because thou believest notmywords,which shall be fulfilled intheirseason.(Luke,1:19—20).

OTHERTRADITIONSABOUT‘‘THEONESPOKENTO’’

as-Sādiq(a.s.)said:‘‘Thereisnoheartbutithastwoears,ononeofthemis

a guiding angel, and on the other a temptingSatan; this orders him and thatrestrainshimtheSatanenjoinshimto(commit)sins,andtheangelholdshimbackfromit.AndthisisthewordofAllāh,theMighty,theGreat:…sittingontherightandontheleft.Heuttersnotawordbutthereisbyhimawatcherathand(50:17—18).’’(al-Kāfī)Theauthorsays:Therearemanytraditionsofthesamemeaning,someof

whichwillbequotedlateron.Inthistradition,Imām(a.s.)hasappliedtheversetoanangelandaSatan,whileother traditionsapplyit to the twoangelswhowritedownthegoodandevildeedsofaman.Butthetwosetsoftraditionsarenot mutually exclusive. The verse only says that there are ‘watchers’’ witheverymanwho receive (i.e., notedown)allhisutterances, and that therearetwoofthem,oneonhisrightsideandtheotheronhisleft.Buttheversedoesnot saywhether thosewatchers are fromonly the angels or from the angelsand the satans. As it is silent on this point, it may be applied to eitherexplanation.Zurārahsaid:‘‘IaskedAbū‘Abdillāh(a.s.)abouttheapostle,theprophetand

al-muhaddath ( ثدحملا = the one spoken to). Hesaid:‘Theapostleistheonewhoseestheangel(who)bringsthemessageofhis

Lordtohim,andtellshim:‘‘(Allāh)ordersyouso-and-so.’’Andtheapostleisaprophetwith(theaddedrankof)apostleship.And theprophetdoesnot see theangel; somethingcomesdown tohim—

thenews(comes)tohisheart;andhebecomesasthoughhebeinatrance,andhe sees (thevision) inhisdream.’ I said: ‘Thenhowdoesheknow thatwhatwas(showntohim)inhisdreamwastruth?’Hesaid:‘Allāhmakesitcleartohim,sothatheknowsthatitistruth;andhedoesnotseetheangel…’’’(ibid.)Theauthorsays:‘‘Theapostleisaprophet…’’Itshowsthatthetworanks

may be combined together in one person. We have explained in detail themeaning of apostleship and prophethood in the Commentary of the verse2:213,‘‘Mankindwasbutonepeople…’’‘‘He becomes as though he be in a trance’’: It explains the next sentence,

‘‘and he sees (the vision) in his dream’’. It clarifies that what is meant by‘‘dream’’isnotthedreamasknowntous;itonlyreferstoaconditioninwhichtheprophetbecomesobliviousofhissurroundings.

‘‘Allāhmakesitcleartohim’’:Allāhmakesthetruthknowntotheprophet,enabling him to differentiate between an angelic inspiration and a satanicwhispering.Burayd enquired from al-Bāqir and as-Sādiq (peace be on both of them),

interalia, ina tradition: ‘‘Thenwhatare theapostle, theprophetand theonespoken to?’’ (The Imām)said: ‘‘Theapostle is theone that theangelappearsbeforehimandtalkstohim;andtheprophetsees(thevision)inthedream;andsometimesapostleshipandprophethoodarecombinedinone(person);andal-muhaddath ( ثدحملا =theonespokento)istheonewhohearsthevoicebutdoesnotseetheform.’’Buraydsaid:‘‘Isaid:‘MayAllāhmakeyouraffairsgood!Howcantheprophetknowthatwhathesawin(his)dreamwastruthandthatitwasfromtheangel?’(The Imām)said:‘He ishelped (byAllāh) in ituntilheknows it.CertainlyAllāhended (the

seriesofdivine)bookswithyourBook,andtheprophetswithyourProphet…’’’(Basā’iru’d-darajāt)Theauthorsays:Ithasthesameconnotationastheprecedingtradition.The

Imāmhassufficientlyexplained themeaningof ‘‘theonespoken to’’—it isthe one who hears the voice of an unseen speaker who speaks by order ofAllāh.Thewords, ‘‘CertainlyAllāhended the (seriesofdivine)books…’’,pointtothisreality.Whenwritingonthefollowingverses,weshalldiscussindetailabout‘‘the

onespokento’’.*****

10ChapterLISTOFTHEIMPORTANTSUBJECTSDEALTWITHINTHISVOLUME

No/sofSubjectNatureofPageVerse/sDiscussionChapterof"TheFamilyof`Imran"1-6ChastisementasexplainedbytheQur'anic13Qur'an.7-9Adetaileddiscourseaboutthedecisiveandambiguousversesandtheinterpretation:—46-1.Thedecisiveandtheambi-47guousverses.2."ThedecisiveversesArethebasisoftheBook."-63Whatdoesitmean?3.Themeaningof“at-ta'wil”-654.Doesanyone,otherthanAllah,knowtheinterpretationofthe-73Qur'an?5.WhytheBookcontainstheambiguousverses?-827-96.Conclusions.Qur'anic93-TraditionsoninterpretingtheQur'anaccordingtoone'sQur'anicopinion.&Traditional11026-27SustenanceintheQur'an.Qur'anic206

—AnessayonKingdomanditsAcademic217placeinsociety.—AphilosophicaldiscourseonPhilosophical222attributionofKingdomandotherabstractconceptstoAllah.35-41AngelicinspirationandSatanicwhispering;TheSpeechofAllah.Qur'anic270

Chapterof"TheFamilyof`Imran"1-6ChastisementasexplainedbytheQur'anic13Qur'an.7-9Adetaileddiscourseaboutthedecisiveandambiguousversesandtheinterpretation:—46-1.Thedecisiveandtheambi-47guousverses.2."ThedecisiveversesArethebasisoftheBook."-63Whatdoesitmean?3.Themeaningof“at-ta'wil”-654.Doesanyone,otherthanAllah,knowtheinterpretationofthe-73Qur'an?5.WhytheBookcontainstheambiguousverses?-827-96.Conclusions.Qur'anic93-TraditionsoninterpretingtheQur'anaccordingtoone'sQur'anicopinion.&Traditional11026-27SustenanceintheQur'an.Qur'anic206—AnessayonKingdomanditsAcademic217placeinsociety.—AphilosophicaldiscourseonPhilosophical222attributionofKingdomandotherabstractconceptstoAllah.35-41AngelicinspirationandSatanic

whispering;TheSpeechofAllah.Qur'anic270

11ChapterAPPENDIX“B”

In this book the references of the Qur ’ãnic verses have been given by

writing serial numberof the relevant chapter, followedby a colon (:) that isfollowedbythenumber/softheverse/s.Thenamesofthechaptershavebeenomittedforthesakeofbrevity.Thenamesofthechapterswiththeirserialnumbersaregivenhereforthe

guidanceofthereaders.Tofind, for instance, theverse5:67 in theQur ’ãn, thereadershouldopen

thefifthchapter,thatits,al-Mã'idah(TheTable)andthenfindthe67thverse.S.No.ArabicNamesoftheChaptersTransliteration

Meaning1. باتكلاةحتاف Fatihatu'l-kitãbTheOpeningofTheBook2. ةرقبلا al–BaqarahTheCow3. نارمعلآ Ãl‘ImrãnTheHouseofImran4. ءاسنلا An-Nisã'Women5. ةدئاملا Al-Mã'idahTheTable6. ماعنألا Al–An‘ãmCattle7. فارعألا Al-A‘rãfTheBattlements8. لافنألا Al-AnfãlTheSpoils9. بوتلاة At-TawbahRepentance10. سنوی YunusJonah11. دوه HũdHood12. فسوی YũsufJoseph13. ادعرل ar-Ra‘dThunder14. میهاربا IbrãhīmAbraham15. رجحلا Al–HijrEl-Hijr16. لحنلا An-NahlTheBee17. ءآرسالا al-Isrã'TheNightJourney

18. فهكلا al-KahfTheCave19. میرم MaryamMary20. هط TãHãTaHa21. ءآیبنألا Al-Anbiyã’Prophets22. جحلا al-HajjThePilgrimage23. نونمؤملا al-Mu'minũnTheBelievers24. رونلا an-NũrLight25. ناقرفلا al-FurqãnDiscrimination(Salvation)26. ءارعشلا Ash-Shu‘arã'ThePoets27. لمنلا an-NamlTheAnt28. صصقلا Al-QasasTheStories29. توبكنعلا Al-‘AnkabũtTheSpider30. مورلا Ar-RũmTheGreeks31. نامقل LuqmãnLokman32. ةدجسلا As-SajdahProstration33. بازحألا Al-AhzãbTheConfederates34. أبس Saba'Sheba35. ةكئالملا ) رطاف )Fãtir(or,al-TheOriginatorMalã'ikah)(orTheAngels)36. سی YãSīnYaSin37. تافاصلا as-SãffãtTheRangersSadSãdص.3839. رمزلا az-ZumarTheCompanies40. نمؤملا al-Mu'minTheBeliever41. تلصف FussilatDistinguished42. یروشلا ash-ShũrãCounsel43. فرخزلا az-ZukhrufOrnaments44. ناخدلا ad-DukhãnSmoke45. ثاجلاةی al-JãthiyahHobbling46. فاقحألا al-AhqãfTheSand-Dunes(ص.47 دمحم )MuhammadMuhammad48. حتفلا al-FathVictory49. تارجحلا alHujurãtApartmentsQafQãfق.5051. تایراذلا adh-DhãriyãtTheScatterers52. روطلا at-TũrTheMount53. مجنلا an-NajmTheStar54. رمقلا al-QamarTheMoon55. انمحرل ar-RahmãnTheAll-ifl

56. ةعقاولا al-Wãqi‘ahTheTerror57. دحلادی al-HadīdIron58. ةلداجملا Al-MujãdalahTheDisputer59. رشحلا al-HashrTheMustering60. حتمملاةن al-MumtahanahTheWomanTtd61. صلاف as-SaffTheRanks62. مجلاةع al-Jumu‘ahCongregation63. نوقفانملا Al-MunãfiqũnTheHypocrites64. نباغتلا At-TaghãbunMutualFraud65. قالطلا at-TalãqDivorce66, حتلامیر at-tahrīmTheForbidding67. كلملا al-MulkTheKingdom68. ملقلا Al-QalamThePen69. قاحلاة Al-HãqqahTheIndubitable70. جراعملا Al-Ma‘ãrijTheStairways71. حون NũhNoah72. نجلا Al-JinnTheJinn73. لمزملا al-MuzzammilEnwrapped74. ثدملار al-MuddaththirShrouded75. ةمایقلا al-QiyãmahTheResurrection76. ناسنإلا ) رهدلا )Ad-Dahr(or,al-Insãn)TheTime(or,Man)77. تالسرملا al-MursalãtTheLoosedOnes78. نلاأب an-Naba'TheTiding79. تاعزانلا An-Nãzi‘ãtThePluckers80. سبع ‘AbasHeFrowned81. وكتلاری At-TakwīrTheDarkening82. راطفنإلا Al-InfitãrTheSplitting83. فطملانیف al-MutaffifīnTheStinters84. قاقشنإلا al-InshiqãqTheRending85. جوربلا Al-BurũjTheConstellations86. قراطلا at-TãriqTheNight-star87. ایلعأل Al-A‘lãTheMostHigh88. ةیشاغلا al-GhãshiyahTheEnveloper89. رجفلا Al-FajrTheDawn90. لبلاد Al-BaladTheLand91. سمشلا Ash-ShamsTheSun92. للالی Al-LaylTheNight93. ایحضل ad-DuhãTheForenoon94. حارشنإلا Al-InshirãhTheExpanding

95. تلانی At-TīnTheFig96. لعلاق Al-‘laqTheBlood-clot97. ردقلا al-QadrPower98. ةنیبلا al-BayyinahTheClearSign99. لازلزلا Az-ZilzãlTheEarthquake100. تایداعلا Al-‘ÃdiyãtTheChargers101. ةعراقلا al-Qãri‘ahTheClatterer102. ثاكتلار at-TakãthurRivalry103. رصعلا Al-‘AsrAfternoon104. ةزمهلا al-HumazahTheBackbiter109. لیفلا Al-FīlTheElephant106. شیرق QurayshQuraish107. نوعاملا Al-Mã‘ũnCharity108. رثوكلا al-KawtharAbũndance109. نورفاكلا Al-KãfirũnTheUnbelievers110. نلارص An-NasrHelp111. بتت Tabbat(or,Lahab)Perish(or,TheFlame)112. دیحوتلا ) صالخإلا )alIkhlãsSincereReligion(or,at-Tawhīd)(or,DivineUnity)113. لفلاق Al-FalaqDaybreak114. سانلا an-NãsMen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Wisdom is the lost property of the Believer,

let him claim it wherever he finds it"

Imam Ali (as)