Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

CHAPTER 4, VERSE 77-80

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمْ كُفُّوا أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَ النَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ اللَّـهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْيَةًۚ وَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبْتَ عَلَيْنَا الْقِتَالَ لَوْلَا أَخَّرْتَنَا إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍۗ قُلْ مَتَاعُ الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّمَنِ اتَّقَىٰ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا ﴿٧٧﴾ أَيْنَمَا تَكُونُوا يُدْرِككُّمُ الْمَوْتُ وَلَوْ كُنتُمْ فِي بُرُوجٍ مُّشَيَّدَةٍۗ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ حَسَنَةٌ يَقُولُوا هَـٰذِهِ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّـهِۖ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَقُولُوا هَـٰذِهِ مِنْ عِندِكَۚ قُلْ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّـهِۖ فَمَالِ هَـٰؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمِ لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ حَدِيثًا ﴿٧٨﴾ مَّا أَصَابَكَ مِنْ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّـهِۖ وَمَا أَصَابَكَ مِن سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِن نَّفْسِكَۚ وَأَرْسَلْنَاكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُولًاۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّـهِ شَهِيدًا ﴿٧٩﴾ مَّن يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّـهَۖ وَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا ﴿٨٠﴾

Have you not seen those to whom it was said: “Withhold your hands, and establish prayer and pay zakãt”; but when fighting is prescribed for them, lo!a party of them fear men as they ought to have feared Allãh, or (even) a greater fear, and say: “Our Lord!why hast Thou ordained fighting for us Wherefore didst thou not grant us a delay to a near end?” Say: “The provision of this world is short and the hereafter is better for him who guards (against evil); and you shall not be wronged the husk of a date-stone” (77). Wherever you are, death will overtake you, though you are in lofty towers; and if benefit comes to them, they say: “This is from Allãh”; and if a misfortune befalls them, they say: “This is from you.” Say: “All is from Allãh;” but what is the matter with these people that well-nigh they do not understand what is told (them)? (78). Whatever benefit comes to you, it is from Allãh, and whatever misfortune befalls you, it is from yourself; and We have sent you (O Prophet) to mankind as a Messenger, and Allãh is sufficient as a witness (79). Whoever obeys the Messenger, he indeed obeys Allãh; and whoever turns back, soWe have not sent you as a keeper over them (80).

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COMMENTARY

The verses are connected to the preceding ones, and all together are in one context. These verses throw light on the affairs of another group of the believers of weak faith; they contain admonition and remind them that this world is transient while the blessings of the hereafter are ever-lasting; and they explain a Qur’ãnic reality concern-ing good and evil.

QUR’ÃN: Have you not seen those to whom it was said . or (even) a greater fear: To withhold hands implies refraining from fighting - as the killings (which are a part of fighting) are done by hands. This verse shows that the Muslims, when faced in the begin-ning with tyrannies and oppressions of the unbelievers, felt unable to restrain themselves and bear the oppressions with patience. They were eager to draw sword. But Allãh ordered them to refrain from fighting; they were rather exhorted to establish the religious rites such as prayer and zakãt, in order to strengthen the religious tenets and faith and establish them on firm footing; only then would Allãh allow them to fight His enemies. Otherwise, the structure of religion would crumble, its pillars would fall down and all its parts would deteriorate.

Obviously, the verses blame those believers: Itwere they who were impatient to fight the unbelievers, and did not like to withhold their hands even at a time when they did not have any power or armaments to stand before the enemies. But when fighting was prescribed and ordained, a group among them felt terrified of the enemy (who were human beings like themselves) as they should have feared Allãh - or even a greater fear than that.

QUR’ÃN: and say: “Our Lord!why hast Thou ordained fighting for us . .” : Apparently, it is in conjunction with, a part of them fear men; this explanation looks more appropriate when we ponder on the change of tense from “fear men” (aorist tense) to “say” (which in original text is “said”, i.e., past tense). Therefore, the complainants were those very people who in the beginning were so eager to fight and had claimed that they could not bear patiently all those tyrannies of unbelievers; and who at that time were told to restrain themselves.

Again, the sentence, {“Our Lord! why hast Thou ordained fighting for us Wherefore didst Thou not grant us a delay to a near end?”}may be an exposition of their hidden feelings and real condition. Or, it may be a narration of their actual saying. We find many dramatic expressions in the Qur’ãn.

The “end” - i.e., death in normal way - is called “near”; it does not mean that they wanted deliverance from being killed so that they could live a little longer. Rather, it brings into open their feelings that even if they were not killed until they died a natural death, it would still be a short life and near end; so why was not Allãh willing to let them live that short period? Why did He afflict them with quick deathWhy did He put them in danger of being killed?

They speak in this manner because their hearts are entangled with this life - which in Qur’ãnic view is but a short provision which is going to end quickly without leaving any trace; and then will come the life hereafter which is the eternal and real life, the really good, rather better, life. That is why their views are rebutted in the words: Say: “The provision of this world is short”.

QUR’ÃN: Say: “The provision of this world is short . the husk of a date-stone” : Allãh orders the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) to reply to these people of weaker faith by exposing their misconception; by showing to them how mistaken they are in preferring this world's short life over the dignity of jihãd and martyrdom in the way of Allãh. In short, they are expected to be pious in their belief, when compared to the hereafter, is a short provision, and the hereafter is better for pious ones who guard against evil. Therefore, they should opt for the hereafter which is better than the short provision of this world, for they are believers and on the path of piety. Do they fear that Allãh will harm them or do injustice to them? Is it for this fear that they prefer immediate provision in their hands over the promised good? They should not entertain such ideas because Allãh will never do any injustice to them even like the husk of a date-stone.

This description shows that the word, “for him who guards (against evil)”, in a way puts the adjective in place of its qualified noun in order to disclose the underlying reason of this statement and asserts its applicability to the subject in hand. The implication is this - and Allãh knows better: The hereafter is better for you because you, being believers, are supposed to be the people of piety, and the piety makes one achieve the good of the hereafter. In a way, the word, “for him who guards (against evil)”, is an indirect criticism of that group.

QUR’ÃN: Wherever you are death will overtake you, though you are in loftytowers : al-Burūj (الُبرُوُج ) is plural of al-burj (اْلُبْرُج = tower). It is constructed on forts with extremely strengthened foundation, for repelling the enemy from it and with its help. Its original meaning is show, appearance; and from itis derived altabarruj (اْلَّبَّرُج = displaying the adornments, etc.) at-Tashyīd (اَلتَّشْيِيدُ = setting up) is derived from ash-shayd (اّلشَّيْدُ = mortar), because it strenghtens and raises the building and decorates it.al-Burūju 'lmushayyadah (الْمُشَيَّدَة اَلْبُرُوجُ =) strong lofty edifices built on forts, into which man takes shelter from advancing enemy.

This sentence describes a reality wrapped in an example. The “lofty towers” stands for every strong edifice used as shelter against calamities. In short, it says: Death is something you cannot escape from even if you take refuge in strong shelters. Therefore, you should not think that if you were absent from battle-field or if jihãd was not prescribed for you, you would have remained safe from death or that death could not have overtaken you. The death decreed by Allãh will surely reach you.

QUR’ÃN: and if a benefit comes to you, they say: “This is from Allãh;” and if a misfortune befalls them, they say: “This is from you.” Say: “All is from Allãh;” but . : Two more examples of their foolish talks have been quoted here, and then Allãh orders His Prophet (s.a.w.a.) to give its rebuttal by describing the reality about benefit or harm which comes to a man.

The context shows that it was said by the same believers of weaker faith who are mentioned in preceding verses.

It may be based on their actual words, or an inference from their behaviour. There is nothing new in it, because Mūsã (a.s.) also was confronted with a similar accusation; as Allãh has described in the Qur’ãn: But when good came to them they said: “This is due to us;” and when evil afflicted them, they attributed it to the ill-luck of Mūsã and those with him; surely their evil omen is only from Allãh, but most of them do not know (7:131). The same attitude is reported, from all nations vis-à-vis their prophets; and this ummah in its dealings with its Prophetwas not behind other nations. Allãh says: . their hearts are all alike . (2:118; moreover, they resemble most of all to the Children of Israel; and the Messenger of Allãh (s.a.w.a.) has said: “They (the Israelites) would not have entered a burrow of a lizard but you too would enter it.” We have earlier quoted traditions to this effect from both sects.

Many exegetes have artfully tried to show that these verses were revealed about the Jews, or the hypocrites, or the Jews and the hypocrites together; but obviously the context rejects such interpretation.

In any case, the verse, in this context, shows that the benefit and misfortune here refer to some things which could be attributed to Allãh; but they attributed one group, i.e., benefits and good fortunes to Allãh, and the other group, i.e., harm and misfortunes to the Prophet (s.a.w.a.). The good fortunes and misfortunes refer to those occurrences which they were faced with when the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) came to them and began raising the edifice of religion and spreading his Call through jihãd; so these words refer, respectively, to victory and war-booty in the encounters and battles which they won, and being slain and wounded and getting troubles in the others. They attributed the misfortunes to the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) saying that it was his ill omen, or accusing him of unsound decision and mismanagement. Allãh, then, ordered His Prophet (s.a.w.a.) to refute their claim in these words: Say: “All is from Allãh.” These are the happenings and misfortunes arranged by the highest authority of this universe, i.e., Allãh alone, Who has no partner or colleague, inasmuch as all things submit to Allãh only - and to no one else - in their existence, continuity and all forthcoming events and incidents. This is what theQur’ãn teaches us.

Then He asks, like the one who is astonished to see their petrified understanding and dull mind: but what is the matter with these people that well-nigh they do not understand what is told (them), and are unable to know and grasp such a clear reality.

QUR’ÃN: Whatever benefit comes to you, it is from Allãh, and whatever misfortune befalls you, it is from yourself: It was told that: well-nigh they do not understand what is told (them). Therefore, now that Allãh intends to explain the reality, this verse particularly addresses the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) [in 2nd person singular] ignoring those people of low understanding. It explains the reality of good fortune and misfortune that come to a man. The Prophet (s.a.w.a.) is not different from others in this reality which is common to all existing things, or at least covers all human beings, believers and disbelievers, virtuous and evil, prophets and common men.

Good or beautiful are the things which man likes by nature, like health, bounties, security and comfort; and they are all from Allãh. Evil or ugly are the things which he dislikes, like disease, humiliation, poverty and mischief; all this in final analysis is caused by man, and is not attributed to Allãh. The verse, in this sense, is not very far from the verse: This is because Allãh does never change a bounty which He has conferred upon a people until they change their own condition, and because Allãh is Hearing, Knowing (8:53). This reality is not contrary to another universal fact -that all good and evil emanates from Allãh, when looked from another angle, as will be explained below.

QUR’ÃN: and We have sent you (O Prophet!) to mankind as a Messenger, and Allãh is sufficient as a witness: Your only distinction, bestowed by Us, is that you are Our Messenger; you are responsible for conveying Our message to them; and your prestige is of the Divine Messengership. You do not have any other status, nor do you have any power in these affairs. Consequently, you are not responsible for any good luck or misfortune coming to them. You could not bring evil to the people not can you keep any good away from them. It is an indirect refutation of those who attributed bad luck to the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and said: “This is from you”, perceiving him as an ill omen. Then the refutation is strengthened with the words: “and Allãh is sufficient as a witness”.

QUR’ÃN: Whoever obeys the Messenger, he indeed obeys Allãh; and . : A new sentence strengthens and reconfirms the preceding statement: andWe have sent you to mankind as a Messenger. It also gives the reason for the order given here: You are but Our Messenger; whoever obeys you because of Messengership he indeed obeys Allãh and whoever turns back, soWe have not sent you as a keeper over them.

Obviously, the phrase, “Whoever obeys the Messenger”, is a sort of adjective put in place of its noun, and it points to the underlying reason of this declaration, as was the case with the sentence: and the hereafter is better for him who guards (against evil); and you shall not be wronged the husk of a date-stone. Accordingly, the theme continues in the same direction, without turning from 2nd person (andWe have sent you) to the 3rd. (Whoever obeys the Messenger) and again to the 2nd (We have not sent you . .).

ATTRIBUTION OF GOOD AND EVIL TO ALLÃH, THE HIGH

[al-Hasanah (اَلْحَسَنَة = good, merit, benefit, beautiful) is opposite of as-sayyiah اَلْسَّيِّئَةُ = evil, sin, ugly, misfortune).] Probably, man first became aware of the sense of “beauty” by looking at his fellow human beings' good feature, i.e., balanced stature, wellproportioned limbs and lovely face. Then the meaning was extended to other material objects and phenomena; and finally it was used for “conformity of a thing with its natural purpose”.

A human face is called beautiful when its eyes, eye-brows, ears, nose and mouth, etc. are exactly in the shape they should be, and are aligned to one another properly;This in its turn attracts the hearts and excites admiration and love.

If a thing is bereft of beauty, it is called bad, evil and ugly - various words used in different contexts. Ugliness therefore is a negative connotation as beauty is a positive one.

Then the concepts were extended to actions, abstract ideas and other characteristics found in a social set-up, keeping in view whether they were in conformity with society's purpose or not; whether they agree with felicity of human life and its enjoyment or not. Justice is good; doinggood to a deserving person is a merit; it is a virtue to educate, to train, to give good advice, etc., where it is needed. Injustice, transgression and similar things are evil and ugly. Why? Because the first group of actions is in accord with the man's felicity and happiness and enables him to enjoy fully the benefits his society offers, while the second is not so. This merit and virtue (and this evil and demerit) get their characteristics from the actions they are related to. There are some actions whose virtue is ever-lasting and perpetual, e.g., justice, because their consistency with the society's aim and purpose is enduring and permanent. Likewise, there are some perpetual demerits like injustice.

On the other hand, there are some actions whose characteristics differ from time to time, place to place and society to society. Laughter and jokes are good in friends' gatherings, but not in presence of elders; in joyous functions,not in mourning assemblies nor in mosques and other places of worship. Fornication and liquor-drinking is good in the Western societies, but evil and sin in the Muslims' eyes.

You should not listen to those who say that [ethical values are relative, and no action has inherent merit or demerit in itself. They say that] virtue and evil are always changing, they have no permanency, no endurance; they are not absolute. They give example of justice and injustice; a system which a group considers based on justice, is diametrically opposed to that which another nation calls just and fair. Flogging a fornicator is justice in Islam, but not so in the Western countries; and so on and so forth. Thus meaning of justice is not fixed and permanent.

But such people are totally confused. They do not differentiate between the meaning [of justice, for example,] and its practical application. We should have no track with people of such a low intelligence.

The fact is that man is ready to change all his social customs, at once or gradually, according to the changing circumstances of the society; but he will never agree that he is deprived of the attribute of “justice”, i.e., he is called “unjust”. Even if he sees a friend oppressing someone, he will try to find excuses for him [but will not admit that his friend was unjust]. This topic needs detailed discussion, but this is not the place for it, because we are in the middle of a more important discourse. Lastly, the meaning of good and evil was further extended to cover all external happenings which man is faced with in his life owing to various factors. These are the individual or collective events, some of which agree with his expectations and conformwith his individual or collective life's felicity, like health and comfort. These are called good or benefits. There are other happenings on the opposite side like calamities and sorrows, poverty or sickness, humiliation or imprisonment, etc.; and they are called evil or misfortune.

It appears from the above that when good and evil are attributed to various affairs or actions, it is done with this criterion in mind: Are these affairs or action in conformity with human perfection or felicity or not. Good and evil are two attributes which are seen in relation to human felicity. This relationship in some cases is lasting and perpetual; while in other things it is changing. For instance, monetary help is good if given to a deserving person, and bad if dished out to an underserving man.

Good is always a positive thing, while evil and ugliness has negative connotation. That is, an evil thing or action lacks the above-mentioned conformity with human felicity. Otherwise, if we ignore this conformity or non-conformity, then the thing or action by itself is one and the same without any difference whatsoever.

Earthquake and flood devastate a community; they are evil and misfortune in their eyes, but their enemies will count them as blessings and good fortune for themselves. Every general calamity, looked from the religion's view-point, is good if it visits the unbelievers, who create mischief in the earth; but the same will be seen as evil and bad if it attacks a believing and good community. Eating food is good and lawful, if it is prepared from one's own money; and the same will become evil and unlawful if it is a part of another man's property taken without his permission. Why? Because it lacks obedience to the prohibition in respect of eating other people's property without permission; or the obedience to the imperative order of restricting oneself to those things only which Allãh has allowed. Sexual intercourse between a man and a woman is good and lawful if it follows marriage; and is evil and sin if it is illicit, without marriage - because the latter lacks conformity with divine commandment. In short, good is a positive aspect of things and actions, and evil is their negative aspect, although the thing or action itself is the same in both cases.

According to Qur’ãn, all that is called “thing” (except Allãh Himself) is created by Allãh. Allãh is the Creator of every thing (39:62); . and He created every thing,then ordained for it a measure (25:2). The two verses show that every thing is His creation. Then Allãh says: [Allãh]Who made good every thing that He has created (32:7). Thus, every created thing is good, and this goodness is an integral part of creation which cannot be separated from it; if it is Allãh's creation, it is good.

Every thing has its share of beauty according to its share in creation and existence. If you ponder on the meaning of beauty, described earlier, you will understand our stand more clearly. A thing is good and beautiful if it conforms with the purpose it is intended for; and all parts of existence and all portions of this universe are consistent and in complete harmony with each other. Far be it from the Lord of the universe to create a thing whose parts lack consistency and harmony, or work against each other, as it would negate the intended purpose. Can a created thing overpower the Creator? Or, negate the purpose intended for this wonderful system which astonishes the intelligence and stuns the mind? Allãh says: He is Allãh, the One, the Subduer (of all) (39:4); and He is the Supreme above His servants (6:18); and Allãh is not such that any thing in the heavens or in the earth should weaken Him; surely He is the Knowing, the Powerful (35:44). Thus, nothing can overpower Allãh or weaken Him in anything He intends from His creatures and wishes about His servants.

Consequently, every good blessing in creation is attributed to Him. Likewise, every evil calamity, when seen by itself, and looked according to the basic relationship encompassing the whole creation, is attributable to Allãh - although it seems evil when looked from another angle. It is this reality which is described in some verses of the Qur’ãn: and if a benefit comes to them, they say: “It is from Allãh;” and if a misfortune befalls you, they say: “This is from you.” Say: “All is from Allãh;” but what is the matter with these people that well-nigh they do not understand what is told (them)? (4:78); But when good came to them they said: “This is due to us;” and when evil afflicted them, they attributed it to the ill-luck of Mūsã and those with him; surely their ill omen is only from Allãh, but most of them do not know (7:131). There are other verses of the same theme.

As for misfortune, theQur’ãn attributes that of the man to the man himself. Allãh says: Whatever benefit comes to you, it is from Allãh, and whatever misfortune befalls you, it is from yourself (4:79); And whatever affliction befalls you, it is on account of what your hands have wrought, and (yet) He pardons most (of your faults) (42:30); Surely Allãh does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition (13:11); This is because Allãh does never change a bounty which He has conferred upon a people until they change their own condition (8:53); there are many such verses.

In more clear words, the preceding verses show that the calamities and misfortunes too, like good fortunes, are good and beautiful in their creation. Then how do they turn into misfortunesIt is only because they do not agree with some people's, or some thing's, nature and these things or people get hurt by them. It means that Allãh had not created in these items what would agree with these people or things. It is this withholding of generosity which is considered misfortune or calamity for the people or things that get harmed by them, as is clearly seen in the verse: Whatever Allãh grants to men of (His) mercy, there is none to withhold it, and what He withholds there is none to send it forth, and He is the Mighty, the Wise (35:2).

Therefore, Allãh states that this withholding of generosity (when it is withheld), or increase or decrease in sending His mercy forth depends on the ability or capacity of the subject: How much is a person or thing able to benefit from His mercy? Allãh explains it in a similie: He sends down water from the cloud, then the valleys flow (with water) according to their measure (13:17). Also, He says: And there is not a thing but withUs are the treasures of it, and We do not send it down but in a known measure (15:21). Thus, Allãh bestows a favour on a thing according to what it deserves and keeping its condition in consideration. Does He not knowWho has created? And He is the Knower of the subtleties, the Aware (67:14).

We that blessing and affliction, tribulation and comfort from one thing to another according to its particular situation and condition, as Allãh says: And every one has a direction to which he would turn (2:148). Every thing turns to that direction and seeks that item which agrees with its situation.

From the above discourse you will easily understand that happiness and distress, blessing and affliction, vis-à-vis this man, who lives with a free will in the light of the Qur’ãnic teachings, are strongly connected to his own free will; because he is proceeding on a path which will lead him to happiness if followed properly, while deviation from it will put him in turmoil and distress. This, of course, concerns those subjects for which he has been granted free choice.

TheQur’ãn confirms this understanding. Allãh says: That is because Allãh would never change a bounty which He has conferred upon a people until they change their own condition (8:53). Their pure intentions and good deeds have influence on the bounty which they have been blessed with; but when their intention is polluted with insincerity and actions tainted with evil, Allãh changes their condition by withholding His mercy from them. He says: And whatever affliction befalls you, it is on account of what your hands have wrought, and (yet) He pardons most (of your faults) (42:30). Their actions have a hand in the calamities and misfortunes which befall them, although Allãh pardons most of their misdeeds. Also Allãh says: Whatever benefit comes to you, it is from Allãh, and whatever misfortune befalls you, it is from yourself (4:79).

However, you should not imagine that when Allãh revealed this verse to His Prophet (s.a.w.a.), He had forgotten the clear reality which has been stated in the verses which say: Allãh is the Creator of every thing . (39:62); [Allãh]Who made good every thing that He has created . (32:7). These verses clearly show that every thing has been created by Allãh and is good initself . And He says: . and your Lord is not forgetful (19:64); .errs not my Lord, nor does He forget (20:52). So, the verse (Whatever benefit comes to you . [4:79]) means that: The good which comes to you - and all that comes to you is good - is from Allãh; and the misfortune which befalls you, it is misfortune for you because it does not agree with your aims and desires, although in itself it is good; you have brought it to yourself by your wrong choice and also you have asked Allãh in the same manner. Allãh is too great to initiate any evil, harm or misfortune for you.

As explained earlier, the verse is particularly addressed to the Prophet (s.a.w.a.), yet the meaning covers all human beings. In other words, this verse, like the other two (That is because Allãh would never change a bounty which He has conferred . [8:53];And whatever affliction befalls you . [42:30]) looks at social affairs as well as individual matters; the human society has its own existence, will and choice distinct from individual ones.

The society is a living entity in which the past generations and ancient people are dissolved [succeeded by coming generations]; in this way, the followers are held responsible for the evil deeds of their predecessors, the living bear the burden of the dead, and the innocent share in the punishment of the wrong-doers - while in the cases of the individuals it is never allowed. We have written about this subject in the second volume of this book in the Essay on the rules governing actions.1

Look at the Messenger of Allãh (s.a.w.a.) in the battle of Uud. He was inflicted grievous wounds in the face and upper teeth, (and the Muslims too suffered great losses), and he (s.a.w.a.) was sinless prophet. If we attribute this adversity to the society - because they had disobeyed the order given by Allãh and His Messenger - it was a misfortune wrought by the society, and he (s.a.w.a.) was a part of that society. And if it is attributed to his august person, then it was a divinely ordained trial which befell him in the way of Allãh and in course of his sacred divine mission, of which he had full insight and in that case it was rather a grace of Allãh which raised his spiritual status and rank.

Likewise, whatever misfortune befalls a people is attributed to their actions from the Qur’ãnic point of view - and the Qur’ãnic view is but truth; and whatever bounty or benefit comes to them, it is from Allãh.

Of course, there are many verses which attribute the benefits to men themselves to some extent. For example: And if the people of the towns had believed and guarded (against evil), We would certainly have opened up for them blessings from the heaven and the earth . (7:96); And We made of them Imãms to guide by Our command as they were patient and they were certain of Our signs (32:24); And We caused them to enter into Our mercy; surely they were of the good ones (21:86).

But at the same time Allãh says that nothing in His creation has power to reach its intended goal or to proceed to any good, except when Allãh gives it such power and guides it to that goal; as He says: “Our Lord is He Who gave to everything its creation, then guided it (to its goal)” (20:50); . and were it not for Allãh's grace upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have ever been pure, but Allãh purifies whom He pleases . (24:21). These two verses in conjunction with the preceding ones show from another angle how the good comes from Allãh, that is, the man does not possess any good unless Allãh gives it into his possession; therefore all the good is from Allãh and the evil is from the man himself. This further explains the verse: Whatever benefit comes to you, it is from Allãh, and whatever misfortune befalls you, it is from yourself.

To sum it up, all good comes from Allãh, because every good thing is His creation and the creation is not separable from goodness; and all good is from Him, because it is good, and He is the owner of all good - others receive goodness only when He gives it into their possession. No harm, evil or misfortune is attributable to Allãh, because evil, per se, is not created, and He is the Creator. So, what is misfortune? When Allãh withholds His mercy from people because of what their hands have done, it is called misfortune, calamity or evil.

As for the good and evil in the meaning of obedience and disobedience, we have discussed about its attribution to Allãh under the verse: Surely Allãh is not ashamed to set forth any parable . (2:26), in volume one of this book.2

If you see what other exegetes have written on this subject, you will find a great many different views, a lot of conflicting opinions and various objections that will confound you. We hope that what we have written here will be enough for one who contemplates in the words of God. Be careful to keep various aspects of this topic separate from one other, ponder on the Qur’ãnic usage of the words, good and evil, bounty and punishment, and differentiate between the entities of society and individual, then you will understand this subject clearly.

TRADITIONS

It is written in ad-Durru 'l-manthūr under the verse, Have you not seen those to whom it was said: “Withhold your hands . “: It is narrated by an-Nasã’ī, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn Abī Hãtim, al-Hãkim (who said that this tradition is 'correct') and al-Bayhaqī (in his as-Sunan) from ‘Ikrimah from Ibn ‘Abbãs that he said: ‘Abdu 'r-Rahmãn ibn ‘Awf and his group came to the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and said: 'O Prophet of Allãh! We did have power when we were polytheists, but since we accepted the faith, we are humiliated.' The Prophet said: 'I have been ordered to forgive (them); therefore do not fight (these) people.' When Allãh brought him to Medina, He ordered him to fight. But then they withheld (their hands). So, Allãh sent down the verse, Have you not seen those to whom it was said: . .?

‘Abd ibn Hamīd, Ibn Jarīr and Ibnu 'l-Mundhir have narrated from Qatãdah that he said about this verse: “There were some companions of the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) who were in a hurry to wage war while they were at Mecca before hijrah. They said to the Prophet (s.a.w.a.), 'Allow us to take (our) pickaxes in order to fight these polytheists.' And we have been told that ‘Abdu 'r-Rahmãn ibn ‘Awf was among those who had said it. But the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) forbade them to do so and said, 'I have not been ordered this.' When hijrah came and they were ordered to fight, those people disliked it, and did in this connection what you have heard. Then Allãh said: Say: 'The provision of this world is short, and the hereafter is better for him who guard (against evil); and you shall not be wronged the husk of a date-stone.”(ibid.)

Safwãn ibn Yahyã narrated from Abu 'l-Hasan (a.s .) that he said: “Allãh, the High, has said: 'O son of Adam! By My will you have become such that you wish and say; and by My power you discharged the duties imposed by Me (on you); and by My bounty you got power to disobey Me. Whatever benefit comes to you, it is from Allãh; and whatever misfortune befalls you, it is from yourself. And it is so because I have more rights on your good deeds than you have yourself; and you are more liable to your sins thanMe . And it is because I cannot be questioned concerning what I do, and they shall be questioned.” (at-Tafsīr , al-‘Ayyãshī)

The author says: A slightly different version of this tradition has been quoted in volume one of this book under the verse: Surely Allãh is not ashamed to set forth any parable . (2:26), and we have discussed it there.3

[al-Kulaynī has narrated] through his chains from ‘Abdu 'r-Rahmãn ibn al-Hajãj that he said: “Trial and tribulation was mentioned near Abū ‘Abdillãh (a.s .), and how Allãh reserves it for the believer.[The Imãm, a.s.] said : 'The Messenger of Allãh (s.a.w.a.) was asked as to who was most severely put to trial in the world. He said: “The Prophets, then the closer to perfection, and then the closer; and the believer is put to test in promotion to his faith and the merit of his deeds; he whose belief is correct and his deeds good, his trial is harder, and he whose belief is feeble and his deeds weaker, his trial is lesser”.'“ ( al-Kãfī)

The author says: There is the famous tradition of the Prophet (s.a.w.a.): “The world is the prison of the believer and the paradise of the unbeliever.”

It is narrated through several chains from the fifth and the sixth Imãms: “Verily when Allãh, the Mighty, the Great, loves a servant, He immerses him in tribulation thorough immersing.”(ibid.)

as-Sãdiq (a.s.) said: “The believer is but like the scale of a balance; the more his faith increases, the more his trouble increases.”(ibid.)

al-Bãqir (a.s.) said: “Verily Allãh takes care of a believer through trials as a man takes care of his family through gifts during (his) absence; and denies to him the world as a physician denies harmful food to a patient.”(ibid.)

as-Sãdiq (a.s.) said: “The Messenger of Allãh (s.a.w.a.) has said: 'Allãh does not need a servant in whose property and body there is no share for Allãh.”

‘Alī ibn al-Husayn has narrated from his father (peace be on both) that he said: “The Messenger of Allãh (s.a.w.a.) has said: 'If a believer were to live on a mountain, Allãh, the Mighty, the Great, would surely send someone to him to annoy him, in order that He should give him [the believer] its reward.'“ ( ‘Ilalu 'sh-sharãi‘)

as-Sãdiq (a.s.) said: “Worries and griefs always remain with a believer until they wipe out his sins.” (Kitãbu 't -Tamhīs)

The same Imãm (a.s .) said: “A believer does not pass forty nights without some thing sorrowful happening to him, which reminds his Lord to him.”(ibid.)

‘Alī (a.s.) said: “Even if a mountain loved me it would break down.” Also, he (a.s .) said: “He who loves us, the Ahlu 'l-bayt, should prepare for himself a cover against tribulation.” (Nahju 'l-balãghah)

The author says: Ibn Abil-Hadīd says in his Commentary of Nahju 'l-balãghah: “It is confirmed that the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) had said to him [‘Alī, a.s.]: 'No one will love you except a believer, nor will hate you except a hypocrite;' and also it is definitely known that the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) had said: 'Tribulation runs quicker to the believer than water to a downward slope.' These two premises together lead us to the correct conclusion that even if a mountain were to love ‘Alī, it would break down.”

You should know that there are so many traditions of this theme, and they support the Commentary written above.

Ibnul-Mundhir and al-Khatīb have narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that he said: “We were with the Messenger of Allãh (s.a.w.a.) together with a group of his companions. He said: 'O people! Don't you know that I am the Messenger of Allãh sent to you?' They said: 'Certainly.' He (again) said: 'Don't you know that Allãh has revealed in his Book that whoever obeys me, he obeys Allãh'They said: 'Certainly. We bear witness that whoever obeys you, he obeys Allãh, and that obeying you is a part of His obedience.' Then he said: 'So, it is a part of Allãh's obedience that you should obey me; and it is a part of my obedience that you should obey your Imãms; if they pray in sitting position, you should pray in sitting position.' “

The author says: The last sentence shows that it is obligatory to follow them completely.

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