Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

CHAPTER 3, (Surah Āl ‘Imrān), VERSES 10 - 18

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَن تُغْنِيَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُهُم مِّنَ اللَّـهِ شَيْئًاۖ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمْ وَقُودُ النَّارِ ﴿١٠﴾ كَدَأْبِ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ وَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْۚ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا فَأَخَذَهُمُ اللَّـهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْۗ وَاللَّـهُ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ ﴿١١﴾ قُل لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا سَتُغْلَبُونَ وَتُحْشَرُونَ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَۚ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ ﴿١٢﴾ قَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ آيَةٌ فِي فِئَتَيْنِ الْتَقَتَاۖ فِئَةٌ تُقَاتِلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ وَأُخْرَىٰ كَافِرَةٌ يَرَوْنَهُم مِّثْلَيْهِمْ رَأْيَ الْعَيْنِۚ وَاللَّـهُ يُؤَيِّدُ بِنَصْرِهِ مَن يَشَاءُۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِّأُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ ﴿١٣﴾ زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ وَالْبَنِينَ وَالْقَنَاطِيرِ الْمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَالْخَيْلِ الْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ وَالْحَرْثِۗ ذَٰلِكَ مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَاۖ وَاللَّـهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَآبِ ﴿١٤﴾ قُلْ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُم بِخَيْرٍ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمْۚ لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَأَزْوَاجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ وَرِضْوَانٌ مِّنَ اللَّـهِۗ وَاللَّـهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ ﴿١٥﴾ الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ﴿١٦﴾ الصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْمُنفِقِينَ وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالْأَسْحَارِ ﴿١٧﴾ شَهِدَ اللَّـهُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَأُولُو الْعِلْمِ قَائِمًا بِالْقِسْطِۚ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ﴿١٨﴾

(As for) those who disbelieve, surely neither their wealth nor their children shall avail them in the least against Allāh, and those it is who are the fuel of the fire (10). Like the wont of the people of Pharaoh and those before them; they rejectedOur signs, so Allāh caught them for their sins; and Allāh is severe in requiting (evil) (11). Say to those who disbelieve: ‘‘You shall be vanquished, and gathered to hell; and wretched is (it as) the resting place’’ (12). Indeed there was a sign in the two hosts (which) met together in encounter; one party fighting in the way of Allāh and the other unbelieving; they saw them twice their number with the sight of the eye; and Allāh aids with His aid whom He pleases; most surely there is a lesson in this for those who have sight (13). It has been made to seem fair to men, the love of desires of women and sons and hoarded treasures of gold and silver and well-bred horses and cattle and tilth; this is the provision of the life of this world; and Allāh is He with Whom is the best destination (14). Say: ‘‘Shall I tell you of what is better than these?’’ For those who guard (against evil) are gardens with their Lord, beneath which rivers flow, to .abide in them, and pure mates and Allāh’s pleasure; and Allāh sees the servants (15). Those who say: ‘‘Our Lord!surely we believe, therefore forgive us our sins and save us from the chastisement of the fire’’ (16).The patient, and the truthful, and the devout (ones) and those who spend (benevolently) and those who ask for forgiveness before dawn (17). Allāh bears withness that there is no god but He, and (so do) the angels and those possessed of knowledge, maintaining (His creation) with justice; there is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise (18).

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GENERAL COMMENT

It was described earlier that when this chapter was revealed, the Muslims were hard-pressed by internal sabotage and external hostilities. There were inside Medina the hypocrites and their informants, who listened to, and spread the evil whisperings of, the enemies of Islam to upset the Muslims’ programmes and make their efforts ineffective. And almost the whole Arabia and the two most powerful neighbouring empires were bent upon their annihilation. The polytheists, the Jews and the Christians, all were united in their determination to kill Islam in its infancy with all possible means - by words or by swords. This chapter was revealed to exhort the Muslims to remain united, firm and patient. These qualities would keep their society healthy, eradicate the internal troubles and confound the external enemies.

The preceding verses had mentioned the hypocrites’ perversity, and exhorted the Muslims to faithfully follow what they had learned of the realities of religion, and to surrender themselves to, and believe in, what they do not understand of the Qur’ān. The verses warned the Muslims not to follow the ambiguous parts of the Qur’ān, seeking to give them their own interpretation; otherwise, their well-balanced religion would be distorted and they themselves would fall into perdition. In this way, they would be deprived of their felicity; their religious guidance would give way to misguidance, and their unity would turn into disunity.

Now, these verses turn to the unbelievers and polytheists. These infidels will soon be vanquished; they cannot defeat the purpose of the Almighty Allāh, nor can they triumph in their rebellion. What has misled them into straying is their entanglement with inordinate pleasures of this world. They think that their riches and their children can make them independent of Allāh; but they are mistaken in their thinking; because Allāh is predominant in His affairs. If wealth and man-power could make anyone independent of Allāh, they would have saved the people of Pharaoh and other unjust nations in the past, who had acquired much more power and strength. But Allāh caught them for their sins and they could do nothing. Likewise, these enemies of Divine religion would soon be vanquished. Therefore, the Muslims should remain on guard; they should not fall victim of these desires and pleasures. If they followed this guidance, they would get felicity in this world and eternal reward in the next - and, of course, the pleasure of their Lord is the greatest reward.

In short, these verses are mainly concerned with the affairs of the unbelievers. (With verses coming after these begin the comment on the People of the Book).

COMMENTARY

QUR’ĀN: (As for) those who disbelieve, surely neither their wealth nor their children shall avail them in the least against Allāh: That is, their wealth and children shall not make them independent of Allāh.

Man’s first instinctive awareness is of his dependence on others. This instinct guides him to his Maker and Sustainer. Looking at intermediate causes he, first of all, realizes that for the development and perfection of hisbody ,he depends on food and children. Then his attention is drawn to other animal perfections like fancy attire, comfortable abode, attractive spouse and things like that. At this stage, the desire of food changes into that of wealth and property, because he thinks that wealth is the panacea of all difficulties of life. Now he believes that the felicity of his life comes from wealth and children; in other words, wealth replaces food. At this stage his short-sightedness prevents him from seeing beyond these intermediate causes; he thinks that they are independent causes and forgets his Lord. His heart becomes inseparably attached to wealth and children; and this ignorance leads him to perdition. He fails to see the signs of his Lord and disbelieves in them. He does not realize that his lord is Allāh besidesWhom there is no god, the Ever-living, the Selfsubsisting; nothing can ever be independent of Him; nothing can ever avail against Him.

The above explanation also makes it clear why the verse has given precedence to wealth over children - man’s dependence on wealth (or food, a kind of wealth) precedes his dependence on children - although at times his love for children overpowers his lust for wealth.

The verse seems to have abridged a long sentence. Its full import is as follows: Those who disbelieve have rejectedOur signs and they think that their wealth and their children will avail them against Allāh; but they are mistaken, because nothing can ever avail anyone against Allāh.

QUR’ĀN: and those it is who are the fuel of the fire: ‘‘al-Waqūd’’ (اَلْوَقُوْدُ ) is fuel; that which feeds a fire and enflames it. The verse runs on the line of the following two:

. .then be on guard against the fire of which men and stones are the fuel . (2:24).

Surely you and what you worship besides Allāh are the firewood of hell . (21:98).

This subject has been explained to some extent in the Chapter of the Cow.

This sentence has many devices that are used for restriction: It is an al-jumlatu ’l-ismiyyah( ا َلْجُمْلَةُ الْاِسْمِيَّةُ = nominal sentence; a sentence that begins with noun or pronoun) ; it begins with a demonstrative pronoun and uses a pronoun that points to a distant object; has inserted a second disjunctive personal pronoun between the subject and the predicate; and has added the words ‘‘of fire’’

after the word, ‘‘fuel’’ - all these things clearly show that only the unbelievers are the fuel of the fire; they are the basic source of the chastisement; they are the fuel that keeps the hell burning; others will burn in the flames that will be fuelled with the unbelievers: The verse 8:37 points to this fact: That Allāh may separate the impure from the pure, and put the impure, some of it upon the other, and pile it up together, then cast it into hell . .

QUR’ĀN: Like the wont of the people of Pharaoh . Allāh is severe in requiting: ‘‘ad-Da’b’’( ا َلدَّأْبُ ) is continuing movement. Allāh has said: And He has made subservient to you the sun and the moon pursuing their courses . (14:33). Thereupon the word was used for habit, custom or wont, because that also is a perpetual movement. In this verse, it has been used in this latter meaning.

‘‘Like the wont . .’’ is related to a deleted sentence which may be understood from the phrase, ‘‘shall not avail them’’; ‘‘the wont’’ is explained by the words, ‘‘they rejectedOur signs’’. Thus, the complete sentence would be as follows: Those who disbelieve have rejectedOur signs and continued on this habit unfailingly; they think that their wealth and their children will avail them against Allāh; it is like the wont of the people of Pharaoh and those before them, who also had rejected Our signs. ‘‘So Allāh caught them ‘bi-dhunūbihim’( ب ِذُنُوْبِهِمْ ) for their sins.’’ ‘‘bi’’( ب ِ = translated here as ‘‘for’’) apparently shows the reason; in other words, Allāh caught them because of their sins. But the two verses stand face to face comparing the condition of these unbelievers with that of the people of Pharaoh and those who lived before them. It strongly suggests that ‘‘bi’’ here points to the instrument of this catching. The unbelievers are the fuel of the fire, which shall burn them and they shall get the punishment by their own fire. Likewise, the people of Pharaoh and those who were before them were caught by their own sins; the chastisement meted out to them was another form of their own misdeeds; it was their own evil plan which surrounded them, their own injustice and oppression that destroyed them. Allāh says: . .

and the evil plan does not beset any save the authors of it (35:43); .

.and they did not do Us any harm, but they did harm their own selves (2:57).

The above explanation makes the meaning of the next sentence clearer: ‘‘and Allāh is severe in requiting (evil)’’. The chastisement meted out by Allāh is not confined to one direction, one place or one state. When a man punishes another man, his punishment comes from only a certain direction, for example, from above or below etc., and at one place, not at the others. The man so punished may run away from that particular place, or may shield himself against that particular direction. But the Divine chastisement is all-encompassing. He catches a man by the misdeeds and sins committed by that man himself; his action is always with him, in his exterior as well as in his interior; it does never separate from him. That sin turns its doer into a fuel of the fire, a fire that surrounds not only all sides of his exterior but permeates even his inner self; he cannot save himself by running away; nor can he benefit from standing still; there is neither any shelter nor any refuge against it. That is why Allāh is called ‘‘severe in requiting evil’’.

First, the verse mentioned the Divine name in the third person (Allāh), then it was changed into the first person (Our signs), again it was reverted to the original third person (Allāh caught). This change in the middle of the sentence serves two purposes: Itfreshens the mind and puts more emphasis on the truth of the proposition. Suppose someone says:‘‘That man is foul-mouthed and uses obscene language; and I myself have experienced his indecent manner; therefore, you should avoid his company.’’ The sentence, ‘‘I myself have experienced his indecent manner’’, confirms the preceding information of his obscenity, by turning the news into experience and into a sort of testimony.

The import of the verse then would be - and Allāh knows better - something like this: The people of Pharaoh had the same traits as these unbelievers have. They disbelieved and rejectedOur signs. There is no doubt at all about it, asWe were present there and yet they rejected Our own signs, so We caught them.

When this purpose was served, the pronouns were again changed to the third person. This reversion also served two purposes: It puts the sentence on the orginial track and brought into focus the great and all-encompassing Divine authority and power. The name, Allāh, brings to mind the fact that He has all the world’s affairs in His Own hands and looks after every big and small thing. It was not difficult for Him to catch the disbelievers for their sins.

And that is why the name has been repeated in the next sentence. It says, ‘‘and Allāh is severe in requiting’’, instead of saying, ‘‘and He is severe . .’’ The name draws attention to the fact that their disbelief and their rejection of the signs was nothing but a rebellion against Almighty Allāh; and it is easy for Him to catch the offenders and give them severe punishment, because He is Allāh.

QUR’ĀN: Say to those who disbelieve: ‘‘You shall be vanquished . the resting place’’: ‘‘al-Hashr’’( ا َلْحَشْرُ ) is to force a group out from their abode. It is never used with a singular object. Allāh says: .

.and We will gather them and leave not any one of them behind (18:47). ‘‘al-Mihād’’( ا َلْمِهَادُ ) literally means bed.

The context proves that ‘‘those who disbelieve’’ refers to the polytheists, because in the first verse also this phrase has been used for the same group, and not for the People of the Book. Both verses are inter-related - the previous one mentioned that they put their confidence in wealth and children and sought strength from them; and this one says that they shall surely be vanquished and shall all be driven together to the hell.

QUR’ĀN: Indeed there was a sign in the two hosts (which) met together in encounter: The context shows that this verse also is addressed to ‘‘those who disbelieve’’; that it is the continuation of the preceding verse which told the Prophet to tell the unbelievers that they would be vanquished. There is also another possibility: It may have been addressed to the believers, inviting them to ponder on the grace of Allāh bestowed on them on the day of Badr. He helped them with His wonderful aid by affecting the sights of the eyes in a previously unheard of way. If this explanation is accepted then this verse enlarges the circle of audience - the preceding ones were addressed to the Prophet only, but this one includes the believers too. But the first explanation is more appropriate.

The verse does not name the event to which it refers; but the description fits on the battle of Badr. This chapter was revealed after the battle of Badr, or even Uhud. The style shows that the event referred to was well-known to the audience who knew it with all its particulars. It was only in the battle of Badr that Allāh affected the visions of the participants. In Chapter 8, this phenomenon has been described in the following words: And when He showed them to you, when you met, as few in your eyes, and He reduced you to appear as few in their eyes, in order that Allāh might bring about a matter which was to be done; and to Allāh are returned all affairs (8:44). But this verse mentions reducing them to appear as few; while the verse under discussion talks about showing them as twice their number. Probably, Allāh made the believers appear as few in the eyes of the polytheists, so that the enemies of Islam would feel bold to attack the believers and would not abandon the thought of fighting; then after the start of the encounter, He made them appear as twice their number, so that the enemies would flee away and be vanquished.

In any case, if the verse is addressed, through the Prophet to the polytheists, it does not fit except the battle of Badr. (Some reciters have recited, ‘‘you saw them’’, instead of ‘‘they saw them’’; this recitation also supports the above-given explanation.)

What the verse says is this: O polytheists!if you have any wisdom, then what you saw on the day of Badr should be enough to convince you that victory belongs to the truth, that Allāh helps by His aid whom He wishes, and that He cannot be overpowered by wealth or children. The believers, on that day, were fighting in the way of Allāh: they were a small and weak band, not even one-third of the army of the unbelievers; and their strength was not even worthy of comparison with that of the unbelievers; the Muslims were only three hundred and thirteen souls, their armament and provision amounting to a grand total of six coats of mail, eight swords and two horses. And the army of the polytheists consisted of nearly one thousand warriors, their provisions, strength, horses, camels and other preparations were beyond estimate. But Allāh helped the believers, in spite of their small number and weaknesses, over His enemies; He made the Muslims appear twice their actual number, in the eyes of the polytheists; and the angels were sent to help the believers. The polytheists, who thought that their wealth and children would make them strong and victorious, were destroyed; and their great multitude and overwhelming material strength proved totally ineffective against Allāh.

The wont of the people of Pharaoh and those who were before them - their rejecting the Divine signs and being caught by Allāh for their sins - has been repeated twice in Chapter 8.

The polytheists have been admonished and reminded of the the events of Badr. It is a hint that the victory of the Muslims mentioned in the preceding verse is the victory by killing and destroying the enemies. These verses, therefore, threaten the polytheists of fighting.

QUR’ĀN: one party fighting in the way of Allāh and the other unbelieving: Allāh did not say, ‘‘and the other in the way of Satan’’, or, ‘‘in the way of false deities’’ etc. The talk is not concerned with comparison between the two ways; its main purport is to show that nothing can be independent of Allāh; that nothing can avail against Him; and that the victory belongs to Him. The comparison is, thus, between the belief in Allāh and fighting in His way on one hand and disbelieving in Allāh on the other.

It appears from the context that the pronouns, ‘‘them’’ and ‘‘their’’, in the phrase, ‘‘they saw them twice their number’’ stand for the phrase, ‘‘one party fighting in the way of Allāh’’. In other words, it says that the unbelieving party saw the believers twice the actual number of the believers, that is, the believers appeared in their eyes as six hundred and twenty-six (instead of the three hundred and thirteen). The words do not support the idea that the two pronouns stood for the two groups separately. In other words, the verse does not say that the unbelievers saw the believers twice the number of the unbelievers themselves.

Someone has mentioned another possibility: That both pronouns stood for the unbelieving party, and that the unbelievers saw themselves twice their own actual number, and instead of one thousand they saw themselves as two thousand. In this way, they saw the believers even smaller in proportion than they actually were; three hundren and thirteen is less than one-sixth of two thousand, while the believers were in fact about one-third of the enemies. It would also explain the verse 8:44 mentioned earlier: And when He showed them to you, when you met, as few in your eyes, and He reduced you to appear as few in their eyes . Without this explanation the two verses would appear contradictory to each other.

Reply: If Allāh wanted to say what has been suggested above, it was necessary to say clearly, ‘‘they saw themselves twice their own number’’. To express this idea in the present form (they saw them twice their number) creates confusion, which is unworthy of an eloquent talk. Also, it is wrong to think that this verse appears contradictory to the verse 8:44. To show contradiction, one would have to prove that both verses refer to the same time and the same situation. But it cannot be done. Probably, Allāh made each group appear, as fewer than their actual number, in the eyes of the opposite party; it made them bold to attack and start fighting. Then, after the battle waxed hot and the opposing forces raged into each other, Allāh made the unbelievers see the believers twice their actualnumber, and they lost their heart, were demoralized and fled away. So, where is the supposed discrepancy?

This case is similar to the two verses describing the affairs of the Day of Resurrection: So on that day neither man nor jinn shall be asked about his sin (55:39);And stop them, for they shall be questioned (37:24). There is no conflict here because each verse is about a different time and stage.

Some other exegetes have written some other views about the two pronouns; but as all of them are against the apparent meaning of the word, there is no use of quoting them here.

QUR’ĀN: and Allāh aids with His aid whom He pleases; most surely there is a lesson in this for those who have sight: ‘‘at-Ta’yīd’’( اَلتَّأْيِيدُ = to strengthen) is derived from al-ayd ( اَلْاَيْدُ = strength). ‘‘al-Absār’’( ا َلْاَبْصَارُ ) is sight. Some people say that here it refers to the eyes, because the verse describes how Allāh influenced their eye-sight. Others say that it means wisdom and knowledge, because it is through them that one may take lesson from some event. But this controversy is misplaced, because Allāh counts him who does not take lesson from events and parables as blind; and says that eyes must see and differentiate the truth from falsehood. It is a sort of claim that the truth, to which Allāh invites all His creatures, is a manifest, embodied substance which is within the perception of these physical eyes. In short, the body’s eye and the mind’s eye are treated as one (metaphorically, ofcourse) so far as comprehension of spiritual knowledge is concerned, because this knowledge is open for all to see. This theme is found in many verses, some of which are as follows: For surely it is not the eyes that become blind, but blind become the hearts which are in the breasts (22:46). In other words, the eyes are in the breasts, not in the heads: . and they have eyes which they do not see with . (7:179). This verse shows astonishment at their being blind to the truth: . and put a covering upon his eyes (45:23).

All of it shows that ‘‘sight’’ in this verse refers to the manifest eyes; this expression is based on an implied claim that it is these eyes that see the truth and take lesson from the past experience. It is a fine exmaple of al-isti‘āratu bi ’l-kināyah( ا َلْاِسْتِعَارَةُ بِالْكِنَايَةِ = a simile which contains neither the first or second side nor its particle - instead it mentions only a concomitant of the second side in order to hint at the allegory). Its import is to show that truth is such a manifest substance that it may be seen by these eyes. What has enhanced further the beauty of this expression is the context - the verse describes the effect the Divine decree had had on their eyesights.

Obviously, the sentence, ‘‘most surely there is a lesson in this for those who have sight’’, is not a part of the talk which the Prophet was to address to the unbelievers (Say to those who disbelieve . .). It is addressed to the Prophet himself. Its proof is the singular second person pronoun ‘‘ka’’( ك َ = thou) added as suffix in ‘‘dhālika’’ ( ذلِكَ = this). It is an indication that the unbelievers are so blind of hearts that they cannot take lesson from past events; therefore, they are not worthy of any advice.

QUR’ĀN: It has been made to seem fair . : This and the following verses elaborate the preceding ones (As for those who disbelieve surely neither their wealth nor their children shall avail them in the least against Allāh . .). The unbelievers erroneously thought that these things would make them independent of Allāh. Now, this verse explains the reason of their mistaken idea: They have submerged their souls under the love of these worldly materials and are so overwhelmed with them that they have forgotten the life hereafter. But they are mistaken, because these things are just the provisions of this transient life, their only purpose is to pave the way for the next destination that is with Allāh. These people are oblivious of the reality of this worldly provision: Allāh has ingrained in human nature the love of these fair and beautiful items, so that this worldly life may attain its completion and perfection. Without this inclination, continuity of human race would be endangered. It is through this love and desire that the decree of Allāh is enforced: . and there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time (2:36). Allāh created in man this inclination, so that he may use it as a means to reach his final destination; so that he may take from it what would benefit him in the next life. People were not expected to treat these worldly trinkets as permanent things, or to forget what lies ahead. They are on journey, going forward to their Lord; they should not take the path as the destination. Allāh says: SurelyWe have made whatever is on the earth an embellishment for it, so that We may try them (as to) which of them is best in deed. And most surelyWe will make what is on it bare ground without herbage (18:7 - 8).

But these simpletons thought that these apparent causes of worldly pleasure were independent of Allāh, (while actually they were created by Allāh to be a means to obtain the pleasure of Allāh). Instead, the unbelievers thought that these things would avail them against Allāh. By their behaviour, they turned the bliss into misery, and changed the reward into punishment. Allāh says: The likeness of this world’s life is only as water which We sent down from the sky; by its mingling the herbage of the earth of which men and cattle eat grows; until when the earth puts on its golden raiment and it becomes garnished, and its people think that they have power over it, Our command comes to it, by night or by day, so We render it as reaped, as though it had not been in existence yesterday; . And on the day when We will gather them all together, then We will say to those who associated others (with Allāh); Keep where you are, you and your associates; then We shall separate them widely one from another . and they shall be brought back to Allāh, their true Master, and what they did fabricate shall escape from them (10:24 - 30). These verses show that the life and its adornments are in the hands of Allāh; none but He controls them. Man, in his foolishness, is deceived by its appearance and thinks that he is in control of his own affair, and that it is he who manages it and keeps it in order. He ascribes some associates in it, like idols and things like idols (wealth and children etc.). But Allāh will make him aware of his follies; the embellishments will go away, the relationship between him and his associates will be cut off, and all that man had fabricated against Allāh will be lost to him. Then he will understand that what he was admonished with in this world was true. Alas!understanding at that time when he will be returned to his Lord, will not benefit him at all.

Allāh says:‘‘It has been made to seem fair to men the love of desires . .’’ The question is: Who has made it to look fair to man? The world appears before man’s eyes as a beautiful and adorable thing - it shows the elegance of independence and beauty of purpose. Does Allāh make it appear in this light? Reason says,No . The All-knowing Wise Lord is too great to manage a thing in such a way that it would defeat His Own purpose. He says: . surely Allāh attains His purpose (65:3); and Allāh is predominant over His affair (12:21). If this phenomenon is to be attributed at all, it should be attributed to Satan. Allāh says: . and Satan made what they did fair-seeming to them (6:43).And when Satan made their deeds fair-seeming to them . (8:48).

Of course, it is all according to the system decreed by Allāh. He has given the man freedom of will to choose his own path, and Allāh does not interfere in the man’s choice. This system is called ‘‘permission’’, it is so that the test may be conducted, and so that the spiritual training may progress in a just manner. Allāh says: Do men think that they will be left alone on saying,‘‘We believe’’, and not be tried? And certainlyWe tried those before them, so Allāh will certainly know those who are true and He will certainly know the liars. Or do they who work evil think that they will escapeUs ? Evil is it that they judge (29:2 - 4).

There is a verse in which this ‘‘making fair-seeming’’ has been attributed to Allāh: Thus haveWe made fair-seeming to every people their deeds (6:108). This verse may be explained by the above-mentioned system of ‘‘permission’’. It may also be explained in the light of the previously explained verse: SurelyWe have made whatever is on the earth an embellishment for it, so that We may try them (as to) which of them is best in deed (18:7).

This ‘‘making fair-seeming’’ is of two kinds. First, world and worldly embellishments are made fair-seeming to man so that he may use it wisely - to get happiness in the next world, and to seek the pleasure of Allāh in all his actions through this wealth, honour, children and self. It is a good and divinelyinspired characeristic and Allāh has attributed it to Himself in the verse 18:7 (SurelyWe have made whatever is on the earth an embellishment . .), and in other verses mentioned earlier. Also the following verse refers to this reality: Say:‘‘Who has prohibited the embellishment of Allāh which He has brought forth for His servants and the good provisions?’’ (7:32).

Second, world is made to appear lovely in the eyes of man, to ensnare his heart, so that he may forget his Creator. It is an evil plan which Allāh has attributed to Satan, and admonished His servants to remain on guard against it. For example: . and Satan made what they did fair-seeming to them . (6:43); He (Satan) said: ‘‘My Lord!because Thou hast left me to stray, I will certainly make (evil) fair-seeming to them on earth, and I will certainly cause them all to go astray . ’’ (15:39); . the evil of their doings is made fair-seeming to them . (9:37), etc.

Sometimes even this type of ‘‘making fair-seeming’’ is attributed to Allāh, inasmuch as Satan and all other causes of good and evil do whatever they do only because Allāh has given them the ‘‘permission’’ (as explained above). This system was necessary to attain the Divine purpose of test, in order that the doers of good may succeed because of their good intention and choice; and the sinners may be separated from them.

The above explanation makes it clear that it is not Allāh who has made it seem fair to men the love of various desires mentioned in the verse under discussion. No doubt, every ‘‘making fair-seeming’’ may be attributed to Allāh, either directly, (if it is a good adornment leading man to His worship) or indirectly, that is, by permission (if it makes one to forget one’s Creator). But this verse contains some factors which cannot be attributed to Allāh directly. Therefore, it was in keeping with the good manners of the Qur’ān not to attribute this adornment to Allāh; instead, it attributes it to some unspecified agent - it could be either Satan or the man himself.

An exegete has rightly said that the implied doer of the verb, ‘‘It has been made to seem fair’’, is Satan, because the love of desires is not a likeable trait, nor is the love of excessive wealth; and therefore, it cannot be attributed to Allāh. Allāh has attributed to Himself the good things mentioned at the end of this verse and in the next one.

But another commentator has said that it cannot be attributed to Satan. He says: The matters related to the human nature and its love and inclinations can never be ascribed to Satan; what may be attributed to him is evil whispering that makes evil thoughts and deeds look attractive to man. He continues his argument as follows: The Qur’ān has never attributed to Satan anything except making evil deed fair-seeming. Allāh says: And when Satan made their deeds fair-seeming to them (8:48); . and Satan made what they did fair-seeming to them (6:43). But the Book does not attribute the realities andnatures of the things except to the Wise Creator Who has no partner. Allāh says: SurelyWe have made whatever is on the earth an embellishment for it, so that We may try them (as to) which of them is best in deed (18:7); Thus have We made fair-seeming to every people their deeds (6:108). The verse talks about the ‘‘people’’, which is another way of talking about the nature of society.

Comment: He is right when he says that the realities and natures of things cannot be attributed to other than Allāh. But he is mistaken in thinking that the verse speaks about the naure of man, or about his natural traits. This statement of ours may be understood ifwo look at the central theme of this chapter.

The main purpose of this chapter is to describe the following realities:

Allāh is Self-subsisting byWhom all subsist: He manages all affairs of all His creatures; He creates them and looks after them. He guides them to their eternal bliss. Those who indulge in hypocrisy, reject His signs or revolt against Him by differing in His Book - the hypocrites, the unbelievers, the polytheists and the People of the Book - in short, all those who obey Satan and follow their desires, cannot weaken the authority of Allāh, nor can they overpower Him, nor is His all-encompassing management affected by their misbehaviour. Everything, including the creatures’ belief and disbelief, obedience and disobedience, is based on the system decreed by Allāh. He has created in this world the systems of the cause and effect, and of the test and trial. He has created the nature, its properties and traits, its inclinations and actions. It has been done so that man may proceed forward to his Lord, may attain nearness to Allāh and may get eternal honour in the Divine presence.

It was because of this system of test that He permitted Satan and did not prevent him from whispering into men’s hearts and putting evil ideas into their minds. Nor did He prevent man from obeying Satan or following his own base desires. By this ‘‘permission’’ the test and trial remains free and fair; those who believe are distinguished from the disbelievers and the hypocrites; and the pure hearted servants of Allāh are raised in status to become witnesses of Allāh.

These things have been described in this chapter to give comfort to the believers. At that time they were overwhelmed by hardships and difficulties. Within their society, they had to endure the double-dealings of the hypocrites and ignorance of those with disease in their hearts. These two groups disturbed their plans and disrupted their affairs; as a result the commands given by Allāh and His Apostle were not fully obeyed. On the outside, they were in constant danger from various groups. There were, within Arabia, the polytheists and the People of the Book (especially, the Jews); and the neighbouring Romans and Persians were threatening them with all their might and forces. All those disbelievers were mistaken and confused in their ideas and ideals. They were entangled in this transient world and its embellishments; they thought that it was their goal and final destination. They had forgottent that this world was only a path, and the destination was the next world.

It is obvious that the chapter discusses the nature of the people, but in a wider framework that includes the purpose of their creation, and all that it entails, like the character and behaviour, the good and evil deeds, the obedience and disobedience. It declares that all this is under the management of Allāh, Who can never be defeated or overpowered - neither in this world nor in the next. In this world, all things happen by His ‘‘permission’’, which makes the test meaningful. In the next world, all will be based on the principle of recompense - good for good and evil for evil.

The verses under discussion also were revealed with the same theme. The disbelievers were given those bounties in order that they might obtain with their help the pleasure of Allāh and enter into His paradise. Instead, they rejected the signs of their Lord and changed those bounties into a source of eternal misfortune; they relied on those worldly embellishments; and thought that those things would avail them against Allāh; in short, they were so enchanted by created things that they forgot the Creator. But these people cannot weaken the hold of Allāh over them; they cannot overpower Him, nor can they escape from Him. Allāh shall catch them for their sins, and shall help His believing servants against them. He shall gather all the disbelievers together unto hell and it is an evil abode. It is their greatest mistake to rely on that which is only a provision of this worldly life, and to forget that the best destination is with Allāh.

These verses too speak about the nature of the disbelievers, but in a wider context that includes their good and bad deeds.

Therefore, it is wrong on the part of that exegete to think that, because the verse speaks about human nature, the verb, ‘‘It has been made to seem fair’’, cannot be attributed to other than Allāh.

Further, he has offered the verse: ‘‘Thus haveWe made fair-seeming to every people their deeds’’, as a proof that realities can only be attributed to Allāh, and it is only the deeds that may be attributed to Satan. But this verse clearly proves the opposite, because it attributes the deeds to Allāh. Its context further strengthens this proposition. The complete verse is as follows: And do not abuse those whom they call upon besides Allāh, lest exceeding the limits they should abuse Allāh out of ignorance. Thus haveWe made fair-seeming to every people their deeds; then to their Lord shall be their return, so He will inform them of what they did (8:108). It makes clear what we have said.

Another exegete has said: This‘‘Making fair-seeming’’ is of two types: Commendable and condemnable. Likewise, human actions are of two kinds: good and evil. Only that which is commendable, good and praiseworthy can be attributed to Allāh; and the other type is escribed to Satan.

Comment: The above statement is correct to a certain extent - in so far as the direct attribution is concerned. In other word, it is valid about the direct actions of Allāh. Allāh does not doexcept good and He does not enjoin indecency and evil. But there is no reason why actions, other than the good and praiseworthy, should not be attributed to Him indirectly. In other words, Allāh may ‘‘permit’’ His creatures to do good or evil as they like. They do whatever they do by the power given to them by Allāh, and according to the system of test decreed by Him. And in this sense, all actions may be ascribed to Allāh - indirectly, of course. If one says that some actions cannot be ascribed to Allāh even indirectly, it would be difficult for him to believe that Allāh is the Lord of everything, Creator of everything and Owner of everything, or that He has no partner or colleague in any affair at all. Moreover, the Qur’ān contains many verses in which ‘‘unpraiseworthy’’ actions have been ascribed to Allāh: Allāh makes whosoever He wills go astray (13:27); . Allāh made their hearts turn aside (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 transgress therein (17:16); there are many verses of this kind in the Qur’ān.

What is the source ofthis erroneous ideas of people like that exegete? They looked at things and meditated on their mutual relationship, on their actions and their effects. They thought that every single thing has an independent existence, is separate from all surrounding things, and has no connection with things that have passednor with those that are yet to appear.

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 a separate pigeonhole, unconnected with any other thing or event. According to their thinking, each event is related only to its immediate cause, and each action belongs only to its doer; other, distant causes have nothing to do with that event or action. Planets revolve, rivers flow, ships run, earth supports its inhabitants, vegetables grow,animals walk and man lives and strives : All these phenomena are separate from each other; there is no bond that binds them to one another; neither any metaphysical reality joins them together nor any physical force keeps them united.

Going a step further, they ascribed the same separateness to human actions and affairs. Virtue and evil, felicity and infelicity, guidance and misguidance, obedience and disobedience, benevolence and malevolence, justice and injustice, nothing is related to any other thing, nothing has any connection with anything else in its existecne.

These people have overlooked the most obvious reality - that the universe, with all sorts of creatures and all kinds of components, is a single entity, whose parts are finely aligned together. Not only that - its components are often interchanged: Today it is a human being, tomorrow it will change into dust and the day after tomorrow will grow as a grass; one’s life is the other’s death; the ‘‘new’’ arises from the ashes of the ‘‘old’’.

The events happening herein are likewise all related to each other; they are the links that are connected together to form the chain that is called the universe. An apparently insignificant alteration in the position of a small link affects the positions of all other links on both sides. A minute change in an atom causes changes in the whole system of the world, although we may not notice it. (If we do not know that a thing exists, it does not mean that it does not exist.)

This universal inter-relation was known to, and described by, the ancient philosophers; and it has been fully manifested by modern sciences. And the Qur’ān had explained to the Muslims this phenomenon long before they learned it from philosophers, scientists and mathematicians of other nations, and then started to do their own researches on these lines. The Divine Book tells us how the system of the heavens and the earth are interlocked, how one affects the other, how all are joined together in attaining to the purpose of creation, how the Divine decree permeates every thing, how all are proceeding towards their Lord, and how the final destination is with Allāh.

Likewise, the characteristics and attributes of our actions are linked together. Even the opposite actions stand face to face with each other, and if one of them goes away, the other would not be recognized. It resembles the physical world where making of one thing depends on unmaking of theother, and the one’s progress causes the other’s retrogress. If one of the opposite is missing, the other’s desired effects on the society would also disappear. The same is the case of virtue and evil as shown by the Divine religion. Obedience is a virtue because disobedience is an evil; good deeds deserve good recompense because bad deeds attract severe requital; reward is pleasant because punishment is unpleasant; and pleasure is desired because displeasure is undesireable. Man by nature gravitates towards felicity and happiness; and runs away from infelicity and unhappiness. If this natural movement stops, the existence itself would dissolve into nothingness.

Obedience, then good deeds, then reward,then pleasure, then happiness - it is a chain that runs parallel to disobedience, then evil deeds, then punishment, then displeasure, then unhappiness. Each side manifests itself by hiding the other; each one gets life in the death of its opposite. How can one call to good deeds without warning against its opposite misdeeds?

We can see in this light that in the Divine wisdom it was necessary for the universe to contain the opposites - virtue and evil, obedience and disobedience. At this stage, there appears an important difference: Creation and destruction, making and unmaking in all things, except human actions, are attributed to Allāh, because the creation and all its affairs are in His hands, He has no partner or colleague. So far as the actions are concerned, if they are good and virtuous, they too are directly attributed to Allāh, because He has guided the man to them. But evil deeds and affairs, like whispering of Satan, overpowering of man by desires or rule of a tyrant over a nation, may be indirectly attributed to Allāh, inasmuch as He withdraws His help from the doers of such deeds and leaves them free to go astray. It is this factor that is called ‘‘permission’’. It is correct to say that Allāh has permitted Satan to misguide human beings with his whisperings and deceptions; that He does not prevent man from following his base desires; and that He does not hinder, an unjust person from his oppression. He has decreed this system because felicity and infelicity are based on freedom of choice; if a man succeeds, it shall be by his own free choice; and if he fails, it too shall be by his own free choice. Otherwise, the proof of Allāh could not be, completed against His servants, and the intended test would be irrelevant.

What prevented the said exegete and others like him from letting the Qur’ānic arguments and expressions progress to their logicalresult, was their reluctance to accept what seemed to them a wrong conclusion. Those who believed that everything is done by Allāh and that there is no cause other than Allāh were disinclined to accept that things were linked together in a chain of cause and effect, because, according to their thinking, it implied a reduction in the all pervasive power of Allāh. Others thought that if deeds of all types could be attributed to Allāh - directly or indirectly - it would absolve the man from responsibility of his action, as it would mean that he was not free in his action; rather he was a helpless tool in the hands of Allāh. Once it was accepted, the system of test, reward and punishment would be negated; and there would be no justification for ordaining the Divine law and religion.

But they should have meditated on the words of Allāh revealed in the Qur’ān: . and Allāh is predominant over His affairs (12:21); . surely His is the creation and the command (7:54); Now surely of Allāh is what is in the heavens and the earth . (10:55). There are many similar verses that prove what we have explained above; and a short description of this topic was given under the verse: Surely Allāh is not ashamed to set forth any parable - (that of) a gnat or any thing above that (2:26).

Now we return to our original topic: Apparently the doer of the verb, ‘‘It has been made to seem fair’’, is something other than Allāh - it is either Satan or the man’s soul itself. There are four reasons to support this view of ours:

First: The verse condemns the disbelievers because they are inclined to these embellishments of the world - wealth and children - and think that these things may avail them against Allāh. It is an adornment that turns one away from remembrance of Allāh, and it is not proper to ascribe such a ‘‘making fair-seeming’’ to Allāh.

Second: If this ‘‘making fair-seeming’’ is attributed to Allāh, it would point to the natural inclination, ingrained in human creation. In that case, it was more appropriate to use the word, ‘‘al-insān’’( ا َلْاِنْسَانُ = human being, man) or ‘‘children of Adam’’; because Allāh uses such words on such occasions: Certainly We created man (alinsān)

in the best make. ThenWe rendered him the lowest of the low (95:4 - 5); And surely We have honoured the children of Adam, and We carry them in the land and the sea, and We have given them of the good things, and We have made them to excel by an appropriate excellence over most of those whom We have created (17:70). But in the verse under discussion Allāh has used the word, ‘‘an-nās’’( ا َلنَّاسُ = men, people) which more often than not has been used in the Qur’ān to show worthlessness of the people referred to, to show their immaturity and narrow-mindedness. Forexample, . . but most men do not consent to aught but denying (17:89); O you people!surely We have created you of a male and a female . (49:13), etc.

Third: The items of desires enumerated in this verse do not fit properly the inclinations ingrained in human nature. If the Qur’ān wanted to refer to the natural desires, then it would have been more appropriate to change the words, ‘‘women and sons and hoarded treasures of gold and silver’’ with the words, ‘‘spouses, and children and wealth’’. After all the natural inclination towards the opposite sex is found in women as much as in men; and the parents love their daughters as much as their sons; and man loves wealth in general and not only the hoarded treasures of gold and silver.

Those who say that the doer of the verb, ‘‘It has been made to seem fair’’ is Allāh, have had to say that the word, ‘‘women’’, refers to matrimony in general; the ‘‘sons’’ means children of both sexes; and the phrase, ‘‘hoarded treasures of gold and silver’’ stands for wealth in general. They say that the words used in the verse have been given just as the most popular examples of every item.

But it is stretching the meanings too far.

Fourth: To say that it is Allāh Who has made these items fair-seeming to men is not in conformity with the end of the verse: ‘‘this is the provision of the life of this world; and Allāh is He withWhom is the best destination. Say: ‘Shall I tell you of what is better than these?’ ’’ Obviously these words have been used to divert their attention from these worldly desires, and create in them love of the things that are with Allāh - paradise, pure mates and pleasure of Allāh. The natural desire of worldly embellishments has been created by Allāh, in order that man may use them to reach his spiritual destination - the same paradise and pleasure of Allāh. That natural desire is the means to obtain that result. If Allāh admonished men to forget these worldly desires and yet told them to reach the intended goal it would be self-contradictory. Who would want to satiate his hunger and yet abstain from food?

Question: This verse in its theme is not different from the verse, Say:‘‘Who has prohibited the embellishment of Allāh which He has brought forth for His servants and the good provisions?’’ Say: ‘‘These are for the believers in the life of this world, purely (theirs) on the Resurrection Day . ’’ (7:32). In this verse the embellishment is ascribed to Allāh; likewise, the doer of this ‘‘making fair-seeming’’ in the verse under discussion should be Allāh.

Reply: There is a clear difference in the import of the two verses. The verse under discussion condemns these desires; because they divert the attention of men from Allāh and from what is with Allāh. It exhorts them to turn aside from these worldly entanglements and to look forward to what is with Allāh. The theme of the verse of Chapter 7 is quite different. It says that these embellishments have been created for the benefit of human beings; the believers enjoy them in this world together with the others; and it will be reserved for the believers only in the next world. It should be noted that this verse uses the word ‘‘His servants’’, instead of the ‘‘men’’ and it counts the embelilishment as ‘‘the good provisions’’.

Question: What has been made fair-seeming is ‘‘the love of desires’’, not the desires themselves. The fact that love seems fair to man and attracts him is a natural reality. The expression, that love has been made fair-seeming to men, means that it has been made effective in their hearts; in other words, love has been created in their hearts; and creation cannot be attributed to other than Allāh. Therefore, He is the doer of this verb.

Reply: The context (to which we have referred) shows that adornment of love means that love has been given a power that attracts people toitself and prevents them from looking at other things. Adornment is an attractive thing that is used or worn by another thing; it attracts the people primarily to itself and then transfers that attraction to the wearer or user. A woman uses cosmetics and ornaments, in order to attract her man to herself - by way of those embellishments. Primarily the man is attracted by those embellishments, but the real objective of the woman is to attract him to herself. In this background, the semantic flow of the word, ‘‘It has been made fair-seeming . the love of desires . .’’ is that primarily the love attracts the men to itself but the real objective is to enchant the people and let them sink in inordinate desire of the named trinkets of the world. In short, the effect of love is not the true objective; and therefore the argument mentioned in the question is out of place. The real goal (which has been condemned) is the desire, as may be seen in the verse: But there followed after them an evil generation, who neglected prayer and followed the sensual desires, so they shall soon meet (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 a shade of inordinate passion in its meaning.

QUR’ĀN: of women and sons and hoarded treasures of gold and silver and well-bred horses and cattle and tilth: ‘‘an-Nisā’ ’’ ( اَلنِّسَاءُ = women) is plural, it has no singular from this root; ‘‘al-banīn’’ ( اَلْبَنِيْنَ = sons) is plural of al-ibn ( اَلْاِبْنُ = male offspring, direct or indirect); ‘‘al-qanātīr’’ ( اَلْقَنَاطِيْرُ ) is plural of al-qintār ( اَلْقِنْطَارُ = a waterskin full of gold, a filled waterskin); ‘‘ al-muqantarah’’ ( اَلْمُقَنْطَرَةُ ) is passive participle (object-noun) of al-qintār although the latter is an inflexible noun. In Arabic language, they often ascribe to an inflexible noun a shade of meaning that makes it resemble an infinitive verb, and then make various words from it, for example, al-bāqil( ا َلْبَاقِلُ ), at-tāmir ( اَلتَّامِرُ ) and al-‘attār ( اَلْعَطَّارُ ) for seller of al-baql ( اَلْبَقْلُ = vegetable), at-tamr ( اَلتَّمْرُ = date) and al-‘itr ( = اَلْعِطْرُ perfume) respectively. It qualifies the word al-qanātīr( = اَلْقَنَاطِيْرُ treasures) with an adjective al-muqantarah ( اَلْمُقَنْطَرَةُ = treasured, hoarded) which is derived from the same word. This device doubly confirms the meaning of the qualified words, for example, danānīr mudannarah( د َنَانِيْرُ مُدَنَّرَةٌ = coined dinars), dawāwīn mudawwanah ( دَوَاوِيْنُ مُدَوَّنَةٌ = recorded register), hijāb mahjūb ( حِجَابٌ مَحْجُوبٌ = veiled curtain) and sitr mastūr ( سِتْرٌ مَسْتُورٌ = concealed screen).‘‘al-Khayl ’’ ( اَلْخَيْلُ = horses) ; ‘‘al-musawwamah ’’ ( اَلْمُسَوَّمَةٌ ) has two meanings: left free to pasture or branded. ‘‘al-An‘ām’’( ا َلْاَنْعَامُ ) is plural of anna‘ am ( اَلنَّعَمُ ) which means camel, cow, buffalo, goat and sheep; albahīmah ( اَلْبَهِيْمَةُ ) is more general than that and is used for all quadrupeds and excludes carnivora, birds and insects. ‘‘al-Harth’’( ا َلْحَرْثُ = tilth) has a meaning of earning in it; it means farming (or cultivated plant) for a livelihood.

The list of desired things given here does not mean that every man has so many loves of desires, as some exegetes have thought; they took the verse to refer to the natural love of spouse, children and wealth. But then they had to explain why human being has been referred to as ‘‘men’’ or people, why ‘‘children’’ has been changed to ‘‘sons’’ and why ‘‘wealth’’ has been described as ‘‘hoarded treasures’’.

The fact, however, is that the verse only says that people, in their inordinate love of worldly desires, are of various types: There are some lecherous persons whose only aim in life is lusting after women; it brings in its train numerous sins and social ills, like using musical instruments, singing, drinking liquor and many other evils. Such debauchery is found mostly in men; women as a rule are free from it (except, in rare cases). Then there are those who ardently love their sons and want their number to increase in order to become a strong and powerful clan; this tendency is more prominent in nomadic tribes, and it especially concerns the sons, not the daughters. A third category is of those greedy avaricious persons who live only for the purpose of hoarding treasures and riches; this madness manifests itself especially in filling their coffers with gold and silver, or similar things like currency notes and bonds, other items are not valued very much by such people. This covetousness is predominent in inhabitants of villages and towns, and is seldom seen in nomads. Finally,come those who want to own a string of pedigreed horses. (It is those who are fond of horsemanship or horse-race); some others love to have cattle; yet others eagerly desire for agricultural farm. The last named three types of desire are sometimes found together.

People usually are overwhelmed by one of the above-mentioned desires primarily, and the rest is given a secondary place. One seldom (or, never) finds a man whose love of all these items is of equal degree.

Other desired ‘‘things’’, like power, 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 a chance to acquire wealth. And, in any case, it is not the purport of the verse to enumerate all the desires.

It proves what we mentioned earlier that the ‘‘love of desires’’ means inordinate attachment to these things (and it is ascribed to Satan); it does not refer to the natural love that has been ingrained in human psyche (and which is attributed to Allāh).

QUR’ĀN: this is the provision . best destination: These desires are such as may be useful to manage the affairs of this life; but this life itself, like its provisions, is a transient thing; it will soon cease to exist. The good life and the best destinationis only with Allāh.

QUR’ĀN: Say: ‘‘Shall I tell you . and Allāh’s pleasure: It elaborates the preceding sentence, ‘‘and Allāh is He withWhom is the best destination’’. It puts, in place of the above-mentioned transient and misleading desires, other things that are best for the man, because they shall remain for ever and are really good, without any shade of imperfection. Although these good enjoyments are similar to those evil desires, but they are free from all evil and bad effects, and they do not divert the man’s attention from sublime Divine realities. The three good enjoyments are the paradise, the pure mates and the pleasure of Allāh.

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 greatest physical pleasure of a human being. It was for the same reason that the preceding verse mentioned ‘‘women’’ before ‘‘sons’’ and ‘‘hoarded treasures’’.

‘‘ar-Ridwān’’( ا َلرَّضْوَانُ ) is also read as ar-rudwān ( اَلرُّضْوَانُ ); it means pleasure, when a reality is agreeable to one’s heart; as-sukht ( اَلسُّخْطُ = displeasure) is its opposite.

The Qur’ān repeatedly mentions the pleasure of Allāh. Allāh is pleased with a servant if he obeys His command; also He is pleased if the servant acquires such attributes and qualities which are good and praiseworthy. But in most - nay, all - places where it has been mentioned in the Qur’ān, it is related to the obedience. That is why sometimes it is described side by side with the pleasure of the servant. Allāh is pleased with His servant because of his obedience; the servant is pleased with his Master because of the good reward given to him. Allāh says: Allāh is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him (98:8); O tranquilled soul (that art at rest)! Return to thy Lord, well pleased (with Him), well pleasing (to Him) (89:27 - 28);And (as for) the foremost, the first of the Emigrants and the Helpers, and those who followed them in goodness, Allāh is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him (9:100).

Pleasure of Allāh has been counted here as one of those things that are better for men than the desires of this world’s life. It shows that this pleasure itself is one of the things that man should desire - or, it accompanies such things that should be desired by him. That is why it has been joined in this verse with the gardens and the pure wives. In other verses, it has been jointly mentioned with grace, forgiveness and mercy of Allāh: . seeking the grace from their Lord and (His) pleasure . (5:2); and forgiveness from Allāh and (His) pleasure . (57:20); . mercy from Himself and( His ) pleasure . (9:21).

The verse under discussion implies a sublime reality that one may comprehend on meditating on the verses mentioned above, for example, Allāh is well pleased with them . (98:8) and: well pleased with Him, well pleasing (to Him) (89:28). The verses say that Allāh is well pleased with them; it is different from saying that He is well pleased with their deeds. It proves that Allāh shall never reject any of their prayers; He shall never disappoint them in whatever they ask Him for. It leads to us to the verse: They have therein what they wish and withUs is more yet (50:35).In short, when Allāh is pleased with a man, that man shall be granted all his wishes without any reservation.

Now we may realize the true significance of the verses. Man thinks that if he acquires the worldly objects mentioned in the preceding verse - and especially the hoarded treasures - it will give him freedom of action; he will be able to do whatever he wishes and he will get unlimited power; but he is grossly mistaken in it. Such unlimited power comes only from the pleasure of Allāh, Who has every affair in His own hands.

QUR’ĀN: and Allāh sees the servants: The two verses showed that Allāh has created for man in both worlds many bounties and pleasant things which he is wont to enjoy, for example, sexual pleasure, food, drink, property and things like that. These items are found in both worlds, with one difference - the pleasures of this world are available to both the believers and the non-believers; but the bounties of the next world are reserved for the believers only; non-believers will have no share in it.

A question could be asked: Why this difference? Why only the believers will be given the pleasant things of the next world? The sentence, ‘‘Allāh sees the servants’’, answers this unasked question. This difference between the believer and non-believer is based on a basic difference between their conditions, and Allāh sees them and knows the difference between them. The dividing factor is piety and fear of Allāh, which is found in the believer only. That attribute of piety and fear of Allāh has been elaborated in the next two verses:‘‘Those who say . forgiveness before dawn’’. The pious believers declare that they depend on their Lord in all their affairs; and they confirm that declaration with good deeds. The unbeliever, on the other hand, thinks that he is independent of Allāh; he remains entangled in worldly desires, forgets the next world and his ultimate destination. Therefore, he shall be denied the pleasures of that world.

Now read again the verses, ‘‘this is the provision of the life of this world; and Allāh is He withWhom is the best destination. Say: ‘Shall I tell you of what is better than these?’ For those who guard (against evil) are gardens with their Lord, beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them, and pure mates . .’’ Also,look at other verses of the same theme, for example, Say: ‘‘Who has prohibited the embellishment of Allāh which He has brought forth for His servants and the good provisions?’’ Say: ‘‘These are for the believers in the life of this world, purely (theirs) on the Resurrection Day; thus doWe make the signs clear fora people who know’’ (7:32). If you ponder on such verses, you will easily grasp the reality of the bounties of the paradise; also you will know how baseless is the following objection directed against them by many writers:

Objection: Look at any worldly thing; all its actions and reactions emanate from various organs and faculties which are found in its system. Allāh has equipped it with those organs and faculties to protect and preserve its existence. After all, existence is not a matter of chance, nor does it happen at random or without a purpose. Here is the man; his whole body is equipped with the most efficient and most mind-boggling systems, all geared to one aim - to ingest and digest the food he takes. The digested food replaces the burnt up cells, tissues and other parts of the body; through this ever-continuing process, man remains alive, his body recoups its losses and even grows. Likewise, he has been given the most intricate reproductory systems - male and female complementing each other in the most awe-inspiring manner. And the purpose behind it is to preserve and propagate the human species.

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 these actions, compelling the creatures, and especially the man and the animal, to do it again and again in pursuit of pleasure. Immersed in the pleasure of food and sexual intercourse, man is seldom aware that the nature is using him for its own goal, that is, preservation of human race. If the food and sexual intercourse were devoid of pleasure, no man would have indulged in them - even if he was told that the survival of his race depended on it. But in the present set-up man gladly endures whatever hardships come in his way and obtains those pleasures. When he gets his desire, he feels happy and even proud of his achievement. But it is the nature that should really be proud of its planning: It wanted to keep the individual alive - and it was done through eating; and it wanted the species to survive - and this goal was attained through copulation. And what was left for the self-satisfied man?Nothing except the memory of a transient pleasure.

These worldly pleasures are ingrained in our system but for a limited and transitory purpose. There is no reason why they should be transplanted from this world to the next where that purpose cannot be attained. The pleasure of food, drink and other such things is meant to protect the body from weakness, sickness and death. The pleasure of sexual intercourse and other related things is meant for the continuity and survival of the human race. If a man is taken out of this world and given an everlasting existence which is immune from death and annihilation; a life that is free from every hardship and difficulty, and every sorrow and grief, then there is no reason why he should be encumbered with these worldly organs and faculties. Why should he be burdened with various systems of the body and a myriad of organs like stomach, kidneys, bladder, spleen, liver, etc.? After all, they were needed only in the worldly life which was transitory; what purpose would they serve in the eternal life?

Reply: Allāh has created these pleasures as well as the bounties from which they spring forth, as an embellishment of this world’s life. The aim is to attract the man initially to them - and through them to the life itself. Allāh has said:

SurelyWe have made whatever is on the earth an embellishment for it . (18:7).

Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of this world . (18:46).

. .coveting the (transitory) goods of this world’s life . (4:94).

And do not stretch your eyes after that with whichWe have provided different classes of them, (of) the splendour of this world’s life, that We may thereby try them; and the sustenance (given) by your Lord is better and more abiding (20:131).

Note: This verse covers all aspects of the subject under discussion.

And whatever things you have been given are only a provision of this world’s life and its adornment, and whatever is with Allāh is better and more lasting; do you not then understand? (28:60).

There are many verses of the same import. They make it 'ar that all the bounties of this world have been created to make this life pleasant - this life which is so short and finite. If there were no life, these bounties and their pleasures would not have been created. This is a fact and upto this point we totally agree with our adversaries.

Nowcomes the important reality which has been overlooked by the said objector. When he says that the man is given an everlasting existence in the next world, what meaning does he assign to the word ‘‘man’’? Man has no other identity except this existence which he perfects in various stages. He is a combination of a spirit and a body - the body which is made of various organs, faculties, powers and senses. Remove these organs and faculties etc., and there will remain neither any person nor his existence - nothing will survive. Negation of body and its various systems and organs is not just a negation of man’s continuedexistence, it is negation of the man himself.

Man, in fact, is a being who procreates, eats, drinks and copulates; he manages the things given them to, and receiving them from, others; he feels, thinks and understands; he feels happiness and is overcome by sorrow. All these actions and reactions form his personality - we may say that he is the sum total of these faculties and systems. Then Allāh transfers him from this transitory world to the everlasting abode and makes him an eternal being - either enjoying everlasting reward or undergoing abiding punishment. But Allāh does not do so by nullifying man’s entity and giving him another one; He only bestows on his present entity the quality of eternity, removing from it the defects of changes and death. Whatever bounties he is awarded, they must be similar to those he had enjoyed in this world; otherwise, he would not enjoy it at all. And what are the pleasures he is familiar with? There is nothing except sexual intercourse, food, drink, clothes, house, friends, and other such enjoyments. Of course, there will be one difference: While the pleasure of this world is transitory, that of the next will be eternal. Likewise, the punishments given to him should be similar to the hardships and afflictions of this world, with the same difference - while the calamities of this world are transitory, those of the next will be everlasting.

In short, man in the next world will remain the same man; there too he will need and require the same things which he needed and required here. The difference between the pleasures and displeasures of this world and those of the next is that the latter will be eternal and everlasting.

This reality manifests itself in the words of Allāh, where He describes the creation of man: And certainly We created man of an extract of clay; then We made him a small life-germ in a firm resting-place, then We made the life-germ a clot, then We made the clot a lump of flesh, then We made (in) the lump of flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh; then We caused it to grow into another creation; so blessed be Allāh, the best of the creators. Then after that you will most surely die. Then surely on the Day of Resurrection you shall be raised (23:12 - 16). Note the verbs in the beginning, ‘‘We created’’, and ‘‘We made’’; the Arabic verbs are derived from al-khalq( ا َلْخَلْقُ ) which implies collection, combination and re-arrangement. Then comes the verb ‘‘ansha’nāhū’’( = اَنْشَأْنَاهُ We caused it to grow into); it implies a change in the mode of creation. (Obviously, it refers to the relation of the soul with the body.) Lastly, comes the declaration, ‘‘Then surely on the Day of Resurrection you shall be raised’’. The sentence addresses the same person who was given a body and then was caused to grow into another creation. It is that combination of body and soul that will be raised on the Day of Resurrection. Likewise, He says: He (also) said:

‘‘Therein shall you live, and therein shall you die, and from it shall you be raised’’ (7:25). In other words, the man’s life is the earthly one, made of its joys and its sorrows. We have explained it to a certain extent under the verse: Mankind was but one people . (2:213).

Allāh says about the bounties of this world: this is the provision of the life of this world (3:14); and then He says: and this world’s life is nothing in the hereafter but (only some) provision (13:26). The very life of this world is a provision in the hereafter; it is a means of enjoyment in the next life. It is a very unique expression; and it opens a thousand doors of knowledge for those who may ponder on it. The verse confirms the tradition of the Apostle of Allāh (s.a.w.a.):

‘‘As you live, so you shall die; and as you die, so you shall be raised.’’ To sum it up, the life of man is made up of the worldly existence together with the good or evil he may have earned. It is this very life which shall be his provision in the hereafter, where he shall reap the reward or punishment according to what he thinks to be his success and prosperity, or failure and loss. He will be awarded his pleasures and enjoyments and will thus get eternal happiness; on the other hand, if he were deprived of those pleasures and enjoyments, he would remain in eternal sorrow. Andthis what is meant by the bounties of the Garden and the tornment of the Fire.

Let us explain it further. Man has a felicity according to his nature, and an infelicity according to the same. The felicity and infelicity are related to his survival as an individual and as a species. This servival depends on his various physical actions, like eating, drinking, copulation etc. Allāh has made these actions attractive to him by investing them with pleasure and satisfaction. Thus, the man proceeds on the path of perfection and begins working consciously according to his senses and will. At this stage, his perfection becomes inextricably interlocked with his senses and will. He does not recognize any perfection unless he desires it and feels it, even if it isa perfection in the eyes of the nature. For example, we do not draw any pleasure from that which we do not actively feel, even if it is a natural source of pleasure, like the health, wealth and child. On the other hand, we get pleasure from what we actively feel to be pleasant, even if it is not so in reality, like a patient who believes himself to be in good health.

At this stage, these preliminary pleasures become real perfection for the man, although according to the nature they were but preliminary ones. When Allāh bestows eternity on such a man, his happiness will depend on only those pleasures which he wouldhimself wish for and desire. And his unhappiness will emanate from that which he would not desire. Felicity of a man having perception and will emanates from that which he knows and desires; and his infelicity from that which he knows but does not desire.

The man would be happy in the hereafter only if he got the pleasures which he used to desire in the life of this world, like the food, the drink and the spouses - and even more; and this is the paradise. And he would be unhappy if he did not get that; and this is the hell. Allāh says: they shall have in them what they please (16:13).

QUR’ĀN: Those who say: ‘‘Our Lord!surely we believe, therefore forgive us our sins and save us from the chastisement of the fire’’: The pronoun, ‘‘those’’, refers to ‘‘those who guard (against evil)’’, mentioned in the preceding verse. They call upon Allāh and say, ‘‘Our Lord!’’ By declaring His lordship, they confess their own servitude and seek His Mercy to grant them what they are asking for. ‘‘surely we believe’’: The sentence is not an attempt to lay God under their obligation, becuse it is Allāh Who lays the believers under His obligation by helping them to believe. Allāh says: . rather Allāh lays you under an obligation by guiding you to the faith . (49:17). Rather it is a plea to Allāh to fulfil for them the promise of forgiveness made with the believers: . and believe in Him, He will forgive you of your faults . (46:31). That is why the next clause begins with ‘‘therefore’’, (therefore forgive us our sins), showing that this prayer is based on the preceding clause. The assertive particle ‘‘inna’’( ا ِنَّ = surely) emphasizes their truth, showing that they are firm in their belief.

The forgiveness of sins, per se, does not necessarily mean release from punishment. Saving a sinner from punishment is a grace which Allāh bestows on him who believes in Him and worships Him. It is not a right of the servant that Allāh should save him from the chastisement of the Fire, or that He should admit him into the Garden. Even the servant’s belief and obedience are from the grace of Allāh; obviously they cannot give the servant any right upon Allāh. Of course, sometimes Allāh in His mercy establishes some rights for the servants on Himself; and one of those rights is the promise given to them that He would forgive their sins and save them from the chastisement of the Fire - provided they believed in Him: . and believe in Him, He will forgive you of your faults and protect you from a painful punishment (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 the forgiveness and the Garden. Allāh says: O you who believe!shall I lead you to a merchandise which may deliver you from a painful chastisement? You shall believe in Allāh and His Apostle, and struggle hard in Allāh’s way with your properties and your lives, that is better for you, did you but know. He will forgive you your faults and cause you to enter into gardens beneath which rivers flow, and goodly dwellings in gardens of perpetuity; that is the mighty achievement (61:10 - 12). The last sentences (saying that the believers’ faults shall be forgiven and they shall enter into gardens) explain in detail what the first sentence had said in a general way: ‘‘shall I lead you toa merchandise which may deliver you from a painful chaystisement?’’ Thus, deliverance from chastisement means forgiveness of sins and entry into the garden. It is a very subtle idea, and we shall explain it in a more appropriate place, God willing.

QUR’ĀN: The patient, and the truthful, and the devout (ones) and those who spend (benevolently) and those who ask for forgiveness before dawn: The five attributes refer to ‘‘those who guard (against evil)’’; these are the virtues which are essential for piety, for guarding against evil.

Patience: This virtue has been mentioned first and without any condition. It, therefore, covers all three kinds of patience: Patience (i.e., steadfastness) in obedience of Allāh; patience (i.e., abstaining) from the disobedience; and patience (i.e., forebearance) in face of a calamity.

Truth: The final analysis of truth means conformity of a man’s exterior - his word and deed - with his inner-self. In this sense, it covers all the other virtues mentioned here, like patience and devoutness etc. Obviously, such a meaning would not fit the context. We have, therefore, to interpret it as the truth in words only. And Allāh knows better.

Devoutness: It means humility before Allāh; and covers all the acts of worship and obedience.

Spending (benevolently): It is giving money to him who deserves it.

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 for forgiveness in that prayer. Traditions say that it refers to the non-obligatory prayer after midnight, and to the asking for forgiveness in al-qunūt( ا َلْقُنُوْتُ = the special invocation before bowing down in the salāt) of al-watr ( اَلْوَتْرُ = the last, that is, eleventh rak‘ah of the prayer after midnight; it is performed as an independent unit, with a qunūt before bowing down). Allāh has pointed to it as a way that leads man to his Lord. Vide Chapters 73 and 74, where mentioning the prayer after midnight. Allāh says: Surely this is a reminder, so whoever pleases takes to his Lord a way (73:19; 76:29).

QUR’ĀN: Allāh bears witness that there is no god but He, and (so do) the.angels and those possessed of knowledge, maintaining (His creation) with justice: The verbal noun, ‘‘ash-shahādah’’( ( اَلشَّهَادَةُ originally meant ‘‘to look at’’, ‘‘to see’’; one got knowledge of a thing or an event by being present at the time and place of occurrence and looking at it. Then it was used for describing it to others and bearing witness to the knowledge thus gained. Thereafter, the word was concurrently used for both meanings, both being treated as its real meanings. After all, there was not much distance from acquiringa knowledge to describing it to others. Mostly one acquires knowledge of an event with one aim in view: to preserve the reality and truth - lest it be invalidated or falsified as a result of a dispute or because of someone’s attempt to conceal the truth and usurp the right, or because one really forgets it. A witness protects the truth and reality. Acquiring the knowledge and bearing the testimony accordingly is called witnessing - protecting the truth.

‘‘al-Qist’’( ا َلْقِسْطُ ) is justice.

The preceding eight verses, beginning with, ‘‘(As for) those who disbelieve’’ and ending at, ‘‘those who ask for forgiveness before dawn’’, have shown that there is no god other than Allāh, and that nothing can avail one against Him; whatever the man relies on in this life, whatever he thinks may avail him against his Lord, it is but an embellishment and a provision - the Lord has given him that provision in order that he may use it for a better purpose - for his success in the hereafter. But that success cannot be attained except with piety and fear of Allāh. The bounties of this world are commonly enjoyed by both the believer and the unbeliever; but the bounties of the hereafter are reserved for the believers only. Those verses have described the fundamental truth; now in this verse Allāh reconfirms it bearing witness that what has been told above is pure truth without a shadow of doubt.

Allāh bears witness that there is no god but He. As there is no god besides Allāh, nothing whatsoever can avail a man against Allāh - be it his wealth or his children or any other embellishment of this life. If any of these could avail a man against Allāh, it would have become a god itself; or at least it would be relying on some other god. But there is no god except Allāh.

He bears this witness while He stands with justice in His actions, looks after His creation with equity. He manages the affairs of the universe through a system of cause and effect. This system has been created by Him; and ultimately every thing - the cause, the effect and their mutual relationship - returns to Him. He has placed in this highway of progress countless bounties in order that the man may enjoy and use them in this world, and then get their benefit in the hereafter. It is a provision for the road; man should make its use as a temporary measure. He should not settle permanently on the roadside.

Allāh bears witness to these facts, and He is a Just Witness. Here we should point to a very fine point:

The justice of Allāh is a witness for itself as well as for His Oneness. In other words, His justice is a self-sustaining reality and also proves that Allāh isOne . When we hear a testimony, we insist that the witness must be a just one, of approved probity; he must be proceeding on the straight path of nature, and should not deviate from it - neither to the right nor to the left. In short, he should put every thing in its right place, and should do every work at its proper time and place in a proper way. Such a man is called just and his testimony shall be accepted because it should be free from lie and falsehood. The man becomes just by adhering to the path of nature. When conformity with that path and system bestows justice on a man, how can there be any doubt about the justice of that system itself. It is a pure justice - and it is the work of Allāh.

When we feel waxed on account of an event occuring in the nature, or when we find it taking place against our inclination and desire, we, in our annoyance, dispute about it and object against it. (Interestingly we depend, in that disputation too, on the same natural system.) Then on further investigation we come to understand the reason of that event, and find that our objection had no leg to stand upon. Or may be we failed in our search and could not find any reason for it; so what have we got in our hand?Only the ignorance of the reason. But the absence of the knowledge of reason is not the same as the knowledge of the absence of reason. To make a long story short, the system found in the universe (and it is the handiwork of Allāh) is pure justice. And if there were any other god besides Allāh, the whole system could not be called all-encompassing justice; the work of each god would have been ‘‘just’’ only within the sphere of his own activity, only in his own jurisdiction. Thus, the justice of the system of creation proves the Oneness of the Creator.

Allāh bears witness - and He is the Just Witness - that there is no god butHe . He testifies in clear words and says: ‘‘Allāh bears witness that there is no god but He’’. The verse contains the testimony of Allāh for His Oneness; in this respect, it resembles the verse 4:166 which says: But Allāh bears witness by what He has revealed to you that He has revealed it with His knowledge (also); and Allāh is sufficient as a witness.

The angels bear witness that there is no god but He. Allāh informs us in the verses of Meccan period, revealed long before this one, that the angels are His honoured servants, who act according to His commandment and declare His glory in His praise: Nay!they are honoured servants; they do not precede Him in speech and (only) according to His commandment do they act (21:26 - 27); . and the angels declare His glory in the praise of their Lord . (42:5). And their declaration of His glory includes the testimony that there is no god besides Him.

Those possessed of knowledge bear witness that there is no god but He. They look at and ponder on His signs in the universe and in their own selves; and those signs have overwhelmed their perception and taken deep root in their minds.

The foregoing discourse makes it clear that:

First: The witness, mentioned here, is the testimony in words, as the verse manifestly shows. It does not refer to bearing witness by actions - although the Divine actions too are evidence of His Oneness. There is an intricate system permeating the creation right from the smallest particle to the whole universe; and this oneness of system bears witness to the Oneness of the Creator. Nevertheless, this verse refers to the verbal testimony only.

Second: The clause, ‘‘maintaining (His creation) with justice’’, is a circumstantial one, referring to the subject, ‘‘Allāh’’ and governed by the verb, ‘‘bear witness’’. In other words, His ‘‘maintaining (His creation) with justice’’ is not witnessed for, neither by Allāh nor by the angels or those possessed of knowledge; rather it means that Allāh, maintaining (His creation) with justice, bears witness that there is no god but He; and the angels and those possessed of knowledge bear witness to His Oneness.

This meaning is obvious from the position of this clause. ‘‘there is no god but He’’, is the reality that has been witnessed for; and the clause, ‘‘maintaining (His creation) with justice’’ has been separated from it by the words, ‘‘and (so do) the angels and those possessed of knowledge’’. If this clause were a part of the testimony, it should have been joined to the former clause and written thus: ‘that there is no god but He, maintaining (His creation) withjustice, and (so do) the angels . .’

Some exegetes have written that the clause may be explained in both ways; but the above explanation shows that it is not so.

Someone has offered a very absurd explanation. He thinks that the testimony mentioned in this verse is not verbal, is not given in words. According to him, if the testimony were a verbal one, the belief in Oneness of God would depend on someone’s words, and not on rational reasoning. But acceptance of that word and testimony depends on the belief in God. A viciouscircle !

He goes on to say: That is why some exegetes have said that the verb, ‘‘bears witness’’, has been used here in a metaphorical sense. The creation, with all its interwoven, interdependent and intricate systems, proves that the whole universe has been created by One Creator. It is as though Allāh Himself, through this practical demonstration, is speaking and testifying for His Oneness. Likewise, the angels worship Him and act according to His commandment, and the knowledgeable people look at the signs pointing to His Oneness - and their attitude and behaviour are tentamount to the witness that there is no god but Allāh.

Reply: This explanation is based on a fallacious presumption. It is true that where we can acquirea knowledge ourselves through external senses or intellectual reasoning, we do not rely on other’s reporting or testimony.The reason being that such a reporting or testimony does not create the firm knowledge which may be gained through intellectual reasoning or external senses. But if there is a report that create as firm a knowledge as the intellectual reasoning (or even firmer than that), then it will beas much reliable as that reasoning (if not more than that). For example, a mutawātir report is far more effective and creates a muchmore surer knowledge than an intellectual reasoning based on logic or analogy, although the latter too creates certainty.

Now, suppose there is a witness who, we know, cannot tell lies - because his truth and veracity has been proved by clear proofs - then his testimony would create as much certainty as a rational argument. And we know that Allāh can never utter a falsehood, because nothing can be further from His sublime presence than a defect or a falsehood. His witness about His Oneness is, therefore, a true witness. Likewise, Hisreport, that the angels and those possessed of knowledge bear witness for His Oneness, firmly proves that they really bear this witness.1

Moreover, the polytheists, who ascribe to Allāh some partners like idols and other deities, only believe those idols or deities to be intercessors, the links between Allāh and His creation; Allāh quotes them as saying: We do not worship them save that they may make us nearer to Allāh (39:3).

Likewise, those who are guilty of the hidden polytheism, that is, those who while believing in Allāh do good deeds for the sake of worldly things (e.g., to satisfy their own desire, to please some other persons, or 1 This reply does not meet the objection, which said: ‘‘Acceptance of (cont. page 172) that testimony depends on the belief that this verse is a true revelation from God, which in its turn depends on the belief in God. And it is a vicious circle.’’ The author too has based his reply on the assumption that ‘‘there is a GodWho is free from all defects and falsehoods and Who cannot, therefore, tell a lie’’. So, the objection remains in its place, and the vicious circle is not broken. If the acceptance of this witness depends on believing - through rational arguments - that Allāh cannot tell a lie, then it is better to take this witness as a supporting argument of the Oneness of Allāh, and not as the main proof. And then it may be accepted as a verbal testimony. (tr .)

to gain some wealth or prestige, and so on), they too believe that these things are created and given their power by Allāh. In other words, whoever ascribes a partner toAllāh, does so with a belief that Allāh has taken that partner to Himself; no one says that the putative partner got that partnership on its own. In this background, when Allāh bears witness that He has not taken any partner to Himself, it is enough to refute the claim of those who ascribe any partner to Him. Accordingly, the verse will have the same connotation as the verse: And they worship beside Allāh what can neither harm them nor profit them, and they say:‘‘These are our intercessors with Allāh.’’ Say: ‘‘Do you (presume to) inform Allāh of what He knows not in the heavens and the earth?’’ Glory be to Him and supremely exalted is He above what they set up (with Him) (11:18). It is a rebuttal of the claim that He has got any partner. How can it be when He Himself does not know of any such partner, neither in the heaven nor in the earth? And He knows every thing; nothing is hidden from Him. The fact is that the verse under discussion is a proposition like other informations that have come to us from His sublime presence, for example, the final clause in the verse 11:18 mentioned just above, ‘‘Glory be to Him and supremely exalted is He above what they set up (with Him)’’. But as this proposition is in fact a claim and as the speaker is not only just but also the source of every justice, it was put before the audience in the form of a testimony, for the sake of variety in style. According to this interpretation, the meaning of the verse would be as follows: Had there been any deities other than Allāh, having some say in the creation and management of the universe, in their capacity as partners with, or intercessors before Allāh, undoubtedly Allāh would have known them and testified for them; but He says that He does not know of any partner for Himself; it surely means that He has no partner at all. Also, the angels are the intermediaries who carry out His commandment in respect of creation and management. Had there been any such partner, they would have known of him and admitted his presence. But they too bear witness that there is no god except Allāh. Finally, the knowledgeable persons would have known of such a partner and noticed the hallmarks of his creation or management. But the only signs they see are those pointing to the One and only God, and therefore they too bear witness that He has no partner or colleague.

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 would certainly have known of him; it would have been impossible for him not to know of someone supposed to be his partner. Likewise, the officials of the government would have known of him; how could they be oblivious of his existence when they were supposed to take orders from him and enforce his dicta among the subjects? And in the same way, the knowledgeable persons among 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 the existence of any such partner in his kingdom, and the government officials do not know of any such person, and the knowledgeableclass of the subjects have not seen anything to prove his existence. All this together makes us absolutely sure that no such man exists.

QUR’ĀN: there is no god but He; the Mighty, the Wise: It is a sort of a parenthetical sentence, having no connection to the main argument, yet complying with the demands of the Divine sublimity. It is a set practice of the Qur’ān to declare the glory of Allāh and pay respect to Him, whenever something unworthy of His sublime name is mentioned. For example: They say: ‘‘Allāh has taken a son (to Himself)!’’ Glorybe to Him (11:68). The phrase, ‘‘Glory be to Him’’, pays respect to Allāh because the preceding sentence had quoted a saying that was unworthy of Allāh’s attributes. Another verse: And the Jews say:‘‘The hand of Allāh is tied up!’’ Their hands shall be shackled and they shall be cursed for what they say (5:64). Now, in the verse under discussion, the first part mentioned the testimony of Allāh, the angels and 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, is Allāh Himself) as well as on the hearers to declare that He is really One, and has no partner; everyone, on hearing that testimony, should reiterate, ‘‘there is no god but He’’.

There is another verse which gives a similar lesson; it admonishes the believers who heard a lie spoken against a wife of the Prophet: And why did you not, when you heard it, say: ‘‘It does not beseem us that we should talk of it; glorybe to Thee!this is a great calumny’’ (24:16). It is a right of Allāh, when we hear a calumny and want to declare the innocence of the person slandered, to glorify Allāh before that.

This sentence, ‘‘there is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise’’, is a sort of a praise for Allāh, to give Him His due respect; that is why it ends with the adjectives, ‘‘the Mighty, the Wise’’. In other words, it is not an offshoot of the preceding witness; otherwise, it would have ended with the adjectives showing His Oneness and Justice.

Allāh has a right that His oneness should be declared whenever the said witness is mentioned; He alone is the Mighty One, His might and power is absolute, there is no partner in His godhead to dilute His might; He alone is the Wise One, His wisdom does not allow anyone to interfere in the creation or the management of the affairs.

The above paragraphs show why the phrase, ‘‘there is no god but He’’, has been repeated, and why it has been ended with the adjectives, ‘‘the Mighty, the Wise’’. And Allāh knows better.

TRADITIONS

Muhammad ibn Ishāq has narrated through his chain of narrators: ‘‘When the Apostle of Allāh (s.a.w.a.) defeated the Quraysh at Badr and returned to Medina, he gathered the Jews at the market of Qīnaqā‘, and said: ‘O Jewish people! Be on your guard against Allāh, lest comes to you similar to that which has afflicted the Quraysh at Badr; and accept Islam before descends upon you that which has descended upon them. And you know that I am a prophet, sent (by Allāh), you find it (written) in your books.’ They said: ‘O Muhammad! Don’t be deluded if you fought against an inexperienced people who knew nothing of the (tactics of) war and thus you got a chance to afflict them. As for us, by Allāh, if we fought against you, you will know that we are indeed the (real) people.’ Then Allāh revealed the verse: Say to those who disbelieve: ‘You shall be vanquished . .’ ’’ (Majma‘u ’l-bayān)

The author says: The above tradition has also been narrated in ad-Durru ’l-manthūr, qouting Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Jarir and al-Bayhaqī (in his ad-Dalā’il ), from Ibn ‘Abbās. The Shī‘ah exegete, al-Qummī, too has a nearly similar tradition in his at-Tafsīr. But as would have been clear from the foregoing commentary, this tradition is not in perfect harmony with the context of the verses. It seems more likely that these verses were revealed after the battle of Uhud. And Allāh knows better.

as-Sādiq (a.s.) said: ‘‘People do not enjoy, in this world or in the hereafter, any pleasure greater than the pleasure of women; and that is the word of Allāh: It has been made to seem fair to to men, the love of desires of women and sons . .’’ Then he said: ‘‘And certainly the poeple of the garden shall not savour of anything of the garden more delicious to them than the sexual intercourse - neither food nor drink.’’ (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. Then it has been said that it is only a provision of the life of this world, and the pleasures of the paradise are better than that.

When the Imām said that sexual intercourse was the most delicious of all the pleasures, he was comparing it with the pleasures related to the body.6 He was not speaking about spiritual pleasure, for example, the delight a man gets from his own existence, or the joy a friend of Allāh feels from being nearer to Him, seeing His great signs and receiving His pleasure and blessings. Rational arguments prove that the pleasure a man gets from his existence is the greatest; other proofs show that the pleasure he feels from the existence of his Lord is even greater than that; and there are numerous traditions saying that the bliss a servant enjoys from being nearer to Allāh is the greatest of all pleasures. It has been narrated in al-Kāfī from al-Bāqir (a.s.) that he said:‘‘ ‘Alī ibn a1-Husayn (a.s.) used to say: ‘It makes my Soul agreeable to early death and murder which beset us that Allāh has said: Do they not see that We come into the land, curtailing it of its sides? (13:41); and it refers to the departure of the learned people (from this world).’ ’’ Other such traditions will be given in other relevant places.

al-Bāqir and as-Sādiq (a.s.) said about the word of Allāh, and hoarded treasures: ‘‘al-Qintār ( اَلْقِنْطَارُ ) is gold that could fill the hide of an ox.’’ (Majma‘u ’l-bayān)

The Imām said: ‘‘al-Khaylu ’l-musawwamah( = اَلْخَيْلٌ مُسَوَّمَةٌ translated here as well-bred horses) means the horses which are put on pasture.’’ (at-Tafsīr , al-Qummī)

as-Sādiq (a.s.) said: ‘‘Whoever recites seventy times while he is in standing pasture, in his prayer of al-watr( ا َلْوَتْرٌ ), ‘I seek forgiveness from Allāh and return to Him’, and continues to do so regularly for (at least) a year, Allāh writes him among those who ask for forgiveness before dawn, and he is bound to get forgiveness from Allāh, the High.’’ (Man lā yahduru ’l-faqīh; al-Khisāl)

The author says: This meaning is given also in other traditions narrated from the Imāms of Ahlu ’l-bayt (a.s .); and it is one of the sunnah of the Prophet. A similar tradition has been reported in ad-Durru ’l-manthūr through Ibn Jarīr from Ja‘far ibn Muhammad (as-Sādiq - a.s.) that he said: ‘‘Whoever prays a part of the night, then asks for forgiveness at the end of the night, he will be written among those who ask for forgiveness.’’

The statement of the Imām: ‘‘and he is bound to get forgiveness from Allāh’’, is based on their prayer mentioned in the preceding verse: ‘‘Our Lord!surely we believe, therefore, forgive us our sins . .’’ Allāh has quoted their prayer without any comment; it implies that He has granted the prayer.

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