Tafsir of An-Nahl 16:89

(And the Day We will resurrect in every nation a witness)—he is, as has been narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), their Prophet who was sent to them in the worldly life. The meaning of him being (from among themselves) is that he is one of them, so that the excuse may be more effectively severed. Lot (peace be upon him) is not a rebuttal to this, for since he took a wife among them and resided with them, he was counted among them as well. Ibn Atiyyah said: It is permissible for Allah (Exalted be He) to resurrect witnesses from the righteous alongside the Prophets (peace be upon them). Some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said: "If you see someone committing a sin, forbid him; if he obeys you, then good, otherwise you will be a witness against him on the Day of Resurrection."

The Imam mentioned two interpretations regarding the verse:

1. That every Prophet is a witness over his people, as previously stated.
2. That for every generation and gathering that exists in the world, there must exist among them one who is a witness, and it is necessary that he not be susceptible to error, otherwise he would need another, and so on, which would lead to an infinite regress. The existence of such a witness during the era of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is manifest. As for after him, there must be in every era groups whose words establish the proof; they stand in the place of the infallible witness. He then said: "This necessitates that the consensus (Ijma) of the nation is a proof."

That there must be in every era someone whose word is a proof over the people of his time is the position held by al-Jubba'i and the majority of the Mu'tazilah. Al-Tabarsi said in Majma' al-Bayan: "Their school of thought aligns with the school of our companions (meaning the Shi'ah), even if they differ as to who that proof is." You know that invoking the verse to support this claim is weak, and the investigation of this matter is sought in its proper place.

Al-Asamm said: The intended meaning of "the witness" is parts of the human being, for Allah (Exalted be He) will make ten parts of him speak—his two ears, two eyes, two feet, two hands, his skin, and his tongue—and they will testify against him, because He (Subhanahu) said in describing the witness that he is "from among themselves." Al-Qadi and others refuted this by noting that being a witness over a nation implies that the witness is someone other than the nation itself. Furthermore, His (Exalted be He) statement (from every nation) rejects this, as it is not correct to describe individual limbs as being "from the nation." Moreover, contrasting this with His (Subhanahu) statement (And We will bring you as a witness over these) makes what he mentioned unlikely, as is obvious.

"These" refers to the nation of the Prophet (peace be upon him) according to the majority of exegetes. It is not improbable that it includes those present at the time of the revelation and others until the Day of Resurrection, for the deeds of his nation (peace be upon him) are presented to him after his death. It has been narrated from him (peace be upon him) that he said: "My life is a benefit to you, you speak and it is spoken to you; and my death is a benefit to you, your deeds are presented to me. Whatever good I see, I praise Allah (Exalted be He) for it, and whatever evil I see, I seek Allah’s (Exalted be He) forgiveness for you." Indeed, it has been narrated that the deeds of a servant are presented to his deceased relatives. Ibn Abi al-Dunya recorded from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Do not disgrace your dead with your evil deeds, for they are presented to your loved ones among the people of the graves." Ahmad recorded from Anas in a marfu' (elevated) hadith: "Your deeds are presented to your relatives and tribesmen among the dead; if it is good, they rejoice, and if it is otherwise, they say: 'O Allah, do not make them die until You guide them as You have guided us.'" Abu Dawud recorded it from Jabir with the addition: "And inspire them to do what is pleasing to You."

Ibn Abi al-Dunya recorded from Abu al-Darda that he said: "Your deeds are presented to your dead, and they are pleased or saddened." Abu al-Darda used to say upon that: "O Allah, I seek refuge in You that my maternal uncle, Abdullah ibn Rawahah, should despise me when I meet him." He used to say this in his prostration. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is to his nation like a father, or even closer. I have not come across any mention of the deeds of previous nations being presented to their Prophets after death, nor have I seen anyone address this, neither in denial nor affirmation. If it is said that they are presented, then the matter of being a witness is clear regarding a Prophet who was not sent to his nation after another Prophet had already passed away from them. If it is said they are not presented, then the matter of witnessing requires an inquiry into the existence of something that provides definite knowledge, or accepting that the witness is not the Prophet alone, as you heard previously.

Furthermore, the hadith regarding the presentation of deeds to our Prophet (peace be upon him) is challenged by the hadith of people being driven away from the Hawd (Cistern), which al-Manawi mentioned without providing an answer. I have provided an answer to it in some of my notes, so reflect upon that.

It is said: The intended meaning refers to the witnesses of the nations, who are the Prophets (peace be upon them), because of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) knowledge of their creeds and his legislation encompassing their foundations—not the nation, because his (peace be upon him) being a witness over his nation is already known from what preceded. Thus, the verse is directed toward his (peace be upon him) witnessing over the Prophets (peace be upon them), and is free from repetition. This was countered by saying that the intent of his (peace be upon him) witnessing over his nation is his purification and authentication of them after they testify to the delivery of the message by the Prophets (peace be upon them) according to what they knew from their Book. This was not known from what preceded so as to be redundant, and it is what is reported in the hadith. More than one has mentioned this in the exegesis of His (Exalted be He) statement: (And thus We have made you a just nation that you might be witnesses over the people and the Messenger might be a witness over you). The "over" (‘ala) carries no harm, and if it did, the harm is shared. Yes, the witness of this nation regarding the delivery of the message of the Prophets (peace be upon them) was not understood from what preceded, so that this witnessing appears as a purification as in the verse of al-Baqarah. Perhaps the matter is simple.

In Irshad al-'Aql al-Salim, it is stated: His (Exalted be He) saying (And the Day We will resurrect) is a repetition of what preceded, doubling the threat and the matter regarding these nations and their witnesses. Preferring the word "bringing" over "resurrection" is for the utmost care concerning his (peace be upon him) station, and the past tense is used to indicate the certainty of the occurrence. This was countered by the claim that interpreting "these" in such a way is contrary to the apparent meaning. It was deemed permissible that the preference for "bringing" over "resurrection" serves to signal the difference between the two types of witnessings, based on the fact that his (peace be upon him) witnessing over his nation is for the purpose of purification, which is not the case for the witnessing of the other Prophets (peace be upon them) over their nations.

The adverbial phrase is connected to a suppressed verb as mentioned before, and the intended meaning is the Day of Resurrection. (And We have sent down to you the Book)—which is complete in its scripture, specifically designated by the generic name. This—according to what is in al-Bahr—is an initiation of information and is not included with what preceded due to the difference in the two times.

More than one allowed for it to be a state (hal) with the implied meaning of "already" (qad). Some scholars mentioned that His (Exalted be He) saying (And We have brought you as a witness), etc., if it is an inaugural statement not conjoined to His (Subhanahu) saying (We will resurrect), and "witness" is a projected state, then there is no problem in it being a state. But if it is a conjunction to it, then the expression in the past tense is for the reason known in such cases. The content of the state-clause is far ahead, so the interpretation they offered to validate it being a state does not work, unless it is based on the idea that time does not flow over Him (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala). This was countered by stating that there is nothing to it, because His (Subhanahu) saying (a clarification for all things) includes creeds and foundations by primary inclusion, and that is continuous until the Resurrection and beyond. There is no need for what was said—that the meaning is "in such a way that we had already sent down to you the Book," and that such a state is eternally fixed for Him (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala). This view is debatable.

Some claimed the sentence is a state from the subject pronoun in the verb acting upon the adverb, meaning: "We will resurrect them on that day while we have sent down to you the Book." This is as you can see. The safest approach is to treat it as an inaugural statement. "Tibyān" is a noun indicating frequency/multiplicity, according to what Tha'lab narrated from the Kufans and al-Mubarrad from the Basrans. Salamah ibn al-Anbari said in the explanation of the Maqamat: "All nouns derived from the Arabs on the pattern of tifal are with an open ta (ta-f'al), except for two words: tibyān and tilqā'a." Ibn Atiyyah said: "It is a name, not a verbal noun." This pattern is also rare in nouns. Ibn Malik said in Nazm al-Fara'id: "It comes on the pattern of taf'āl with a kasra, and it is not a verbal noun, such as tiklām (one who speaks much), tilqām (one who eats much), til'āb (one who plays much)..." Abu Ja'far al-Nahhas limited it even further in his explanation of the Maqamat, saying: "There are no nouns in the language of the Arabs on the pattern of taf'āl except four names, and a fifth about which there is disagreement: tibyān, and for a woman's necklace tiqsār, ta'shār, and tabrā—the fifth is timsāh (crocodile)."

The well-known position is that tibyān is a verbal noun and not a noun, even if it is said that this is the view of the majority of grammarians. Al-Zajjaj allowed the fatha in it outside of the Quran.

The intended meaning of (all things)—according to the position held by a group—is whatever relates to the affairs of religion; meaning, an eloquent clarification for everything related to that. Among which are the conditions of nations with their Prophets (peace be upon them), as well as what this verse has informed of—the resurrection of witnesses and his (peace be upon him) resurrection. Thus, the connection of the verse to what precedes it is apparent. The proof for the estimation of a descriptor specifying the "thing" is the context, and that the mission of the Prophets (peace be upon them) is only for the clarification of religion. For this reason, the question about the crescents was answered as it was, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "You are more knowledgeable about the affairs of your worldly life." The fact that the Book is a clarification for that is because it contains text on some matters, refers others to the Sunnah (as He commanded following the Prophet, peace be upon him, and said of him: (Nor does he speak from his own desire)), and encourages consensus (Ijma) in His (Subhanahu) saying: (And follows other than the way of the believers). This verse, according to al-Shafi'i and a group, is proof for consensus. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was pleased for his nation to follow his Companions, saying: "Adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Righteous Caliphs after me; hold onto it with your molar teeth." They practiced ijtihad, used analogy, and paved the ways of ijtihad; thus, the Sunnah, the Consensus, and Analogy are all supported by the clarification of the Book.

Some said: "All" is for frequency and glorification, as in His (Exalted be He) saying: (Destroying everything by the command of its Lord). Since the encompassing and generalization bring about what is in the "clarification" of exaggeration in explaining, and that among the affairs of religion there is a specification that the context does not necessitate. The second was refuted by what you heard just now, and the first by saying that the exaggeration is according to quantity, not quality, just as it is said in His (Exalted be He) saying: (And your Lord is not a tyrant to the servants); it is like saying: "So-and-so is a zalim (oppressor) to his servant, and a zallam (great oppressor) to his servants." Among this is His (Subhanahu) saying: (And the oppressors will have no helpers).

Some said: Both views have merit. The one that prioritizes the first is keeping "all" on its literal meaning in general. This was countered by saying that the second is prioritized by keeping "thing" on its generality, and its safety from estimation—which is contrary to the origin—and from metaphor, according to some. Yes, the majority of exegetes went to considering specification, and this was narrated from Mujahid. Al-Jalal al-Mahalli said, in refuting those who do not allow the specification of the Sunnah by the Book: "It indicates that the permissibility is His (Exalted be He) saying (And We have sent down to you the Book as a clarification for all things), even if it is specified from its generality by other than the Quran."

Directing the understanding that it is a clarification for everything related to religion, through what preceded, is what is necessitated by the words of more than one of the elite. Al-Shafi'i (may Allah be pleased with him) once said in Makkah: "Ask me about whatever you wish; I will inform you of it from the Book of Allah (Exalted be He)." It was said to him: "What do you say about a person in ihram who kills a wasp?" He said: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Allah (Exalted be He) said: (And whatever the Messenger has given you, take it; and whatever he has forbidden you, refrain from it). And Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah narrated to us from 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Umayr from Rib'i ibn Hirash from Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: 'Follow those who come after me, Abu Bakr and 'Umar.' And Sufyan narrated to us from Mis'ar ibn Kidam from Qays ibn Muslim from Tariq ibn Shihab from 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that he ordered the killing of a wasp by the one in ihram." Al-Bukhari narrated from Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "Allah (Exalted be He) has cursed the women who tattoo, those who ask to be tattooed, those who pluck their eyebrows, and those who file their teeth for beauty, changing the creation of Allah (Exalted be He)." A woman asked him about that, so he said: "Why should I not curse those whom the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) cursed, and it is in the Book of Allah (Exalted be He)?" She said to him: "I have read what is between the two boards (the Quran), and I did not find in it what you say." He said: "If you had read it, you would have found it. Have you not read: (And whatever the Messenger has given you, take it; and whatever he has forbidden you, refrain from it)?" She said: "Yes." He said: "For indeed, he (peace be upon him) has forbidden it."

Some went to what the apparent meaning of the verse necessitates, not saying there is specification, nor that "all" is for frequency. They said: "There is nothing of the affairs of religion or the world that cannot be extracted from the Quran, and it has clarified therein everything with an eloquent clarification." They considered in this the ranks of people in understanding. Sometimes a thing is an eloquent clarification for a people and not for others; nay, it may be a clarification for one and not for another, let alone whether the clarification is eloquent or otherwise. This is nothing but the difference in the strengths of the "eyesight" (of the mind). Similar to that is the difference in the ranks of perception due to the difference in the strengths of vision. It is said: The meaning of it being a clarification is that it is so in itself, and that does not demand the existence of someone for whom it is clarified, let alone that everyone participates in the realization of this attribute relative to them by understanding the condition of every thing from it in the most perfect way. Similar to that is the sun; it is luminous in its essence even if there is no one illuminated or looking. This consideration is enriched by the consideration that the exaggeration is according to quantity, not quality.

The view of the apparent meaning is supported by the fact that the Greatest Sheikh (may Allah sanctify his soul) and others have extracted from it an uncountable number of cosmic events. I have seen a table of letters attributed to the Sheikh upon which it was written that one can know from it the events of the people of the Gathering, another upon which it was written that one can know from it the events of the people of Paradise, and another upon which it was written that one can know from it the events of the people of Hell; and all of that, according to what they claim, is extracted from the Noble Book. Similar to this is the Al-Jafr al-Jami' attributed to the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (may Allah ennoble his face), for they said: "It is comprehensive of whatever Allah (Exalted be He) willed of cosmic events," and it too is extracted from the Great Quran.

Al-Jalal al-Suyuti narrated from al-Mursi that he said: "The Quran gathered the sciences of the ancients and the later ones, in such a way that no one truly grasped its knowledge in truth except the One who spoke it, then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), then those who were singled out by Him (Subhanahu). Then most of that was handed down from him to the masters of the Companions and their luminaries, such as the four Caliphs, and such as Ibn Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud, until the first said: 'If I lost the tether of a camel, I would find it in the Book of Allah (Exalted be He).' Then it was inherited from them by the followers (Tabi'in) with excellence, then aspirations diminished, determinations weakened, and the people of knowledge dwindled and became unable to carry what the Companions and the Followers carried of its sciences and all its arts. So they diversified its sciences, and every group took up one of its arts." It is said: "Time is never devoid of a knower of all that; he is the Muhammadan Inheritor, and he is called the Ghawth and the Pole of Poles, the most perfect manifestation and the manifestation of the Greatest Name, and so on."

This is countered for those who hold this view by the hadith of "pollination" and his (peace be upon him) saying: "You are more knowledgeable about the affairs of your worldly life." It is answered that it is possible that this was from him (peace be upon him) before the revelation of what he (peace be upon him) would come to know of the condition of pollination, or it is possible that it was after the revelation, and he (peace be upon him) said that before referring to it and looking into it. If he had referred and looked, he would have known more than they knew. Their being more knowledgeable about the affairs of their world came about because their knowledge of that did not require referring and looking, while his (peace be upon him) knowledge required that. This is as he (peace be upon him) said: "If I had faced what I turned my back on, I would not have driven the sacrificial animals," even though driving the sacrificial animals is one of the religious affairs, and they have said that the Great Quran is a clarification for them. This refutes them, were it not for this answer. So reflect! The discussion is still not free from "he said and they said."

Some said: "Affairs are either religious or worldly. Worldly affairs have no concern for the Lawgiver, as He was not sent for them. Religious affairs are either foundational or peripheral. The concern for the peripheral is less than the concern for the foundational, for what is sought first by essence from the mission of the Prophets (peace be upon them) is the Unity (Tawhid) and what is similar to it. Nay, what is sought from the creation of the servants is to know Him (Exalted be He), as His (Subhanahu) statement bears witness: (And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me), based on the interpretation of "worship" as "knowledge." And His (Exalted be He) saying in the Holy Hadith famous on the tongues, authenticated by the path of the Sufis: 'I was a hidden treasure, and I loved to be known, so I created creation to be known.' The Great Quran has guaranteed the clarification of the foundational religious affairs in the most perfect way. Let the intended meaning of (all things) be that, and this does not require directing why it is a clarification to what the interpretation of (all things) as 'religious affairs absolutely' needed, from our saying: 'It is because it contains text on some, and refers others to the Sunnah, etc.'"

Some of the later scholars chose that (all things) is upon its apparent meaning, except that the intended meaning of "clarification" is clarification by way of summary; there is nothing but its condition is clarified in the Book in summary. It is sufficient for that to clarify some of its conditions. The exaggeration is according to quantity, not quality, as you knew previously. Even if "clarification" is applied to what encompasses summary and detail, with consideration of the ranks of those for whom it is clarified, and the distribution is considered, it is also permissible. So let it be contemplated.

The accusative of (a clarification) is as a state (hal), as Abu Hayyan said. It was also allowed to be an object for which (maf'ul min ajlih), meaning: "We have sent down to you the Book for the sake of clarification." (And guidance and mercy) for all, by the evidence of His (Exalted be He) saying: (And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds), and the deprivation of the disbelievers is from the side of their own negligence. (And good tidings for the Muslims).

89 (Particularly, and it is permissible to assign the whole of it to them because they are the ones who benefit from it, or because it is the guidance—the delivering proof—and mercy—the complete mercy.)