Tafsir of Al-Isra 17:111

(And say, "All praise is to Allah, who has not taken a son"): This is a refutation of the Jews, the Christians, and the Banu Malih, who said, "Uzair is the son of Allah," "The Messiah is the son of Allah," and "The angels are the daughters of Allah." Exalted is Allah, High and Great, above what they say. The negation of taking a son is explicitly a negation of adoption, and it is known from this—a fortiori—that it is impossible for Him, the Glorified, to have a biological son. He explicitly denied this in His saying, "He neither begets nor is born."

(And has no partner in dominion): Its apparent meaning is a refutation of the Dualists, who are the polytheists regarding [the concept of] Lordship. It is also permissible that it is a metonym for the negation of partnership in Divinity, thus serving as a refutation of paganism.

(And has no ally out of humiliation): That is, no helper or preventer of humiliation for Him, for He is Exalted and dignified in His own Self. The min (from/out of) is connected to "ally," implying the meaning of prevention and help; or, it means He does not beget an ally due to any humiliation. Thus, wilayah (alliance/guardianship) is understood in its original sense of love, and the min is causative. The meaning in both interpretations is not merely the negation of humiliation and help in the first, and of alliance and humiliation in the second, according to a method that cannot be guided by its beacon. Rather, the intended meaning is that if Allah, the Exalted, takes a servant as an ally, that is purely an act of grace (istina') regarding the servant; it is not because there is any need [on Allah's part]. Likewise, Allah’s help is a perfection for the helper, not because there is a need for it. Do you not see His saying, "If you help Allah, He will help you"? The author of al-Kashf leaned toward this, and it is sound. The esteemed al-Tibi attributed this to both interpretations as part of that [specific] method. In the Shahabiyyah glosses, in explaining the second interpretation, it states that the intent is to deny that Allah has a master to whom He, the Glorified, might seek refuge. As for the "ally" (wali) used to describe the believer, the wilayah therein is not of this meaning; rather, it is in the sense of one who handles the affairs of another out of love, grace, and mercy from Him, the Almighty. Thus, he distinguished between the two types of wilayah. Perhaps the truth lies with the author of al-Kashf. It is strange what has been said, that "out of humiliation" is in the position of an adjective for "ally," and that min signifies partiality (tab'id), implying the omission of a genitive (i.e., "no ally from among those of humiliation," referring to the Jews and Christians). By my life, this is something that should not be turned toward.

It might be imagined that this station is one of transcendence (tanzih) rather than praise (hamd), because praise is for voluntary action, while what is mentioned are negative attributes. This is pushed back against by the fact that describing Allah with what is mentioned is appropriate for the word of praise because it indicates the negation of possibility (imkan)—which necessitates need—and the affirmation that He is the Necessary Being by His essence, the Self-Sufficient above all others, while all others are in need of Him. He is the Generous One who gives to every recipient what it deserves; thus, He, the Almighty, is the only one worthy of praise, not anyone else. This is what al-Zamakhshari meant. He said in al-Kashf: "You may consider the negation of these attributes as means for preventing what is known. As for the son, it is a cause of stinginess. As for the partner, it prevents [one] from acting as one wills. As for the need for someone to protect or defend Him, it is more apparent as a surrogate for affirming their opposites by way of metonymy." This is a sound perspective. If the speech were carried upon its apparent meaning, it would also have a basis, because the saying of the speaker, "All praise is to Allah," implies that Divinity necessitates praise. Thus, when you say, "All praise is to Allah, who is free from deficiencies," for instance, you have strengthened the meaning of Divinity understood from the word. It is therefore an appropriate description supporting His, the Exalted's, worthiness of praise, without regard to the independent input of the description into the praise. This is clear and manifest, except that al-Zamakhshari attempted to point out the place of the added benefit.

He was criticized by the assertion that what he mentioned—that "All praise is to Allah" implies that Divinity necessitates praise—does not hold true according to the school of those who deny derivation in the noble Name; in this, there is contemplation. The verse, according to the scholar al-Tibi, is of an exhaustive division, because the one who prevents the bestowing of favors is either above Him, the Exalted, below Him, or equal to Him. The speech was constructed upon an ascending order, beginning with the lowest and ending with the highest, thus negating them all. From Him is the son of multiplicity, and to Him belongs the little, the trivial, and the great; exalted is His majesty and immense are His favors. Due to the indication of what preceded—that He is the Complete One and all else is deficient—He is worthy of takbir (proclaiming greatness). Hence, His saying, "And proclaim His greatness with all greatness," was appended to it. Takbir is the most eloquent expression for the Arabs regarding the meaning of glorification and majesty. The command for it, following what has been mentioned and emphasized by the indefinite verbal noun—without specifying how He is to be glorified—is an indication that it is something that words cannot encompass, nor human capacity fulfill. Even if the servant exaggerates in transcendence and glorification, and exerts effort in worship and praise, there remains nothing but to stand with the feet of humiliation in the depths of deficiency, and to confess the inability to fulfill His right, the Almighty, even if the efforts are prolonged.

Many have reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to teach the young boy from Banu Abdul-Muttalib, when he reached the age of discernment, "All praise is to Allah..." until the end of the verse, seven times. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) called it—as narrated by Ahmad and al-Tabarani from Mu’adh—"The Verse of Might." Abu Ya'la and Ibn al-Sunni narrated from Abu Hurayrah, who said: "I went out with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with my hand in his hand, and he came upon a man in a disheveled state. He said, 'O so-and-so, what has brought you to the state I see?' He said, 'Sickness and poverty.' The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, 'Shall I not teach you words that will take away your sickness and poverty? Rely upon the Ever-Living who does not die, "All praise is to Allah, who has not taken a son..."' The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) returned to him, and his condition had improved, so he asked, 'How are you?' He said, 'I have not ceased saying the words you taught me.'"

Ibn Abi al-Dunya in Kitab al-Faraj and al-Bayhaqi in al-Asma’ wal-Sifat narrated from Isma’il ibn Abi Fudayk, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "No matter has ever distressed me but that Gabriel (peace be upon him) appeared to me and said, 'O Muhammad, say: I rely upon the Ever-Living who does not die, and "All praise is to Allah, who has not taken a son..." to the end of the verse.'" Ibn al-Sunni and al-Daylami narrated from Fatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to her: "When you go to your bed, say: 'All praise is to Allah, the Sufficient. Glory be to Allah, the Most High. Allah is sufficient for me and suffices; what Allah wills, He decrees. Allah hears the one who calls. There is no refuge from Allah, and no shelter behind Allah. I rely on my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature but that He holds it by its forelock. Indeed, my Lord is on a straight path. All praise is to Allah, who has not taken a son...' up to 'And proclaim His greatness with all greatness.'" Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "There is no Muslim who reads it at his bedtime and then sleeps in the midst of devils and vermin, but that they will harm him."

This is so, and how subtle is the connection between the beginning of this surah and this conclusion! This is not strange in the speech of the Subtle, the Knowing. By way of indication (isharah) in the verses, "And indeed, they were about to tempt you..." until the end, is a warning to His beloved (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) against falling into that which violates the preservation of the conditions of love. It contains an indication of his arrival at the station of stability: "(Establish prayer from the decline of the sun until the darkness of the night)..." The verse mentions that prayer is of five categories: the prayer of connection and intimacy in the station of the Hidden; the prayer of witnessing in the station of the Spirit; the prayer of communion in the station of the Secret; the prayer of presence in the station of the Heart; and the prayer of compliance and submission in the station of the Self. The decline of the sun is an indication of the setting of the sun of Oneness upon the establishment of the servant’s existence through absolute annihilation; for there is no prayer in the state of [perfect] stability, as the servant has no existence at that time, nor any consciousness of his own self. It only becomes obligatory upon the decline and the occurrence of the shadow of the servant's existence—either when veiled by creation, which is the state of separation (farq) before union (jam’), or during subsistence (baqa’), which is the state of separation after union. The darkness of the night is an indication of the darkness of the night of the Self, and the recitation of the dawn is an indication of the recitation of the dawn of the Heart. The most gentle of prayers is the prayer of connection, and the best of them is the prayer of witnessing, indicated by the Asr prayer. The lightest of them is the prayer of the Secret, indicated by the Maghrib prayer. The most firmly fixing for the Self is the prayer of the Self, indicated by the Isha prayer. The most repelling to the devil is the prayer of presence, indicated by the Fajr prayer: "Indeed, the recitation of the dawn is ever witnessed"—meaning the angels of the night and the day witness it. This is an indication of the descent of the attributes of the Heart and their lights, and the departure of the attributes of the Self and their vanishing.

"And from the night, pray with it as an additional prayer for you"—meaning in addition to the five obligatory prayers, specific to you. It is said that because it is a sign of the station of the Self, it is necessary to single it out with increased obedience due to the increased need of this station for prayer in relation to the other stations. It is also said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was singled out for Tahajjud because the night is the time of the lover's solitude with the Beloved, and he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the Greatest Beloved and the Honored Friend. "It is expected that your Lord will raise you to a praised station"—which is the station of joining the incomplete with the complete, and the complete with the most complete. "And say, 'My Lord, cause me to enter...'" the presence of Oneness within the essence of Union "...a sound entrance'"—an entrance marked by satisfaction, without the affliction of the eye’s wandering toward anything other [than Him] at all. "'And cause me to exit...'" into the expanse of multiplicity upon returning to the details through the granted, Divine existence "...a sound exit'"—safe from the affliction of shifting (talwin) and deviation from the path of uprightness. "'And grant me from Yourself a supporting authority'"—an argument that helps by way of stability and establishment. "And say..." when the point of the ghayn (veil) vanishes from the ayn (eye): "'The truth has come'"—meaning the established existence has appeared, which is the necessary existence, "'and falsehood has departed'"—which is the contingent existence. In the authentic hadith: "The truest word a poet ever spoke is the word of Labid..."

"...who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, they fall upon their faces in prostration," due to their knowledge of its truth and their grasp of the secrets deposited within it. "And they fall upon their faces weeping," out of His greatness or out of longing for His presence and love for meeting Him. Abu Ya'qub al-Susi said: "Weeping is of various types: weeping from Allah, which is to weep out of fear of what the Pen has recorded in the Beginning and what will appear in the End; weeping for Allah (the Almighty), which is to weep out of regret for what is missed of the Truth; weeping for the sake of Allah (the Blessed and Exalted), which is to weep when mentioning Him, the Glorified, or mentioning His promise and threat; and weeping by Allah, which is to weep while observing Him in one’s weeping." Al-Qasim said: "Weeping is of various types: the weeping of the ignorant for what they are ignorant of, the weeping of the scholars for what they fell short in, the weeping of the righteous for fear of loss, the weeping of the leaders for fear of the market, and the weeping of the knights among the possessors of hearts out of awe and dread. There is no weeping for the Unitarians." The verse contains an indication of audition (sama’), and there is nothing nobler than the audition of the Quran, for it is the spirit and the fragrant flower.

"Say, 'Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful...'" It is said that calling upon "Allah" is through annihilation in the Essence, and calling upon "the Most Merciful" is through annihilation in the Attribute. The attribute of Rahmaniyyah (Mercy) is the mother of all attributes, and by it He, the Glorified, rose over His Throne. From this, it is known that the intent of creation is nothing but mercy to the created. "Whichever [name] you call..."—meaning whichever of these two stations you seek—"to Him..."—the Exalted, in these two stations—"belong the best names," not to you, for you are not existent there. As for annihilation in the Essence, it is manifest; as for annihilation in the attribute mentioned, it is because "The Most Merciful" is not a suitable name for other than that Essence, nor is it possible for that attribute to be established for other than Him. It is not hidden from you that the pronoun "to Him" in this interpretation returns to what it returned to in the [previous] interpretation. In al-Futuhat al-Makkiyyah, it is stated that He, the Exalted, made the best names for "Allah" just as they are for "The Most Merciful," except that the name has a meaning and a form. So, "Allah" is called upon in the sense of the name, and "The Most Merciful" is called upon by its form, because "The Most Merciful" is the one described by the Breath, and by the Breath, the Divine words appeared in the ranks of the emptiness in which the world appeared. So we do not call upon Him except by the form of the name. It has two forms: a form [originating] from our breaths and the composition of our letters, which is how we call upon Him—these are the names of the Divine names, and they are like garments upon them. We, through the form of these names, translate for the Divine names. Then, there are forms from the Breath of the Most Merciful, from His being the Speaker and described by Speech. Behind these forms are the meanings that are like the spirits for the Divine names, by which the Truth remembers Himself—they are from the Breath of the Most Merciful. Thus, "To Him belong the best names," and the spirits of these forms are those that belong to the name "Allah," outside the judgment of the Breath; they are not described by modality. They are for the forms of the Merciful names of the breath, like meanings are to letters. Once we have learned this, we have been commanded to call upon Him, the Glorified, and have been given the choice between the two majestic names. If we wish, we call upon Him by the forms of the Merciful names of the breath—which are the cosmic aspirations that are in our spirits—and if we wish, we call upon Him by the names [originating] from our breaths according to the rule of translation. When we utter them, we bring [the meaning] into our spirits: as for "Allah," we look at the meaning, and as for "The Most Merciful," we look at the form of the Divine, Merciful, Breath-related name. Whichever we wish, we do, for the indication of the two forms from us and from the Most Merciful to the meaning is one, whether we know that or not. This is speech that is difficult to understand except for those whom Allah, the Exalted, wills. However, it does not involve interpreting the "call" as you have heard.

"And say, 'All praise is to Allah, who has not taken a son...'"—let alone that He, the Glorified, should have a son by way of generation. "And has no partner in dominion," so no one else has a role in the ownership of anything in reality. What exists due to a cause, the cause is nothing but an instrument for Him, and the instrument does not own anything. In fact, nothing exists but that it is His creation, the Exalted, in truth. A bed, for instance, even if attributed to the carpenter in terms of craftsmanship, is in reality an instrument like the adze, and the action is not attributed to the instrument in truth. This is what has been said, and the Shaykh—may his secret be sanctified—has speech on this station that clarifies some of this; he mentioned it in the 198th chapter, so return to it and contemplate. Likewise, he has speech regarding His saying, "And has no ally out of humiliation," but what we have presented is sufficient for it. "And proclaim His greatness with all greatness." Some have said: To proclaim His greatness, the Exalted, is to know that you are unable to proclaim His greatness except by Him. Ibn Ata said: Proclaiming His greatness, the Almighty, is by glorifying His favor and kindness in the heart through the knowledge of one’s deficiency in gratitude. How could anyone fulfill His gratitude, the Almighty, when His favors are uncountable and His bounties cannot be exhausted? This has been completed by the grace of Allah.