Tafsir of Al-Isra 17:14

The phrase "Read your book" is interpreted as if it were said to him. This sentence acts either as a description, a circumstantial qualifier, or an inception. It is apparent that the statement of the Exalted, "Sufficient is yourself against you this Day as accountant," is part of the implied discourse. "Sufficient" (kafa) is a past tense verb, and "yourself" (binafsika) is its active agent; the 'ya' is a connective letter, and it is acceptable to omit it and elevate the noun, as in the saying: "Sufficient is old age and Islam for a man as a restrainer," or the verse: "He informs me of the absent, for he is guided; sufficient is guidance as an informant of what a man hides."

The sign of the feminine was not appended to the verb, although a similar instance might take it, as in the Exalted’s saying: "No village before them believed, and no sign comes to them." It has been said this is because the agent is metaphorically feminine; however, this does not satisfy the thirst for knowledge, for the agents of the aforementioned verbs are also metaphorically feminine and governed by a redundant particle, yet their verbs take the feminine sign. The ultimate conclusion in such matters is the permissibility of appending it or not. It has not been preserved—as stated in al-Bahr—that the feminine sign is appended to kafa when the agent is feminine and governed by the redundant ba. Hence, it has been said that the agent of kafa is a pronoun referring back to the "sufficiency" itself—meaning: "The sufficiency is sufficient for you, by yourself." Others said that kafa is a verbal noun meaning "be sufficient," and the agent is the second-person pronoun; in both views, the ba is not redundant.

The preference of the majority is what we have previously stated, and their commitment to the masculine form despite it being contrary to analogy is explained by some as being due to the frequency with which the agent is governed by the redundant ba, to the point that its omission is only found in a few examples, thus its rank was lowered beneath that of other agents and the verb was not feminized for it. This is similar to what is said regarding "passing by Hind."

"This Day" is an adverbial modifier for "sufficient." "As accountant" (hasiban) is a specification (tamyiz), like the Exalted’s saying: "And excellent are those as companions," or the saying: "To Allah belongs his merit as a knight." It has also been said to be a circumstantial qualifier, and "against you" (alayka) is related to it, placed early to preserve the rhythm of the verses. It is governed by 'ala (against/upon) because it carries the meaning of the reckoner and the enumerator, and this is governed by 'ala—just as one says: "He counted his sins against him."

The form fa'il appears as an adjective for a verb whose middle letter is kasrah in the imperfect tense, like sarim (cutter) or darib (striker), though this is rare; or it means "the sufficient," used metaphorically for the meaning of "the witness," because he suffices the claimant in what concerns him, so it is governed by 'ala just as "witness" is. It has been said that it is simply "the sufficient" without metaphor, but it is governed as the "witness" is, due to the necessity of its meaning, as in "a lion against you"—though this is a forced explanation. Its use in the masculine form, despite fa'il acting as an adjective for the feminine nafs (soul/self), is because accounting and witnessing are matters that predominantly belong to men, so it was conducted according to its most frequent state. It is as if one said: "Sufficient for you, as a man, is an accountant." Or, perhaps, because "self" is interpreted as "person," as one says "three persons" (anfus), or because the aforementioned fa'il is understood as fa'il in the sense of the active agent. The apparent meaning of "self" is the essence, as if it were said: "Sufficient for you is an accountant against you."

Some have categorized this as an abstraction (tajrid), but it has been said that this is a grave error. It is argued that the witness is distinct from the one testified against. If one considers that the person in that state is as if he were another person, it could be an abstraction, but no purpose is served by this here.

Muqatil stated that the "self" refers to the limbs, as they testify against the servant if he denies; this is contrary to the apparent meaning. Al-Hasan, when he read this verse, would say: "O son of Adam, Allah has been just to you by making you the accountant of your own self." It is apparent that this is said to both the believer and the disbeliever. What Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from al-Suddi—that the disbeliever has his book brought out on the Day of Resurrection, and he says: "My Lord, You have decreed that You are not unjust to Your servants, so let me account for myself," and it is said to him, "Read your book; sufficient is yourself..."—does not indicate that it is exclusive to the disbeliever, as is obvious. One who was not a reader in the world shall read on that Day, as narrated from Qatadah.

It has been conveyed that the believer reads his sins and good deeds on the back of his book, seen by the people of the gathering but not by himself, and they envy him for them. Once he finishes reading the sins and thinks he has perished, he sees at the end of them: "These are your sins; We have forgiven them for you." His face brightens and his joy becomes immense; then he reads his good deeds and increases in light, returning to his kin rejoicing, saying: "Here, read my book! Indeed, I knew that I would meet my account."

As for the disbeliever, he first reads his good deeds and sins on the back of his book, which the people of the gathering see, and they seek refuge from that. Once he finishes reading the good deeds, he finds at the end of them: "These are your good deeds; We have returned them to you"—this being the saying of the Exalted: "And We shall turn to what they have done of deeds and make them as dust dispersed." His face darkens and his anguish becomes immense; then he reads his sins, and his affliction increases, and he returns with further disappointment and misery, saying: "I wish I had not been given my book, and I did not know what my account was." May Allah make us of those who read and ascend, not those who read and fall into misery, by His bounty and generosity.

Some interpreted the "book" as the soul itself, which "breathes" the effects of deeds, and its "spreading" and "reading" as the manifestation of this to himself and others. This means that whatever proceeds from a human—good or evil—leaves a specific effect in the soul; this is hidden as long as it is connected to the body and occupied with the inputs of the senses and faculties. When its connection is severed, his resurrection begins due to the uncovering of the veil through its connection to the higher realm. Thus, there appears on the tablet of the soul the imprint of every effect of what he did in his lifetime, which is the meaning of the writing and the reading. It is obvious that this is a Sufi-philosophical approach, far from the apparent meaning and close to the inner meaning, and it entails interpreting the Resurrection as the "lesser resurrection," which is contrary to the manifest. The traditions speak clearly according to the apparent meaning of the verse. Yes, there is no negation in them of the soul being imprinted with the effects of deeds and that manifesting on the Day of Resurrection, so there is no objection to affirming both. Hence, the Imam said: "The truth is that the apparent states mentioned in the traditions are true and certain, and the verse's potential for these spiritual meanings is also apparent." The correct path and straight way is to acknowledge everything. Though, saying that such a possibility is "apparent" is not itself apparent. al-Khafaji said: "There is nothing in this that contradicts the transmission," and he carried the narration of Qatadah—that one who was not a reader shall read on that Day—upon this. You know that carrying Qatadah's words upon this is also an interpretation, and perhaps such interpretations never crossed the minds of Qatadah and his likes among the predecessors of the nation; the Arabic language is like a noble camel. Allah the Exalted knows best the realities of matters.

Regarding the order of the composition, the Imam mentioned three points: First, when the Exalted said, "And everything We have detailed in detail," it implied that all that is needed of the proofs of monotheism, prophecy, and the afterlife has been mentioned. Since this is so, excuses have been removed and causes eliminated; therefore, everyone who arrives at the arena of Resurrection has been made responsible for his own fate. Second, when He explained that He, Glory be to Him, brought to the creation types of things beneficial to them in religion and the world, such as the signs of the night and the day, He was as one bestowing upon them various blessings, and that necessitates their duty to serve Him and obey Him. Therefore, everyone who arrives at the arena of Resurrection is held accountable for his words and deeds. Third, He explained that He did not create the creation except for His worship, as He said: "And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me." When He explained the conditions of the sun, the moon, the day, and the night, it was because these things were created so that you might benefit from them and be enabled to occupy yourselves in My obedience. If that is so, then everyone who arrives at the arena of Resurrection, I ask: Have they performed that obedience, or have they rebelled and disobeyed?

It may also be said that the connection lies in the fact that the preceding verses explain the state of the Book of Allah, which contains the explanation of beneficial and harmful deeds, while this explains the state of the Book of the servant, which does not omit any small or great thing of those deeds without counting it. Its goodness or badness is contingent upon adhering to what is in the first Book or failing to do so; whoever adheres to it is guided, and whoever turns away from it has gone astray.