(Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity). This is an initiating sentence brought forth as tidings from Him, the Exalted, after their reception of His burdens of obedience and their acceptance of what is upon them within that burden—comprising the beautiful traces of bounty and mercy—initiated without a prior request, as will follow.
"Burdening" (Taklif) is the obligation of that which involves difficulty and hardship. "Capacity" (Wus‘) is that which the power of a human can encompass, or that which is easy for him from his ability, which is less than the extent of his endurance. That is, it is His habit, the Exalted, that He does not burden any soul except with that which it can bear, and indeed with less than that, as in all that we have been burdened with—such as prayer and fasting, for example. He has obligated five prayers, while the capacity can accommodate six and more. He has obligated fasting in Ramadan, while the capacity can accommodate Sha‘ban alongside it. He has done so out of His bounty and mercy toward the servants, or as an honor and a favor specifically upon this nation.
Ibn Abi ‘Abla read wus‘aha with a fatha on the sin. The verse, according to both interpretations, indicates the non-occurrence of burdening with what is beyond one's capacity, not its impossibility. As for the first, it is manifest; as for the second, it is by way of the "firstly" (a fortiori). It has been said: according to the second interpretation, it does not indicate that, because the address at that time is specific to this nation. In any case, there is no evidence in it for the impossibility of burdening with what is beyond capacity, as some have mistakenly thought. Some of what relates to this subject has preceded you, and perhaps what is useful for you regarding it will come to you, if Allah, the Exalted, wills.
(For it is what it has earned, and upon it is what it has incurred). This is another initiating sentence brought forth to encourage and preserve the requirements of burdening, and to warn against negligence thereof, by clarifying that the burdening of every soul, while accompanied by the blessings of alleviation and facilitation, includes the consideration of an additional benefit that returns to it, not to another, and that negligence thereof entails harm that befalls it, not another. For the specification of the benefit of the act to its doer is among the strongest motivations to achieve it, and the restriction of its harm to him is among the most severe deterrents from engaging in it. This was stated by the Master, the Mufti of the Rum lands (may his secret be sanctified), and it is what many have held.
It has been said: It is permissible to place the two sentences within the scope of the "saying," making it a narration of the varying statements—not conjoined one to another—of the believers, and it would be a praise for them that they thanked Allah in His burdening, as they see that it does not exceed their capacity, and because they see that Allah, the Exalted, does not benefit from their righteous deeds, but it is for them, and is not harmed by their evil deeds, but it is upon them. It is not hidden that this is far-fetched from one perspective and close from another.
The pronoun in lahu (for it) refers to the generic soul. The speech is upon the omission of a genitive, which is "reward" in the first instance and "punishment" in the second. The first ma is clarified as "good" due to the indication of the lam (for), which denotes benefit. The second ma is clarified as "evil" due to the indication of the ‘ala (upon), which denotes harm. The mention of iktisab (incurring) in the latter aspect is because it contains additional meaning, which is the exertion of effort; and the soul desires evil and is drawn to it, so it is more diligent in acquiring it. Thus, it contains an allusion to what souls are innately molded upon. Since there is no such state in the case of good, the form stripped of [that specific nuance of] exertion was used.
(Our Lord, do not hold us accountable if we forget or make a mistake). This is the beginning of the narration of the remainder of their supplications following the explanation of the secret of burdening. It is said: it is the completion of the narration of the statements. In al-Bahr, it is reported from al-Hasan that this is upon the estimation of a command—that is, "Say in your supplication this." It is a teaching from Him, the Exalted, to His servants on how to supplicate and request from Him. This is from the height of generosity and the end of benevolence; He teaches them to request so that He may give them, and He guides them to ask so that He may reward them. Therefore, it has been said—and it has already passed—: "If You did not desire the attainment of what I hope and request from the overflow of Your bounty, You would not have taught me the request."
Mu'akhadha is punishment. Fa‘ala (He acts) here is in the sense of fa‘ala (did). It is said that the mufa‘ala (reciprocal) form is in its proper place, because Allah, the Exalted, holds the sinner accountable with punishment, and the sinner, as it were, "holds" his Lord accountable by demanding forgiveness, for he finds none to save him from His punishment but Him. Therefore, the servant clings to Him when he fears Him, so each is expressed with the term "accountability." The corruption of this is not hidden except with [the need for] burdening.
They differed regarding the intended meaning of "forgetfulness" (nisyan) and "mistake" (khata') in several ways:
First: That the intended meaning of the first is abandonment, from which is the saying: "And I was not, when generosity was present, a hater of generosity, nor was I, on the day of battle, neglectful of striking." And the meaning of the second is disobedience, for sins are described as "mistakes," which is the opposite of being correct, even if the doer is intentional. As if it were said: "Our Lord, do not punish us for abandoning the obligatory acts and committing the forbidden acts."
Second: That the intended meaning of both is what they are caused by, namely negligence and heedlessness, for they rarely occur except from prior deficiency. So the meaning is: "Do not punish us for that deficiency."
Third: That the intended meaning is the acts themselves, in terms of their resulting from what was mentioned, or absolutely. For there is no impossibility in being held accountable for them rationally, as sins are like poisons; just as consuming them, even if inadvertently or by mistake, leads to destruction, so too, engaging in sins does not preclude it leading to punishment, even if it was not by firm resolve. However, He, the Exalted, promised to overlook them out of His mercy and bounty. Thus, it is permissible for a person to pray with this, seeking continuity and counting the blessing therein. This is supported by the concept of his saying (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), in what al-Tabarani reported—and al-Nawawi said it is a hasan (good) hadith—: "My nation is excused for mistakes, forgetfulness, and what they are coerced into." An objection to this is that it does not hold on the madhhab of the investigators among the Sunnis and the Mu'tazila that burdening with the impossible is not permissible rationally from Him, the Exalted, for then, not holding them accountable for mistakes and forgetfulness would not be a "bounty that is continued" or a blessing that is counted.
(Our Lord, and do not lay upon us a burden), i.e., a heavy load that chains its possessor—meaning, he restrains him in his place. The intended meaning is difficult obligations. It is said: the "burden" (isr) is the sin for which there is no repentance; so the meaning is, "Protect us from committing it." It was read as asaran (in the plural). It was also read as wa-la tahmil with a tashdid (emphasis) for intensity.
(As You laid it upon those before us). This is in the position of the accusative, either as an adjective for an omitted verbal noun—meaning, "a burden like Your burdening it upon those before us"—or as an adjective for isran (burden)—meaning, "a burden like the burden which You laid upon those before us," which is what the Children of Israel were burdened with: such as killing the soul for repentance or retaliation (because nothing else was permissible in their law), cutting the place of impurity from clothes and the like, or, it is said, from the body, and spending a quarter of one's wealth in zakat.
(Our Lord, and do not burden us with that which we have no power to bear). This is a request for exemption from punishments that cannot be endured, after the request for exemption from what leads to them. The expression of sending them down as "loading/burdening" is metaphorical in view of what it leads to. It is permitted that it be a request for that which is more general than the first, for it is specified by the comparison, except that he depicted the burden in the image of that which cannot be endured, as an intensification. It is said: It is a request for exemption from burdening with what human capacity cannot truly fulfill; thus, the verse would be evidence for the permissibility of burdening with the impossible—otherwise, there would be no request for deliverance from it—but this is not strong. The tashdid here is merely for making the verb transitive to a second object, not for intensification.
(And pardon us), meaning, erase the traces of our sins by abstaining from punishment. (And forgive us) by veiling the ugly and manifesting the beautiful. (And have mercy on us) and be kind to us with what necessitates increase. It is said: (Pardon us) for actions, (forgive us) for words, (and have mercy on us) by the weighing of the scale. It is also said: (Pardon us) during the agonies of death, (forgive us) in the darkness of the graves, (and have mercy on us) in the terrors of the Day of Resurrection. Abu Hayyan said: The word "Our Lord" (Rabbana) did not come in these three sentences because they are the results of the preceding sentences that were opened with that [title]. Thus, "Pardon us" came in correspondence to His saying, the Exalted: (Do not hold us accountable); (Forgive us) for His saying, the Exalted: (Do not lay upon us a burden); (And have mercy on us) for His saying, the Exalted: (Do not burden us with that which we have no power to bear), because from the traces of not holding accountable for forgetfulness and mistake is pardon, from the traces of not laying a burden upon them is forgiveness, and from the traces of not loading what cannot be endured is mercy. The beauty of this arrangement is not hidden.
(You are our Master), meaning our Owner and Lord. It is permitted that it be in the sense of the one who manages the affair; its origin is a verbal noun intended for the agent. When the Mawla (Master) and the Sayyid (Lord) are mentioned, it is obligatory in usage to advance the Mawla; so it is said: "Our Master and our Lord," as in the saying of al-Khansa': "And Sakhr is our Master and our Lord, and Sakhr, when the weather is cold, is a slaughterer [of camels for guests]." Those who said "Our Lord and our Master" by advancing the Lord over the Master, as Ibn Abik said, are mistaken. I have hesitation regarding this. It is said that the sentence is in the meaning of the "saying"—that is, "Say: You are our Master."
(So grant us victory over the disbelieving people), meaning the enemies among those who persist in being at war with us, or the disbelievers absolutely. He brought the "so" (fa) to signal causality, for since Allah, the Exalted, is their Master, Owner, and Manager of their affairs, a prayer resulted from that, that He grant them victory over their enemies. It is like your saying: "You are the Generous, so be generous to me," and "You are the Hero, so protect the neighbor."
From the aspect of allusion in these verses: (To Allah belongs what is in the heavens), meaning all the spiritual worlds and what is hidden in the veils of His Unseen and the treasures of His knowledge. (And what is in the earth), meaning the corporeal world and the manifest appearances which are the loci of manifestation for the Names and Acts. (And whether you reveal what is within yourselves)—He witnesses it through His Names and His manifest aspects—(or conceal it, Allah will bring you to account for it). And if you conceal it, He witnesses it through His Attributes and His hidden aspects and brings you to account for it. (Then He will forgive whom He wills)—for his monotheism, the strength of his certainty, and the transience of his evil deeds, and their lack of rootedness in his essence—(and punish whom He wills)—for the corruption of his belief and the existence of his doubt, or the rootedness of his evil deeds in his soul. (And Allah is over all things competent), for by Him is the appearance of every manifest thing and the hiddenness of every hidden thing; thus, He is competent in forgiveness and punishment.
(The Messenger has believed)—the Perfect, the Most Complete—(in what was revealed to him from his Lord)—that is, he affirmed it with acceptance and by taking it as a character; indeed, his character (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was the Quran, ascending by its meanings and realizing himself through it. (And the believers. All have believed in Allah)—His Oneness by witnessing, at a time when they did not see in existence other than Him—(and His angels, and His books, and His messengers)—when they returned to witnessing that multitude as manifestations of the Unity—they say: (We make no distinction between any of His messengers) by rejecting some and accepting others, because of witnessing the Truth within them by the Truth. (And they say, "We hear")—we have responded, our Lord, to Your books and Your messengers and the descent of Your angels—("and we obey")—we have remained upright in our journey. ("Our Lord, Your forgiveness")—meaning, forgive our existences and our attributes, and veil that with Your Existence and Your Attributes, for from You is the beginning—("and to You is the [final] destination")—by annihilation in You.
(Allah does not burden a soul except with that which it can bear)—except that which it can accommodate, and which does not constrict its capacity and readiness from the manifestations. (For it is what it has earned)—of good and perfections and unveilings, whether that was by exertion or without exertion. (And upon it is what it has incurred)—and towards which it turned with intention, of evil. ("Our Lord, do not hold us accountable if we forget")—Your covenant by our inclining to the darkness of nature—("or make a mistake")—by acting in a way not befitting Your Presence. ("Our Lord, and do not lay upon us a burden")—which is the weight of the attributes and acts that prevent hearts from witnessing the hearts—("as You laid it upon those before us")—those who were veiled by the manifest aspects of the acts or the inner aspects of the attributes. ("Our Lord, and do not burden us with that which we have no power to bear")—of the weight of separation and deprivation from Your union and witnessing Your beauty through the veils of Your majesty. ("And pardon us")—the evils of our acts and our attributes, for they are evils that veiled us from You and deprived us of the cool breeze of Your union and the pleasure of Your satisfaction. ("And forgive us")—the sins of our existence, for it is the greatest of the major sins. ("And have mercy on us")—with the existence gifted after annihilation. ("You are our Master")—meaning our Lord and the Manager of our affairs, for we are Your manifestations and the traces of Your power. ("So grant us victory over the disbelieving people")—from the forces of our commanding souls and their attributes, and the armies of our illusions—those who are veiled from You and who veil us from You by their disbelief and their darkness.
This is while Muslim and al-Tirmidhi have reported from Ibn 'Abbas: "When this verse was revealed and he (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) recited it, it was said to him after every word: 'I have done so.'" And Abu Sa'id and al-Bayhaqi reported from al-Dahhak that when Gabriel came with this verse, with him were as many angels as Allah willed, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) recited it, it was said to him after every word: "That is yours," until he finished it. And Abu 'Ubayd reported from Abi Maysara that Gabriel taught the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) at the end of al-Baqara: "Amin."
And the Six Imams reported in their books from Ibn Mas'ud from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he said: "Whoever recites the two verses from the end of Surah al-Baqara in a night, they shall suffice him." And al-Tabarani reported with a good chain from Shaddad ibn Aws, he said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Indeed, Allah wrote a book two thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, and He sent down two verses from it with which He concluded Surah al-Baqara; they are not recited in a house for three nights but that the devil draws near it." And Ibn 'Adi reported from Ibn Mas'ud al-Ansari that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Allah, the Exalted, sent down two verses from the treasures of Paradise, which the Most Merciful wrote with His Hand two thousand years before He created the creation. Whoever recites them after the night prayer, they shall suffice him instead of standing in prayer at night."
And al-Hakim reported it—and authenticated it—and al-Bayhaqi in al-Shu'ab from Abu Dharr that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Indeed, Allah concluded Surah al-Baqara with two verses which He gave me from His treasure that is under the Throne; so learn them and teach them to your women and your children, for they are prayer, Quran, and supplication." And in a narration of Abu 'Ubayd from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir: "They are Quran, they are supplication, they enter Paradise, and they please the Most Merciful." And Musaddad reported from 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and al-Darimi from 'Ali (may Allah honor his countenance), both of whom said: "I did not consider that anyone who possesses intellect would sleep until he recites these verses from the end of Surah al-Baqara." The reports regarding their merit are many, and what we have mentioned is sufficient for those whom Allah, the Exalted, has granted success.
O Allah, grant us from the answering of these supplications the most abundant share, and grant us success for righteous deeds and correct speech. Make the Quran the spring of our hearts, the clarity of our hearing, and the delight of our spirits, and make easy for us the completion of what we have intended, and do not make for us any obstacle to what we have intended by Your success. Send blessings and peace upon Your greatest Caliph and Your talismanic treasure, and upon his family who are stationed at the secrets of Your Book, and his companions who are the winners by the command of Your address, as long as a spirit finds rest and one knocking at the door of Your bounty attains an opening.
