Tafsir of Ash-Shu`ara' 26:83

When He mentioned to them His attributes—Exalted is He—which indicate the perfection of His kindness towards him, what was mentioned compelled him to commune with Him and supplicate to Him, in order to bind what is present and attract what is more.

"Judgment" (Hukm), according to what the Imam chose, is wisdom, which is the perfection of the theoretical faculty—to be knowledgeable of the good for the sake of acting upon it. It is said: It is more appropriate to interpret it as the perfection of knowledge pertaining to the Essence, the Attributes, all His affairs—Exalted is He—and the rulings by which He is worshipped. It is also said: It is Prophethood. This is refuted by the fact that it was already attained by him—peace be upon him—so the request would either be for what is already attained, which is impossible (as attaining the attained is necessary), or for something else, which is also impossible, for one person cannot be a Prophet twice. It was answered by denying that it was attained at the time of the supplication; and if we concede that, there is no prohibition, for it is possible that the intent is to request its perfection and to achieve greater proximity and insight into divine mysteries, and the Prophets—peace be upon them—vary in that regard. It is also permitted that the intent is a request for steadfastness, and nothing is obligatory upon Allah—Exalted is He.

The meaning of His saying: {وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ} is a request for the perfection of the practical faculty, that he be granted success in deeds that qualify him to be included in the ranks of those perfect ones firmly rooted in righteousness, who are exempt from both major and minor sins. The first supplication was placed before the second because the theoretical faculty precedes the practical faculty; it is possible to know the truth and act upon it, but the reverse is impossible. Furthermore, knowledge is an attribute of the soul, and action is an attribute of the body; just as the soul is more noble than the body, knowledge is more noble than action.

It is said: The intent of "judgment" is wisdom, which is perfection in both knowledge and action, and the intent of His saying "and join me..." is a request for perfection in action. Mentioning it afterwards is a specification after a generalization, showing concern for action in that it is the result and fruit of knowledge.

It is said: The intent of the first is what pertains to worldly life, and the second is what pertains to the hereafter. It is said: The intent of "judgment" is the leadership of creation, and joining the righteous is the success of acting with justice among them while fulfilling the rights of Allah—Exalted is He. It is also said: The intent of this is being united with the righteous in Paradise. You know that it is not fitting, after this supplication, to request to be among the inheritors of the Garden of Bliss.

In my view, it is better to interpret "judgment" as wisdom, in the sense of perfection in knowledge and action, and "joining the righteous" as having his station made like their station before Him—Exalted is He. The request for that means that his knowledge and action be accepted; for if they are not accepted, their possessor is not joined with the righteous, nor is his station made like theirs. It is as if, for this reason, he turned away from saying: "O Lord, grant me judgment and righteousness," or "O Lord, grant me judgment and make me of the righteous," to what is in the noble arrangement. So contemplate, and do not be heedless.