Surah Al-Qasas 28:88
ﱺ ﱻ ﱼ ﱽ ﱾ ﱿ ﲀ ﲁ ﲂ ﲃ ﲄ ﲅ ﲆ ﲇ ﲈ ﲉ ﲊ ﲋ ﲌ ﲍ ﲎ ﲏ
And do not invoke with Allah another deity. There is no deity except Him. Everything will be destroyed except His Face. His is the judgement, and to Him you will be returned.
Tafsir of Al-Qasas 28:88
Tafsir
Ruh al-Ma'ani
Verse range: 28:88
{وَلا تَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ} (i.e., do not worship anyone alongside Him, the Almighty and Exalted). This [verse] and the preceding ones serve to incite, warn, and cut off the hopes of the polytheists regarding [their] assisting him (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and to demonstrate that the act prohibited is of such a degree of vileness and evil that it is forbidden even to those from whom it is not at all conceivable that it would occur. Muhi al-Sunnah narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: "The address is ostensibly to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), but it is intended for the people of his religion." This is in the meaning of what was narrated from Al-Tabarsi regarding this and its counterparts as being in the category of: *"I mean you, but listen, O neighbor."*
{لا إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ} (He alone, for everything, meaning every existence absolutely, is {هَالِكٌ}—that is, purely nonexistent, or rather, it is intended that it is like the nonexistent and in the state thereof—{إِلا وَجْهَهُ}—that is, except His Self, the Almighty and Exalted). This is because the existence of anything other than Him is not essential, but rather is dependent upon the Necessary Being, the Exalted, at every moment, susceptible to nonexistence and prone to it; thus, it is as if it is no existence at all. This is the view chosen by more than one of the elite scholars. The discourse here is a form of metaphorical comparison (*tashbih baligh*), and "face" (*wajh*) in the sense of "Self" (*dhat*) is a figurative expression (*majaz mursal*), and it is a common metaphor. Sometimes it is restricted to honorable entities, and this may be considered here, making it the reason for deviating from "except Him" (*illa iyyahu*) to what is in the sublime arrangement. In the verse, based on the principle of the connection of the exception, there is evidence for the validity of applying the term "thing" (*shay'*) to Him, the Exalted and Majestic.
Close to this is what has been said: The meaning is that everything to which the term "existent" is applied is nonexistent in its own essence, except His Self, the Exalted. It is also said: "Face" means the Self, but the intention is the "self" of the thing, and its attribution to the pronoun of the Exalted is based on it being created by Him, the Glorified, similar to what was said regarding the verse: {تَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِي وَلا أَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِكَ}—that the second "self" refers to the self of Jesus (peace be upon him), and its attribution to the Exalted is based on it being created by Him, the Glorified. The meaning is: everything is susceptible to destruction and nonexistence except the Self, in the state of its turning toward its Lord and standing in the sanctuary of His proximity; for in that aspect, it is not susceptible to nonexistence.
It is also said: "Face" means the direction that is sought and turned toward; the meaning is: everything is nonexistent in its essence, except the direction attributed to the Exalted, which is the existence through which it became existent. The sum of this is that all aspects of an existent—its essence, attributes, and states—are perished and nonexistent in their own essence, except the existence that is the Divine Light. Some have attributed the pronoun in "His face" (wajhihi) to the "thing" (shay'), and interpreted "thing" as the "existent"—that which has a relation to the Presence of True Existence which exists by Itself, which is identical to the Necessary Being, the Exalted. They interpreted "face" as this existence, because the existent turns toward it and is attributed to it. The meaning is: everyone attributed to existence is nonexistent, except His Face, which it sought and turned toward, and that is the True Existence that exists by Itself, which is identical to the Necessary Being, the Glorified. The weak and the strong among these opinions are not hidden. According to all of them, the Throne, the Footstool, the heavens, the earth, Paradise, and Hell, and the like, fall under this generality.
Many have said: The meaning of "perishing" (halak) is the exit of a thing from the benefit intended from it, either by the separation of its parts or the like. The meaning is: everything will perish and exit from the benefit intended from it except His Self, the Almighty and Exalted. It appears that by "thing" he intended the absolute existent, not only that which exists at the time of the revelation. Thus, the meaning reverts to our statement: Every existent, at some time, will perish after its existence, except His Self, the Exalted. The literal meaning of the verse indicates the perishing of the Throne, Paradise, and Hell. The evidence has shown the non-perishing of the latter two. It has come in the report that the ceiling of Paradise is the Throne of the Most Merciful. For this reason, this verse was used as an objection against those who say that Paradise and Hell exist now, and against those who deny it, saying that they will be created on the Day of Recompense and will continue forever. They differed in the response to this; some said: "all" (kull) is not for total encompassing but for hyperbole (takthir), as in your saying: "All people came except Zayd," when most of them came without Zayd. This was supported by what was narrated from Al-Dahhak, who said regarding the verse: "Everything is perishing except Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, and the Throne, Paradise, and Hell."
Others said: The meaning of "perishing" is death, and the generality is in regard to the living ones present in the world. This was supported by what was narrated from Ibn Abbas, who said in the interpretation of the verse: "Every living thing is dead, except His Face." Ibn Marduyah recorded from him that he said: When {كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ} was revealed, it was said: O Messenger of Allah, what about the angels? Then {كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلا وَجْهَهُ} was revealed. Thus, this verse clarified the annihilation of the angels, the two burdened ones (jinn and mankind), and the rest of the world of Allah and His creation, from birds, wild beasts, predators, livestock, and every possessor of a soul, that it is perishing and dead. You know that restricting the "thing" to the living one present in the world requires evidence. If the fact that it is judged to be perishing—since its usage is common for "death" and that only happens in the world—is considered evidence, then that is it; otherwise, it is as you see.
Some have committed to what the literal generality implies: that everything that exists at any time in the world or the Hereafter becomes perishing after its existence, based on the renewal of substances and the non-persistence of anything of them for two moments, like the accidents according to the Ash'ari school. Its invalidity is not hidden, even if some of the great Sufis (may their secrets be sanctified) went toward it.
Sufyan al-Thawri said: "His Face" is the righteous deed that is directed toward Him, the Almighty and Exalted. It was said in directing the exception that the mentioned deed was in the realm of nonexistence, but when the servant performed it while complying with His command, the Exalted preserved it for him until He rewards him for it, or that by acceptance, it became not susceptible to annihilation, since the reward for it took its place, and it remains. It was narrated from Abu Abdullah al-Rida (may Allah be pleased with him) that he approved of something similar and said: The meaning is that everything from the deeds of the servants is perishing and void, except that which was intended for His Face, the Exalted. Al-Khafaji claimed that this is the speech of a literalist. Abu Ubaydah said: The intention by "Face" is His status (jah) that He placed among the people, and it is as you see, it has no ground. The pious predecessors say: "Face" is an attribute we affirm for Allah, the Exalted, and we do not busy ourselves with its nature (kayfiyyah) or its interpretation, after declaring Him, the Almighty and Exalted, above having a physical limb.