Tafsir of Luqman 31:20

(Have you not seen that Allah has subjected for you what is in the heavens and what is in the earth)

This is a return to the customs of what preceded the story of Luqman, addressing the polytheists and rebuking them for their persistence in their state despite witnessing the proofs of Oneness (tawhid) and subjection (taskhir).

According to al-Raghib, taskhir means to drive something toward its intended purpose by force. In Irshad al-Aql al-Salim, it is stated that it signifies either:

1. Making the subjected thing beneficial to the one for whom it is subjected, whether it is subservient to him—such that he manages it as he wishes and uses it as he desires—like the generality of things on earth that are subjected to man, whether inanimate or animal.
2. Or it is not like that, but rather a cause for the attainment of his goal without him having any role in its utilization, such as all things in the heavens upon which the interests of the servants are contingent, whether for their livelihood or their afterlife.

Regarding the making of it subservient to a command, humbled—the meaning of "for you" (lakum) is "for your sake." For all that exists in the heavens and the earth, the beings are subjected to Allah Almighty, serving the benefits of creation. Whatever man uses according to his desires, even if it appears subjected to him, is in reality subjected to Allah the Almighty.

(And He has lavished—i.e., perfected and expanded—upon you His blessings [ni’am])

Ni’am is the plural of ni’mah (blessing). Originally, it refers to a state that is enjoyed/pleasurable, for the pattern fi’lah (like jalsah—a sitting, or rakbah—a riding) denotes a mode or state. It was then applied to whatever compatible matters cause that state, as an application of the term for the effect to the cause. In this meaning is their saying: "It is that which is benefited from and enjoyed." Some added: "And its outcome is praised." Others said: There is no need for this addition, because pleasure, according to the verifiers, is something whose outcome is praised. Accordingly, Allah the Almighty would not bestow a ni’mah upon a disbeliever.

Al-Tayyibi reported from al-Imam [al-Razi] that he said: "A ni’mah is a benefit brought about for the purpose of bestowing favor upon another." Others say: "A good benefit brought about for the purpose of bestowing favor upon another." They said: "We added the qualifier 'good' because a ni’mah makes one deserving of gratitude, and if it is evil, one is not deserving of gratitude for it." The truth is that this qualifier is not considered, for it is permissible to be deserving of gratitude for an act of favor even if the action itself is forbidden. For the aspect of gratitude is that it is a favor, and the aspect of deserving blame and punishment is its prohibition; so what prevents them from being combined? Do you not see that the sinner deserves gratitude for his bestowal, yet blame for his disobedience to Allah the Almighty? Why, then, is it not possible for the matter here to be the same? As for our saying "benefit," it is because a detrimental benefit is not a ni’mah. As for our saying "brought about for the purpose of favor," it is because if it were a benefit but the agent intended by it to benefit himself and not the one acted upon, it would not be a ni’mah. This is like one who favors his bondmaid in order to profit from her and teach her a craft so that he may praise its outcome.

(Visible and invisible)

Meaning, sensed and rationalized; known to you and unknown.

• According to Mujahid: The visible ni’mah is the appearance of Islam and victory over enemies; the invisible is the support from the angels (peace be upon them).
• According to al-Dahhak: The visible is a beautiful form, a tall stature, and balanced limbs; the invisible is knowledge and understanding.
• It is said: The visible is sight, hearing, the tongue, and other limbs; the invisible is the heart, intellect, and comprehension.
• It is said: The visible is the blessings of the world; the invisible is the blessings of the Hereafter.
• It is said: The visible is like sending messengers, revealing books, success in accepting Islam, acting upon it, standing firm on the path of truth, and adhering to servitude; the invisible is what touched the souls in the world of the particles (al-dharr) from the sprinkles of Light.

The beginning of the rain is a drop, then it pours.

Some of the Imamiyyah reported from al-Baqir (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "The visible is the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and what he brought of the knowledge of Allah Almighty and His Oneness. The invisible is our loyalty—the Ahl al-Bayt—and the forming of love for us."

The generalization we pointed out earlier is better. However, al-Bayhaqi recorded in Shu’ab al-Iman from ‘Ata’, who said: "I asked Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) about the verse: 'And He has lavished upon you His blessings, visible and invisible.' He said: 'This is one of the treasures of my knowledge. I asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and he said: "As for the visible, it is what He created of your form; and as for the invisible, it is what He covered of your nakedness. If He had revealed it, your people would have despised you."'"

In another narration reported by Ibn Mardawayh, al-Daylami, al-Bayhaqi, and Ibn al-Najjar from Ibn ‘Abbas, he said: "I asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) about the verse: 'And He has lavished,' etc. He said: 'As for the visible, it is Islam, what He created of your form, and what He lavished upon you of His provision. As for the invisible, it is what He covered of the bad deeds you committed.'"

If what is mentioned is authentic, one should not turn away from it toward the general interpretation, unless it is said that the purpose of defining the visible and invisible with what we have defined is for illustration—which is what is apparent—not for specification; otherwise, the two reports would contradict each other.

Furthermore, the apparent meaning of these two reports implies that the sin—which is expressed in the first as "what is covered of your nakedness" and in the second as "what is covered of your bad deeds"—is a ni’mah. We have not seen in their speech an explicit statement permitting this generalization. It entails that he whose sins are many has many of Allah Almighty’s blessings bestowed upon him. So the intent might be that the invisible ni’mah is the covering of what was covered of the nakedness and the bad deeds. But it was not said so, relying on the clarity of the matter. Indeed, some traditions have come that support this. Ibn Abi Hatim and al-Bayhaqi recorded from Muqatil that he said regarding the verse: "(Visible) is Islam; (and invisible) is His covering—the Almighty—of your disobedience." In fact, it came in some narrations of the second report: "As for what is hidden, it is the covering of your bad deeds."

It is permissible that "what" (ma) in "what is covered" in the two reports is a masdariyah (infinitive) particle, and "min" (from) is a connective to "covered," not an exposition of "what."

Yahya bin ‘Umarah read asbagha with a sad, which is the dialect of the Banu Kalb; they replace the sin with a sad whenever it meets one of the emphatic letters (ghayn, kha, qaf). Thus they say salakha as salakha, saqar as saqar, and sa’igh as sa’igh. There is no difference in this whether a separator comes between them or not. The apparent meaning of some is that there is also no difference whether the sin precedes one of those letters or follows it. Others stipulated that the sin must precede. Al-Khafaji mentioned that this is a regular replacement.

Some of the seven readers, as well as Zayd bin ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both), read ni’mah as singular. It was also read as ni’matuhu as a singular with the possessive. The singular is justified by the intent of the genus, as it was said regarding the verse: "And if you count the blessing (ni'mah) of Allah, you cannot enumerate it." Al-Zajjaj said: "Whoever read ni’mah (singular) does so with the meaning of what He gave them of tawhid. Whoever read ni’amahu (plural) does so for all that He has blessed them with." The first is better. The accusative case of zahiratan and batinatan in the reading of the definite is as a circumstantial state (hal), and in the reading of the indefinite, as a descriptor (wasfiyah).

(And of the people is he who disputes)

From jidal (disputation), which is negotiation by way of contention and overpowering. Its origin is from jadalta al-habl (you twisted the rope), i.e., you strengthened its twist. It is as if the disputants each twist the other away from his opinion. It is said that the origin of jidal is wrestling and causing a person to fall onto the jadalah, which is the hard earth. It is as if the sentence is in the position of a state (hal) from His pronoun (the Almighty) mentioned before, i.e., "Have you not seen that Allah—the Exalted—did what He did of matters indicating His Oneness—the Exalted—and His Power—the Almighty—while there is, of the people, he who disputes and quarrels?"—like al-Nadr bin al-Harith and Ubayy bin Khalaf; they used to dispute with the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).

(About Allah)

Meaning, about His Oneness—the Exalted—and His attributes—His majesty be glorified—like the polytheists who deny His Oneness—the Exalted—and the generality of His power—His capability be glorified—and its encompassment of the Resurrection. It did not say "about it" (fihi), instead saying "about Allah" (fi Allah), returning the pronoun to the Majestic Name in His saying—the Exalted—"Have you not seen that Allah has subjected for you," to magnify the matter of the dispute.

(Without knowledge)

Derived from a rational proof.

(And no guidance)

Referring to a messenger from whom it is taken. It is permissible to consider "guidance" as the messenger himself, as a hyperbole, but there is remoteness in that.

(And no book)

That Allah the Almighty has sent down.

(Illuminating)

Meaning, possessing light. The intent is "clear in its indication of the intended purpose." It is said: "A savior from the darkness of ignorance and misguidance." Rather, they dispute by mere imitation, as He—the Exalted—said: ...