Tafsir of Ar-Rahman 55:27

(And the Face of your Lord shall remain) means: His Essence (Dhat), Mighty and Majestic is He; the intended meaning is He, the Glorified and Exalted. The genitive attribution (idafa) is explanatory. The literal meaning of "face" in observable experience is the physical organ; its application to the Essence is a figurative expression (majaz mursal), similar to the application of "hands" to the self—a common figurative usage. It is said: Its origin is "direction," and its application to the Essence is by way of metonymy (kinaya). Explaining it here as the Essence is based on the school of the later theologians (Khalaf), who advocate for allegorical interpretation (ta'wil) and specifying the intended meaning in such instances, rather than the school of the early predecessors (Salaf). We have established this for you more than once, so remember it and hold fast to it.

The apparent meaning is that the address in "your Lord" is to the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, which is a great honor for him, upon him be blessings and peace. It is also said that it is addressed to the one who is righteous, due to the gravity and majesty of the matter. Among those who employ allegorical interpretation, there is much discourse on this verse, including what you have heard. Among it is the saying: "Face" means "purpose," and the intended meaning is the object of purpose—that is, what remains is that for which your Lord, Mighty and Majestic is He, is sought, namely, deeds. The interpretation of those who explain it as "righteous deeds" is based on this; however, that interpretation contains what it contains. Closer than this is the saying: His Face, Exalted is He, is the direction which we have been commanded by Him, Exalted is He, to turn towards and by which to seek closeness to Him, the Glorified. The reference for this is also righteous deeds, and Allah, the Majestic, causes it to remain for the servant until He rewards him for it. This is why it is described with "remaining," or because through acceptance, it became incapable of perishing, as the reward for it took its place and is lasting. It is not hidden that both sayings are unsuitable for the context of "Everyone upon it [the earth] is perishing."

It is said: His Face, the Glorified, is the direction which the Truth (Al-Haqq) attends to—that is, which He manages by His grace and radiates upon the thing from His presence. That is, this remains, unlike the thing in its own essence, for it perishes at every moment. It is also said: The intended meaning of His Face, the Glorified, is the face of the possible existence (al-mumkin)—the aspect of its connection and attribution to Him, Exalted is He. The attribution is for the slightest of relations; for the possible existence in its own essence—that is, if considered independently and not connected to its Cause, namely, the True Existence—is non-existent, for its appearance arises only from the Cause, and without It, it would not be a thing mentioned.

The statement of Al-Baydawi: "If you were to investigate the directions of existing things and examine their faces, you would find them all perishing in their own essences, except the Face of Allah, the Exalted"—that is, the face that attends to His direction, Exalted is He—is understood by some investigators as the above, even if "Face" was explained earlier as the Essence. Scholars differ in explaining his words; some make his statement "If you were to investigate..." a continuation of his first interpretation, while others make it a separate aspect. As for the first, it is taking what is established, and as for the second, it is said: It is possible to apply this to all the schools of thought regarding existing possible things.

This is because they are either:

1. Existent in reality: meaning they are characterized by existence through a true attribution, such that existence is an added quality standing upon them. This is the school of the majority of philosophers and theologians.
2. Existent metaphorically: they have no true attribution of existence, such that existence stands upon them; rather, applying the term "existent" to them is like applying "the sun" to "water" (when reflected). The mature among the philosophers and the investigators among the Sufis hold this view. However, the intuition of the mature is that the relation of the metaphor is that they have a specific ratio to the station of Necessary Existence in various ways and manners, and the paths to Allah are as the number of the breaths of the creatures. Thus, existence for them is a single, true reality, existing by itself, not capable of being an accident to anything nor standing upon it. The meaning of a possible thing being "existent" is that it is a manifestation of It and a mirror, and His light shines within it—"Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth"—and the possible things are like various mirrors into which the rays of the sun are reflected, and each one takes on a color that suits it.

The taste of the investigators among the Sufis is that the relation of the metaphor is that they are like attributes standing upon the Essence of the Necessary, the Glorified; for there are no multiple essences in existence according to their taste, some necessary and some possible, but one Essence with multiple attributes, various states, and recurring manifestations ("Say: 'Allah,' then leave them..."). It is well-known that there is no difference between the two tastes.

The way to apply this to the first [view] is to say: The "Face" that attends to His direction is the "Necessity through another" (al-wujub bil-ghayr). For the possible thing, even if it is truly existent according to the majority, its existence is derived from the Necessary by Essence. The direction of derivation is not the Essence, nor any other of the directions and aspects such as possibility, knowability, substantiality, accidentality, simplicity, composition, or other general matters, because each of these is a low direction, and the requirement of the possible nature is far removed from, and contradictory to, Necessary Essence. Rather, the honorable direction, which is close and suitable to Necessary Essence, is the direction of "Necessity through another." Thus, it is a face that follows the direction of the Necessary and suits it in being a necessity, even if it is through another. This is why the outpouring of existence follows it, and why you hear them say: "A possible thing does not exist until it becomes necessary."

The way to apply this to the second [view] is to say: The "Face" that attends to His direction is that specific ratio which validates applying the term "existent" to them, even if metaphorically. Thus, the meaning of "Everyone upon it is perishing" is "non-existent," and it is not valid to apply the term "existent" to it, even metaphorically, except by considering the "Face" that attends to His direction—that is, the specific ratio to His presence, which is its being a manifestation of Him, the Glorified.

The way to apply this to the third [view] is to say: The "Face" that attends to His direction is their being states and considerations for Him, the Exalted. Thus, the meaning of "Everyone upon it" is "non-existent" from all facets and considerations, except from the face which is His direction, the Glorified, and the consideration that is obtained by measuring it against Him, Mighty and Majestic is He—which is its being a state from His states and a consideration from His considerations, the Majestic. So reflect, seeking help from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.

(Possessor of Majesty and Honor) (That is: The monotheists declare Him above being compared to His creation, and they affirm for Him what befits His Majesty, Exalted is His Majesty. This refers to what He possesses, the Glorified, of glorification in the hearts of those who have known Him, the Mighty and Majestic. Or it means the One of whom it is said: "How Majestic and Honorable You are!"—meaning He, the Glorified, is the One who deserves such to be said of Him, whether it is said or not. It refers to the perfection He possesses, the Exalted, in Himself, considering the limitations of perception in reaching His status. Or it refers to the Majesty and Honor [He bestows] upon the monotheists, so it refers to the action: He honors the monotheists and confers honor upon them.)

Some investigators interpreted "Majesty" as absolute independence and "Honor" as complete grace, and this is apparent. The first is justified by the fact that Majesty is greatness, which necessitates His transcendence, Exalted is He, from created beings and entails that He, the Glorified, is independent of them; then it was attached to truth. This is why Al-Jawhari said: "The greatness of a thing is its independence from others; every needy thing is lowly." Al-Kirmani said: He, the Exalted, has negative attributes such as "He has no partner," which are called "attributes of Majesty" because they lead to "He is Majestic beyond such-and-such," and positive attributes such as "Life" and "Knowledge," which are called "attributes of Honor." This is worth reflection.

The apparent meaning is that "Possessor" (Dhu) is an adjective for the "Face," and the description with what has been mentioned—according to what some have stated—contains an indication that the perishing of "everyone upon it" does not detract from His status, the Glorified, because He is the Absolutely Independent. It also indicates that He, the Exalted, after their perishing, will pour forth from the effects of His honor upon the two heavy ones (jinn and mankind) what He will pour forth, and that is on the Day of Resurrection. Describing the "Face" with what it is described with makes it unlikely that it refers to "righteous deeds" or "direction," as you have just heard. It is as if the one who says that says: "Possessor" is the predicate of an omitted subject, and "He" (the pronoun) refers back to the Lord; it was originally an adjective for Him, then it was detached from the following dependency. This is supported by the recitation of Ubayy and Abdullah: "Dhi al-Jalal" (in the genitive case), as an adjective following the Lord.

Al-Raghib mentioned that this description has been exclusively attributed to Him, the Exalted, and has not been used for any other; thus, it is among His most majestic attributes. This is witnessed by what Al-Tirmidhi narrated from Anas and Imam Ahmad from Rabi'ah bin 'Amir, in a marfu' (elevated) manner: "Adhere to the Possessor of Majesty and Honor"—that is, stick to it, affirm it, and say it often, and utter it in your supplications. Al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, and Al-Nasa'i narrated from Anas that he was with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while a man was praying and then supplicated, saying: "O Allah, I ask You because to You belongs the praise, there is no god but You, the Bestower, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, Possessor of Majesty and Honor, O Ever-Living, O Sustainer." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to his companions: "Do you know with what he supplicated?" They said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: "By Him in whose hand is my soul, he has supplicated to Allah by His Greatest Name, which, if He is called upon by it, He answers, and if He is asked by it, He gives."