{فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا}

"Then He inspired it with its wickedness and its righteousness," and with what that leads to in terms of the corruption of the arrangement [of the verse]. This is based on what is in the marginalia regarding the necessity of connecting a verb to a noun, and that it would have no subject, neither explicit—which is evident—nor implicit, due to the lack of a referent for it. It has been objected that the latter is refuted by the preceding verbs, namely: banaha (built it), tahaha (spread it), and sawwaha (fashioned it), given that the context points to the validity of the implicit pronoun. As for the former, the objection is that connecting a verb to a noun is not invalid, even if it is contrary to what is apparent. Furthermore, it is a connection to that which follows "ma" (in wa-ma sawwaha), as if it were said: "And a soul and its fashioning, then He inspired it with its wickedness and its righteousness."

This has been objected to on the grounds that the particle fa (then) denotes sequence without a delay, while the fashioning occurs before the blowing of the soul [into the body], whereas the inspiration occurs after reaching maturity. It has been answered that the "fashioning" is the adjustment of the organs and faculties, including the faculty of thought, and "inspiration" is the expression for the clarification of how to utilize them regarding the two ways; in this regard, it is not separate from it since [the soul] was fashioned. Yes, it increases according to the increase of the faculties in terms of modality, not existence. Moreover, the "delay" in such contexts is conventional, and it may be that one follows the other without a long interval. Furthermore, this is a shared constraint, and there is no meaning to Al-Tibi's statement that the "subtle arrangement" necessitates the conformity of the contexts, so it is not permissible [to say] "and a soul and its fashioning, then Allah inspired it," for it is realized [regardless]. This is only based on the illusion that the statement of the Exalted, "Then He inspired it," is a [stand-alone] sentence. In sum, the invalidity of this perspective is not apparent.

Al-Qadi Abd al-Jabbar insisted that "ma" must be the ma of the infinitive, not the ma of conjunction (masdariyyah vs. conjunctive). He said [it is because of] what it entails regarding swearing by other than Allah upon His own swearing by His Exalted Self. The Imam answered this by stating that the greatest of the sensed things is the sun, so Allah mentioned it along with its attributes that indicate its greatness. Then He mentioned His sacred Essence and described it, may He be glorified and exalted, with three attributes, so that the intellect may attain the perception of Allah's majesty and greatness as befits His glory, such that the senses do not dispute it. This was a path to drawing the intellect from the nadir of the world of the sensed to the vast plains of His pride, may His affair be glorified.

It is also permitted that "ma" refers to the affair that underlies the spreading of the earth, the spreading of the sky, and the fashioning of the soul, in terms of wisdoms and interests that cannot be counted, and the attribution of the actions to it is figurative. The subject of "inspired it" may be that "affair," and the attribution would be figurative as well; and this is as you see it.

"Wickedness" (fujur) and "righteousness" (taqwa), according to what Abd ibn Humayd and others narrated from al-Dahhak, are disobedience and obedience absolutely, whether they are of the heart or the limbs.

"Inspired it" (alhamaha), according to what he, Ibn Jarir, and a group narrated from Mujahid, means He made it aware of them such that it distinguishes its guidance from its misguidance. This has also been narrated from Ibn Abbas, as in al-Bahr. Similar to this is the statement of Ibn Zayd: "He inspired it with its wickedness and its righteousness" means He made them clear to it. Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, and others narrated something similar from Qatadah. The verse in this regard is similar to the saying of the Exalted, "And We have shown him the two ways."

"Wickedness" was mentioned before "righteousness" because inspiration in this sense is one of the foundations of avoiding [the wickedness], which is "clearing" (takhliyah), and clearing precedes "adorning" (tahliyah). It has also been said that it was prioritized in consideration of the rhyme scheme [relative] to the pronoun of the soul. It is said [it is an] indication that the one inspired with wickedness and righteousness has become prepared for both, so they are [manifest] for it by virtue of its readiness. It is also said that it was for the sake of the rhyme scheme as well.