Al-Isra: (13-14) And every human - We have fastened his lot to his neck...

There are several points of discussion regarding this verse:

Issue 1: The Coherence of the Structure (Nathm)

There are three perspectives on how this verse connects to the preceding text:

First View: Since Allah Almighty stated, {And We have explained everything in detail} (Al-Isra: 12), this implies that everything necessary regarding the proofs of Tawhid (Oneness of God), prophethood, and the Hereafter has been mentioned. Similarly, all explanations concerning promises, threats, encouragement, and deterrence have been covered. Given this, excuses are removed, and justifications are nullified. Therefore, whoever arrives at the plain of Resurrection, {We have fastened his lot (or bird) to his neck, and We will say to him: Read your book! Sufficient is your own self this Day to call you to account} (Al-Isra: 13-14).

Second View: Since Allah Almighty demonstrated that He has provided mankind with all types of beneficial things for their religion and worldly life—such as the signs of the night and day—He has bestowed upon them the greatest forms of blessings. This necessitates that they engage in His service and obedience. Consequently, whoever arrives at the plain of Resurrection will be questioned about their deeds and sayings.

Third View (Regarding the connection): Since Allah Almighty explained that He created mankind only to engage in His worship, as stated: {And I did not create the jinn and humankind except to worship Me} (Adh-Dhariyat: 56), and then explained the states of the sun, moon, night, and day, the meaning is: I created these things so that you may benefit from them, enabling you to engage in My obedience and service. If this is the case, then whoever arrives at the plain of Resurrection, Allah will ask him whether he performed that service and obedience, or whether he rebelled, disobeyed, and transgressed. This is the rationale for the structure.

Issue 2: Interpretation of the Word Ṭā’ir (Lot/Bird)

There are two main opinions:

First Opinion: When the Arabs intended to undertake an action, and wished to know if that action would lead them to good or evil, they observed the state of birds. They considered whether the bird flew on its own, or needed to be urged, and whether it flew to the right, to the left, or upwards, and other such observations they used to deduce omens of good or evil, fortune or misfortune. Because this practice was frequent, good and evil came to be called ṭā’ir (bird), naming a thing by its associated consequence or equivalent. This is supported by Allah’s saying in Surah Ya-Sin: {They said, "Indeed, we have taken an omen from you." He said, "Your omen is with Allah."} (Ya-Sin: 18-19). Thus, {And every human - We have fastened his lot to his neck} means: We have fastened every human's deed to his neck. The narration by Al-Hasan and Mujahid, reading it as ṭi’rahu (his bird/lot), supports this view.

Second Opinion: Abu Ubaydah said that al-ṭā’ir among the Arabs means one's portion or destiny (al-ḥaẓẓ), which the Persians call bakht. Based on this, the meaning of ṭā’ir could be whatever flies to him of good or evil.

The verified reality in this matter is that Allah created beings and assigned to each a specific measure of intellect, knowledge, lifespan, provision, happiness, and misery. A person cannot exceed that measure or deviate from it; rather, they must reach that measure in quantity and quality. These predestined matters seem as if they fly to him and reach him. Therefore, in this sense, it is not far-fetched to refer to these destined states by the word ṭā’ir. Thus, {And every human - We have fastened his lot to his neck} is a metaphor indicating that everything Allah has decreed and whose occurrence was established in His eternal knowledge is necessarily attached to him and will reach him without deviation.

It should be noted that this is one of the strongest proofs that everything Allah has decreed for a person and judged concerning him in His eternal knowledge is necessarily destined to occur and impossible to be non-existent. This is established in two ways:

1. First Way: The interpretation of the verse is: "We have fastened every human's deed to his neck." Allah clarifies that this deed is inseparable from him. Whatever is inseparable from a thing is impossible for it to be removed from and necessary for it to obtain—and this is the objective.
2. Second Way: Allah attributes this fastening (ilzām) to Himself, as {We have fastened} explicitly states that this fastening originates from Him. This is similar to His saying: {And He made the word of righteousness incumbent upon them} (Al-Fath: 26). This verse proves that nothing will ever appear except what Allah decreed in eternity. This is alluded to in the Prophet's saying (peace be upon him): "The pen has dried concerning what is to be until the Day of Resurrection." (Allah knows best.)

Issue 3: The Meaning of {in his neck} (fī ‘unuqihi)

The phrase {in his neck} is a metaphor for necessity or obligation, similar to saying, "I placed this upon your neck," meaning, "I have entrusted you with this deed and obligated you to preserve it." It is also said, "I have made you wear this" (qalladtuka or ṭawwaqtuka), meaning, "I directed it to you and made it incumbent upon you." Hence, when the Sultan confers an office, it is said he qallada him, meaning the authority becomes necessarily attached to him, like a necklace or collar. Similarly, when someone follows another's belief, it is said he yuqallidu him, meaning he makes that belief like a necklace tied around his neck.

The scholars of meaning specified the neck among all limbs for this concept because whatever is placed upon it is either a good thing that adorns him or an evil thing that disgraces him. What adorns is like a necklace or jewelry, and what disgraces is like a shackle. Here, the person's deed, if it is good, becomes an adornment for him; if it is a sin, it becomes like a shackle on his neck.

Then Allah Almighty said: {And We will bring out for him a book which he will find spread open}. Al-Hasan said: "O son of Adam, We spread out a scroll for you and appointed two angels, one on your right and one on your left. The one on your right records your good deeds, and the one on your left records your evil deeds. When you die, your scroll is folded and placed with you in your grave until you emerge with it on the Day of Resurrection."

The phrase {And We will bring out for him}—meaning from his grave—can imply that We bring out this book for him because he did not see it in the world. When he is resurrected, it will be revealed and brought out from concealment. Ya'qub recited: {And He will bring out for him on the Day of Resurrection a book}, meaning He will bring out for him the ṭā’ir (his deed) as a book spread open, similar to {And when the pages are spread open} (At-Takwir: 10). Ibn Umar recited {he will meet it} (yulqāhu) from the expression laqītu fulānan al-shay’a, meaning "I received the thing from him." Allah says: {and He will meet them with radiance and joy} (Al-Insan: 11). The intensive form (laggāhu) means "Zayd presented the thing to me."

Then Allah Almighty said: {Read your book}. The implied statement is that it will be said to him, and the speaker is Allah Almighty, through the tongues of the angels: {Read your book}. Al-Hasan said: He will read it whether he was illiterate or not. Bakr ibn Abdullah said: The believer will be brought his scroll on the Day of Resurrection, and he will read it. His good deeds will be on the outside, making people envy him, and his evil deeds will be on the inside of the scroll, which he reads. When he thinks it has doomed him, Allah will say: "Go, for I have forgiven it for you between Me and Myself." His joy will then be immense, and he will become one of those about whom it is said: {Some faces, that Day, will be radiant, Laughing, rejoicing} (Abasa: 38-39). Then he will say: {Here! Read my book!} (Al-Haqqah: 19).

As for {Sufficient is your own self this Day to call you to account}, it means: sufficient as an accountant. Al-Hasan said: "By Allah, it is just for Him to make you the accountant of your own self." As-Suddi said: The disbeliever will say on that Day, "You judged that You are not unjust to Your servants, so let me account myself." He will be told: {Read your book! Sufficient is your own self this Day to call you to account}. (Allah knows best.)

Issue 4: The Philosophers' Insights

The Islamic philosophers stated that this verse possesses great nobility and contains wondrous secrets in its discussions:

First Inquiry: Allah made the servant's action like a bird flying towards him. This is because Allah decreed for everyone, from eternity, a measure of good and evil. That judgment which preceded in His eternal knowledge and His eternal decree must reach him. Thus, that decree is like a bird flying towards him from eternity until that specific time, reaching him with absolute certainty and no possibility of deviation. When a person knows that every word, deed, glance, and thought was like a bird that Allah sent flying to him along a specific path and manner, and that this bird must reach him, then he understands that eternal sufficiency is not complete except through eternal providence.

Second Inquiry: These decrees are established through Allah's fastening (ilzām). This is because Allah made every subsequent event have a preceding event necessary for its occurrence. Since the establishment of this chain originates from Allah, then the entirety of it is from Allah. At this point, one imagines endless birds whose numbers have no limit, for Allah has sent them flying from the nest of eternity and the darkness of the unseen world. They fly a flight that has no beginning and no end, and each one is directed toward that specific person at the appointed time with the specified characteristic. This is what is meant by {We have fastened his lot to his neck}.

Third Inquiry: Experience demonstrates that the repetition of voluntary actions leads to the formation of a firm psychological disposition (malakah) rooted in the essence of the soul. Do you not see that whoever consistently repeats reading a single lesson finds that lesson memorized? And whoever consistently performs a single action for a long period finds that action becomes a disposition?

Knowing this, we say: Since frequent repetition necessitates the formation of a firm disposition, it must be that every one of those actions leaves a certain effect on the essence of the soul. Just as when numerous drops of water fall upon a stone, a hole is formed in the stone, we know that each drop had some effect in creating that hole, even if it was weak and small. Similarly, while writing, in common usage, refers to specific inscriptions that people have agreed upon as indicators for specific words, the indication of those inscriptions upon those specific meanings is an inherent, necessary, and permanent indication. Therefore, the book containing those inscriptions is more deserving of the name 'book' than a sheet containing inscriptions that indicate meaning only through convention and agreement.

Having established these two premises, we say: Every action originating from a person—whether frequent or infrequent, strong or weak—inevitably leaves a specific effect on the essence of the human soul. If that effect is one that draws the essence of the spirit from creation towards the presence of the Truth, it leads to happiness and honor. If that effect is one that draws the spirit away from the presence of the Truth towards preoccupation with creation, it leads to misery and abandonment. However, these effects remain hidden as long as the spirit is attached to the body, because the spirit's preoccupation with managing the body prevents these states from being revealed, manifested, and apparent. When the spirit's attachment to managing the body ceases, the Resurrection occurs, based on the Prophet's saying: "Whoever dies, his Resurrection has occurred." The meaning of this state being the Resurrection is that the rational soul was seemingly stationary and settled in this lower body. When that attachment is severed, the soul rises and turns towards ascending to the higher realm. This is what is meant by this state being the Resurrection. At that point, the covering is removed, the veil is lifted, and he is told: {So We have removed from you your cover, and your sight, this Day, is sharp} (Qaf: 22). And {And We will bring out for him a book which he will find spread open} means: We will bring out for him, upon the occurrence of this Resurrection, from the depth of the dark body, a book containing all those effects resulting from worldly states. This book will be spread open at that time because while the spirit was in the body, these states were hidden within it, like a folded thing. But after the cessation of bodily attachment, these states appear, become clear, and are revealed, becoming as if unfolded and spread open after having been folded and hidden. At that moment, the intellectual faculty observes all those effects written with inherent writing in the essence of the spirit, and he is told in that state: {Read your book}. Then he is told: {Sufficient is your own self this Day to call you to account}, because if those effects lead to happiness, happiness is inevitably attained; and if they lead to misery, misery is inevitably attained. This is the interpretation of this verse according to spiritual states.

It must be affirmed that the apparent states mentioned in the narrations are true and factual, without doubt. The possibility of the verse encompassing these spiritual meanings is also evident. The upright path and the straight way are to affirm both aspects. (Allah knows best the realities of matters.)

7 < {Whoever is guided is guided for [the benefit of] himself; and whoever strays, strays to his own detriment. And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. And never would We punish until We sent a messenger.} > 7

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