Al-Isra: (22) Do not set up...

Issues in the Verse:

When Allah Almighty explained that people are of two groups—some desire only the worldly life through their actions (and they are deserving of punishment and torment), and others desire the obedience of Allah (and they are deserving of reward)—and then conditioned that on three prerequisites:

1. The intention for the Hereafter.
2. Performing deeds and striving in a manner suitable for seeking the Hereafter.
3. Being a believer.

He then clarified these generalities in this verse. He began by explaining the reality of faith, the noblest part of which is Monotheism (Tawhid) and the negation of partners and rivals. Thus, He said: {Do not set up with Allah another god}.

Following this, He mentioned the rest of the actions upon which one embarks, striving in a manner befitting the pursuit of the Hereafter, thereby becoming one of the fortunate whose destiny is good, whose fortune is excellent, and whose state is perfected.

The commentators state that this is outwardly addressed to the Prophet (peace be upon him), but in meaning, it is general for all accountable persons, like His saying: {O Prophet, when you divorce women} (At-Talaq: 1).

It is also possible that the address is to humankind, as if it were said: "O human being, do not set up another god with Allah." I find this latter possibility stronger because Allah Almighty followed it with His saying: {And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and to parents, good treatment...} (Al-Isra: 23) up to {If either of them or both of them reach old age with you} (Al-Isra: 23). This context is not fitting for the Prophet (peace be upon him), as his parents did not reach old age with him. Therefore, we know that the one addressed here is the human species.

The meaning of the verse is that whoever associates partners with Allah is blameworthy and forsaken. The indications for this are several:

1. The Shirk-maker is a Liar: The polytheist is a liar, and the liar deserves blame and abandonment.
2. Ingratitude for Blessings: Since it is established by proof that there is no god, no administrator, and no determiner except the One, the Unique, then all blessings originate from Allah Almighty. Whoever associates partners with Allah attributes some of those blessings to other than Allah, even though the truth is that all of them are from Allah. Thus, he deserves blame because the Creator deserves thanks for granting those blessings. When he denies their origin from Allah, he repays Allah's favor with wrongdoing, denial, and ingratitude, thus deserving blame.
3. Deserving Abandonment (Khidhlān): We say he deserves abandonment because when he affirms a partner for Allah, he deserves to have his affairs entrusted to that partner. Since that partner is non-existent, he remains without a helper, protector, or supporter—and this is the very essence of abandonment.
4. Perfection in Unity, Deficiency in Multiplicity: Perfection lies in unity, and deficiency lies in multiplicity. Whoever affirms a partner has fallen into the realm of deficiency and deserves blame and abandonment.

Know that since the wording of the verse indicates that the polytheist is blameworthy and forsaken, it necessarily follows, by the ruling of the verse, that the monotheist is praised and victorious. And Allah knows best.

There are several interpretations for the sitting mentioned in {then you will sit blameworthy, forsaken}:

1. Remaining/Lingering (Al-Muthūth): It means: you will remain among people blameworthy and forsaken. This word is used in the Arabic and Persian languages in this sense. If a man asks another about the status of someone in a town, the respondent might say: "He is qā'id (sitting) in the worst state," meaning he is lingering there, whether he is physically standing or sitting.
2. Sitting in Regret: It is characteristic of the blameworthy and forsaken person to sit down, regretting and contemplating what he has missed out on.
3. Sitting as a Sign of Inability: One capable of achieving good things strives to attain them, and striving requires standing up. As for the one incapable of achieving them, he does not strive but remains sitting, abstaining from seeking. Since standing up is one of the means by which one achieves good things, and sitting down is a sign of lacking that capability and power, sitting is made a metaphor for inability and weakness.

Al-Wāḥidī said: The phrase {then you will sit} is in the accusative case because it follows the particle fa (then) as an answer to the prohibition. Its accusative state is due to the implied presence of an (that), similar to saying: "Do not cut us off, so that we might shun you." The meaning is: Let there not be cutting off from you, and thus it results that we shun you. What follows the fa is connected to the preceding clause via the fa which is a conjunction. Grammarians call it an answer because it resembles the conditional clause (jazā') in that the second part is caused by the first. Do you not see that the meaning is: If you cut us off, we will shun you? Similarly, the meaning of the verse is: If you set up another god with Allah, you will sit blameworthy and forsaken.

{ And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and to parents, good treatment. If either of them or both of them reach old age with you, then do not say to them [even] 'uff' and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. }