Al-Isra: (71-72) The Day We Summon...

Issue 1: Recitations of the Verb "To Summon"

It has been recited as يَدْعُو (yad'ū - He summons) with the letter Yā' (for the third person masculine singular) and نَدْعُو (nad'ū - We summon) with the letter Nūn. And يُدْعَى (yud'ā - they will be summoned) in the passive voice for "every person." Al-Hasan recited يَدْعُو (yad'ū) for "every person." Al-Farrā' and the grammarians state they know of no basis for this recitation transmitted from Al-Hasan. Perhaps he recited يُدْعَى (yud'ā) with a vowel sound mixed between fatḥa (a) and ḍamma (u), leading the narrator to think he recited يَدْعُو (yad'ū).

Issue 2: Grammatical Function of "The Day We Summon"

The phrase يَوْمَ نَدْعُو (Yawma nad'ū - The Day We summon) is in the accusative case (naṣb) due to an implied verb, such as Udhkur (Mention). It is not permissible to say that the preceding verb, وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ (wa faḍḍalnāhum - And We preferred them), is the operative factor, because it is a past tense verb. It can be answered by saying the meaning is: "And We prefer them with what We grant them of honor and reward."

Issue 3: Interpretation of "{with their Imam}"

The word الإِمَام (al-Imām) in language refers to anyone whom a group follows, whether they are on guidance or misguidance. Thus, the Prophet is the Imam of his Ummah, the Caliph is the Imam of his subjects, and the Qur'an is the Imam of the Muslims. The Imam of the people is the one followed in prayer.

Several opinions are mentioned regarding the interpretation of Imām here:

The First Opinion: Their Imam is their Prophet. This is narrated in a marfū' (attributed to the Prophet, peace be upon him) from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him. The meaning would be that on the Day of Resurrection, he will call out: "O Ummah of Abraham! O Ummah of Moses! O Ummah of Jesus! O Ummah of Muhammad!" Then the people of truth who followed the Prophets will stand up and take their books by their right hands. Then he will call out: "O followers of Pharaoh! O followers of Nimrod! O followers of so-and-so and so-and-so," referring to the leaders of misguidance and the greatest disbelievers.

Under this opinion, there are two possibilities for the preposition Bā' in بِإِمَامِهِم (bi-imāmihim):

1. It means "following" or "in the manner of" their Imam, as in "I call you by your name."
2. It relates to an omitted word in the circumstantial case (ḥāl), as if saying: "Every person will be summoned, mixed with their Imam," meaning they are summoned while their Imam is among them, similar to Rukiba bi-junūdihi (He rode with his soldiers).

The Second Opinion: This is the view of Al-Ḍaḥḥāk and Ibn Zayd: بِإِمَامِهِم means "by their Book" which was revealed to them. Under this interpretation, they will be called out on the Day of Resurrection: "O people of the Qur'an! O people of the Torah! O people of the Gospel!"

The Third Opinion: Al-Ḥasan said it means "by their book containing their deeds." This is the view of Al-Rabī' and Abū Al-'Āliyah. The evidence for this book being called an Imām is the verse: {And all things We have enumerated in a clear Imām} (Yā-Sīn: 12). Allah named this record an Imām. The Bā' in this view means "with," as in, "We summon every person with their book," similar to saying Idfa'hu ilayhi bi-rimmatihi (Give it to him along with its husk/chaff).

The Fourth Opinion: The author of Al-Kashshāf states that one of the most bizarre interpretations is that Imām is the plural of Umm (mother), and people will be summoned on the Day of Resurrection by their mothers. The wisdom in summoning by mothers rather than fathers is to respect the right of Jesus, to show the honor of Al-Ḥasan and Al-Ḥusayn, and to prevent the disgrace of illegitimate children. The author of Al-Kashshāf then asks: "I wonder which is more bizarre: the correctness of the wording or the explanation of its wisdom?"

The Fifth Opinion (My View): There is another possibility in the wording. The types of virtuous and corrupt morals are numerous, and one type dominates every person. Some are dominated by anger, some by the lust for wealth or the lust for dissipation, and some by malice and envy. On the side of virtuous morals, some are dominated by chastity, courage, generosity, the pursuit of knowledge, or asceticism. Once you know this, we say: The inner disposition (that moral trait) is the caller to the outward actions. Therefore, that inner disposition is like an Imām to him, a king obeyed, and a leader followed. On the Day of Resurrection, reward and punishment will only manifest based on the actions stemming from those dispositions. This is what is meant by {The Day We summon every person with their Imam}. This possibility occurred to my mind, and Allah knows best His intent.

Then the Almighty said: {So whoever is given his record in his right hand, those will read their record, and they will not be wronged, not even a fatīl.}

The author of Al-Kashshāf said that "those" (أُولَئِكَ) is used because man (whoever) is in the sense of a plural. Al-Fatīl is the thin membrane in the groove of a date stone, named so because when a person tries to extract it, it twists (infaṭala). This is used as a metaphor for something insignificant and trivial, like al-qiṭmīr and al-naqīr (other metaphors for insignificance). The meaning is that they will not be diminished in reward by the measure of a fatīl. This is similar to His saying: {and they will not be wronged a thing} (Maryam: 60), and {So he will not fear injustice or contempt} (Ṭā-Hā: 112). Mujāhid narrated from Ibn 'Abbās that al-fatīl is the dirt that appears when a person twists his thumb against his index finger, derived from the root fatala (to twist).

If it is asked: Why are the companions of the right hand singled out for reading their record when the companions of the left hand also read theirs? We reply: The difference is that when the companions of the left hand look at their record, they find it containing great destruction, complete ugliness, and severe disgrace. Fear and astonishment overcome their hearts, and their tongues become heavy, rendering them unable to read. As for the companions of the right hand, the opposite is true; naturally, they read their record in the best and most steadfast manner. Furthermore, they are not content with just their own reading; rather, the reader will say to the assembled people: {Here! Read my book!} (Al-Ḥāqqah: 19). Thus, the difference becomes clear. And Allah knows best.

Then the Almighty said: {And whoever is blind in this [life], he will be blind in the Hereafter and more astray from the way.}

Issue 1: Recitations of "Blind"

Abū 'Amr, Abū Bakr 'an 'Āṣim, and Nuṣr 'an Al-Kisā'ī recited فِي هَذِهِ أَعْمَى (fī hādhihi a'mā) with Imālah (tilting the vowel sound towards kasra) and Kasr (vowel i sound) for the first a'mā. And فَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ أَعْمَى (fa-huwa fī al-ākhirati a'mā) with Fatḥ (open vowel a sound). Ibn Kathīr, Nāfi', Ibn 'Āmir, and Ḥafṣ 'an 'Āṣim recited both with Fatḥ and Tafkhīm (heavy a sound). Ḥamzah and Al-Kisā'ī, and Abū Bakr 'an 'Āṣim in one narration, recited both with Imālah.

Abū 'Alī Al-Fārisī explained the basis for correcting Abū 'Amr's recitation: The meaning of the first a'mā is being blind in himself, making this word complete (tāmma), thus accepting Imālah. However, in the second instance, a'mā means the superlative form (af'al al-tafḍīl), meaning "more blind than," and under this interpretation, the word a'mā is not complete (ghayr tāmma), so Imālah is not accepted. The result is that including Imālah in the first instance indicates it is not the superlative, while omitting it in the second indicates it is the superlative. And Allah knows best.

Issue 2: Interpretation of Blindness

There is no doubt that the intended meaning of {And whoever is blind in this [life], he will be blind in the Hereafter} is not blindness of the eye, but rather blindness of the heart. Regarding the second part, فهو في الآخرة أعمى (he will be blind in the Hereafter), there are two opinions:

The First Opinion: The second blindness also refers to the blindness of the heart. Under this interpretation, there are several sub-points:

1. 'Ikrimah narrated: A group from Yemen came to Ibn 'Abbās and a man asked him about this verse. Ibn 'Abbās told him to read what precedes it. The man recited from {Your Lord is He who makes the ships move for you in the sea...} (Al-Isrā': 66) up to {...in preference} (Al-Isrā': 70). Ibn 'Abbās said: "Whoever was blind to these blessings which he saw and witnessed in this life, he will be blind and more astray from the way concerning the matter of the Hereafter, which he did not see or witness." Under this view, "in this" refers to the previously mentioned blessings.
2. Abū Warq narrated from Al-Ḍaḥḥāk from Ibn 'Abbās: "Whoever was blind in this world to what is seen of My power in creating the heavens, the earth, the seas, the mountains, people, and animals, he will be blind and more astray from the way concerning the matter of the Hereafter and further from attaining knowledge of it." Under this view, "in this" refers to the world. In both these views, the blindness of the heart to knowing these signs and proofs in this world makes it more fitting that he would be blind of heart to knowing the conditions of the Hereafter. Thus, the blindness occurred twice in this world.
3. Al-Ḥasan said: "Whoever was misguided and an unbeliever in this world, he will be blind and more astray in the Hereafter because in this world his repentance is accepted, but in the Hereafter it is not accepted. In this world, he is guided to escape the doors of affliction, but in the Hereafter, he will never be guided to that."
4. It is not possible to interpret the second blindness as ignorance of Allah, because the people of the Hereafter know Allah by necessity. Therefore, the meaning is blindness from the path to Paradise: "Whoever was blind in this world to the knowledge of Allah, he will be blind in the Hereafter from the path to Paradise."
5. Those who acquired blindness of the heart in this world acquired this state due to their intense eagerness to acquire worldly things and their delight in its pleasures and good things. This desire increases in the Hereafter, and their regret over the loss of the world becomes greater there. They will have none of the lights of the knowledge of Allah, so they will remain in intense darkness and great regret—that is what is meant by the blindness.

The Second Opinion: The second blindness is interpreted as blindness of the eye and sight. Whoever was blind of heart in this world will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment blind in eye and sight, as stated: {And We will resurrect him on the Day of Resurrection blind. He will say, 'My Lord, why have You resurrected me blind while I was seeing?' He will say, 'Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot them; and thus today you will be forgotten'} (Ṭā-Hā: 124-126). And {And We will gather them on the Day of Resurrection blind, mute, and deaf}. This blindness is an addition to their punishment. And Allah knows best.

{7} And indeed, they almost tempted you away from what We revealed to you, [intending] to fabricate against Us something other than it. And if it were not that We had strengthened you, you would have almost inclined toward them a little.

{8} Then We would have made you taste double [the punishment] in life and double [the punishment] in death; then you would have found for yourself no helper against Us.