Al-Isra: (82-84) And We send down of the Qur'an...

Know that when the Almighty elaborated upon the Divine Attributes (Ilahiyyat), Prophethoods (Nubuwwat), Resurrection (Hashr), the Hereafter (Ma'ad), and established Divine Decree and Predestination (Qada' wa Qadar), He then followed this by commanding the establishment of Prayer and pointing out the secrets contained within it.

He mentioned all of that in the Qur'an, and then followed it by clarifying that the Qur'an is a healing (shifa') and a mercy (rahmah), saying:

The word min (of/some) here is not for partiality (tab'id) but rather for the genus, like His saying: {So shun the impurity of idols} (Al-Hajj: 30). The meaning is: We send down from this genus, which is the Qur'an, that which is healing. Thus, the entire Qur'an is a healing for the believers.

Know that the Qur'an is a healing from spiritual ailments and also a healing from physical ailments.

1. Healing from Spiritual Ailments: This is apparent. Spiritual ailments are of two types:
   • False Beliefs (I'tiqadat Batilah): The most corrupt of these are false beliefs concerning the Divine, Prophethood, the Hereafter, Decree, and Predestination. The Qur'an is a book containing the proofs for the true doctrine in these matters and refuting the false doctrines. Since error in these fundamental issues is the strongest spiritual malady, and the Qur'an contains proofs exposing the inner defects of these false doctrines, it is naturally a healing for this type of spiritual sickness.
   • Blameworthy Morals (Akhlaq Madhmumah): The Qur'an details these morals, explains the corruption within them, and guides toward perfect, praiseworthy morals and commendable actions. Thus, the Qur'an is a healing for this type of sickness. It is established that the Qur'an is a healing for all spiritual ailments.

2. Healing from Physical Ailments: This is because seeking blessing (tabarruk) through its recitation repels many diseases. Since the majority of philosophers and practitioners of talismans admit that reciting unknown incantations and spells (which convey no meaning) have great effects in achieving benefits and repelling harm, then the recitation of this great Qur'an—which contains the mention of God, His Majesty, the glorification of the near angels, and the humiliation of the rebellious devils—is far more deserving of being a cause for achieving benefit in religion and the world.

This is further confirmed by the narration that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever does not seek healing through the Qur'an, may God not heal him."

As for its being a mercy for the believers: We have explained that human souls are sick due to false beliefs and corrupt morals. The Qur'an has two parts:

• One part provides deliverance from the doubts of the misguided and the deceptions of the falsehood-mongers; this is the healing (Shifa').
• The other part teaches the method of acquiring high knowledge and praiseworthy morals by which a person reaches the proximity of the Lord of the Worlds and associates with the company of the near angels; this is the mercy (Rahmah).

Since removing sickness precedes striving for the perfection of health, God began this verse by mentioning healing, followed by mercy.

Know that after establishing the Qur'an as healing and mercy for the believers, God clarified that it becomes a cause for loss and misguidance for the wrongdoers, meaning the polytheists. This is because hearing the Qur'an increases their rage, anger, hatred, and envy. These blameworthy traits lead them to false deeds, which in turn strengthen those corrupt morals within the essence of their souls. This wicked psychological disposition drives them to corrupt actions, and performing those actions strengthens those morals further. By this path, the Qur'an becomes a cause for the increasing wretchedness, misguidance, corruption, and punishment of these misguided polytheists.

Then, the Almighty mentioned the primary cause for these ignorant, misguided people falling into the valleys of error and the stations of disgrace and punishment: the love of this world, the desire for wealth and status, and their belief that this is achieved solely through their own effort and diligence. He said:

There are several points of discussion regarding this:

Regarding the word "na'a" (nā'ā), there are several recitations:

1. The common recitation (of the majority) is with a fath (a-sound) on the nūn and hamza. This is the dominant usage, and nā'ā means "to be distant."
2. The recitation of Ibn 'Amir is nā'a (with a fath on the nūn and hamza). This has two possibilities: either the lām (the final letter) is advanced before the ayn (the middle letter), like saying rā'a for ra'ā, or it is derived from nā'ā meaning "to rise up."
3. The recitation of Hamzah and Al-Kisā'ī is with an imālah (a leaning sound between a and i) for both fathas, because they inclined the hamza of nā'ā, and then they vocalized the nūn with a kasra (i-sound) following the kasra (as in ra'ā).
4. The recitation of Abu 'Amr and 'Asim (in the narration of Abu Bakr and Nusayr from Al-Kisā'ī and Hamzah) is nā'ā with a fath on the nūn and a kasra on the hamza (i.e., nā'ī), following the original rule for the fath on the nūn and inclining the hamza.

Then the Almighty said: {And when evil touches him}—meaning when poverty, illness, or a calamity befalls him—{he becomes despairing} (17:83), meaning extremely hopeless of God's mercy. This is like the saying of Ya'qub: {Go and search for Joseph and his brother...} (Yusuf: 87).

In summary: If he is favored with blessing and fortune, he becomes deluded and forgets the remembrance of God. If he remains deprived of worldly things, sorrow and grief overcome him, and he does not dedicate himself to remembering God. Thus, this poor creature is perpetually deprived of remembering God. This is analogous to His saying: {But when He tests him and honors him and blesses him, he says, "My Lord has honored me"} (Al-Fajr: 15), and {But when He tests him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has degraded me"} (Al-Fajr: 16). Similarly: {Indeed, mankind was created anxious, [especially] when evil touches him, he is frantic, and when good touches him, he is stingy} (Al-Ma'arij: 19-21).

Then the Almighty said: {Say, "Each one does according to his disposition"} (17:84).

Al-Zajjaj said: Shakilah means the path or the way. The evidence for this is that it is said: "This is a path with shawākil (branches)," meaning many paths branch off from it.

What strengthens my view that this is the intended meaning is His subsequent saying: {And your Lord is most knowing of who is best guided in the way} (17:84).

Another interpretation is that everyone acts according to what suits the essence of their soul and the requirement of their spirit. If his soul is an illuminated, virtuous, pure, sublime soul, virtuous and noble deeds will issue from him. If his soul is a murky, base, malicious, dark soul, base and corrupt deeds will issue from him.

The rationalists have differed on whether human rational souls differ in their very essence (māhiyyah) or not. Some say they differ in essence, and the difference in their actions and states is due to the difference in their essences. Others say they are equal in essence, and the difference in their actions is due to the difference in their temperaments.

My preferred view is the first one, and the Qur'an hints at this. This is because in the preceding verse, the Almighty clarified that the Qur'an is healing and mercy for some people, but loss and disgrace for others. He followed this by saying: {Say, "Each one does according to his disposition"}. This means that it is fitting for those pure souls that the effects of intelligence and perfection appear from the Qur'an in them, and for those murky souls that the effects of misguidance and disgrace appear from the Qur'an in them. This is like how the sun hardens salt, softens oil, whitens the washerman's cloth, and darkens his face. This statement achieves its intended purpose only if souls and spirits differ in their essences, such that some are bright and pure, and light upon light appears from the Qur'an in them, while others are murky and dark, and misguidance upon misguidance and punishment upon punishment appears from the Qur'an in them.

{ And they ask you about the soul. Say, "The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little." } (17:85)