Al-Shu'ara: (78-82) He Who Created Me, Then He Guides Me...

It is known that after the Almighty recounted (Ibrahim's) statement where he made an exception for the Lord of the Worlds, He then recounted what Ibrahim described of Him that warrants worship. Following that, He recounted what Ibrahim asked of Him.

As for the descriptions, there are four:

1. The first is His saying: {He Who created me, then He guides me} (Ash-Shu'ara: 78).

Know that the Exalted and Sublime praised Himself with these two matters in His saying: {Who created and proportioned, And Who decreed and guided} (Al-A'la: 2-3).

Know that creation and guidance encompass all benefits for whomever benefits can be derived. Let us speak concerning man: he is created. Some say he is from the realm of creation and the physical bodies, while others say he is from the realm of command and the spiritualities.

The composition of the body, which is from the realm of creation, precedes the granting of the spirit, which is from the realm of command, as He informed us in His saying: {And when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My spirit} (Sad: 72). The proportioning refers to the balancing of the humors and the composition of the mixtures, and the breathing of the spirit refers to the luminous, divine subtlety which is from the realm of command.

Also, He said: {And indeed, We created man from an extract of clay} (Al-Mu'minun: 12). When He completed the stages of the changes of the bodies, He said: {Then We made the sperm-drop into a clinging clot} (Al-Mu'minun: 14). This points to the spirit, which is from the realm of the angels. There is no doubt that guidance is only achieved through the spirit. Thus, it is clear from these verses that creation precedes guidance.

As for its verification according to true discussions: the body of man is generated upon the mingling of semen with menstrual blood. These two are generated from nourishment derived from the composition and interaction of the four elements. When the semen mingles with the blood, the hot, cold, wet, and dry qualities within them continue to interact. The power in each one breaks the form of the other's quality. At that point, an intermediate quality results from their interaction, which is warm relative to the cold, and cool relative to the hot, and similarly regarding wet and dry.

Then, the potential is established to receive governing powers for that composite being. Some are vegetative powers that draw nourishment, retain it, digest it, expel harmful waste, replace what has dissolved from the parts, and increase the essence of the organs in length and width. A residue remains from these materials from which something similar can be generated.

Among them are animal powers, some perceptive (the five senses, imagination, retention, and memory), and some active (either commanding, like desire and anger, or commanded, like the powers fixed in the muscles).

Among them are human powers, either perceptive or operative. The perceptive powers are those capable of perceiving the realities of spiritual and physical things, the lofty and the low. If you investigate every composite and individual thing in this physical world, you will find things that suit it and perfect its state, and things that repel it and corrupt its state. You will find within it powers that attract what is suitable and repel what is contrary.

It is clear that the well-being of these things is not complete except through creation and guidance. Creation is by bringing it into existence after it was non-existent. Guidance is through those attractive powers for benefits and defensive powers against harms. Thus, it is established that His saying: {He Who created me, then He guides me} is a comprehensive statement containing all benefits in this world and the religion.

There is a subtlety here: He said {created me} using the past tense, and He said {guides me} using the future tense. The reason is that the creation of the essence does not renew itself in this world; rather, once it occurs, it remains until the appointed term. As for His guidance, it is something that recurs at every moment and time, whether it is guidance in worldly benefits (by the senses judging between benefits and harms) or in religious benefits (by the intellect judging between truth and falsehood, and good and evil).

This clarifies that the Almighty created him with all that perfected his creation in the past in one instance, and that He guides him to the interests of religion and the world through various types of guidance at every moment and glance.

2. The second is His saying: {And Who it is that feeds me and gives me drink} (Ash-Shu'ara: 79). This encompasses everything related to the benefit of sustenance. If He created the food for him and made him its owner, but did not grant him the means to eat and nourish himself from it—such as desire, power, and discernment—this blessing would not be complete. By mentioning food and drink, He alluded to everything else.

3. The third is His saying: {And when I am ill, He cures me} (Ash-Shu'ara: 80).

There is a question here: Why did he say {when I am ill} (idha maridtu) rather than {when He makes me ill} (idha amradani)? The answer is in several aspects:

• First: Many causes of illness occur due to human negligence in diet, drink, and other matters. Hence, the wise said: If most of the dead were asked the cause of their demise, they would say, "Overeating."
  • Second: Illness occurs due to the dominance of some humors over others, and that dominance occurs due to the natural aversion between them. Health, however, occurs when the humors remain in balance, and their remaining in balance is due to an overpowering force compelling them to unite. Their return to health is also due to an overpowering force compelling them to return to union and balance after their nature inclined toward separation and conflict. For this reason, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) attributed healing to the Almighty, but did not attribute illness to Him.
  • Third (Addressing the objection: Why not attribute death to Him?): Death is not a harm because the condition for it being a harm is experiencing it. At the moment of death, there is no sensation. The harm lies in its precursors, which is precisely illness. Furthermore, you already know that when souls are perfected in knowledge and character, remaining in these bodies is the very harm, and liberation from them is happiness, unlike illness.

4. The fourth is His saying: {And Who will cause me to die and then will give me life} (Ash-Shu'ara: 81). What is meant by death here is dying in this world and being saved from its afflictions and punishments. What is meant by life is recompense.

5. The fifth is His saying: {And Who I hope will forgive my sin on the Day of Recompense} (Ash-Shu'ara: 82). This points to what every intelligent person desires: salvation from punishment and attainment of reward.

Know that Ibrahim (peace be upon him) encompassed in these words all the blessings of God Almighty, from the beginning of creation until the end of eternity in the Hereafter.

Here are some questions:

First Question: Why did he say {And Who I hope} (wa alladhi atma'u)? Hope (tuma') refers to conjecture and expectation, yet he (peace be upon him) was certain of this.

Answer: This statement is only sound according to our doctrine, where we say that God is not obligated to anyone, and everything He does is good, and no one has the right to object to His actions. Al-Jubba'i answered this in two ways: 1. He meant the rest of the believers when he said: {And Who I hope will forgive my sin}, because they are the ones who hope but are not certain. 2. The meaning of tuma' (hope) is certainty, as narrated from Al-Hasan.

The author of Al-Kashshaf answered that he mentioned it this way to teach his community the manner of supplication.

Know that these views are weak. * As for the first: God Almighty recounted his praise first and then his supplication. From the beginning of the praise to the end of the supplication is the speech of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). Making one part of it—his saying: {And Who I hope will forgive my sin on the Day of Recompense}—the speech of someone else breaks the coherence of the speech and corrupts it. * As for the second, that hope means certainty: this contradicts the linguistic usage. * As for the third, that the purpose is to teach the community: this is also false, because its implication is that he lied about himself for the purpose of teaching the community, which is certainly false.

Second Question: Why did he attribute the sin (khati'ah) to himself when the Prophets are certainly preserved from sins?

There are three answers: 1. It is interpreted based on Ibrahim's (peace be upon him) falsehood in saying: {He did it, their chief one} (Al-Anbiya: 63), and his saying: {Indeed, I am ill} (As-Saffat: 89), and his saying to Sarah: (She is my sister). This is weak because attributing falsehood to him is impermissible. 2. He mentioned it as a sign of humility and self-abasement. This is weak because if he was truthful in this humility, the problem remains. If he was lying, then the implication of the answer reverts to attributing sin to him in order to exonerate him from sin. 3. The correct answer: It is interpreted as abandoning the awla (the preferable or better course of action). This is sometimes called an error. If someone possesses a jewel and can sell it for a million dinars, but sells it for one dinar, it is said he erred. Abandoning the awla is permissible for the Prophets.

Third Question: Why did he condition the forgiveness of the sin upon the Day of Recompense, when it is forgiven in this world?

Answer: Because its effect appears on the Day of Recompense, while it is hidden now and unknown.

Fourth Question: What is the benefit of {for me} (li) in His saying: {forgive me my sin}?

There are several answers: 1. When a father forgives his son, a master his slave, or a husband his wife, it is often done seeking reward, fleeing punishment, seeking good praise, or repelling pain arising from natural affection. In these cases, the purpose of the pardon is not to uphold the side of the pardoned, but to uphold his own side—either to attain what is necessary or to repel what is unnecessary. However, the Divine Essence is perfect in itself, so it is impossible for qualities of perfection to arise in Him that were not there, or for a deficiency to leave Him. If this is the case, His pardon can only be in consideration of the pardoned. Thus, His saying: {And Who I hope will forgive me} means: He is the One whose forgiveness, when it occurs, is for me and for my sake, not for any matter returning to Him whatsoever. 2. It is as if he said: You created me, but not for my sake. When You created me, I was non-existent, and if I was non-existent, it was impossible for anything to be achieved for my sake. Yet, despite this, You created me. But if You forgive, that forgiveness would be for my sake. Since You created me first, even though I was in need of that creation, it is more fitting that You forgive and pardon me when I am in the direst need of pardon and forgiveness. 3. Ibrahim (peace be upon him), due to his deep immersion in the sea of gnosis, strongly avoided reliance on intermediaries. This is why when Gabriel (peace be upon him) asked him, "Do you have a need?" he replied, "As for you, no." Here too, he said: {I hope that You will forgive me my sin on the Day of Recompense}, meaning: solely because of my servitude to You and my need for You, You forgive my sin, not through the mediation of an intercessor.

{My Lord, grant me judgment and join me with the righteous, * And grant me a legacy of truth among later generations, * And make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of Bliss, * And forgive my father; indeed, he was of those who went astray, * And do not disgrace me on the Day they are resurrected, * The Day when neither wealth nor sons will benefit, * Except for one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.} (Ash-Shu'ara: 83-89)