Tafsir of An-Naml 27:4-5

Surah An-Naml (The Ants): Verses 4-5

{Indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have made their deeds pleasing to them.}

The Issue of Attributing the Beautification of Deeds

When God Almighty established the good tidings for the believers, He followed it by mentioning the severe punishment for the disbelievers, saying: {Indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have made their deeds pleasing to them.}

A difference of opinion arose regarding how the beautification (tazyīn) of their deeds is attributed to God, especially since He also attributed it to Satan in the verse: {Satan made their deeds seem fair to them} (An-Nahl: 63).

The Position of Our Scholars (Ahl al-Haqq):

Our scholars adhere to the literal meaning (zāhir) of this verse based on the following reasoning:

1. A person never performs an action unless an incitement (dā'ī) calls them to it.
2. The rational incitement is knowledge, belief, or assumption that the action contains some benefit.
3. This incitement must originate from God Almighty for two reasons:
   • First: If it originated from the servant, it would require another incitement, leading to an infinite regress (tasalsul), which is impossible.
   • Second: Knowledge is either necessary (darūrī) or acquired (kasbī).
     • If it is necessary, it requires two conceptions (taṣawwurayn). A conception cannot be acquired because if one is aware of the acquired conception, it is already conceived, making the acquisition redundant (a logical impossibility). If one is unaware of it, it is impossible to seek it. If one argues that it is perceived in one aspect but not another, the division recurs for each aspect.
     • Therefore, conceptions are never acquired. Necessary knowledge is that where the presence of both conceptions is sufficient to yield assent (taṣdīq). Thus, the acquisition of these self-evident assents is not through effort (kasb).
     • If these self-evident assents imply theoretical assents, then the theoretical assents are also not acquired (since the necessary implies the necessary). If they do not imply them, then those things we assumed to be theoretical knowledge are merely traditional beliefs (taqlīdīyyah), as the belief of a follower (muqallid) is simply an initial inclination without a preceding cause.
4. Thus, all forms of knowledge are necessary (darūrī). Since the origins of actions are knowledge, all human actions are necessary. Man is compelled while appearing to have free choice (mukhtār).
5. Therefore, it is established that God Almighty is the One who made every doer's deed pleasing to them.

Meaning of Beautification (Tazyīn):

The meaning of beautification here is that God creates in the heart the knowledge of the benefits and pleasures inherent in the deed, while He does not create in the heart the knowledge of the harms and afflictions within it. These decisive rational proofs necessitate adhering to the literal meaning of this verse.

The Mu'tazilite Interpretations (Ta'wīl):

The Mu'tazilites offered several interpretations:

1. Interpretation 1: It means God clarified the religious matters and what they must adhere to, and He beautified it by showing its goodness and the reward therein. Beautification by God is merely describing the deed as good, obligatory, and having a praiseworthy outcome, as in: {but God has endeared faith to you and has made it pleasing in your hearts} (Al-Hujurāt: 7). The phrase {so they wander blindly} supports this, meaning they deviate and turn away from what God has beautified for them.
   • Rebuttal: The term {their deeds} (a'mālihim) is general, implying God beautified all their deeds, whether good or bad. We have already explained the meaning of beautification.

2. Interpretation 2: God granted them long life and abundant provision. They used these blessings as a means to follow their desires and neglect their obligations. Thus, it is as if God beautified their deeds through these provisions. This is alluded to by the angels when they say: {And [We gave] them enjoyment for a long time, until they forgot the warning} (Al-Furqān: 18).
   • Rebuttal: Did these provisions (long life, sustenance) have an effect in favoring the commission of sin over leaving it? If they did, we have already proven that any such favoring must ultimately lead to necessity (as established above), thus achieving the goal. If they had no effect, these provisions are like the creaking of a door or the braying of a donkey concerning their actions, which prevents attributing their deeds to them.

3. Interpretation 3: God allowed Satan to delay and leave them alone until he beautified things for them, making the attribution to Satan apparent.
   • Rebuttal: This is the same as the rebuttal for the second interpretation.

And God knows best.

{So they wander blindly (in confusion).}

• Al-'Amh (Wandering Blindly): This means bewilderment and hesitation, like the state of someone lost on a path.

{Those will have the worst punishment.}

• Two views on the punishment:
  1. It refers to the killing and capture on the Day of Badr.
  2. It refers to the general punishment, whether in this world or the Hereafter. The term al-Sū' (Worst) refers to its severity and magnitude.

{They are the losers.}

• Two views on their loss:
  1. There is no greater loss than a person losing their own self by being deprived of health and safety in this world and being delivered to a great punishment in the Hereafter.
  2. They lost their stations in Paradise, which they would have attained had they obeyed. Every accountable person has a designated station in Paradise; if they disobey, they are moved to another, thus losing that specific station.

Surah An-Naml (The Ants): Verses 7-8

{And indeed, you are receiving the Qur'an from [the one who is] Wise and Knowing.}

{When Moses said to his family, "Indeed, I have perceived a fire; I will bring you from there some information or bring you a burning brand that you may warm yourselves."}

{But when he reached it, he was called out, "Blessed is He who is in the fire and whoever is around it, and Exalted is God, Lord of the worlds."}

{O Moses, indeed, it is I, God, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise."}