| Al 'Imran: (129) And to Allah belongs...

There are two issues concerning this verse:

The First Issue: The purpose of this statement is to affirm what was previously mentioned, namely, His saying: {Nothing of the affair is for you} [3:128]. The meaning is that authority belongs only to the Owner. The ownership of the heavens and the earth belongs only to Allah, the Exalted. Therefore, the command in the heavens and the earth belongs only to Allah. This is a conclusive proof.

The Second Issue: He said: {What is in the heavens and what is in the earth} and did not say (who) because the intent is to point to the realities and essences, thus encompassing everything.

As for His saying: {He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills}, know that our scholars use this verse as evidence that, by virtue of His Divinity, He has the right to admit all disbelievers and transgressors into Paradise, and He has the right to admit all the near ones and the truthful ones into the Fire. Furthermore, there is no objection to Him doing these things, and the indication of the verse for this meaning is clear. Rational proof also confirms this.

This is because the action of a servant depends on volition, and that volition is created by Allah, the Exalted. If Allah creates the volition for obedience, the servant obeys, and if He creates the other type of volition, the servant disobeys. Thus, the servant's obedience is from Allah, and his disobedience is also from Allah. The action of Allah does not necessitate anything upon Allah whatsoever. Therefore, obedience does not necessitate reward, nor does disobedience necessitate punishment; rather, everything is from Allah by virtue of His Divinity, His Compulsion, and His Power.

Thus, what we claimed is established: if He wills, punishing all the near ones would be good from Him, and if He wills, showing mercy to all the Pharaohs would be good from Him. This is the proof indicated by the apparent meaning of His saying: {He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills}.

If it is objected: Is it not established that He does not forgive disbelievers, nor does He punish the angels and the Prophets?

We reply: The meaning of the verse is that if He willed, He would do it, and there would be no objection to Him. This extent does not necessitate that He must do it or must not do it. This point is extremely clear.

Then the discourse concludes with His saying: {And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful}. The purpose here is to clarify that even though all that [punishment and forgiveness] is permissible for Him, the aspect of Mercy and Forgiveness predominates, not as an obligation, but as a matter of Grace and Benevolence.