Tafsir of Ya seen 36:22

Surah Ya-Sin (36): Verse 22

{وَمَا لِيَ لَا أَعْبُدُ الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ}

After stating, {وَمَا لِيَ لَا أَعْبُدُ الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي} (And what is [the reason] that I should not worship the One Who created me?), following the previous verse {وَهُمْ مُهْتَدُونَ} (and they are guided), this statement highlights the clarity of their guidance. They are calling people away from worshipping inanimate objects to worshipping the Living, the Upright.

There are several subtle points (lata'if) in this statement:

1. The use of {وَمَا لِيَ} (And what is [the reason] for me?): This implies, "What obstacle exists on my part?" It indicates that the matter concerning the One who deserves worship is clear and manifest; there is no obscurity regarding Him. Therefore, whoever refrains from worshipping Him must have an obstacle on their side, not on the speaker's side. Thus, the speaker rightly concludes, "I worship Him."

2. Shifting the Address to Himself: The wisdom in addressing his own state ({وَمَا لِيَ}) rather than addressing the people directly ({وَمَا لَكُمْ} - What is [the reason] for you?) is twofold:
   • If he had said, "What is [the reason] you do not worship the One Who created you?" it would imply he was seeking an explanation from them.
   • By saying, {وَمَا لِيَ}, he asserts that no one is more aware of his own state than himself. Therefore, he is not seeking an explanation for his own actions but is stating the absence of any impediment on his side.
   • Counter-argument: Some might cite the verse: {مَا لَكُمْ لَا تَرْجُونَ لِلَّهِ وَقَارًا} (What is the matter with you that you do not ascribe greatness to Allah?) (Noah: 13). The difference is that in that verse, the speaker is a caller (to faith), not one being called. Here, the speaker is responding to a call to faith by stating his own readiness: "What is [the reason] that I should not worship?" as he has been called to believe.

3. The use of {الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي} (The One Who created me): This points to the existence of the necessitating cause (al-muqtadi). While {وَمَا لِيَ} indicates the absence of an impediment, an action cannot occur without a necessitating cause. The phrase {الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي} establishes this cause. The Creator is inherently the Owner (Malik), and the owned (mamluk) must honor and revere the Owner. Furthermore, He is the Giver of existence (Mun'im), and the recipient of a favor must show gratitude for that blessing.

4. Prioritizing the Absence of Impediment over the Necessitating Cause: The speaker mentioned the absence of an impediment ({وَمَا لِيَ}) before mentioning the necessitating cause ({فَطَرَنِي}). Logically, one might expect the cause to be mentioned first, as the cause's existence leads to the action when no impediment exists. However, the necessitating cause (creation/ownership) is so overwhelmingly obvious that it requires no explanation. Therefore, the speaker prioritized mentioning what was more in need of clarification—the absence of any barrier to worship.

5. Choosing the Proof of Self-Creation: Since the speaker attributed the worship to himself ({لِيَ لَا أَعْبُدُ}), he chose the proof that most directly obligates worship upon himself: creation. The logic is that if God created 'Amr, 'Amr must worship Him because the Creator must possess perfect power, comprehensive knowledge, and necessary existence, making Him worthy of worship for every accountable person. However, the obligation of worship upon 'Amr is most clearly established through the fact that he himself was created.

It is commonly held that {فَطَرَنِي} means "He created me by invention and origination."

A less common, yet significant, interpretation is that {فَطَرَنِي} means "He placed me upon the innate disposition (al-fitra)," as in the verse: {فِطْرَتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا} (The nature of Allah upon which He has created all people) (Ar-Rum: 30). Under this view, the statement {وَمَا لِيَ لَا أَعْبُدُ} means: "Since there is no impediment, I remain upon the innate disposition established by my Lord. This innate disposition is sufficient evidence for testimony and worship."

• Addressing a potential issue: If this meaning is adopted, does the meaning of Fatr differ from {فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ} (Creator of the heavens) (Al-An'am: 14)?
  • It has been suggested that Fāṭir in relation to the heavens means "the one who splits open" (al-shaqq), implying the splitting open of non-existence into existence. If so, the difficulty remains.
  • Alternatively, the meaning is the same: He created the accountable being upon his innate disposition, and He created the heavens upon their innate disposition (i.e., their inherent nature/structure). The first interpretation (creation/origination) is clearer.

This phrase points to both Fear and Hope (as in {وَادْعُوهُ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا} - And invoke Him in fear and hope) (Al-A'raf: 56). Whoever is the ultimate destination is feared and hoped for.

There is a subtle point here regarding the three types of worshippers we have mentioned previously:

1. The Worshipper of Ownership: One who worships God because He is the Master, regardless of whether He bestows favors or not (like a servant obligated to serve a master whether the master is kind or harsh).
2. The Worshipper of Favor: One who worships God due to the blessings received.
3. The Worshipper of Fear: One who worships God out of fear.

The speaker places himself in the highest category by saying: {وَمَا لِيَ لَا أَعْبُدُ الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي} (I worship Him because He is my Owner). He adds: "I worship Him to see what He will give me, and to see that He will not punish me."

However, regarding the people, he says: {وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ} (And to Him you will be returned). This implies their worship is based on fear and hope (categories 2 and 3). This is why he did not say, "And to Me I will be returned" (as he said faṭaranī—He created me), because he has already established himself as a worshipper of the first category (worshipping the Owner). His return to God is for honor, and that is not the primary reason for his worship; rather, his worship stems from the obligation of ownership.

{أَتَتَّخِذُ مِنْ دُونِهِ آلِهَةً إِنْ يُرِدْنِ الرَّحْمَٰنُ بِضُرٍّ لَا تُغْنِ عَنِّي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَا يُنْقِذُونِ}