Surah As-Saffat (37): Verse 161

"Then surely you and what you worship..."

Issues Discussed:

When the Almighty mentioned the proofs regarding the falsehood of the disbelievers' doctrine, He followed it by indicating that these disbelievers cannot lead anyone astray unless a decree of punishment and entry into the Fire has already preceded concerning that person from God.

The author of Al-Kashshaf mentioned two opinions regarding the phrase: "...then surely you and what you worship, you are not..." (referring to verse 162, which is implied here):

1. The pronoun in 'alayhi (upon it) refers to God, the Mighty and Majestic. The meaning is: "Surely you and your worshipped deities, neither you nor they, can mislead anyone concerning God except the people of the Fire whose fate has preceded in God's knowledge."
   • Objection: How can they mislead others concerning God?
   • Answer: They mislead by corrupting others, similar to the saying: "So-and-so corrupted his wife concerning such-and-such," meaning he led her astray from him.

2. The conjunction waw (and) in wa mā ta‘budūn (and what you worship) means ma‘a (with), as in the saying, "Every man and his property." It is permissible to be silent about the predicate of "Every man and his property." Similarly, it is permissible to be silent about the predicate of "Surely you and what you worship," because the phrase "what you worship" stands in place of the predicate. The meaning is: "Surely you with what you worship," meaning you are companions and associates of your gods, never abandoning their worship. Then the Almighty said: "...you are not... able to tempt them..." (referring to verse 162, mā anta ‘alayhim bi-fātinīn), meaning you are not able to tempt them regarding what you worship, i.e., you are not instigators or drivers toward the path of temptation and misguidance, "...except one who is destined for the Hellfire," like you.

• Recitation Variant: Al-Hasan recited ṣāl al-jaḥīm (with a ḍammah on the lām).
  • Justification: This reading suggests it is a plural form, and the wāw (in ṣālūn) was dropped due to the meeting of two silent letters (al-tiqā’ al-sākinayn).
  • Objection: How can it be plural when the following pronoun is singular (man huwa)?
  • Answer: The word man (whoever) maintains a singular form in wording, but the meaning is plural. Thus, huwa (he) refers to the singular wording, while aṣ-ṣālūn (those who burn) refers to the plural meaning.

Our scholars used this verse as proof that the temptation and whispering of Satan have no effect; rather, the effective cause is the decree and predestination of God.

This is because the Almighty explicitly states: "Surely you and what you worship, you are not able to tempt them," signifying that their speech and the state of their worshipped deities have no effect in causing temptation and misguidance. Then He made an exception: "...except one who is destined for the Hellfire," meaning except one who is so in God's judgment and decree. This explicitly shows that the cause necessitating these occurrences is the decree of the Almighty.

`Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz used this verse to establish this point.

Al-Jubbā’ī’s View: He argued that those who worshipped angels, claiming they were daughters of God, did not cause anyone to disbelieve except those whom God already knew in His knowledge would disbelieve. This proves that whoever goes astray due to Satan's call would not have believed in God even if God had prevented Satan from calling him; otherwise, God would have prevented Satan. Thus, it is established that nothing can turn away anyone who sins.

Rebuttal: The essence of this argument is that the temptation of the devils among humans and jinn has no effect. There is no dispute on this. However, the way to derive the proof is that the Almighty clarified that their speech has no effect on the occurrence of temptation, and then He exempted from this what is stated in "...except one who is destined for the Hellfire." Therefore, the meaning of the occurrence of temptation must be the state of being wretched or felicitous (in God's decree).

Our scholars further solidified this argument with the famous Hadith concerning the dispute between Adam and Moses (peace be upon them).

The Judge’s Critique (Al-Qāḍī): This Hadith was not accepted by the scholars of Tawḥīd (Monotheism) because it implies that no one is to be blamed for any sin. If Adam was not permitted to be blamed by Moses for an act God decreed for him before creating him, then the same applies to everyone.

• If this argument is valid for Adam, why did Moses say regarding the striking of the man: "This is the work of Satan; he is an enemy, an evident misleader"?
• Why did Moses say: "I will never be an assistant to the criminals"?
• Why did Pharaoh and his soldiers get blamed for something God had decreed for them?
• It is strange that they accuse the Qadariyyah (those who affirm free will) of error, yet this Hadith implies Adam was a Qadarī, meaning they should accuse him of error.
• How can it be permissible, given Adam and Eve’s plea: "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers" (Al-A‘rāf: 23), for Adam to argue with Moses that he was not to blame because it was decreed before his creation?

Response to the Judge: Even if you reject this Hadith, do you reject this verse? We have shown that the plain meaning of this verse indicates that whispers have no effect in this matter; rather, everything occurs by the wisdom of God.

Evidence supporting Divine Decree:

1. If a disbeliever goes astray due to Satan’s whispering, and that Satan’s misguidance is due to another devil, it leads to an infinite regress of devils, which is impossible. If it terminates at a misguidance not caused by prior whispering, then the desired conclusion (divine decree) is established.
2. Everyone desires to attain the true belief and the sincere religion for themselves. The occurrence of the opposite indicates that it is not from their own will.
3. Actions depend on motives (dawā‘ī), and the creation of these motives is by God. Therefore, everything originates from God.
4. When God’s wisdom necessitates something and He knows it will occur, if that thing did not occur, it would imply that His decree turned into a lie and His knowledge turned into ignorance, which is impossible.

As for the verses the Judge relies upon (regarding blaming Satan and Pharaoh), they are countered by verses indicating that everything is from God. The Qur'an is like an ocean filled with such verses. Therefore, the rational arguments we mentioned remain sound. And God knows best.

The majority hold that "us" refers to the Angels. They describe themselves with exaggeration in servitude. They stand in rows for prayer and glorification. The purpose is to refute those who claim the Angels are the daughters of God, as their extreme devotion to servitude indicates their acknowledgment of being servants.

This verse indicates three types of angelic attributes:

1. "And there is none of us but has a known station": This shows that each Angel has a rank they do not surpass and a degree they do not exceed. These degrees point to their ranks in managing the affairs of this world and their ranks in knowing God.
2. Their ranks in actions and deeds: This is indicated by "And surely, we are those who stand in ranks." This means they are pure in fulfilling acts of obedience and stations of service and servitude.
3. Their ranks in knowledge: This is indicated by "And surely, we are those who glorify (Him)." Glorification (Tasbīḥ) is declaring God free from what is unsuitable for Him.

The statement "And surely, we are those who stand in ranks and surely, we are those who glorify (Him)" implies restriction (ḥaṣr). It means they alone stand in the stations of servitude, and they alone glorify Him, and no one else. This implies that the obedience and knowledge of humans, in comparison to the obedience and knowledge of the Angels, are like non-existence, making this restriction valid.

In summary, these three phrases indicate marvelous secrets regarding the attributes of the Angels. How, then, can it be permissible, given this restriction, to suggest that the rank of a human approaches that of an Angel, let alone asking if a human is superior to an Angel?

"...And though they were saying, 'If only we had been given a reminder like that of the former people, we would have been the servants of God, the sincere ones.'"

The meaning is that the polytheists of Quraysh and others used to say: "If only we had been given a reminder (dhikr), meaning a scripture like those revealed to the former nations (who received the Torah and the Gospel), we would have sincerely worshipped God and not disbelieved as they did."

Then the Reminder came to them—the Master of all reminders and the Overseer of all scriptures—which is the Qur'an, yet they disbelieved in it. A similar verse is: "But when the Warner came to them, it only increased their aversion."

Then the Almighty said: "Soon they will know," meaning soon they will know the consequence of this disbelief and denial.

"And certainly, Our word has preceded for Our servants, the Messengers: Indeed, they will be assisted. And indeed, Our soldiers—they will be the victorious ones. So turn away from them for a time. And observe them, and soon they will see. Do they hasten Our punishment? But when it descends upon their courtyard, then evil will be the morning of those who were warned. So turn away from them for a time. And observe, and soon they will see. Exalted is your Lord, the Lord of might, above what they describe. And peace be upon the Messengers. And praise be to God, Lord of the worlds."

• "And certainly, Our word has preceded for Our servants, the Messengers: Indeed, they will be assisted." (V. 171)
• "And indeed, Our soldiers—they will be the victorious ones." (V. 172) This confirms that the Messengers will ultimately prevail.
• "So turn away from them for a time. And observe them, and soon they will see." (V. 173–174) (Repeated in V. 175–176) This is a command to the Prophet (PBUH) to refrain from engaging with them for a period, and to wait and witness their fate.
• "Do they hasten Our punishment?" (V. 177)
• "But when it descends upon their courtyard, then evil will be the morning of those who were warned." (V. 178)
• "Exalted is your Lord, the Lord of might, above what they describe." (V. 179) God is exalted above the descriptions attributed to Him (like having daughters).
• "And peace be upon the Messengers." (V. 180)
• "And praise be to God, Lord of the worlds." (V. 181)