An-Nisa (The Women): (143) Wavering between that...

There are several issues concerning this verse:

It could be a ḥāl (circumstantial accusative) describing those who "show off" (yurā'ūna) or those who "remember not Allah except a little" (An-Nisa: 142). It could also be in the accusative case as a form of censure (dhamm).

It means being confused or bewildered (mutahayyirūn). The root meaning of dhabdhabah (ذبذبة) is to repel or push away from both sides, meaning one does not settle on one side. The repetition in dhabdhabah implies that every time one inclines toward one side, they repel themselves from it.

The reason for this oscillation is that action depends on the motivator (dā'ī). If the motivator for action is related to the transient interests of this world, oscillation and disturbance will increase, because the benefits and causes of this world are constantly changing. If action follows the motivator, and the motivator follows the ultimate goal, and that goal is subject to rapid change, then inclination and desire must also change. Sometimes, motivating factors and deterrents conflict, leaving a person in confusion and hesitation.

However, for one whose goal in action is to establish lasting good deeds and attain spiritual felicity, and who knows that these goals are permanent and free from change, that person will be firm and steadfast. For this reason, Allah described the people of faith with steadfastness, saying: "Allah makes firm those who believe" (Ibrahim: 27), and "Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest" (Ar-Ra'd: 28), and "O tranquil soul!" (Al-Fajr: 26).

Ibn Abbas recited it as mudhadh-dhabīn (مُذَذْبِذِينَ) with a kasra (i-vowel) on the second dhāl. This means they are causing their hearts, religion, or opinion to oscillate, similar to how ṣallṣala and taṣallṣala have similar meanings.

In the Mushaf of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, it is written as mutadhadh-dhabīn (مُتَذَبْذِبِينَ).

Abu Ja'far recited it as mudhabdhabīn (مُذَبْذَبِينَ) with the unpointed dhāl (ذ). The meaning here might be that they are sometimes on one path (dabbah) and sometimes on another, never remaining on one path. Dabbah means the way or path upon which creatures travel.

"That" refers to the space between disbelief (kufr) and faith (īmān), or between the disbelievers and the believers. The word dhālik (that) is used here to refer to a group, as established previously in the exegesis of the verse "intermediate between that" (Al-Baqarah: 68). The mention of disbelievers and believers is already present in this context, following the verse: "who take disbelievers as allies instead of the believers" (An-Nisa: 139). When both groups are mentioned, disbelief and faith are implicitly mentioned. Qatadah said the meaning of the verse is that they are neither sincere believers nor explicit polytheists.

Our scholars use this verse as evidence that hesitation in religion only occurs through the creation (ījād) of Allah. They argue that the phrase "wavering" (mudhabdhabīn) implies an agent who caused them to waver and become hesitant, which is not the choice of the servant. If conflicting motivations arise in a person's heart causing hesitation, they would be utterly unable to repel that hesitation if they tried. Anyone who reflects upon their own state will realize this is the case. Since this wavering must have an agent, and it is established that the servant is not that agent, it must be that the agent is Allah. Therefore, everything originates from Allah.

If it is argued: The Almighty's statement, "neither to these nor to those," implies censure for abandoning the path of the believers and the path of the disbelievers. This suggests that Allah did not censure them for the path of the disbelievers, which would be impermissible.

We reply: Although the path of the disbelievers is wicked, the path of hypocrisy (nifāq) is more wicked. This is why Allah censured the disbelievers in the beginning of Surah Al-Baqarah in two verses, but He censured the hypocrites in more than ten verses. This is only because the path of hypocrisy is more wicked than the path of disbelief. Thus, Allah censured them not because they abandoned disbelief, but because they turned away from it toward something more wicked than it.

Then Allah says: "And whom Allah lets go astray, you will never find for him a way."

Our scholars use this verse as evidence for their position in two ways:

1. The mention of this statement immediately following "wavering" indicates that this wavering is from Allah, otherwise the connection between the statements would be broken.
2. It is an explicit statement that Allah has caused them to go astray from the religion.

The Mu'tazila argue that this "leading astray" means the withholding of divine favors (alṭāf), or it is an expression of Allah's judgment upon them to be astray, or it means Allah will lead them astray from the path to Paradise on the Day of Resurrection. We have discussed these interpretations repeatedly.

7 < O you who have believed, do not take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do you wish to offer Allah against yourselves a clear authority [proof]? > 7

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