Al-Nisa (4): 79

Abu Ali al-Jubba'i stated that it is established that the term sayyi'ah (ill/evil) sometimes refers to affliction and tribulation, and sometimes refers to sin and disobedience.

1. The Apparent Contradiction: Allah attributed the sayyi'ah to Himself in the preceding verse: {Say, "All is from Allah"} (4:78). However, in this verse, He attributes it to the servant: {And whatever ill befalls you, it is from yourself} (4:79).
2. Reconciliation: To reconcile these two adjacent verses and remove contradiction, Al-Jubba'i argued that the sayyi'ah meaning affliction/hardship must be attributed to Allah, while the sayyi'ah meaning sin/disobedience must be attributed to the servant.
3. Critique of Opponents: He claimed that those who disagree (Mu'tazila) forced themselves to alter the verse, reading it as fa-minnaka (from you) instead of fa-min nafsi-ka (from yourself), thereby changing the Qur'an, similar to the Rafidah (Shi'a) who claim textual corruption.

Objection: Why did Allah distinguish between hasanah (good) and sayyi'ah (ill) in this verse? If both good (obedience) and ill (disobedience) are actions of the servant according to your view, why did Allah attribute only the hasanah to Himself and not the sayyi'ah?

Answer (Al-Jubba'i's View): Although hasanah originates from the servant's action, it is achieved only through Allah's facilitation and grace, making the attribution to Him valid. As for the sayyi'ah (sin) which is the servant's action, it is not attributed to Allah in any way: not as His creation, not by His will, not by His command, and not by His desire. Therefore, the attribution of this sayyi'ah to Allah is severed from all aspects.

This verse proves that Faith (Iman) is created by Allah, a point the Mu'tazila deny, thus rendering them refuted by the verse.

1. Premise 1: Faith is Hasana (Good): Hasana is defined as a state devoid of any aspect of ugliness. Faith undoubtedly fits this description. This is supported by verses like {And who is better in speech than one who calls to Allah} (41:33), which is interpreted as the testimony of faith (Shahadatayn), and {Indeed, Allah commands justice and good conduct} (16:90), which is interpreted by some as Lā ilāha illā Allāh.
2. Premise 2: Every Hasana is from Allah: This is established by the verse itself: {What befalls you of good is from Allah} (4:79). The phrase mā aṣābaka min ḥasanatin implies generality across all good things.
3. Conclusion: Since Faith is hasana, and every hasana is from Allah, it necessarily follows that Faith is from Allah.

Objection: Could the meaning of "Faith is from Allah" simply be that Allah enabled the servant to perform it and guided him to recognize the good (Faith) and the ugliness of its opposite (Disbelief)?

Answer: According to the Mu'tazila, all means (sharā'i') for Faith and Disbelief are equally available to the servant. The servant then chooses Faith by his own will, with no direct involvement of Allah's power or assistance in the act of Faith itself.

If this were true, Faith would be entirely disconnected from Allah in every aspect, contradicting the verse {What befalls you of good is from Allah}. Therefore, this verse proves that Faith is from Allah, refuting the opponents.

If we establish that Faith is from Allah, we can further demonstrate that Disbelief is also from Allah through three arguments:

1. Consistency: Anyone who asserts that Faith is from Allah must also assert that Disbelief is from Allah. To claim one is from Allah and the other is not contradicts the consensus (Ijmāʿ) of the Ummah.
2. Power and Inability: If the servant had the power to actualize Disbelief, this power must either be capable of actualizing Faith or not.
   • If it is capable of actualizing Faith, then the servant's Faith returns to being his own creation (reverting to the Mu'tazili position).
   • If it is not capable of actualizing Faith, then the one capable of doing something is simultaneously incapable of doing its opposite. This is impossible according to their own principles. Furthermore, if power necessitates the actualization of the intended act, it prevents the possessor from being truly powerful over it. Since we established that Faith is not from the servant, it must follow that Disbelief is also not from the servant.
3. Intention vs. Outcome: It is even more logical that the servant is not the creator of Disbelief than that he is not the creator of Faith. A rational being intends and desires only the truth, knowledge, and Faith to reside in his heart. No rational person desires ignorance, error, or false belief. If the servant, whose intention is solely to achieve the true knowledge he seeks (Faith), fails to actualize it, then it is far more likely that the state he actively rejects, flees from, and never intended—Disbelief—is not actualized by his own creation.

In summary, the argument for Faith originating from the servant's power is stronger than the argument for Disbelief originating from his power. Since Allah explicitly stated that Hasana (Faith) is from Him, He omitted mentioning Disbelief for the reason stated above (i.e., the servant’s intention strongly opposes it).

We address Al-Jubba'i's reliance on {And whatever ill befalls you, it is from yourself} (4:79) in two ways:

1. Adab (Etiquette): Allah narrated that Abraham said: {And when I am ill, it is He who cures me} (26:80). He attributed illness to himself and healing to Allah. This does not negate Allah's power to create illness; rather, the distinction is made out of respect (Adab). Similarly, one might say, "O Planner of the heavens and the earth," but not, "O Planner of lice, children, and pigs." The attribution here follows this etiquette.
2. Interrogative Denial: Many exegetes state that Abraham's statement, {This is my Lord} (6:76), was an interrogative statement expressing denial (i.e., "Is this my Lord?"). Similarly, here, it is as if Allah is saying: The Hasana (Faith) that aligned with the servant's intention is not from him, but from Allah. As for this Sayyi'ah (Disbelief), which he neither intended, desired, nor accepted, is it logical to say it originated from him?

We have established that Hasana includes Faith, and Sayyi'ah includes Disbelief.

Regarding the variant reading fa-minnaka (if it is authentically narrated from a Companion or Successor, there is no criticism). If not authentic, the intent of those who read it this way is to use it as an explanation for the interrogative denial: since the attribution of Sayyi'ah is made in a tone of denial, the meaning is that it is not attributed to them.

The clear evidence that the intent of these verses is to attribute all matters to Allah is found in the following verse: {You are not but a messenger} (4:80). Meaning, your role is only to convey the message, which you have done perfectly. As for the attainment of guidance, that is up to Allah, similar to {You do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills} (28:56).

Allah then emphasizes what we have stated: