Al-Nisa (The Women): (87) Allah—there is no god except Him...

Issues in the Verse:

There are two perspectives on the structure of this passage:

First View: We previously established that the purpose of the verse, "And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or return it," was to ensure that a Muslim is not killed. Allah then reinforced this warning with the statement: "Indeed, Allah is ever, over all things, an Accountant (Hasiban)." This current verse further intensifies that warning by demonstrating that Monotheism (Tawhid) and Justice ('Adl) are intrinsically linked.

• The phrase "There is no god except Him" points to Tawhid.
• The phrase "He will surely gather you together for the Day of Resurrection" points to 'Adl (Justice).

This is analogous to other verses:

1. "Allah witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge, [He is] the Maintainer of justice (Qā'iman bil-qisṭ)" (Al 'Imran: 18).
2. In Surah Taha, Allah says, "Indeed, I am Allah. There is no god except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance" (Taha: 14) (pointing to Tawhid), and then immediately follows with, "Indeed, the Hour is coming; I conceal it so that every soul may be recompensed for what it strives" (Taha: 15) (pointing to 'Adl).

Similarly, in this verse, Allah clarifies that it is incumbent upon His judgment and wisdom to gather all people—the first and the last—on the plain of Resurrection to grant retribution to the oppressed from the oppressors. This is undoubtedly a severe threat.

Second View: It is as if Allah is saying: Whoever greets you and offers you a salutation, accept his greeting, honor him, and deal with him based on the outward appearance. For the inner intentions (bawāṭin) are known only to Allah, "There is no god except Him." The inner realities of creation will only be revealed on the Day of Resurrection.

The author of Al-Kashshāf stated that the phrase "There is no god except Him" can be either:

1. A predicate (khabar) for an implied subject (mubtada').
2. An interjection (i'tirāḍ), in which case the predicate is "He will surely gather you." The initial "Lām" (in liyajma'annakum) would then be the Lām of an oath (Lām al-Qasam), meaning: "By Allah, He will surely gather you."

There are two answers:

1. It means He will gather you at death or in the graves until the Day of Resurrection.
2. The meaning is: He will guarantee you until that Day and join you with it by gathering you therein.

Al-Zajjaj said that the Day of Resurrection is named Qiyāmah because people will stand up from their graves. It can also be named this because people will stand up for judgment, as stated: "The Day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds" (Al-Muṭaffifīn: 6).

The author of Al-Kashshāf noted that al-Qiyāmah (the Resurrection) is like al-Ṭullāb and al-Ṭallābah (terms used for seekers/students).

The apparent meaning of the verse indicates that Allah has affirmed that the Resurrection will inevitably occur, and the proof offered is merely Allah's own report of it. This is correct because fundamental theological issues (al-Masā'il al-Uṣūliyyah) fall into two categories:

1. Issues requiring prior knowledge of Prophethood's validity: For example, knowing that the universe requires an omniscient Creator capable of all possibilities. If we do not know this first, we cannot know the truthfulness of the Prophets. Therefore, it is impossible to establish such matters through the Qur'an or the Prophets' reports, as that would lead to circular reasoning (dawr).
2. Issues where knowledge of Prophethood's validity is not a prerequisite: All such matters can be established through the Word of Allah and His reports.

The establishment of the Resurrection falls into the second category. Therefore, it is permissible to prove it through the Qur'an and the Word of Allah. Thus, using Allah's reports as evidence for the Resurrection is a sound line of reasoning.

This is an interrogative statement used for emphatic denial, intended to establish that Allah must be truthful and that falsehood or breaking a promise in His speech is impossible.

The Mu'tazila's Proof: They base this on their principle that Allah knows lying is ugly, knows He is self-sufficient (Ghaniyy) and has no need for it. Anyone possessing these qualities cannot lie.

• We affirm He knows the ugliness of lying because lying is ugly as lying.
• We affirm Allah is absolutely not in need of anything.
• Since Allah knows all things, He must know these two matters.
• It is evident that anyone described this way cannot lie, because lying is a deviation (ṣarf) rather than a call (da'wah). If it lacks the constraint of need, it remains purely harmful, making it impossible for it to originate from Him.

Our (Ash'ari/Sunni) Proof: If Allah were a liar, His lie would have to be eternal (qadīm). If His lie were eternal, its cessation would be impossible because non-existence cannot apply to something eternal. If its cessation were impossible eternally, then His truthfulness would also be impossible, as the existence of one opposite prevents the existence of the other. However, we know by necessity that anyone who knows something cannot be prevented from judging it according to a ruling conforming to the judged reality. Knowledge of this possibility (of truth) is necessary. Since the possibility of truth remains, the impossibility of lying is established. Therefore, we must affirm Allah's absolute truthfulness.

The Mu'tazila used this verse to argue that the Word of Allah is created (muḥdath). They cite this verse and the verse, "Allah has sent down the best of speech" (Al-Zumar: 23). They define ḥadīth (speech/report) as something created or brought into being.

Our Refutation: You (Mu'tazila) are asserting the created nature of the speech that consists of letters and sound. We do not dispute the created nature of letters and sounds. What we claim is eternal is something other than these letters and sounds. This verse does not prove the created nature of that other thing—this is agreed upon by both us and you. It is obvious for us, and as for you, you deny the existence of any speech other than these letters and sounds. So, how can you claim this verse proves its created nature? And Allah knows best.

Al-Nisa (The Women): (87) ...

{Fama lakum fi al-munāfiqīna fi'atayn, wa Allāhu arkasahum bimā kasabū? Aturīdūna an tahdū man aḍalla Allāhu, wa man yuḍlili Allāhu falan tajida lahu sabīlā?}

(Then what is [the matter] with you that you are two groups concerning the hypocrites when Allah has cast them back [to error] because of what they earned? Do you intend to guide those whom Allah has let go astray? And he whom Allah lets go astray—never will you find for him a way.)