Surah Ash-Shura: (27) And if Allah were to expand...

Issues in the Verse:

When Allah mentioned in the first verse that He answers the supplication of the believers, a question arises: A believer might be in hardship, affliction, or poverty, supplicate, yet see no sign of the answer. How is this reconciled with the previous statement, "And He answers those who believe"?

Allah answers this by saying: {And if Allah were to expand the provision for His servants, they would transgress upon the earth} (42:27). That is, they would commit sins. Since this outcome is undesirable, He must withhold what they request.

Al-Jubba'i argued that this verse proves the falsehood of the doctrine of compulsion (al-Majbarah) in two ways:

1. The essence of the statement is: If Allah expanded provision, they would transgress. Since transgression is not intended by Allah, the expansion of provision is not intended. This argument only holds if we assume Allah intends the transgression, which invalidates the view of the Compulsionists.
2. Allah clarified that He does not intend the expansion of provision because it leads to corruption (mafsadah). Since Allah does not intend what leads to corruption, it is even more fitting that He does not intend the corruption itself.

Our scholars (Ashabuna) respond: The intense inclination towards transgression, harshness, and oppression is an acquired attribute that did not exist previously. Therefore, it must have an agent. The agent of these states is either the servant or Allah. The former is false because the servant only acts this way if his nature inclines toward it, leading back to the question: Who created that inclination? This results in an infinite regress. Furthermore, an intense inclination towards injustice and harshness are defects and deficiencies. A rational being would not consent to acquiring the causes of his own deficiency. Since this is refuted, it is established that the creator of this inclination and desire is Allah.

Al-Jubba'i then posed a counter-question in his Tafsir: Has Allah not expanded provision for some of His servants, yet they still transgressed? He answered that the one who received provision and transgressed was one whose state was already known: he would have transgressed regardless of whether he received that provision or not.

I (Al-Razi) say this answer is false, supported by the Quran and reason:

• Quranically: Allah states, {Nay, but man transgresses, when he sees himself self-sufficient} (Al-'Alaq: 6-7). This is an absolute ruling that attaining wealth is a cause for transgression.
• Reasonably: If the soul is inclined towards evil but lacks the means and tools, the evil committed is less. If it possesses the means, the evil is greater. Thus, the possession of wealth necessitates greater transgression.

Several reasons are mentioned for why abundance leads to transgression:

1. If Allah had made sustenance equal for everyone, it would have been impossible for some to serve others. If this were the case, the world would collapse, and necessary affairs would cease.
2. This verse is specific to the Arabs. Whenever their provision expanded—they received sufficient rain, pasture, and fodder—they would resort to raiding and plundering.
3. Man is naturally arrogant. When he finds wealth and power, he reverts to the original requirement of his creation: arrogance. When he falls into hardship, affliction, and distress, he becomes humbled and returns to obedience and humility.

Khabbab ibn al-Aratt said this verse was revealed concerning us, as we looked upon the wealth of Banu Qurayza, Banu Nadir, and Banu Qaynuqa' and wished for it. It is also said it was revealed concerning the People of the Bench (Ahl as-Suffah) who wished for abundant provision and wealth.

Then Allah said: {But He sends down in measure as He wills}. Ibn Kathir and Abu 'Ubayd read yunazzilu (sends down) with a light zay (single zay), while the rest read it with a heavy zay (double zay).

We say: {in measure} (bi-qadar), meaning with a determined estimation. He is {Indeed, of His servants, He is Acquainted, Seeing}. This means He knows the conditions of people, their natures, and the consequences of their affairs, so He estimates their provisions according to what benefits them. Since He clarified that He does not give them more than their need because He knows that excess would harm their religion, He then clarified that He does not withhold provision when they need it: {And He it is Who sends down the rain after despair has struck}.

Nafi', Ibn 'Amir, and 'Asim read yunazzilu (sends down) with the heavy zay, while the rest read it with the light zay.

The author of Al-Kashshaf mentioned that qanitu (despair has struck) is read with both an open qaf and a closed qaf. Sending down rain after despair is more conducive to gratitude because the joy upon receiving a blessing after affliction is more complete, leading the recipient to greater thankfulness.

{And spreads His mercy}: This means the blessings and benefits of the rain, and the resulting fertility. It is narrated that 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), when told, "The drought has intensified and people have despaired," said, "Then they will surely have rain," intending this verse. It is also possible that "His mercy" refers to His vast mercy in all things, as if to say: He sends down mercy, which is the rain, and spreads all other types of mercy.

{And He is the Protector} (Al-Wali), the One who takes care of His servants through His benevolence, {The Praiseworthy} (Al-Hamid), praised for the distribution of mercy He conveys to creation.

Then He mentioned another sign of His Divinity: {And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and what He has dispersed in them of creatures}.

We say: The evidence of the creation of the heavens and the earth for the existence of the Wise God has already been mentioned, as has the evidence of the existence of living beings for the existence of the Wise God.

If it is asked: How can the term dabbah (creature that crawls/moves) be applied to the angels? We offer several answers:

1. An action may be attributed to a group even if only one of them performed it. It is said, "The sons of so-and-so did such-and-such," even if only one of them did it. An example is Allah's saying: {From them issue forth pearls and coral} (Ar-Rahman: 22).
2. Dabib means movement, and angels possess movement.
3. It is not far-fetched to say that Allah created types of animals in the heavens that move like humans walk on earth.

Then Allah said: {And He is over their gathering when He wills, competent}. The author of Al-Kashshaf said that idha (when) enters upon the present tense verb just as it enters upon the past tense, like in {By the night as it envelops} (Al-Layl: 1). Thus, {when He wills, competent} is understood. The purpose is that Allah created them dispersed, not due to inability, but for a beneficial purpose. Therefore, He said: {And He is over their gathering when He wills, competent}, meaning the gathering for the Resurrection and Reckoning.

He said {their gathering} (jam'ihim) and not {its gathering} (jam'iha) because the purpose of this gathering is Reckoning. It is as if Allah said: He is competent over gathering the rational beings when He wills.

Al-Jubba'i used the phrase {when He wills, competent} as evidence that Allah's Will is created (muhdath). He argued that the word idha denotes a specific time in the future, and the word yashā' (wills) is in the future tense. If Allah's Will were eternal (qadīm), specifying it to a particular time in the future would be meaningless. Since {when He wills, competent} indicates this specification, we know that Allah's Will is created.

The response is: Just as these two words (idha and yashā') are connected to the Will (i.e., Allah's Will), they are also connected to the word Qadīr (Competent). If this logic were followed, it would imply that His being competent is also a created attribute, which is false. Therefore, the argument regarding His Will is also invalid. And Allah knows best.

Then Allah said: {And whatever strikes you of misfortune is due to what your hands have earned}.

Issues in the Verse:

Nafi' and Ibn 'Amir read {bimā kasabat} (due to what [singular] earned) without the fa' (Fā'), and this is how it appears in the Mus'hafs of Sham and Medina. The rest read it with the fa' ({famā kasabat}), as it appears in their Mus'hafs.

The meaning of the first reading (without fa') is that mā is a subject meaning "that which," and bimā kasabat is its predicate: "That which strikes you occurs due to what your hands have earned." The meaning of the second reading (with fa') involves implying a conditional meaning for mā.

The intended meaning of these misfortunes (masā'ib) are the disliked states, such as pains, illnesses, drought, drowning, lightning, and the like.

There is a difference of opinion on whether afflictions like pain are punishments for past sins or not:

Those who deny it (that worldly afflictions are direct punishments):

1. Allah states: {On the Day when every soul will be recompensed for what it earned} (Ghafir: 17), indicating that recompense occurs on the Day of Judgment. Also, in Al-Fatiha: {Master of the Day of Recompense} (Al-Fatiha: 4), which is universally understood as the Day of Resurrection.
2. Worldly misfortunes afflict the heretic and the righteous alike. If something affects both, it cannot be a punishment for sins. In fact, observation indicates that these misfortunes happen more often to the righteous and pious. This is why the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Affliction is most severe for the Prophets, then the Saints, then the best among people in rank."
3. This world is the abode of accountability (taklīf). If recompense occurred here, the world would simultaneously be the abode of accountability and the abode of recompense, which is impossible.

Those who affirm that these misfortunes can be recompense for past sins:

They rely on the narration from the Prophet (PBUH) that he said: "No scratch from a thorn or anything else befalls a son of Adam except due to a sin or a word [of idle talk]." They also rely on the subsequent verse: {Or destroy them because of what they have earned, and He pardons much} (Ash-Shura: 34), which explicitly states that destruction was due to their earning.

The first group's response to the evidence from the subsequent verse: They argue that the occurrence of these misfortunes, especially for Prophets and Saints, is a form of trial (imtiḥān) within accountability, not punishment. The phrase {due to what your hands have earned} should be interpreted as: it is most appropriate, upon your committing that earning, that these misfortunes be sent down upon you. This is how the other proofs are addressed. And Allah knows best.

The proponents of transmigration (Tanasukh) and those who say infants and animals do not feel pain used this verse as proof.

• Proponents of Transmigration: They argue the verse proves that misfortune only occurs due to prior wrongdoing. Since misfortunes happen to infants and animals, they must have committed sins in a previous existence.
• Deniers of Pain in Infants/Animals: They argue that since it is established that these infants and animals did not exist in a previous body (refuting transmigration), it must be concluded that they do not feel pain, as pain is a misfortune.

The Response: Allah's address {And whatever strikes you of misfortune is due to what your hands have earned} is directed to those who understand and possess intellect. Therefore, it does not include animals and infants. Allah did not say that every hardship that befalls any living being is due to a prior sin. And Allah knows best.

The phrase {due to what your hands have earned} attributes the earning to the hand. Earning is not done by the hand itself, but by the power residing in the hand. If the word "hand" here is a metaphor for power, and this metaphor is well-known and used, then the word "hand" used concerning Allah must also be interpreted as power, to purify Allah from having limbs and parts. And Allah knows best.

Then Allah said: {And He pardons much}. This means that Allah may omit many of these severe consequences out of His grace and mercy.

Al-Hasan said: We visited 'Imran ibn Husayn during severe pain. We said to him, "We are distressed by what we see." He replied, "Do not be distressed, for by Allah, the one most beloved to Allah is the one most afflicted." He then recited: {And whatever strikes you of misfortune is due to what your hands have earned}—"This is due to what my hands have earned, and what is coming to me is the pardon of my Lord."

Abu Sakhlah narrated from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (PBUH) recited this verse and said: "Whatever Allah pardons, He is too Noble and Generous to bring it up again in the Hereafter. And whatever He punishes in this world for, Allah is too Noble to inflict the punishment upon him again in the Hereafter." (Reported by Al-Wahidi in Al-Basit).

If this is the case, this is the most hopeful verse in the Book of Allah, because Allah has made the sins of the believer into two categories: a category for which He expiated through worldly misfortunes, and a category for which He pardoned in this world, and He is Generous and does not revoke His pardon. This is Allah's way with the believers. As for the disbeliever, the punishment for his sins is hastened for him until he meets his Lord on the Day of Resurrection.

Then Allah said: {And you are not able to frustrate [Him] on the earth}. This means, O assembly of polytheists, you cannot frustrate Me wherever you are; you cannot outrun Me by fleeing across the earth. {And you have not besides Allah any protector or helper}. This refers to those who worship idols, clarifying that they are utterly useless. The Helper is Allah, so naturally, He is the one worthy of worship.

Verse 28-33: Signs of Allah's Power and Guidance

{And among His signs are the ships moving through the sea like landmarks.} (42:28)

{If He wills, He can still the wind, and they will remain motionless on its surface. Indeed, in that are signs for everyone patient, grateful.} (42:29)

{Or He can destroy them because of what they have earned, and He pardons much.} (42:30)

{And let those who dispute concerning Our signs know that there is for them no escape.} (42:31)

{So whatever you have been given is but enjoyment of the worldly life. But that which is with Allah is better and more enduring for those who have believed and upon their Lord rely.} (42:32)

{And those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, and when they are angered, they forgive.} (42:33)

{And those who respond to their Lord and establish prayer, and whose affairs are determined by consultation among themselves, and from what We have provided for them they spend.} (42:34)

{And those who, when struck by aggression, they defend themselves.} (42:35)

{And among His signs are the ships moving through the sea like landmarks}: The ships moving in the sea are signs.

{If He wills, He can still the wind, and they will remain motionless on its surface.} If He wills, He can stop the wind, and they will become stationary rafts upon the sea. {Indeed, in that are signs for everyone patient, grateful.} This is a sign for every person who is patient in hardship and grateful in ease.

{Or He can destroy them because of what they have earned, and He pardons much.} Or He can destroy the ships and their occupants because of their deeds, yet He pardons much of what they have earned (as discussed previously).

{And let those who dispute concerning Our signs know that there is for them no escape.} Meaning, those who argue about Allah's signs—whether they are about the Resurrection or the nature of the Divine—know that they have no refuge from His power.

{So whatever you have been given is but enjoyment of the worldly life.} Whatever wealth or provision you have received is merely temporary enjoyment of this life. {But that which is with Allah is better and more enduring for those who have believed and upon their Lord rely.} What is with Allah (in the Hereafter) is superior and everlasting for those who believe and place their trust in their Lord.

{And those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, and when they are angered, they forgive.} This describes the characteristics of the believers: they shun major sins and shameful deeds, and when they are provoked or angered, they restrain themselves and forgive.

{And those who respond to their Lord and establish prayer, and whose affairs are determined by consultation among themselves, and from what We have provided for them they spend.} They answer the call of their Lord, establish the prescribed prayers, conduct their affairs through mutual consultation (Shura), and spend from what Allah has provided them (in charity).

{And those who, when struck by aggression, they defend themselves.} And those who, when they are unjustly attacked or oppressed, they defend themselves (without transgressing the limits).