Tafsir of Al-Jathiyah 45:22

Al-Jathiyah (The Crouching): Verse 22

{And Allah created the heavens and the earth with truth...}

Know that when the Almighty decreed that the believer is not equal to the disbeliever in the degrees of felicity, He followed this with clear evidence supporting this decree, saying: {And Allah created the heavens and the earth with truth}.

If the inquiry (or judgment) did not exist, this creation would not be with truth, but rather with falsehood. This is because if Allah created the oppressor and empowered him over the weak oppressed, and then did not take vengeance for the oppressed against the oppressor, He Himself would be unjust. If He were unjust, the claim that He created the heavens and the earth with truth would be invalidated.

The full establishment of these proofs is mentioned at the beginning of Surah Yunus.

Al-Qadi [Al-Baqillani] stated that this verse indicates that it is within Allah's power to do things that, if done, would constitute injustice. This is only valid according to the doctrine of the Jabriyyah (determinists), who say that if He were to do such a thing, it would not be injustice. It is also valid according to those who say He cannot be described as having the power to commit injustice.

Our scholars (Ahl al-Sunnah) respond by saying that what is meant is the performance of an act that, if done by someone else, would be considered injustice—just as the meaning of trial (ibtila') and testing (ikhtibar) refers to actions that, if done by others, would be considered a trial or test.

Regarding His saying: {...and that you may be recompensed...}, there are two interpretations:

1. It is coordinated with His saying {with truth} (referring to the creation). The meaning is: Allah created the heavens and the earth for the manifestation of truth, and that you may be recompensed, O souls.
2. It is coordinated with an implied statement. The meaning is: Allah created the heavens and the earth with truth to indicate His power by them, and that you may be recompensed, O souls.

The meaning is that the purpose of creating this universe is to manifest Justice and Mercy, which cannot be fully achieved except through the Resurrection (Ba'th) and the Day of Judgment, resulting in a differentiation of ranks between the truthful and the falsehood-mongers.

Then, the Almighty returned to describing the state of the disbelievers and the ugliness of their factions, saying: {Have you seen the one who takes his desire as his god?}

This means they abandoned following guidance and turned to following their desires (hawa). Thus, they worshipped their desires just as a man worships his god.

It is also recited as: {his god [is] his desire} (ilāhuhu hawāh). Whenever their nature inclined toward something, they followed it and went after it. It is as if they took their desires as multiple gods, worshipping one of them at every moment.

Then the Almighty said: {And Allah has led him astray with knowledge}.

This means He led him astray with knowledge that the essence of his soul is incapable of accepting righteousness. A parallel statement concerning glorification is His saying: {Allah knows best where to place His message} (Al-An'am: 124).

The detailed explanation of this is that the essences of human souls are diverse. Some are luminous, radiant, celestial, and divine; others are murky, dark, terrestrial, and strongly inclined toward bodily desires. Therefore, the Almighty deals with each soul according to what suits its essence and nature. This is what is meant by {And Allah has led him astray with knowledge} concerning those who are rejected, and by {Allah knows best where to place His message} concerning those who are accepted.

Then He said: {And has put a seal upon his hearing and his heart, and has placed over his sight a covering}.

His saying {And Allah has led him astray with knowledge} corresponds to what was mentioned in the verses: {Indeed, those who disbelieve... they will not believe} (Al-Baqarah: 6).

And His saying {And has put a seal upon his hearing and his heart, and has placed over his sight a covering} corresponds to His saying: {Allah has set a seal upon their hearts, and upon their hearing, and over their sight is a covering} (Al-Baqarah: 7).

All of this has been explained exhaustively in Surah Al-Baqarah.

The difference between the two verses is that in this verse (Al-Jathiyah), the hearing is mentioned before the heart, whereas in Surah Al-Baqarah, the heart is mentioned before the hearing.

The distinction is that a person might hear speech that affects his heart. For example, some disbelievers used to tell people that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was a poet or a soothsayer, or that he sought kingship and leadership. Those who heard this would hate him and their hearts would turn away from him.

As for the disbelievers of Mecca, they hated him in their hearts due to intense envy. They would listen to him, but if they heard his words, they would not understand anything beneficial. In the first scenario, the effect ascends from the body to the essence of the soul. In the second scenario, the effect descends from the essence of the soul to the depths of the body. Since the two categories differ, Allah guided us to both types through these two arrangements that we have pointed out.

When Allah mentioned this, He said: {Who then can guide him after Allah?} meaning, after Allah has led him astray. {Will you not then remember?} O people.

Al-Wahidi said that the Qadariyyah (those who emphasize free will) have no excuse or recourse left with this verse, because Allah has explicitly stated that He prevents them from guidance when He informs that He has sealed this disbeliever's hearing, heart, and sight. I say that this debate was previously covered exhaustively at the beginning of Surah Al-Baqarah.

Know that Allah then recounted their argument for denying the Resurrection and denying an omnipotent God.

Their argument for denying the Resurrection is His saying: {And they say, "There is nothing but our worldly life; we die and we live"}.

If they argued that life precedes death in this world, then those denying the Resurrection should have said, "We live and we die." What is the reason for mentioning death before life? We offer several interpretations:

1. What is meant by {we die} is their state as a drop in the loins of fathers and the wombs of mothers, and what is meant by {we live} is what occurred afterward in this world.
2. It means: We die, and we live through the survival of our children.
3. It means: Some of us die, and some of us live.
4. What occurred to my mind while writing this section: The Almighty first mentioned life: {And they say, "There is nothing but our worldly life"}, and then said afterward: {we die and we live}. This means that some of that life is subject to death (those who have already died), and some of it is not yet subject to death (those who are currently alive).

As for their argument for denying the active, choosing God, it is their saying: {Nothing destroys us except time (Dahr)}.

This means that the generation of individuals only occurs due to the movements of the celestial spheres, which cause the mingling of natures (tabā'i'). When these mixtures occur in a specific way, life results; when they occur in another way, death results. Thus, the cause of life and death is the influence of natures and the movement of the spheres, and there is no need to establish an active, choosing Creator in this matter. This group combined the denial of God with the denial of the Resurrection.

Then the Almighty said: {They have no knowledge of that; they are only guessing}.

This means that before investigation and knowledge of proof, all possibilities remain open. What they said is possible, and its opposite is also possible: that the assertion of the Resurrection and Judgment is true, and that the assertion of the existence of a wise God is true. They did not present any weak or strong evidence that this second possibility is false. Rather, that first possibility occurred to their minds, so they became certain of it and insisted upon it without any argument or clear proof.

It is thus established that there is no knowledge, certainty, or conviction in the correctness of the view they chose; it is based only on conjecture (ẓann) and assumption (ḥusbān) and the inclination of the heart without any valid basis. This verse is one of the strongest proofs that a statement made without evidence and clear proof is false and invalid, and that following mere conjecture and assumption is reprehensible to Allah.

Then the Almighty said: {And when Our clear verses are recited to them, their argument is nothing but that they say, "Bring back our fathers, if you are truthful."}

There are several points regarding this:

First Issue: The word {their argument} (ḥujjatuhum) is read with both accusative (as the predicate of kāna) and nominative (as the subject of kāna).

Second Issue: Their saying is termed an argument (ḥujjah) for several reasons:

1. It was an argument in their estimation.
2. It could mean: Whoever's argument is this, it is absolutely not an argument, similar to the saying: "A greeting between them is a painful blow" (meaning, there is no greeting between them because striking contradicts greeting).
3. They mentioned it in the context of using it for contention.

Third Issue: Their argument for denying the Resurrection was their saying: If that were true, then bring back our fathers who have died so they may testify to the truth of the Resurrection for us.

Know that this objection is extremely weak, because not everything that does not occur immediately must be impossible to occur. The existence of each one of us was non-existent from eternity until the moment we came into existence. If non-existence at a certain time implied impossibility of existence, then our own non-existence would imply impossibility, which is false by consensus.

Then the Almighty said: {Say, "Allah gives you life, then causes you to die, then He will gather you for the Day of Resurrection about which there is no doubt."}

If it is asked: Is this statement made in response to those who say, {There is nothing but our worldly life; we die and we live, and nothing destroys us except time}? This speaker denied the existence of God and the existence of the Day of Resurrection. How is it permissible to refute his statement by saying, {Say, "Allah gives you life, then causes you to die..."}? Is this not establishing a thing by itself, which is invalid?

We reply that the Almighty has repeatedly mentioned in the Qur'an the evidence derived from the creation (ḥudūth) of animals and humans for the existence of the wise, choosing Creator. Therefore, His saying here, {Say, "Allah gives you life"}, points to those proofs that He has explained and clarified repeatedly. The purpose of mentioning this statement is not to establish God by saying "God," but rather to draw attention to the decisive, true proof inherent in the matter itself.

Since it is established that giving life originates from Allah, and since it is established that re-creation (i'ādah) is like the initial creation, and since it is established that the one capable of a thing is capable of a similar thing, it is established that He is capable of re-creation. It is established that re-creation is inherently possible, and it is established that the wise, capable One has informed us of the time of its occurrence; therefore, certainty regarding its truth is obligatory.

As for His saying: {then He will gather you for the Day of Resurrection about which there is no doubt}, this refers to what was previously mentioned in the preceding verse: that His being just, the Creator with truth, and purified from injustice and oppression necessitates the truth of the Resurrection and Judgment.

Then the Almighty said: {But most of the people do not know}.

This means most people do not know the evidence provided by the creation of humans, animals, and plants regarding the existence of the wise, choosing God. Nor do they know that since Allah was capable of bringing things into existence initially, He must be capable of bringing them back into existence subsequently.

{And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. And the Day the Hour appears—that Day, the losers will be ruined.}

{And you will see every nation crouching. Every nation will be called to its record, [and told], "Today you will be recompensed for what you used to do."}

{"This is Our record; it speaks against you with truth. Indeed, We used to record whatever you used to do."}

{"So, as for those who believed and did righteous deeds, their Lord will admit them into His mercy. That is the evident success."}

{"But as for those who disbelieved, [He will say], "Were not My verses recited to you, but you were arrogant and were a criminal people?"}