Al-An'am (The Cattle): (116 - 117) And if you obey most...

Know that after the Almighty answered the doubts of the disbelievers and established the truth of the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him) with evidence, He clarified that once the doubt is removed and the proof is manifest, a rational person should not pay attention to the words of the ignorant, nor should they be disturbed by their corrupt statements. He said:

{And if you obey most of those on earth, they will lead you astray from the way of Allah.}

This indicates that the majority of the inhabitants of the earth were misguided, because misguidance must necessarily be preceded by being astray. Know that this misguidance and leading astray falls into one of three categories:

1. Matters related to Divinity (Ilāhiyyāt): The truth in these matters is singular, while falsehood is numerous. This includes the assertion of Shirk (polytheism), such as the Zindīqs claim (as Allah mentioned: {And they have set up partners for Allah from the Jinn}), or the claims of the star-worshippers, or the claims of the idol-worshippers.
2. Matters related to Prophecies (Nubuwwāt): This includes those who deny prophethood altogether, or those who deny the Resurrection, or those who deny the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH). Matters related to the Hereafter are also included in this category.
3. Matters related to Rulings (Aḥkām): These are numerous. The disbelievers used to forbid the Baḥīrah, the Sā’ibah, and the Waṣīlah, and permit carrion. Thus, Allah said: {And if you obey most of those on earth} in their belief that falsehood is truth and truth is falsehood, {they will lead you astray from the way of Allah}, meaning the straight path and methodology.

Then He said: {They follow nothing but conjecture, and they do nothing but guess.}

Regarding this, there are two issues:

It means that these disbelievers who dispute with you concerning your religion and doctrine are not certain of the validity of their own doctrines. Rather, they follow nothing but conjecture (ẓann), and they are liars (kharāṣūn) in claiming certainty. Many commentators say that what is meant by this conjecture is their reliance on imitating their ancestors in establishing their doctrines, rather than relying on any rational proof (taʿlīl) whatsoever.

Those who deny Qiyās use this verse as evidence. They argue: We see that Allah the Almighty has severely condemned the disbelievers in many verses of the Qur'an for following conjecture. Anything that Allah makes a cause for the condemnation of disbelievers must be among the utmost degrees of reprehensibility. Since acting upon Qiyās necessitates following conjecture, it must be reprehensible and forbidden.

They counter the objection that acting upon Qiyās is acting upon decisive proof, not conjecture, by offering two rebuttals:

1. The decisive proof is either rational or transmitted (Naqlī):
   • The rational proof is invalid because reason has no domain to determine whether acting upon Qiyās is permissible or not, especially for those who deny the rational basis for judging things as good or bad.
   • The transmitted proof is also invalid because a transmitted proof is only decisive if it is Mutawātir (mass-transmitted) and its wording admits of no interpretation other than that single meaning. If such proof existed, people would necessarily know that Qiyās is a valid proof, and the dispute over it would cease among the Ummah. Since it does not exist, we know that decisive proof for the validity of Qiyās is absent.
2. Even if decisive proof existed that Qiyās is a valid proof, acting upon Qiyās still requires following conjecture. Acting upon Qiyās is built upon two premises:
   • The ruling in the agreed-upon case is established by such-and-such a reason (taʿlīl).
   • That reason is present in the case under dispute. If both premises are known with absolute certainty, there is no dispute among the rational people regarding its validity. However, if the combination or one of the premises is conjectural (ẓannī), then acting upon this Qiyās is only possible by following conjecture, and thus it falls under the text indicating that following conjecture is blameworthy.

The Response: Why can we not say that Ẓann (conjecture) refers only to a preponderant belief that is not supported by any sign or indicator, such as the belief of the disbelievers? But if the preponderant belief is supported by an indicator, then this belief is not termed Ẓann. By this path, this line of reasoning collapses.

Then the Almighty said: {Indeed, your Lord—He is the most knowing of who strays from His way, and He is most knowing of the guided ones.}

Regarding this, there are two issues:

There are two opinions on its meaning:

1. It means that after you have recognized what the truth is and what falsehood is, do not be constrained by them. Instead, entrust their affair to their Creator, for the Almighty knows who is guided and who is astray, and He will recompense each one according to what is fitting for their deeds.
2. It means that although these disbelievers claim certainty and conviction, they are liars. Allah the Almighty knows the state of their hearts and their inner selves, and He is aware that they are bewildered on the path of misguidance, wandering in the valleys of ignorance.

There are two opinions here:

1. Some said that {most knowing} (aʿlam) here means "He knows" (yaʿlam). The meaning is: "Indeed, your Lord knows who strays from His way, and He is most knowing of the guided ones."
   • Objection: This implies a difference in the degree of Allah's Knowledge, which is impossible.
   • Response: There is no doubt that a difference in Allah's Knowledge is impossible. However, the intent of this phrasing is that the care taken to manifest the guidance of the guided is greater than the care taken to manifest the misguidance of the misguided. This is analogous to His saying: {If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, it is against yourselves} (Qur'an 17:7), where goodness is mentioned twice and evil once.
2. The word {who} (man) is in the nominative case (as a subject/topic), and its form is interrogative. The meaning is: "Indeed, your Lord is the most knowing person who strays from His way." This is like His saying: {that We may know which of the two parties is more precise in counting} (Qur'an 18:12). This is the view of Al-Mubarrid, Al-Zajjāj, Al-Kisā’ī, and Al-Farrā’.

{So eat of that upon which the name of Allah has been mentioned, if you are believers in His verses.}