Al-A'raf (The Heights): Verse 146

Issues in the Verse

After mentioning the consequence for the transgressors (سأوريكم دار الفاسقين - "I will show you the abode of the transgressors"), Allah mentions what He will do to the arrogant.

The Ash'ari Position: Our scholars use this verse as evidence that Allah may prevent and turn people away from faith (Iman). This is the apparent meaning.

The Mu'tazili Rebuttal: The Mu'tazila argue that the verse cannot be interpreted this way, based on several points:

1. Temporal Inconsistency (Al-Jubba'i): If the meaning is that Allah turns them away from faith, this refers to the future (سأصرف). However, Allah has already described them as having disbelieved and rejected the truth previously. He described them as arrogant in the land unjustly (بغير الحق) and stated that if they see the path of righteousness, they will not take it, but if they see the path of error, they will take it. This proves their disbelief occurred in the past. Therefore, this "turning away" cannot mean disbelief itself.

2. Punishment Inconsistency: This "turning away" is mentioned as a consequence/punishment for their arrogance and disbelief. If this consequence is their disbelief, it implies Allah created disbelief in them as a punishment for their prior disbelief. It is established that punishing an act (disbelief) by creating the very same act (disbelief) is impermissible. Thus, this interpretation is invalid.

3. Contradiction with Other Verses: If Allah prevents them from believing, how can He then ask questions like: "What is the matter with them that they do not believe?" (فما لهم لا يؤمنون), or "What is the matter with them that they turn away from the admonition?" (فما لهم عن التذكرة معرضين), or "And what prevented the people from believing when guidance came to them?" (وما منع الناس أن يؤمنوا). This proves that interpreting the verse as Allah preventing faith is impossible, necessitating other interpretations.

Alternative Interpretations (Mu'tazili/Others):

1. The Ka'bi and Abu Muslim Al-Isfahani View: This statement completes the promise Allah made to Moses (عليه السلام) regarding the destruction of his enemies. "Turning them away from My signs" means destroying them, so they will be unable to prevent Moses from delivering the message or prevent the believers from accepting it. This is similar to the verse: "O Messenger, deliver what has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not delivered His message. And Allah will protect you from the people" (Al-Ma'idah: 67). Allah intends to prevent Moses' enemies from harming him or stopping him from fulfilling his prophetic duty.

2. Al-Jubba'i's Interpretation: "I will turn these arrogant ones away from attaining the honor and dignity contained within My signs, which are prepared for the Prophets and the believers." This turning away occurs through sending down humiliation and degradation upon them, which serves as punishment for their disbelief and arrogance toward Allah.

3. Self-Imposed Inability: Some signs are only beneficial after prior belief. If they disbelieve, they render themselves incapable of benefiting from those signs; thus, Allah turns them away from the benefit.

4. Foreknowledge of Misuse: If Allah knows that upon witnessing certain signs, they will only mock them and fail to uphold their due reverence, it is appropriate for Allah to turn them away from those signs.

5. The View of Al-Hasan: Some disbelievers reach such an extreme in their disbelief that their hearts become dead. The verse refers to these individuals.

Conclusion on Issue 1: This survey shows that the verse does not offer strong evidence supporting the view regarding the creation of actions (i.e., whether Allah creates the act of disbelief). And Allah knows best.

The meaning of "arrogant" is that they consider themselves superior to creation and believe they possess a right that others do not. This quality, arrogance, belongs exclusively to Allah (تعالى), as He alone possesses power and merit that no one else has, thus deserving to be described as arrogant.

Some say arrogance is displaying the greatness of the self over others. Arrogance is a blameworthy trait in all servants, but a praiseworthy trait in Allah (جل جلاله), because He deserves to display this superiority over all others—it is true for Him, but false for others.

Note on بغير الحق (Unjustly): Allah mentioned "unjustly" because displaying arrogance toward others can sometimes be justified. The truthful party has the right to be stern toward the falsehood-doer. It is a common saying: "Being stern toward the arrogant is charity (Sadaqah)."

First Inquiry (Qira'at):

Hafs and Al-Kisa'i read الرشد (Righteousness) with a fath (vowel mark) on the Rā' and Shīn (Rushd). The rest read it with a ḍammah on the Rā' and a sukūn (vowel-less) on the Shīn (Rishd).

Abu 'Amr differentiated:

• الرشد (with ḍammah on Rā'): Means "goodness/soundness" (الصلاح), citing the verse: "And test the orphans until they reach the age of marriage" (حتى إذا بلغوا النكاح), meaning soundness.
• الرشد (with fatḥ on Rā'): Means "straightness in religion" (الاستقامة في الدين), citing the verse: "some guidance" (رشدا) in Surah Al-Kahf.

Al-Kisa'i said they are two linguistic variations meaning the same thing, like الحزن and الحزن (sorrow), or السقم and القسم (illness). Another view is that الرشد (with ḍammah) is the noun, and الرشد (with fatḥ) is the verbal noun (Masdar).

Second Inquiry (Meaning):

"The path of righteousness" (سبيل الرشد) refers to the path of guidance, the true religion, and correctness in knowledge and action. "The path of error" (سبيل الغي) is the opposite.

Allah then clarified that this turning away (الصرف) occurs for two reasons:

1. Their denial of Allah's signs (تكذيبهم بآيات الله).
2. Their heedlessness concerning them (غفلتهم عنها). This means they persisted in turning away until they became like those who are heedless of the signs. And Allah knows best.

Verse 147