Al-A'raf: (188) Say, "I do not possess..."

Issues in the Verse:

There are several interpretations regarding the connection of this verse to what precedes it:

1. Denial of Knowledge of the Unseen: The statement, "I do not possess for myself any benefit or harm," means, "I do not claim knowledge of the unseen; I am only a warner and a bearer of good tidings." This is similar to His saying in Surah Yunus: "And they say, 'When is this promise, if you should be truthful?' Say, 'I do not possess for myself harm or benefit except what Allah wills. For every nation is an appointed term...'" (Yunus: 48-49).

2. Context of the Request: It is narrated that the people of Mecca said: "O Muhammad, does not your Lord inform you about price fluctuations (highs and lows) so we can buy when it is cheap and profit when it is high, and about the barren lands so we can migrate to fertile lands?" Then Allah revealed this verse.

3. Incident during the Expedition of Banu al-Mustaliq: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned from the expedition of Banu al-Mustaliq, a strong wind blew on the way, causing the animals to flee. The Prophet (PBUH) informed them of the death of Rifāʿah in Medina, which angered the hypocrites. He asked, "Which of my she-camels [is missing]?" Abdullah ibn Ubayy said to his people, "Are you not amazed by this man? He tells of a man's death in Medina, yet he does not know where his she-camel is." The Prophet (PBUH) replied, "Indeed, some hypocrites said such and such, and my she-camel is in this valley, its tether caught on a tree." They found it exactly as he described. Then Allah revealed: "Say, 'I do not possess for myself benefit or good except what Allah wills.'"

When the people demanded that he inform them of the unseen and grant them great wealth and dominion, he mentioned that his power is limited and his knowledge is little. He clarified that every human being is like this, and complete power and encompassing knowledge belong only to Allah Almighty. How can a servant attain such power and knowledge?

Our scholars used this verse to argue the issue of the creation of actions: "Say, 'I do not possess for myself benefit or harm except what Allah wills.'" Faith is a benefit, and disbelief is harm. Therefore, both must occur only by the will of Allah.

Argument for Divine Will in Faith/Disbelief: The reasoning is as stated previously: If the power to commit disbelief were not capable of producing faith, then the creator of that power would will disbelief. If it were capable of producing faith, then the creation of disbelief instead of faith would only occur upon the emergence of a decisive incentive. The creator of that decisive incentive would then will disbelief. Thus, in all cases, it is established that the servant does not possess for himself benefit or harm except what Allah wills.

The Judge's Response (Al-Qadi): The Judge responded with several points:

1. Although the wording of "I do not possess for myself benefit or harm except what Allah wills" is general, we mentioned that the reason for its revelation was the disbelievers asking, "O Muhammad, does your Lord not inform you of the time of low prices before they rise, so we can buy cheaply and profit when prices rise?" Therefore, the general wording should be interpreted according to the context of revelation. "Benefit" here means possessing wealth and other things, and "harm" means drought, illness, and so on.
2. The meaning is: "I do not possess for myself benefit or harm concerning matters related to knowledge of the unseen." The proof for this is His saying: "And if I knew the unseen, I would have multiplied for myself the good."
3. The meaning is: "I do not possess for myself from harm and benefit except the measure that Allah wills to enable me and empower me to do." The purpose of this statement is to clarify that he cannot do anything unless Allah enables him to do it.

Our Conclusion: All these interpretations deviate from the apparent meaning of the text. How can one resort to them when we have established the conclusive rational proof that the truth is only what the apparent meaning of this verse indicates? And Allah knows best.

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used the statement, "And if I knew the unseen, I would have multiplied for myself the good," as proof of his lack of knowledge of the unseen. There is disagreement on what is meant by this "good":

1. Temporal Benefits: It means acquiring the benefits and goods of this world and warding off its calamities and harms, including fertility, drought, profits, and earnings.
2. Religious Matters: It means matters related to religion. That is, if I knew the unseen, I would know which people would respond to the call to the true religion and which would not, and how I should dedicate my efforts in calling them.
3. Answering Inquiries: It means responding to the questions asked of him, such as the question about the Hour. The meaning is: "If I knew the unseen, I would have multiplied the good [answers] for them."

Regarding His Statement: "And no evil has touched me"

There are two opinions concerning this phrase:

The First Opinion: Al-Wāḥidī (may Allah have mercy on him) said that the speech concluded at "And if I knew the unseen, I would have multiplied for myself the good." Then he said, "And no evil has touched me," meaning, "I am not insane," because they accused him of madness, as mentioned in His saying, "There is no madness in his companion." I find this opinion very weak as it disrupts the coherence of the verse.

The Second Opinion: This phrase completes the previous statement. The meaning is: "If I knew the unseen, I would have multiplied the acquisition of good and guarded against evil until no evil touched me. Since this is not the case, it is clear that knowledge of the unseen is not possessed by me."

Since he clarified that he can only do what Allah enables him to do, and he only knows what Allah has taught him, he said: "I am only a warner and a bearer of good tidings to a people who believe."

• Warner (Nadhīr): An intensification of warning against punishment for committing sins and neglecting obligations.
• Bearer of Good Tidings (Bashīr): An intensification of good news regarding reward for fulfilling obligations and avoiding sins.

Regarding His statement, "to a people who believe," there are two opinions:

1. He is a warner and bearer of good tidings to both believers and disbelievers, but he mentioned only one group and omitted the other because mentioning one implies the other, like His saying, "Garments to protect you from the heat" (An-Nahl: 81).
2. Although he is a warner and bearer of good tidings to everyone, only the believers benefit from that warning and good tidings. For this reason, Allah specifically mentioned them. We have elaborated on this meaning in the commentary on His saying, "Guidance for the pious" (Al-Baqarah: 2).

7 < { It is He Who created you from one soul and made from it its mate that he may find comfort in her. And when he covered her, she carried a light burden and proceeded with it. But when she became heavy, they both called upon Allah, their Lord, "If You should give us a righteous child, we will surely be among the grateful." * But when He gave them a righteous child, they associated with Him partners in what He had given them. So exalted is Allah above what they associate with Him. } > 7

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