Tafsir of Ash-Shams 91:8

Surah Ash-Shams (The Sun): Verse 8

فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا (Fa-alhamahā fujūrahā wa taqwāhā)

The resulting meaning here has two interpretations:

The First View: That the inspiration (ilhām) of wickedness (fujūr) and piety (taqwā) means making them understood (ifhāmuhā) and making them comprehensible (iʿqālahumā), indicating that one is good and the other is reprehensible, and enabling the soul to choose whichever it wishes from them. This aligns with His saying: {And We guided him to the two paths} (Al-Balad: 10).

This interpretation conforms to the doctrines of the Mu'tazila. They argue that this is supported by the subsequent verses: {He has succeeded who purifies it And he has failed who corrupts it} (Ash-Shams: 9, 10). This view is narrated from Ibn Abbas and a group of senior exegetes.

The Second View: That the Almighty inspired piety (taqwā) to the believing person and inspired wickedness (fujūr) to the disbeliever.

Sa'id ibn Jubayr said: "He compelled it toward its wickedness and its piety." Ibn Zayd said: "He placed that within it by granting it success (tawfīq) toward piety and abandoning it (khidhlan) toward wickedness." Al-Zajjaj and Al-Wahidi chose this view.

Al-Wahidi stated: "Teaching (taʿlīm), making known (taʿrīf), and clarifying (tabyīn) are distinct from ilhām. Ilhām is when God casts something into the servant's heart. When He casts something into his heart, He has obligated it upon him."

The root meaning of ilhām comes from the saying: lahama ash-shay’a (he swallowed the thing) and talhamahu (he devoured it). Thus, alhamtuhu dhālika ash-shay’a means "I conveyed that thing to him." This is the original meaning, which was then used for what God casts into the servant's heart because it is like conveyance.

Therefore, the interpretation consistent with this root meaning is that of Ibn Zayd, which explicitly states that God created piety in the believer and wickedness in the disbeliever.

The reliance on the verse {He has succeeded who purifies it} is weak because what is narrated from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, 'Ata', 'Ikrimah, Muqatil, and Al-Kalbi is that the meaning is: The soul that God purified and corrected has succeeded and become fortunate. The meaning is: God granted it success (waffaqahā) toward obedience. This concludes Al-Wahidi's statement, and it is sound.

My Commentary: I have previously mentioned that these three verses are cited to indicate that the Lord is the Director (muddabbir) of both the upper and lower bodies, simple and composite. Here, nothing remains in the sensible world that has not been established as occurring through His creation and management.

One remaining matter that troubles the heart is whether [human] voluntary actions occur by His decree and destiny (qaḍā’ wa qadar). The Almighty, by saying {He inspired it with its wickedness and its piety}, signals that these actions are also from Him, by Him, and according to His decree and destiny. Consequently, everything other than God occurs by His decree and destiny and falls under His creation and disposition.

Furthermore, what rationally proves that what is meant by {He inspired it with its wickedness and its piety} is abandonment (khidhlan) and success (tawfīq) is what we have repeatedly mentioned: Voluntary actions depend on the occurrence of choices (ikhtiyārāt).

If the occurrence of these choices does not stem from an agent, then the created thing becomes independent of an agent, which negates the existence of the Creator. If the agent is the servant, it leads to an infinite regress (tasalsul). If the agent is God, that is the intended conclusion.

Moreover, the rational person should test himself. Sometimes a person is heedless of something, and its image suddenly falls into his heart. This occurrence in the heart leads to a leaning toward it, which in turn leads to the movement of the limbs and the execution of the act. This provides definitive proof that what is meant by {He inspired it} is what we have mentioned, not what the Mu'tazila mentioned.

Verse 9

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا (Qad aflaḥa man zakkāhā)

As for His saying, the Exalted: {He has succeeded who purifies it}...