Tafsir of Al-Hajj 22:8

"And among the people is he who disputes concerning Allah without knowledge..."

• On the identity of the subject: It is narrated from Ibn Abbas that he is Abu Jahl ibn Hisham. It is also said: It is repeated just as other narratives are repeated. It is also said: The first [mention in the Surah] refers to the blind followers, and this [second mention] also refers to the blind followers.
• On the terms used:
  • "Knowledge": Refers to necessary (self-evident) knowledge.
  • "Guidance": Refers to logical deduction and contemplation, for it leads to knowledge.
  • "Enlightening Book": Refers to Revelation.
  • Meaning: He disputes based on conjecture and guesswork, not based on any of these three.
• "Twisting his neck" (thaniya ‘itfihi): An expression denoting arrogance and vanity, similar to "turning away the cheek" or "turning the side of the neck." It is also said: It means turning away from the Reminder (the Quran). Al-Hasan said: thani ‘itfihi (with a fatha on the ‘ayn), meaning: one who prevents his neck from bending [in humility].
• "To lead astray": This is the rationale for his disputation. It has been recited with both a damma and a fatha on the ya.
• A Question and Answer:
  • Question: If his goal in disputing was not to lead others astray, how can it be cited as the reason for his disputation? Furthermore, he was never guided to begin with, so how could he "depart from guidance to misguidance" through his disputation?
  • Answer: Because his disputation led to misguidance, it is treated as if it were his goal. And because guidance was presented to him, yet he abandoned it, turned away, and turned toward disputing with falsehood, he is treated as one who departed from guidance into misguidance.
• "His disgrace": This refers to the humiliation and killing he suffered on the Day of Badr. The cause of the disgrace of this world and the punishment of the Hereafter that befell him is "what his hands have sent forth," and the justice of Allah in punishing the wicked and rewarding the righteous.

"And among the people is he who worships Allah on an edge. If he is touched by good, he is reassured by it; but if he is struck by trial, he turns on his face [to disbelief]. He has lost [this] world and the Hereafter. That is what is the manifest loss. He calls, instead of Allah, upon that which neither harms him nor benefits him. That is what is the extreme error. He calls upon one whose harm is closer than his benefit. How wretched the protector and how wretched the associate!"

• "On an edge" (ala harf): [Commentary to follow]