What is meant by the trust in the saying of Allah the Exalted: "Indeed, We offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they declined to undertake it and were afraid of it"
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The questioner : What is meant by the trust in the saying of Allah the Exalted [Al-Ahzab 33:72] and why was man unjust and ignorant in undertaking the trust, and what is the general meaning of the verse?
The Shaykh : The trust is bearing burdens, or more precisely, it is bearing responsibility in the acts of worship that Allah and His Messenger commanded, and in abstaining from the forbidden things that Allah and His Messenger prohibited. This is the trust.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And its performance is to carry it out in the best manner. Since the heavens, the earth, and the mountains did not have intellect and perception like man, man became the one to bear it, with what Allah the Exalted gave him of intellect, thought, and discernment, and with what Allah sent down to him of books and sent to him of messengers. Thus, the argument has been established against man by his intellect and by the revelation that Allah sent down to him. On this basis, man, by undertaking this trust, was unjust and ignorant due to his ignorance of what follows from this undertaking, and due to his injustice to himself by bearing it. But the verse means man, and this is considering man in his capacity as a human being. However, if he is a believer, he will remove this description from himself. He will be guided by the revelation and thus be knowledgeable, and he will fear Allah Mighty and Majestic and thus not be unjust to himself. So, man in the noble verse is considered in his capacity as a human being, although some exegetes said that the intended meaning of "man" here is the disbeliever. But the apparent meaning of the verse is general, and that man, in his capacity as a human being, is unjust and ignorant.
The questioner : The species, meaning the species of man.
The Shaykh : Even if he were left to himself.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Or if he were left to himself, he would be unjust and ignorant. But Allah the Exalted bestowed upon him guidance and piety, and He rescued his soul from these two vile descriptions, injustice and ignorance, if he is a believer. Yes.
The questioner : The second question says.
Indeed, we offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant.
إنا عرضنا الأمانة على السماوات والأرض والجبال فأبين أن يحملنها وأشفقن منها وحملها الإنسان إنه كان ظلوما جهولاThe Shaykh : The trust is bearing burdens, or more precisely, it is bearing responsibility in the acts of worship that Allah and His Messenger commanded, and in abstaining from the forbidden things that Allah and His Messenger prohibited. This is the trust.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And its performance is to carry it out in the best manner. Since the heavens, the earth, and the mountains did not have intellect and perception like man, man became the one to bear it, with what Allah the Exalted gave him of intellect, thought, and discernment, and with what Allah sent down to him of books and sent to him of messengers. Thus, the argument has been established against man by his intellect and by the revelation that Allah sent down to him. On this basis, man, by undertaking this trust, was unjust and ignorant due to his ignorance of what follows from this undertaking, and due to his injustice to himself by bearing it. But the verse
Indeed, he
إنهThe questioner : The species, meaning the species of man.
The Shaykh : Even if he were left to himself.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Or if he were left to himself, he would be unjust and ignorant. But Allah the Exalted bestowed upon him guidance and piety, and He rescued his soul from these two vile descriptions, injustice and ignorance, if he is a believer. Yes.
The questioner : The second question says.