Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (And We have certainly created man, and We know what his soul suggests to him.)
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Exegesis of His saying, the Exalted: (And We have certainly created man, and We know what his soul suggests to him)
Then He, the Exalted, said, providing evidence for His power to resurrect: [Q:16] Meaning: We initiated his creation, bringing him into existence, and We gave him intellect, hearing, sight, thought, and the whisperings of the soul.
[Qaf 50:16] Meaning: what his soul suggests to him without him speaking it aloud. So Allah the Exalted is aware of it. Indeed, Allah is aware of what his soul will suggest to him in the future, while the person himself does not know what his soul will suggest to him in the future.
Look now at what a person whispers to his soul in the present; the person knows it, does he not? And Allah the Exalted knows it.And we say: Indeed, Allah knows what his soul will whisper in the future, while the person does not know.Meaning: That Allah knows what your soul will whisper tomorrow, the day after, and until you die, while you do not know.
If Allah knows what the soul whispers, what does this knowledge obligate us to do? It obligates us to be mindful of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and not to whisper to ourselves what angers Him or what He dislikes. It is obligatory for us that the whispers of our souls be entirely of what pleases Him, because He knows them. Is it not fitting for us to be shy of our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) that our souls whisper what He does not approve of?
Allah the Exalted said: [Q:16-17] .
[Q:16] (the cord of the vein) is the jugular vein,And they are: the two great vessels surrounding the windpipe,It is called: the vein,And it is called: the jugular,And its plural is: the jugulars, and they are cited as an example of closeness,He says: [Q:16] What is closer to him?The closest thing to your heart is: The cord of the vein, this is closer than the brain,And the closest of all things in which there is life are: the two veins.
And the exegetes differed regarding His saying, the Exalted: [Q:16] Is the intended meaning the nearness of His Essence (Exalted and Majestic is He) or the nearness of His angels?The correct view: That the intended meaning is: the nearness of His angels,And the reason for this is: That the nearness of Allah the Exalted is a high attribute that is not fitting to be inclusive of every person;Because if we said: If the intended meaning were the nearness of the Essence of Allah; He would be close to the disbeliever, and close to the believer. Why is that necessary?Because Allah said: [Q:16] What kind of person did He create?The believer and the disbeliever: [Q:16] Meaning: To this person whom We created from the cord of the vein.
If we say: The comprehensive verse,And We said: If the nearness here is essential nearness: Allah became close by His Essence to the disbeliever.
And this is not fitting. Indeed, the disbeliever is an enemy of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
But the stronger position is: What was chosen by the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him): That the intended meaning by nearness here is the nearness of the angels,Meaning: Closer to him by our angels,Then he argued with His saying, the Exalted: [Q:17] So (when) means: when, and it is connected to "closer,"Meaning: Closer to him in this state when [Q:17] .
If someone were to say: How does Allah attribute to Himself what is intended to be the angels? Is there a parallel for this?We said: Yes, there is a parallel, Allah the Exalted said to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): [Al-Qiyamah:16-18] (We read it) : What is the intended meaning? Jibril, and Allah attributed the action of Jibril to Himself; because he is His messenger. Likewise, the angels: Allah attributed their nearness to Himself; because they are His messengers,As Allah the Exalted said: [Az-Zukhruf 43:80] .
[Al-Zukhruf:80] .
And what was chosen by the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) is the correct one.
If someone were to say: And is Allah the Exalted close to the believer in all circumstances?We said: Rather, in some circumstances,The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Indeed, the one you call upon is closer to any of you than the neck of his camel) This is nearness in the state of supplication,The proof of that is His saying, the Exalted: [Al-Baqarah:186] Likewise, He is close to the believer in the state of prostration;As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his family said: (The closest a servant comes to his Lord is when he is in prostration) .
And on this basis, Allah the Exalted is close to the believer in the state of his worship of his Lord, and in the state of his supplication to his Lord.
As for the general nearness: So the intended meaning is nearness by the angels, according to the stronger opinion.
And his statement: [Q:17] They are two angels, Allah clarified their position relative to the servant,So he said: [Q:17] .
[Q:17] And He did not say: on the right and on the left; because they are not on the shoulders, but they are in a place closer than the cord of the vein.
But a disbeliever might say: I am looking around me, I am not touching anyone. Where is the one sitting? Where is the one seated?So we say: This is from the knowledge of the unseen which our minds cannot grasp, and we must believe in it, and have faith in it as if we had touched it with our hands, or seen it with our eyes, or by any other of the senses. We must believe in it; because it is the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
So we say: [Q:17] : Seated, settled, one of them writes the good deeds, and the other writes the bad deeds. This written record in the hands of the angels is subject to erasure and confirmation;because of the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Ar-Ra'd:39] Meaning: The original of the Mother of the Book is: the Preserved Tablet, in which is written what the servant will settle upon. But what is subject to erasure and confirmation is what is in the hands of the angels,Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: [Hud:114] Look! A good deed goes, the bad deed erases it after it was written. And this is with regard to what is in the hands of the angels. As for the original of the Mother of the Book, it is written in it what the servant will settle upon.
We ask Allah to make us and you among those who settle upon faith and steadfastness in this world and the Hereafter.
Then He, the Exalted, said, providing evidence for His power to resurrect:
And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الإِنْسَانَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِknow what his soul whispers to him
وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُLook now at what a person whispers to his soul in the present; the person knows it, does he not? And Allah the Exalted knows it.And we say: Indeed, Allah knows what his soul will whisper in the future, while the person does not know.Meaning: That Allah knows what your soul will whisper tomorrow, the day after, and until you die, while you do not know.
If Allah knows what the soul whispers, what does this knowledge obligate us to do? It obligates us to be mindful of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and not to whisper to ourselves what angers Him or what He dislikes. It is obligatory for us that the whispers of our souls be entirely of what pleases Him, because He knows them. Is it not fitting for us to be shy of our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) that our souls whisper what He does not approve of?
Allah the Exalted said:
and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein (17) When the two receivers receive, seated on the right and on the left.
وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ * إِذْ يَتَلَقَّى الْمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنْ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنْ الشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌand We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein
وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِand We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein
وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِAnd the exegetes differed regarding His saying, the Exalted:
and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein
وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِWe created the human being
خَلَقْنَا الإِنْسَانَand We are closer to him
وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِIf we say: The comprehensive verse,And We said: If the nearness here is essential nearness: Allah became close by His Essence to the disbeliever.
And this is not fitting. Indeed, the disbeliever is an enemy of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
But the stronger position is: What was chosen by the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him): That the intended meaning by nearness here is the nearness of the angels,Meaning: Closer to him by our angels,Then he argued with His saying, the Exalted:
When the two receivers receive
إِذْ يَتَلَقَّى الْمُتَلَقِّيَانِWhen the two receivers receive, seated on the right and on the left.
يَتَلَقَّى الْمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنْ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنْ الشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌIf someone were to say: How does Allah attribute to Himself what is intended to be the angels? Is there a parallel for this?We said: Yes, there is a parallel, Allah the Exalted said to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
(16) Move not your tongue with it, [O Muhammad], to hasten with recitation of the Qur'an. (17) Indeed, upon Us is its collection [in your heart] and [to make possible] its recitation. (18) So when We have recited it [through Gabriel], then follow its recitation.
لا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ * إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ * فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُOr do they think that We hear not their secrets and their private conversations
أَمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّا لا نَسْمَعُ سِرَّهُمْ وَنَجْوَاهُمْYes, [We do], and Our messengers are with them recording.
بَلَى وَرُسُلُنَا لَدَيْهِمْ يَكْتُبُونَAnd what was chosen by the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) is the correct one.
If someone were to say: And is Allah the Exalted close to the believer in all circumstances?We said: Rather, in some circumstances,The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Indeed, the one you call upon is closer to any of you than the neck of his camel) This is nearness in the state of supplication,The proof of that is His saying, the Exalted:
And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِAnd on this basis, Allah the Exalted is close to the believer in the state of his worship of his Lord, and in the state of his supplication to his Lord.
As for the general nearness: So the intended meaning is nearness by the angels, according to the stronger opinion.
And his statement:
When the two receivers receive
إِذْ يَتَلَقَّى الْمُتَلَقِّيَانِon the right and on the left.
عَنْ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنْ الشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌon the right and on the left.
عَنْ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنْ الشِّمَالِBut a disbeliever might say: I am looking around me, I am not touching anyone. Where is the one sitting? Where is the one seated?So we say: This is from the knowledge of the unseen which our minds cannot grasp, and we must believe in it, and have faith in it as if we had touched it with our hands, or seen it with our eyes, or by any other of the senses. We must believe in it; because it is the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
So we say:
on the right and on the left.
عَنْ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنْ الشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌAllah eliminates what He wills or confirms, and with Him is the Mother of the Book.
يَمْحُوا اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ وَعِنْدَهُ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِAnd establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds
وَأَقِمِ الصَّلاةَ طَرَفَيِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفاً مِنَ اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِWe ask Allah to make us and you among those who settle upon faith and steadfastness in this world and the Hereafter.