What is the rhetorical point in His saying, the Exalted, "But it is Allah who united them," where He did not mention their hearts, in Surat al-Anfal?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
In His saying, the Exalted, in Surat al-Anfal:[Al-Anfal 8:63] Is there a rhetorical point in the matter of: and He did not mention their hearts?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is known that His saying: is more apparent in terms of reconciliation than His saying: "He united their hearts," because if the outward appearances are reconciled, that is evidence of the reconciliation of the inner selves; but if the inner selves are reconciled, the reconciliation of the outward appearances may differ or be lacking. Therefore, Allah, the Exalted, said to His Prophet: [Al-Anfal 8:63] This is one aspect.
The second aspect is that the focus is on the reconciliation of the hearts, which is an inner matter that no one can accomplish except Allah. As for the reconciliation of outward appearances, a person from among the people, especially one who has influence in his community, may come and reconcile two people in a superficial manner, saying: "I have reconciled these two men and brought them together and made peace between them," but their hearts remain hostile. Such reconciliation does not last long. Therefore, He said:[Al-Anfal 8:63].
In His saying, the Exalted, in Surat al-Anfal:
And brought together their hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have brought their hearts together; but Allah brought them together
وَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ لَوْ أَنْفَقْتَ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعاً مَا أَلَّفْتَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ أَلَّفَ بَيْنَهُمْBut it is Allah who united them.
وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ أَلَّفَ بَيْنَهُمْThe Shaykh : Yes, it is known that His saying:
But it is Allah who united them.
وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ أَلَّفَ بَيْنَهُمْIf you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have brought their hearts together; but Allah brought them together.
لَوْ أَنْفَقْتَ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعاً مَا أَلَّفْتَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ أَلَّفَ بَيْنَهُمْThe second aspect is that the focus is on the reconciliation of the hearts, which is an inner matter that no one can accomplish except Allah. As for the reconciliation of outward appearances, a person from among the people, especially one who has influence in his community, may come and reconcile two people in a superficial manner, saying: "I have reconciled these two men and brought them together and made peace between them," but their hearts remain hostile. Such reconciliation does not last long. Therefore, He said: