Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “So, by those who divide the command, you are indeed promised something true” — It contains benefits: that it is permissible for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, to swear by whatever He wills of His creation.
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The Shaykh : Now, who are “those who divide the command”? Why are they referred to with the feminine plural? Because they are categories, each one assigned what Allah, Mighty and Majestic, wills. [Adh-Dhariyat 51:5-6] This means that what you are promised, whether it is bliss or punishment, is going to happen. Yes, it is true. And the recompense, meaning the reward or punishment, is going to happen. Everyone will be recompensed for their deeds.
In these verses, there is a discussion or several discussions:
First: How is it valid to swear by created things, when swearing by other than Allah is forbidden, indeed it is shirk (associating partners with Allah)?
The answer to this is: We say that it is permissible for Allah the Exalted to swear by whatever He wills of His creation. We do not judge Allah; rather, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is the One who judges. So, if it is forbidden for us to swear by other than Him, it is not forbidden for Him to swear. If He had willed, He would have forbidden it for Himself, for Allah may forbid things for Himself and obligate things for Himself.. Here, He obligated mercy upon Himself. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the Qudsi hadith that Allah said: Sahih Muslim 2577a. Here, He forbade it for Himself. So, Allah has the right to obligate upon Himself whatever He wills and to forbid upon Himself whatever He wills. He forbade His servants from swearing by other than Him, and He, Blessed and Exalted is He, swore by whatever He wills of His creation. Then we say: What Allah swears by is great, because the oath, as the exegetes said, is the emphasis of a thing by mentioning something great in a specific form. So, Allah does not swear except by something great. And this created thing that Allah swore by, if it is great, is evidence of what? Of the greatness of the Creator. So, the matter comes back to the fact that what Allah swore by and magnified is only from the creations of Allah that indicate His greatness.
(5) Indeed, what you are promised is true. (6) And indeed, the recompense is to occur.
إنما توعدون لصادق وإن الدين لواقعIn these verses, there is a discussion or several discussions:
First: How is it valid to swear by created things, when swearing by other than Allah is forbidden, indeed it is shirk (associating partners with Allah)?
The answer to this is: We say that it is permissible for Allah the Exalted to swear by whatever He wills of His creation. We do not judge Allah; rather, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is the One who judges. So, if it is forbidden for us to swear by other than Him, it is not forbidden for Him to swear. If He had willed, He would have forbidden it for Himself, for Allah may forbid things for Himself and obligate things for Himself.