The Benefits of the Verse: “Have you not seen those who were given a share of the Scripture, who are called to the Book of Allah to judge between them . . .”

Then Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said: to the end of it. Several benefits are derived from this verse. First: Not everyone who is given knowledge is granted success in understanding it, as He said: . Among the benefits of this noble verse is the expression of wonder at these people; how great is the wonder that Allah gives them knowledge, and then they do not turn to the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Among its benefits is that the argument has been established against these people because they were called, and this is the point of blame. This is the point of blame. However, if they were not called and did not know the truth, they are not blamed for that, provided they did not neglect seeking the truth. Among the benefits of this noble verse is that it is obligatory to refer to the Book of Allah for judgment, as He said: . Among its benefits is that there is no judgment except for Allah, according to what came in His Book. No judge can legislate rulings that contradict the rulings of Allah. Rather, whoever legislates something contrary to the rulings of Allah and compels the servants to follow it is a disbeliever in Allah (Mighty and Majestic), a disbeliever, except if he is excused by a compelling interpretation, which may take him out of disbelief. However, his action, in itself, leads to his disbelief. Among the benefits of this noble verse is that the judgment in the Book of Allah covers everything, such as acts of worship, transactions, morals, and deeds, everything, because He did not restrict to everything. Branching from this benefit is the refutation of those who say: “The Shari'ah came only to regulate acts of worship, while transactions are for the creation.” They cited as evidence for this that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Madinah and saw the people pollinating the palm trees—meaning by pollinating them: fertilizing them—and he said (peace and blessings be upon him): “I do not think that does any good,” or to that effect. So they left off pollinating, and the dates spoiled, because if the palm trees are not pollinated, the dates spoil. When the fruits spoiled, they came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to inform him, and he said: They said: “So leave the knowledge of worldly affairs to them,” and indeed he made them more knowledgeable than him in this. And thus, worldly affairs are not the domain of the Shari'ah. But this is a wrong understanding, a false understanding. This is because worldly affairs are either legal rulings, such as what is lawful and what is forbidden, and these refer to the Shari'ah, or they are technical matters understood through experience and learning, and these refer to the experts. How many a scholar has extensive and broad knowledge in matters of the Shari'ah, yet cannot make a door or a needle, while an ignorant man, one of the most ignorant, can make a door, one of the best doors, and a needle, one of the finest needles, is that not so? Yes. And the matter of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) regarding pollination: is it a legal matter or a technical matter? It is a technical matter, without a doubt, understood through experience. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as we know, was born in Makkah, and Makkah has no palm trees, nor did he know anything about this. So the people of Madinah, who had practiced experience in these matters, became more knowledgeable about it than he was. As for the legal matter, there is no doubt that Allah and His Messenger are more knowledgeable. The important point is: for whom is the judgment? For Allah. It is not permissible for the judgment to be for anything other than Allah. If someone says: “Do you not refer to custom in many matters?” Yes, but who referred us to custom? The Shari'ah. Referring to custom So the Shari'ah is what ordered us to refer to custom. And when it ordered us to refer to custom, we referred to it and judged by it. For this reason, if a husband and wife dispute over the amount of maintenance, we do not go to such-and-such a book, or such-and-such a book, al-Bukhari or Muslim or Abu Dawud or the like. We do not refer to these. We refer to whom? To the experts in custom in every time and place, according to its conditions. So, for whom is the judgment in what is referred to custom? For the Shari'ah. The judgment is for the Shari'ah, which ordered us to refer to custom, so the people of custom judged it. Among the benefits of this noble verse is that those who were called to the Book of Allah, from those who were given a share of the Scripture, did not all turn away, but a group of them turned away. And the matter is such that many of the Jews and Christians embraced Islam, and their Islam was good, and they had a firm step in Islam. Among the benefits of this noble verse is the blame of one who turns away with indifference, as He said: , because turning away, as we mentioned in the exegesis, may be due to indifference or may be due to something other than indifference. And turning away is all blameworthy, but if it is due to indifference and lack of concern, it is more severe.