The benefits of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “And Allah judges with truth, and those they invoke besides Him do not judge anything...”
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Then he said: [Ghafir 40:20] to the end of it.
Among its benefits is the affirmation that the judgment of Allah the Exalted is entirely truth, based on His saying: whether the judgment is cosmic or legislative.
And among the benefits of this noble verse is the praise of Allah Mighty and Majestic with these perfect attributes, namely judging with truth, and that He does not do anything in vain or in play, but rather everything He judges is truth.
And among the benefits of this noble verse is the condemnation of the worshippers of idols, for they worshipped alongside Allah that which is nothing in relation to Allah Mighty and Majestic, based on His saying:[Ghafir 40:20].
And among the benefits of this noble verse is that these idols do not benefit their worshippers in any way, based on His saying:[Ghafir 40:20] and “anything” is an indefinite noun in the context of negation, so it encompasses everything.
If someone were to say: “Among the people who invoke another god alongside Allah are those who, when they invoke these idols, they respond to them; so when they invoke them to remove a hardship, the hardship is removed from them, and some people, if they oppose these idols, are struck with calamity. What is the answer?” The answer is to say: This that happens happens from Allah Mighty and Majestic, not from these idols, as a trial and test. It is said that it happened at that time, not because of it, meaning this judgment from Allah Mighty and Majestic happened at the invocation of these idols, not because of the invocation of these idols.
If someone were to say: “Why do you turn away from the apparent cause to another cause that is not known?” We say: We turned to that because of the saying of Allah Blessed and Exalted:[Ghafir 40:20] and by His saying the Exalted: [Fatir 35:14] and by His saying the Exalted: [Al-Ahqaf 46:5-6] Otherwise, the common person might come to the owner of a grave and say: “O Master, O close friend of Allah, O my Lord, save me from this calamity, save me from this distress.” He goes to his house and finds that the matter has cleared up. In any case, he will attribute this clearing up to the apparent cause he performed, which is the invocation of this grave until the distress was removed from him. We say: This is a trial, and we know with certainty that the owner of the grave is not the one who removed the hardship, but rather the one who removed it is Allah Mighty and Majestic, but the removal happened at the invocation of the owner of the grave, not because of his invocation.
Be careful of this, because they always bring up to us the issue of the owners of graves. One says: “I invoked such-and-such a master, and he responded to me, and the distress was removed.” And one of us, in a time long past, when we came from Makkah to al-Madinah, they began to invoke, invoking the Messenger. Fear Allah, O people—and at that time the person was young and had not yet grown up—“Fear Allah, invoke Allah.” They said: “No, this is our master.” One of the people had his belly open and his intestines hanging down, and the earth became narrow for him. They said: “Go to the Messenger of Allah.” So he went, and when he approached al-Madinah, he invoked Allah, and the intestines went back in and the belly closed. When he approached al-Madinah, he invoked the Prophet, saying: “O Messenger of Allah, save me; my belly is open and my intestines are hanging down.” So the intestines went back into the belly and the belly closed. First, who says this story is true? And even if it were true, did this happen because of the invocation of the Messenger? Absolutely not. The Messenger does not possess this absolutely. In his lifetime, perhaps Allah would show them a sign from the signs of the Messenger, and something like this would happen, as happened with the eye of Abu Qatadah, which was injured and became sunken until it was on his cheek, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) put it back in its place, and it healed immediately. This is a sign from the signs of Allah, but it happened in his lifetime. After his death, it does not.
The important point is that Allah the Exalted may make healing follow the invocation of the owner of a grave as a trial and test, so the person believes with his senses and disbelieves the Shari'ah. He believes with his senses, basing this matter on the apparent thing, and disbelieves the Shari'ah. If someone were to say: “Are there parallels to this?” We say: Yes, Allah may test a person by making the means of disobedience easy as a trial, so that Allah knows who fears Him in secret. Just as He tested the Children of Israel with the fish. Allah forbade them from hunting fish on the day of Sabbath and tested them, so the fish on the day of Sabbath would come to the surface of the water in large numbers, and on days other than the Sabbath, they would not come. So the time became long for them, and they said: “We must hunt on the day of Sabbath, but the day of Sabbath is forbidden for us. What shall we do?” He said: “There is a trick—and the Jews are people of tricks—put a net on Friday, and the fish will come on the Sabbath and enter, and take the fish on Sunday, and say to Allah: ‘We did not hunt on the Sabbath.’” How were they treated? [al-Baqarah: 65] Allah Mighty and Majestic turned them into something resembling a human but not a human, just as they made something resembling a lawful thing but not lawful, as a recompense in kind. This Ummah, Allah forbade them from hunting while in the state of ihram, so Allah tested them, and the game began to come in large numbers. The flying game could be reached by the spear, and the crawling game by the hand: [al-Ma'idah: 94] So the flying game could be reached by a person with his spear, even though a bird is not reached except by an arrow, and the crawling game by the hand. So the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) avoided this; they did not catch by hand nor hunt with the spear. So you, O Muslim, beware of being deceived if the means of disobedience are made easy for you, for Allah the Exalted may test you. Perhaps Allah tests a person with a job in which he can steal from the public treasury, either by actual stealing, meaning he takes money, or by indirect stealing, by being late for work or leaving early, because whoever does that is a thief. If we assume he is late by one-sixth or leaves early by one-sixth, how much did he steal from his salary? He stole one-sixth, because if he is late by one-sixth, he is only entitled to five-sixths of the salary, and the rest he takes without right. He is at ease because no one is above him, he is the manager, for example, or he is at ease because his manager is late, and it is known that if the manager is late and those under him are late, he does not say anything to them, because if he said anything to them, he would expose himself. Yes. So beware of being deluded if Allah makes the means of disobedience easy for you, for Allah knows the treachery of the eyes and what the breasts conceal. Do not be deluded by this thing.
Among the benefits of this noble verse is the loud call against the foolishness of these people who worship besides Allah. This is derived from the fact that they turned away from worshipping the One who judges with truth to worshipping the One who does not judge anything, and this is the height of foolishness.
And Allah judges with truth
والله يقضي بالحقAmong its benefits is the affirmation that the judgment of Allah the Exalted is entirely truth, based on His saying:
judges with truth
يقضي بالحقAnd among the benefits of this noble verse is the praise of Allah Mighty and Majestic with these perfect attributes, namely judging with truth, and that He does not do anything in vain or in play, but rather everything He judges is truth.
And among the benefits of this noble verse is the condemnation of the worshippers of idols, for they worshipped alongside Allah that which is nothing in relation to Allah Mighty and Majestic, based on His saying:
while those they invoke besides Him judge not with anything
والذين يدعون من دونه لا يقضون بشيءAnd among the benefits of this noble verse is that these idols do not benefit their worshippers in any way, based on His saying:
judge not with anything
لا يقضون بشيءIf someone were to say: “Among the people who invoke another god alongside Allah are those who, when they invoke these idols, they respond to them; so when they invoke them to remove a hardship, the hardship is removed from them, and some people, if they oppose these idols, are struck with calamity. What is the answer?” The answer is to say: This that happens happens from Allah Mighty and Majestic, not from these idols, as a trial and test. It is said that it happened at that time, not because of it, meaning this judgment from Allah Mighty and Majestic happened at the invocation of these idols, not because of the invocation of these idols.
If someone were to say: “Why do you turn away from the apparent cause to another cause that is not known?” We say: We turned to that because of the saying of Allah Blessed and Exalted:
while those they invoke besides Him judge not with anything
والذين يدعون من دونه لا يقضون بشيءIf you invoke them, they do not hear your supplication; and if they heard, they would not respond to you. And on the Day of Resurrection they will deny your association. And none can inform you like [one] Acquainted [with all matters].
إن تدعوهم لا يسمعون دعائكم ولو سمعوا ما استجابوا لكم ويوم القيامة يكفرون بشرككم ولا ينبك مثل خبير(5) And who is more astray than he who invokes besides Allah those who will not respond to him until the Day of Resurrection, and they, of their invocation, are unaware. (6) And when the people are gathered [that Day], they [who were invoked] will be enemies to them, and they will be deniers of their worship.
ومن أضل ممن يدعوا من دون الله من لا يستجيب له إلى يوم القيامة وهم عن دعائهم غافلون وإذا حشر الناس كانوا لهم أعداء وكانوا بعبادتهم كافرينBe careful of this, because they always bring up to us the issue of the owners of graves. One says: “I invoked such-and-such a master, and he responded to me, and the distress was removed.” And one of us, in a time long past, when we came from Makkah to al-Madinah, they began to invoke, invoking the Messenger. Fear Allah, O people—and at that time the person was young and had not yet grown up—“Fear Allah, invoke Allah.” They said: “No, this is our master.” One of the people had his belly open and his intestines hanging down, and the earth became narrow for him. They said: “Go to the Messenger of Allah.” So he went, and when he approached al-Madinah, he invoked Allah, and the intestines went back in and the belly closed. When he approached al-Madinah, he invoked the Prophet, saying: “O Messenger of Allah, save me; my belly is open and my intestines are hanging down.” So the intestines went back into the belly and the belly closed. First, who says this story is true? And even if it were true, did this happen because of the invocation of the Messenger? Absolutely not. The Messenger does not possess this absolutely. In his lifetime, perhaps Allah would show them a sign from the signs of the Messenger, and something like this would happen, as happened with the eye of Abu Qatadah, which was injured and became sunken until it was on his cheek, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) put it back in its place, and it healed immediately. This is a sign from the signs of Allah, but it happened in his lifetime. After his death, it does not.
The important point is that Allah the Exalted may make healing follow the invocation of the owner of a grave as a trial and test, so the person believes with his senses and disbelieves the Shari'ah. He believes with his senses, basing this matter on the apparent thing, and disbelieves the Shari'ah. If someone were to say: “Are there parallels to this?” We say: Yes, Allah may test a person by making the means of disobedience easy as a trial, so that Allah knows who fears Him in secret. Just as He tested the Children of Israel with the fish. Allah forbade them from hunting fish on the day of Sabbath and tested them, so the fish on the day of Sabbath would come to the surface of the water in large numbers, and on days other than the Sabbath, they would not come. So the time became long for them, and they said: “We must hunt on the day of Sabbath, but the day of Sabbath is forbidden for us. What shall we do?” He said: “There is a trick—and the Jews are people of tricks—put a net on Friday, and the fish will come on the Sabbath and enter, and take the fish on Sunday, and say to Allah: ‘We did not hunt on the Sabbath.’” How were they treated?
And you had already known about those who transgressed among you concerning the sabbath, and We said to them, "Be apes, despised."
وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ الَّذِينَ اعْتَدَوْا مِنْكُمْ فِي السَّبْتِ فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَO you who have believed, Allah will surely test you through something of the game that your hands and spears [can] reach, that Allah may make evident those who fear Him unseen
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَيَبْلُوَنَّكُمُ اللَّهُ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الصَّيْدِ تَنَالُهُ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَرِمَاحُكُمْ لِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَخَافُهُ بِالْغَيْبِAmong the benefits of this noble verse is the loud call against the foolishness of these people who worship besides Allah. This is derived from the fact that they turned away from worshipping the One who judges with truth to worshipping the One who does not judge anything, and this is the height of foolishness.