Exegesis of the Verse: (Those who believed and did not mix their faith with injustice; those will have security, and they are rightly guided)

Question:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, the leader of the white-forelocked, and upon his family and all his Companions. O Allah, teach us what benefits us, benefit us with what You have taught us, and increase us in knowledge, O the Generous. We welcome our brothers and sisters with the warmest welcome to the Wednesday gathering; this gathering that brings us together with His Eminence, the distinguished scholar, Shaykh Salih ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan, a member of the Council of Senior Scholars and a member of the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta. On behalf of you all, ladies and gentlemen, we welcome His Eminence, Shaykh Salih, and thank him for graciously accepting the invitation. Welcome, Shaykh Salih. The Shaykh: May Allah greet you and bless you. Question: We begin by inquiring about and pausing to reflect on the noble verse in the saying of the Truth—Blessed and Exalted is He—in Surat al-An'am: I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan. (Those who believed and did not mix their faith with injustice; those will have security, and they are rightly guided)

Answer:
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. This verse is in the context of what Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) mentioned regarding the argument of Ibrahim with his people, where it began with: (And thus We showed Ibrahim the dominion of the heavens and the earth that he might be among those who are certain. So when the night covered him, he saw a star and said, "This is my Lord"). This is a matter of debate and clarifying the truth to them, so that it becomes clear that they are not upon the truth, and that they worship the stars; the people of Haran worshiped the stars! He wanted to invalidate what they were upon of worshipping the stars. (So when the night covered him): the night covered him with its darkness. (He saw a star): in the sky. (He said, "This is my Lord"): meaning, according to your claim. (So when it set): it disappeared. (He said, "I do not love that which sets"): that which disappears, recedes, and moves from the east to the west. This is something that recedes; that which recedes cannot be a god. (So when it set, he said, "I do not love that which sets"). (So when he saw the moon rising, he said, "This is my Lord. So when it set): it disappeared. (He said, "If my Lord does not guide me): to the knowledge of the true Lord, the Owner of sovereignty, the Possessor of majesty and honor, (if my Lord does not guide me, I will surely be among the people who go astray). (So when he saw the sun rising, he said, "This is my Lord"): all of this is a matter of debate with his people to demonstrate the falsity of what they are upon of worshipping the stars; he progressed from the smallest to the largest, the largest of which is the sun. (So when he saw the sun rising, he said, "This is my Lord. This is greater. So when it set): it disappeared in the horizon. (He said, "O my people! Indeed, I am disassociated from what you associate [with Allah]): this is not suitable for the gods you worship; it is not suitable for worship and not suitable for divinity, because it recedes, emerging from the east and going to the west; this is something that recedes, so it is not a god. (So when it set, he said, "O my people! Indeed, I am disassociated from what you associate [with Allah]): disassociated from what you worship. (Indeed, I have turned my face toward He who created the heavens and the earth, inclining [to Him], and I am not of those who associate others with Allah): He who manages these celestial bodies and these stars is the one who deserves worship, because He is the Owner of sovereignty, capable of everything. This is the Lord who deserves worship. As for that which recedes and moves from the east to the west, that is a creation; a creation cannot be a god, but rather it is a servant. (So when it set, he said, "O my people! Indeed, I am disassociated from what you associate [with Allah]. Indeed, I have turned my face toward He who created the heavens and the earth, inclining [to Him], and I am not of those who associate others with Allah): I turned my face to the Creator, the Originator, the Fashioner, who created these celestial bodies, managed them, and directed them by His power and management (Glorified is He) and by His knowledge. This is the Lord who deserves worship. (So when it set, he said, "O my people! Indeed, I am disassociated from what you associate [with Allah]): from worshipping the stars and everything that is worshipped besides Allah (Mighty and Majestic). (And his people argued with him): they debated him in this; (And his people argued with him, saying, "Do you argue with me concerning Allah): meaning (Glorified and Exalted is He) who created the heavens and the earth. (And his people argued with him, saying, "Do you argue with me concerning Allah): they were defeated in this debate, and they had no evidence to counter the arguments of Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him). So he (peace and blessings be upon him) demonstrated the falsity of these stars and the falsity of the religion of these people who worship them. (He said, "Do you argue with me concerning Allah while He has guided me): He directed me and guided me to the Creator who deserves worship other than what else. (Do you argue with me concerning Allah? He has guided me, and I do not fear what you associate [with Him]): from idols and stars; I do not fear them because they are created and managed by the hand of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). (And I do not fear what you associate [with Him] except that my Lord wills something): so the matter is in the hand of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He); He guides whom He wills and misguides whom He wills. (Do you argue with me concerning Allah while He has guided me, and I do not fear what you associate [with Him]): from stars and idols; I do not fear them because they are created, weak, and managed, having nothing of the command. (Except that my Lord wills something. My Lord has encompassed all things in knowledge. Will you not then remember?): so Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) established the argument through His close friend Ibrahim against them, and they were defeated. (And I do not fear what you associate [with Him] except that my Lord wills something. My Lord has encompassed all things in knowledge. Will you not then remember?): How should I fear what you have associated [with Him]? How should I fear what you have associated from these weak creations? And you do not fear that you have associated with Allah, the Owner of sovereignty, the Possessor of majesty and honor, the One capable of everything. (And I do not fear what you associate [with Him] except that my Lord wills something. My Lord has encompassed all things in knowledge. Will you not then remember? And how should I fear what you have associated [with Him] while you do not fear that you have associated with Allah that for which He has not sent down any authority): meaning evidence. What is your evidence for worshipping the creations and the stars? (And you do not fear that you have associated with Allah that for which He has not sent down any authority. So which of the two groups): I or you, (is more deserving of security if you should know?): the one who worships Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) or the one who worships the stars. He asked them: (So which of the two groups is more deserving of security), and freedom from intimidation, and freedom from fear of these creations. Which group is more deserving of security, the one who worships Allah alone, the Owner of sovereignty, or the one who worships these stars and creations that possess nothing? (If you should know). (So which of the two groups is more deserving of security if you should know). Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: (And that is Our argument which We gave Ibrahim against his people). Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) is the one who taught Ibrahim, inspired him, and revealed to him, so He defeated them. So which of the two groups is more deserving of security if you should know? Then Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) clarified which of the two groups is more deserving of security. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: (Those who believe and do not mix their belief): meaning their tawhid (oneness of Allah), (with injustice): meaning with shirk (associating partners with Allah). Injustice here is shirk, as in His saying (Glorified is He): (O my son, do not associate others with Allah. Indeed, shirk is great injustice). So it is the greatest of injustices. (Those who believe and do not mix their belief), meaning their tawhid, (with injustice), meaning with shirk, (those are the ones for whom is security): either absolute security with no fear, or absolute security, which may involve fear but the end is for the people of tawhid, even if they are tormented, and even if what happens to them happens, their outcome is safety and success in Paradise. (Those who believe and do not mix their belief), meaning their tawhid, (with injustice), meaning with shirk, (those are the ones for whom is security), absolute, or absolute security, according to their faith and their belief, (and they are guided): meaning they proceed upon the truth, guided in their proceeding to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). They are upon guidance, and you are upon misguidance. (Those are the ones for whom is security and they are guided. And that is Our argument which We gave Ibrahim against his people), to the end of the verse.