Question 72 - The Enlightening Answer Across the Ether, Vol 2
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Question 72
What is the interpretation of this verse: ‘Then We gave the Book as an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants. Among them is one who wrongs himself, among them is one who follows a middle course, and among them is one who is foremost in good deeds by Allah’s permission. That is the great bounty’ ([110])? Sender: Hasan Ali
Ahmed al-Hasan Response:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the Imams and the Mahdis, and grant them abundant peace. First: choosing means selecting, and the one who selected here is Allah, Glorious and Exalted. Indeed, choosing has another meaning beyond selection: favor above those from among whom the person was selected. This is why one of the most renowned names of the Prophet Muhammad (s) is al-Mustafa-the Chosen One. The verse also describes these chosen ones as servants of Allah, which is undoubtedly a great distinction for them. You find that the finest testimony you can bear concerning the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (s), is that he is the servant of Allah. This name for the Messenger of Allah (s)-servant-occurs in the Quran in a place of great praise for the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (s), in Surat al-Najm ([111]). Then these chosen servants were made to inherit the Book, and the inheritors of the Book are the prophets and vicegerents, no others. Here, then, you find descriptions that apply only to a prophet or a vicegerent: they truly are Allah’s servants; Allah testifies that they are chosen, and Allah is the one who chose them; and they are the inheritors of the Book, and Allah, Glorious is He, is the one who gave it to them as an inheritance. It remains that they are of three ranks: 1. One who wrongs himself; 2. one who follows a middle course; 3. one who is foremost in good deeds. Those foremost in good deeds are only Muhammad and the family of Muhammad (a). Those who follow a middle course are Noah and Abraham (a), and the prophets, messengers, and Imams from the descendants of Abraham (a). Those who wrong themselves are the remaining prophets and messengers (a) who preceded Abraham and those from the descendants of Abraham ([112]). The Exalted said: ‘When his Lord tested Abraham with words and he fulfilled them, He said, “Indeed, I am making you an Imam for the people.” He said, “And from my descendants?” He said, “My covenant does not reach the oppressors”’ ([113]). That is, the oppressors among the prophets. The wrongdoing of the prophets is not an act of disobedience; rather, it is a shortcoming in performing the deed relative to another of the prophet-Imams (a). If Jonah (a) and Muhammad (s) were charged with the same deed, Jonah’s performance of it would not be at the same level as Muhammad’s (s). This shortcoming on Jonah’s part is wrongdoing that caused him not to be among the Imams from the descendants of Abraham (a), and caused him not to be at the rank of Muhammad (s) ([114]). Read The Allegories if you want more detail concerning this verse ([115]).
Source: The Enlightening Answer Across the Ether, Vol 2; Author: Imam Ahmed Al-Hasan; Question 72; Page Not available; AL-JAWAB-AL-MUNIR-V2-Q072. View Arabic source · Open the original Arabic source ↗
Source footnotes
Footnotes are kept separate from the main question and answer and preserve their source-record association.
↑ [110] Fatir 35:32.
↑ [111] This is the word of the Exalted: ‘By the star when it descends. Your companion has neither gone astray nor erred, nor does he speak from desire. It is only a revelation revealed, taught to him by one mighty in power, possessed of strength; and he rose while he was on the highest horizon. Then he drew near and descended, until he was at the distance of two bow-lengths or nearer. Then He revealed to His servant what He revealed. The heart did not deny what it saw. Will you then dispute with him concerning what he sees? He certainly saw him in another descent, by the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, near which is the Garden of Refuge, when there covered the Lote Tree whatever covered it. The sight neither swerved nor transgressed. He certainly saw some of his Lord’s greatest signs.’ Al-Najm 53:1–18. (Commentator.)
↑ [112] Here Sayyid Ahmed Alhasan’s words concern the application of this verse to the prophets and messengers (a), Muhammad, and the vicegerents from his progeny (a). The discussion in this respect differs somewhat from what it would be if it concerned the progeny of the Messenger (s) specifically, without regard to the prophets and messengers (a). Both aspects revolve around recognizing the merit of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) and acknowledging them fully-that is, knowing the Imam and submitting to him-as in the following narration. Salim said: I asked Abu Jafar (a) about the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, ‘Then We gave the Book as an inheritance to those We chose from among Our servants. Among them is one who wrongs himself, among them is one who takes a middle course, and among them is one who is foremost in good deeds by Allah’s permission.’ He said: ‘The one foremost in good deeds is the Imam; the one who takes a middle course is the one who recognizes the Imam; and the one who wrongs himself is the one who does not recognize the Imam.’ Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 214. Know that the one who wrongs himself is not someone outside obedience and allegiance to the Ahl al-Bayt (a), because one who dies without allegiance to the Ahl al-Bayt (a) does not enter Paradise, while this verse describes all three groups as chosen and as people of Paradise in the verses that follow it. It is known that Allah the Exalted does not choose someone who is among the people of the Fire. Rather, wrongdoing here is falling short in knowledge, obedience, acknowledgment, or submission. This is what Imam al-Rida (a) expressly stated in the following report. In a debate between Imam al-Rida (a) and the scholars of some sects in the gathering of the Abbasid al-Mamun: ‘… Al-Mamun said, “Tell me the meaning of this verse: ‘Then We gave the Book as an inheritance to those We chose from among Our servants.’” The scholars said, “By that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, meant the entire nation.” Al-Mamun said, “What do you say, O Abu al-Hasan?” Al-Rida (a) said, “I do not say what they said. Rather, I say that Allah meant the pure progeny.” Al-Mamun said, “How did He mean the progeny to the exclusion of the nation?” Al-Rida (a) said, “If He had meant the nation, all of it would have been in Paradise, because of the words of Allah, Blessed and Exalted: ‘Among them is one who wrongs himself, among them is one who takes a middle course, and among them is one who is foremost in good deeds by Allah’s permission. That is the great bounty.’ Then He gathered all of them in Paradise and said: ‘Gardens of Eden which they will enter, adorned therein with bracelets of gold.’ The inheritance therefore belongs to the pure progeny and no one else.”’ Al-Amali by Sheikh al-Saduq, p. 615. It is known that Allah the Exalted tested the past nations and the prophets and messengers through allegiance to the Ahl al-Bayt (a) and acknowledgment of them, just as He tested the nation of Muhammad (s) through it, as in the following narration from the Commander of the Faithful (a). Abu al-Hasan al-Rida (a), concerning the words of the Exalted, ‘About what do they question one another? About the tremendous news concerning which they disagree,’ said: ‘The Commander of the Faithful (a) said: “Allah has no news greater than me and no sign greater than me. My merit was presented to the past nations despite the differences in their languages, but they did not acknowledge my merit.”’ Mustadrak Safinat al-Bihar by Sheikh Ali al-Namazi, vol. 9, p. 509. The prophets were ranked above one another according to their acknowledgment of the merit of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, each according to his measure. Indeed, those of firm determination were described as such because of their firm determination to acknowledge the merit of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad (a), as in the following narration. Concerning the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, ‘We had already made a covenant with Adam before, but he forgot, and We found no firm determination in him,’ Abu Jafar (a) said: ‘We made a covenant with him concerning Muhammad and the Imams after him, but he abandoned it and did not firmly resolve that they were so. Those of firm determination were called those of firm determination because He made a covenant with them concerning Muhammad, the vicegerents after him, the Mahdi, and his conduct, and their determination was unanimous that this was so and that they would acknowledge it.’ Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 416. Thus, Sayyid Ahmed Alhasan’s words here concern the ranks of the prophets and messengers (a) and the Imams (a). Those foremost in good deeds are Muhammad and the family of Muhammad (a), because they preceded everyone in acknowledging Allah the Exalted and responding to His call when He addressed creation with His words, ‘Am I not your Lord?’ Those who take a middle course are the Imams from among the prophets and messengers (a). This rank is not attained by wrongdoers-in this sense-and therefore you find that Allah the Exalted answered Abraham, when he asked about the Imamate among his progeny, that the wrongdoers do not attain it. The Exalted said: ‘When his Lord tested Abraham with words and he fulfilled them, He said: “Indeed, I will make you an Imam for the people.” He said: “And from my progeny?” He said: “My covenant does not reach the wrongdoers.”’ Those who wrong themselves are the rest of the prophets and messengers (a), who fell short without committing disobedience. All three groups are in Paradise, as Allah the Exalted informed, and are among the chosen-that is, those whom Allah the Exalted chose for Imamate, messengership, or prophethood. (Commentator.)
↑ [113] Al-Baqara 2:124.
↑ [114] Habba al-Urani said: The Commander of the Faithful (a) said, ‘Allah presented allegiance to me to the inhabitants of the heavens and the inhabitants of the earth. Whoever acknowledged it was brought near, and whoever denied it was rejected. Jonah denied it, so Allah confined him in the belly of the fish until he acknowledged it.’ Madinat al-Muajiz by Sayyid Hashim al-Bahrani, vol. 2, p. 35. In a discourse between them, the Commander of the Faithful (a) said to Salman al-Muhammadi: ‘… Do you know the story of Job and the reason Allah’s blessing upon him changed?’ He said, ‘Allah knows best, and you, O Commander of the Faithful.’ He said: ‘When it was time to be sent forth to speak, Job doubted my authority and wept, saying, “This is a grave matter and a tremendous affair.” Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: “O Job, do you doubt a form that I established? I tested Adam with the trial, then granted it to him and pardoned him through submitting to the Commander of the Faithful, while you say, ‘A grave matter and a tremendous affair’? By My might, I will make you taste My punishment unless you turn to Me in repentance through obedience to the Commander of the Faithful.” Then happiness reached him through me.’ Madinat al-Muajiz by Sayyid Hashim al-Bahrani, vol. 2, p. 32. (Commentator.)
↑ [115] The Allegories, vol. 4, 1st ed., p. 18 and following. (Commentator.)
References
- ↑ Ahmed Al-Hasan. The Enlightening Answer Across the Ether, Vol 2. Question 72; Page Not available. AL-JAWAB-AL-MUNIR-V2-Q072. View Arabic source
Cite this page
Ahmed Al-Hasan. The Enlightening Answer Across the Ether, Vol 2. Question: 72. Page: Not available. AL-JAWAB-AL-MUNIR-V2-Q072. https://ahmedalhasan.org/ar/Library/BookContent/52