Quran Exegesis "Treasures of the Quran Series"
By: His eminence, the erudite Imam,
Shaykh Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn at-Tijānī al-Ḥasanī
The 'Treasures of the Quran' Series Chapter 16: The Bess - Lecture #3 October 27th, 2017.
In the Name of Allah, al-Rahmān, al-Rahīm All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds
And all blessings and salutations on the Most Noble of Messengers, Sayyiduna Muhammad
and on his household, his companions, and the followers
and may Allah ﷻ be pleased with our Shaykh, Sayyidi Ahmad al-Tijani
and on us on account of his sake, Ameen.
I seek refuge with Allah from the expelled Satan In the Name of Allah, al-Rahmān, al-Rahīm
"Then is He who creates like one who does not create?", [Quran 16:17]
An easy and a simple question.
Is the one who creates like one who does not create?
Everyone will answer, "They are not equal". Yes or no?
But there is one issue here (with this question)
A problematic issue. What is it?
When I want to compare between two (parties), What will I say? (For example,)
"Is the ignorant the same like the knowledgeable one?"
i.e. (usually in this form of comparisons, we compare one in a lower position to another with a higher status)
Do I say , "Is the ignorant one like ...." or "Is the scholar like the ignorant?". The latter doesn't work
Here, He ﷻ says, "Is the one who creates like the one who does not create" [Quran 16:17]
This is a problem; a big problem.
The other issue here is the use of the pronoun (مَـنْ) in [أَفَمَن يَخۡلُقُ كَمَن] which is used for the intelligent one [not used for animals or innamiate objects].
And most interpreters [mufassirūn] said that our Lord ﷻ here is saying, "Are you comparing the idols [statues]
that cannot create anything, and are not gods to Allah, the One Who (creates)?"
But how does He refer to the statues as intelligent entities (through the use of the pronoun) مَـنْ?
So there is a problem here in this verse.
To resolve it, many mufassirūn claimed that here, He ﷻ started with "Is the One Who creates"
as a form of showing-honor (starting with what is nobler)
But the folk of Allah ﷻ (have a different take on this). They do possess a very rare knowledge
called the knowledge concerning "Allah's descent to His attributes
and how one Attribute can represent (replace) another Attribute". What is this knowledge about?
I will tell you
Our Lord ﷻ is not ruled (confined) by any (of His) attributes.
And no rule (even Divine rules) can restrict Him ﷻ.
Nay, He ﷻ has dominion over all Attributes and over all Names. Glorified is He.
Sometimes, He ﷻ "descends in an Attribute" (i.e. attribute something to Himself),
and at other times, He ﷻ exalts Himself far above it (i.e. negates the same attribute).
e.g. He ﷻ says, "So, Glorious is Allah, the Best of all creators", [Quran 23:14]
i.e. He ﷻ gave you one of His attributes, "Yes, you do create, and so do others"
"creating" here in the sense of "making" or "manufacturing"
So here, He ﷻ descended Himself to your level (sharing an attribute) but affirming that He ﷻ is the Best.
"So, Glorious is Allah, the Best of all creators",
You claimed to yourself that you create? Okay. Yes you indeed manufacture and make things. Still, our Lord ﷻ is the Best of creators.
So He ﷻ gave Himself the attribute of "creating"
At other times, He ﷻ tells you, "If you think that you are a creator, know that I am not a Creator"
since you (O human) claimed to yourself (the power to create/make things), I am not a Creator, rather
"I intend things".
i.e. "When I want to bring something new into existence, I don't make it. No"
Kun fa yakūn" "I intend it to be and it becomes"
So sometimes, He ﷻ tells you, "I do create", and at others, He ﷻ tells you, "No. I don't create. I intend"
Okay so far?
Here [Quran 16:17], He ﷻ says, "Is the one who creates", i.e. is the one who makes (or manufactures things)
"like the One Who does not manufacture?" Because His command is "Be and it becomes"?
So He ﷻ exalted Himself above an attribute (creation), and affirmed a stronger one (intention)
'Be and it becomes'
Yes. Do you compare one who makes things (out of existing materials), like the One Who doesn't need that?
One Who simply says unto a thing, "Be and it becomes"?
(Also, it is true that) "Allah does not fail the tryst", [Quran 3:9], but He ﷻ is not bound by trysts.
Yes. He Allah ﷻ may attribute something to Himself but then also exalts Himself far above it
Sometimes, He ﷻ "descends in it", and at other time, He ﷻ deems Himself far above it.
And sometimes, He ﷻ "descends in it", and at other time, He ﷻ negates it (altogether).
Yes. You can never confine or restrict our Lord, Glorified and Exalted is He. Never.
You can never confine Him ﷻ to a (Divine) name, an attribute or an act.
He rules over you (and over everything), Yes.
This is why S. `Issa (ﷺ) told Him (ﷺ), "If You should punish them, indeed they are Your servants, but if You forgive them", [Quran 5:118].
He (ﷺ) "held the stick from the middle" as if to say, "I can't assert anything concerning You or what You are to do"
"Verily, You are Al-`Azīz", [Quran 5:118] Al-`Azīz, i.e. no one can rule over or confine Him or what He does.
"If you decide to forgive, You will forgive. If you decide to punish, You will punish"
This is the right speech, "Whether You do this, or do that, it is all up to You"
(Allah is) the Afflicter and the Benefactor. No one can confine our Lord ﷻ.
"Is the one who creates like the One Who does not create?
i.e. you are the ones who created these idols (statues); you made them (out of existing materials)
and you are the ones who gave (the statues) their forms
i.e. you created their forms.
So the first pronoun (أَفَمَن) is indeed for an intelligent entity (the humans)
So "is the one who creates", i.e. you (the humans) "like the One Who does not create?"
It should be recited in this manner: "Is the one who create like the One Who does not create?"
Do not recite it without intonation. No. Pay attention to the tone and the emphasis.
And because this point needs more than a brain; because it needs some reflection,
(the remaining part of the verse) "should you not pay heed?", [Quran 16:17].
"And if you were to count the favor (one) of Allah", [Quran 16:18], i.e. just one favor;
If you take one favor or blessing, of the blessings of our Lord ﷻ,
and wanted to enumerate the blessings included in this one blessing,
And if you were to count the favor (singular). He ﷻ did not say favors (plural)
And if you were to count one single favor you won't be able to compute it (them).
No one tries to count something unless he thinks he will be able to cover it
Meaning what? If I tell you, "Count me the books", you can do it.
"Count me this ... ", and there is the science of statistics that you can use to compute (many things), yes?
and the numbers could be very large .. Yet, you know that you can compute them somehow.
But did you ever heard of anyone who tried to count the sand?
(NO). Because he can never enumerate them. Therefore, he doesn't start to count them.
So you only count the thing that you can what? (Enumerate)
But with the things that you can't enumerate, you don't even start to count them.
i.e. it is if as our Lord ﷻ is telling you here, "When told by anyone to enumerate the favors,
seek forgiveness from Me" Say? Astaghfir Allah!.
This is why the verse ends by, "Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful", [Quran 16:18].
But when He ﷻ tells you, "Praise Him for the favors", you say, "Alhamdulillah".
In a position of praise, you can praise. In a position of computing, seek forgiveness.
Say, "Astaghfiru Allah". Yes?
And who is addressed by this verse?
Don't think it is directed to the kings who have lots of (apparent) blessings. No.
It is directed to the most abject person on the face of the earth,
as well as to the happiest person on the face of the earth.
The most abject, say both hands and feet are cut off, blind, ...
the one who has nothing! Allah ﷻ is telling him, "If you were to enumerate ..."
(Such person) is still showered by too many favors.
(So the verse is not just addressed to the affluent ones. No).
In another verse, "And if you were to count the favor of Allah", in surat Ibrahim [Quran 14:34]:
"verily, human-being is highly unjust, very ungrateful"
There [Quran 14:34], "Man is unjust, ungrateful" is met here with His attributes, "Allah is Forgiving, Merciful"
Here [Quran 16:18], "Indeed, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful"
Man is highly unjust and very ungrateful and I am ? Forgiving and Merciful.
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