S 2 A 21

ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: وَ لَوْ شٰاءَ اللّٰهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمْعِهِمْ وَ أَبْصٰارِهِمْ حَتَّى لاَ يَتَهَيَّأَ لَهُمُ الاِحْتِرَازُ مِنْ أَنْ تَقِفَ عَلَى كُفْرِهِمْ،أَنْتَ وَ أَصْحَابُكَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ،وَ تُوجِبُ قَتْلَهُمْ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ لاَ يُعْجِزُهُ شَيْءٌ».

Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: And if Allah willed, He would take away their hearing and their sight, such that they would not even be able to avoid that you and your believing companions should discover their disbelief, and you would then be obliged to kill them. Surely Allah has power over all things; nothing incapacitates Him.

99-/350 _1- و قال عليّ بن إبراهيم:قوله: أَوْ كَصَيِّبٍ مِنَ السَّمٰاءِ أي كمطر،و هو مثل الكفّار،قال:و قوله: يَخْطَفُ أَبْصٰارَهُمْ أي يعمي.

Ali ibn Ibrahim said: His words, Or like a rainstorm from the sky, means like rain, and it is a parable of the unbelievers. And His words, It almost snatches away their sight, means it blinds.

قوله تعالى: يٰا أَيُّهَا النّٰاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ[21]

Qur’an 2:21 — O men! serve your Lord Who created you and those before you so that you may guard (against evil). (M. H. Shakir)

99-/351 _2- قَالَ الْإِمَامُ(عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ):«قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ(عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ) فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: يٰا أَيُّهَا النّٰاسُ يَعْنِي سَائِرَ الْمُكَلَّفِينَ مِنْ وُلْدِ آدَمَ. اُعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ أَطِيعُوا رَبَّكُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَكُمْ،أَنْ تَعْتَقِدُوا أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ،وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ،وَ لاَ شَبِيهَ لَهُ وَ لاَ مِثْلَ،عَدْلٌ لاَ يَجُورُ،جَوَادٌ لاَ يَبْخَلُ،حَلِيمٌ لاَ يَعْجَلُ،حَكِيمٌ لاَ يَخْطَلُ [1]،وَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً(صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ)عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ،وَ بِأَنَّ آلَ مُحَمَّدٍ أَفْضَلُ آلِ النَّبِيِّينَ،وَ أَنَّ عَلِيّاً(عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ)أَفْضَلُ[آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ،وَ أَنَّ أَصْحَابَ مُحَمَّدٍ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْهُمْ أَفْضَلُ صَحَابَةِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ،وَ أَنَّ أُمَّةَ مُحَمَّدٍ أَفْضَلُ]أُمَمِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ. ثُمَّ قَالَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: اَلَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ اعْبُدُوا الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ مَهِينٍ،فَجَعَلَهُ فِي قَرَارٍ مَكِينٍ، إِلَى قَدَرِ مَعْلُومٍ،فَقَدَّرَهُ فَنِعْمَ الْقَادِرُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ. [2] قَوْلُهُ: اُعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ أَيْ اعْبُدُوا بِتَعْظِيمِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ(عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ) اَلَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ نَسَماً،وَ سَوَّاكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ،وَ صَوَّرَكُمْ،فَأَحْسَنَ صُوَرَكُمْ. ثُمَّ قَالَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: وَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ قَالَ:وَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ مِنْ سَائِرِ أَصْنَافِ النَّاسِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ قَالَ:لَهَا وَجْهَانَ: أَحَدُهُمَا:وَ خَلَقَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ-كُلَّكُمْ-تَتَّقُونَ،أَيْ لِتَتَّقُوا كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: وَ مٰا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَ الْإِنْسَ إِلاّٰ لِيَعْبُدُونِ [3]. وَ الْوَجْهُ الْآخَرُ:اُعْبُدُوا الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ،وَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ،لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ،أَيْ اعْبُدُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ النَّارَ،

99-/351 _2- The Imam (peace be upon him) said: Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him), regarding His saying, O mankind, said: It means all those morally responsible from among the children of Adam. Serve your Lord means: obey your Lord as He has commanded you—that you hold the belief that there is no god but Allah, alone, without partner, without likeness and without equal; He is Just and does not wrong, Generous and does not withhold, Forbearing and does not hasten, Wise and does not err [1]; and that Muhammad (may Allah bless him and his family) is His servant and His messenger; and that the family of Muhammad are the best of the families of the prophets; and that Ali (peace be upon him) is the best of [the family of Muhammad; and that the believing companions of Muhammad are the best of the companions of the messengers; and that the community of Muhammad is the best of] the communities of the messengers. Then He, Mighty and Majestic, said: Who created you—serve the One who created you from a sperm-drop of a base fluid, then placed it in a secure lodging until a known measure; then He proportioned it—so how excellent a Proportioner is the Lord of the worlds. [2] His words: Serve your Lord Who created you and those before you, that is, serve [Him] by exalting Muhammad and Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon them), [He] Who created you as living souls, then fashioned you thereafter, and formed you and made your forms most excellent. Then He, Mighty and Majestic, said: And those before you—He said: And Allah created those before you from the various kinds of people—so that you may be Godwary. He said: it has two aspects: One of them: And [He] created those before you so that you all may be Godwary, that is, in order that you might be Godwary, just as Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should serve Me. [3] And the other aspect: Serve [Him] Who created you and those before you, so that you may be Godwary, that is, serve Him so that you may guard yourselves from the Fire.

_1) -تفسير القمّيّ 1:34.

_Tafsir al-Qummi 1:34.

_2) -التفسير المنسوب إلى الإمام العسكريّ(عليه السّلام):68/139 و 69 و 71.

_al-Tafsir al-mansub ila al-Imam al-‘Askari (alayhi al-salam): 68/139, 69, and 71.

[1] الخطل:المنطق الفاسد المضطرب،و قد خطل في كلامه و أخطل،أي أفحش.«الصحاح-خلل-4:1685».

[1] al-khatl: faulty, disordered speech; one may say khatila fi kalamihi and akhtala, i.e., he spoke most offensively. “al-Sihah — kh-l-l — 4:1685.”

[2] في«س»و«ط»:فقدّرنا فنعم القادرون العالمون.

[2] In “S” and “T”: faqaddarnā fana‘ma al-qādirūna al-‘ālimūn.

[3] الذّاريات 51:56.

[3] al-Dhariyat 51:56.

وَ(لَعَلَّ)مِنَ اللَّهِ وَاجِبٌ،لِأَنَّهُ أَكْرَمُ مِنْ أَنْ يُعَنِّيَ [1] عَبْدَهُ بِلاَ مَنْفَعَةٍ،وَ يُطْمِعَهُ فِي فَضْلِهِ ثُمَّ يُخَيِّبَهُ،أَ لاَ تَرَاهُ كَيْفَ قَبُحَ مِنْ عَبْدٍ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ،إِذَا قَالَ لِرَجُلٍ:اُخْدُمْنِي لَعَلَّكَ تَنْتَفِعُ بِي،وَ لَعَلِّي أَنْفَعُكَ بِهَا؛فَيَخْدُمُهُ،ثُمَّ يُخَيِّبُهُ وَ لاَ يَنْفَعُهُ، فَاللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَكْرَمُ فِي أَفْعَالِهِ،وَ أَبْعَدُ مِنَ الْقَبِيحِ فِي أَعْمَالِهِ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ».

And “so that perhaps” from Allah is mandatory, for He is too generous to burden [1] His servant without benefit, and to make him hope in His bounty and then disappoint him. Do you not see how reprehensible it is from one of His servants if he says to a man: Serve me; perhaps you will benefit from me, and perhaps I will benefit you by it; then the man serves him, and he disappoints him and does not benefit him? Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is more generous in His acts and further removed from ugliness in His deeds than His servants.

قوله تعالى:

اَلَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ فِرٰاشاً وَ السَّمٰاءَ بِنٰاءً وَ أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمٰاءِ مٰاءً فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِ مِنَ الثَّمَرٰاتِ رِزْقاً لَكُمْ فَلاٰ تَجْعَلُوا لِلّٰهِ أَنْدٰاداً وَ أَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ[22]

Qur’an 2:22 — Who made the earth a resting place for you and the heaven a canopy and (Who) sends down rain from the cloud; then brings forth with it subsistence for you of the fruits; therefore do not set up rivals to Allah while you know. (M. H. Shakir)

99-/352 _1- ابْنُ بَابَوَيْهِ،قَالَ:حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ الْمُفَسِّرُ(رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ)،قَالَ:حَدَّثَنِي يُوسُفُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ،وَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَيَّارٍ،عَنْ أَبَوَيْهِمَا،عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ،عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ،عَنْ أَبِيهِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُوسَى الرِّضَا،عَنْ أَبِيهِ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ،عَنْ أَبِيهِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ،عَنْ أَبِيهِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ،عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ(عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلاَمُ) فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: اَلَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ فِرٰاشاً وَ السَّمٰاءَ بِنٰاءً . قَالَ:«جَعَلَهَا مُلاَئِمَةً لِطَبَائِعِكُمْ،مُوَافِقَةً لِأَجْسَادِكُمْ،وَ لَمْ يَجْعَلْهَا شَدِيدَةَ الْحَمْيِ وَ الْحَرَارَةِ فَتُحْرِقَكُمْ،وَ لاَ شَدِيدَةَ الْبُرُودَةِ فَتُجْمِدَكُمْ،وَ لاَ شَدِيدَةَ الرِّيحِ فَتُصَدِّعَ هَامَاتِكُمْ،وَ لاَ شَدِيدَةَ النَّتْنِ فَتُعْطِبَكُمْ [2]،وَ لاَ شَدِيدَةَ اللِّينِ كَالْمَاءِ فَتُغْرِقَكُمْ،وَ لاَ شَدِيدَةَ الصَّلاَبَةِ فَتَمْتَنِعَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي دُورِكُمْ،وَ أَبْنِيَتِكُمْ،وَ قُبُورِ مَوْتَاكُمْ.وَ لَكِنَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ جَعَلَ فِيهَا مِنَ الْمَتَانَةِ مَا تَنْتَفِعُونَ بِهِ،وَ تَتَمَاسَكُونَ،وَ تَتَمَاسَكُ عَلَيْهَا أَبْدَانُكُمْ وَ بُنْيَانُكُمْ،وَ جَعَلَ فِيهَا مَا تَنْقَادُ بِهِ لِدُورِكُمْ، وَ قُبُورِكُمْ،وَ كَثِيرٍ مِنْ مَنَافِعِكُمْ،فَلِذَلِكَ جَعَلَ الْأَرْضَ فِرَاشاً لَكُمْ. ثُمَّ قَالَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: وَ السَّمٰاءَ بِنٰاءً أَيْ سَقْفاً مَحْفُوظاً،يُدِيرُ فِيهَا شَمْسَهَا وَ قَمَرَهَا،وَ نُجُومَهَا لِمَنَافِعِكُمْ. ثُمَّ قَالَ تَعَالَى: وَ أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمٰاءِ مٰاءً يَعْنِي الْمَطَرَ،[نَزَّلَهُ]مِنْ أَعْلَى لِيَبْلُغَ قُلَلَ جِبَالِكُمْ،وَ تِلاَلِكُمْ، وَ هِضَابِكُمْ وَ أَوْهَادِكُمْ [3]،ثُمَّ فَرَّقَهُ رَذَاذاً [4]،وَ وَابِلاً [5]،وَ هَطْلاً [6] لِتَنْشَفَهُ [7] أَرَضُوكُمْ،وَ لَمْ يَجْعَلْ ذَلِكَ الْمَطَرَ نَازِلاً

99-352 _2- Ibn Babawayh said: Muhammad ibn al-Qasim al-Mufassir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated to us; he said: Yusuf ibn Muhammad ibn Ziyad and Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Sayyar, from their two fathers, from al-Hasan ibn Ali, from his father Ali ibn Muhammad, from his father Muhammad ibn Ali, from his father Ali ibn Musa al-Rida, from his father Musa ibn Ja‘far, from his father Ja‘far ibn Muhammad, from his father Muhammad ibn Ali, from his father Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon them), regarding the saying of Allah, Exalted: Who made the earth for you a resting place and the heaven a structure. He said: He made it suited to your natures and compatible with your bodies. He did not make it extremely hot and fiery so that it would burn you, nor extremely cold so that it would freeze you, nor exceedingly windy so that it would split your skulls, nor extremely foul-smelling so that it would destroy you [2], nor excessively soft like water so that it would drown you, nor excessively hard so that it would prevent you in your houses, your buildings, and the graves of your dead. Rather, Mighty and Majestic, He placed in it such firmness as you benefit from and by which you hold together; and your bodies and your buildings are supported upon it. And He placed in it that by which it yields to your houses and your graves and many of your benefits. For that reason He made the earth a couch for you. Then He, Mighty and Majestic, said: And the heaven a structure—meaning a preserved roof, in which He makes its sun, its moon, and its stars revolve for your benefits. Then He, Exalted, said: And He sent down water from the sky—meaning rain—He sent it down from above so that it reaches the summits of your mountains, your hills, your ridges, and your lowlands [3]. Then He dispersed it as drizzle [4], heavy showers [5], and downpours [6], so that your lands may drink it in [7]. And He did not make that rain descend …

_1) -التّوحيد:11/403.

_al-Tawhid: 11/403.

[1] العناء:التعب و النصب.«مجمع البحرين-عنا-1:308.»

[1] al-‘anā’: toil and weariness. “Majma‘ al-Bahrayn — ‘nā — 1:308.”

[2] العطب:الهلاك،و أعطبه:أهلكه.«الصحاح-عطب-1:184».

[2] al-‘atb: destruction; a‘tabahu: he destroyed him. “al-Sihah — ‘tb — 1:184.”

[3] الوهدة:المكان المطمئنّ.«الصحاح-وهد-2:554».

[3] al-wahdah: a low, sunken place. “al-Sihah — w-h-d — 2:554.”

[4] الرّذاذ:المطر الضعيف.«الصحاح-رذذ-2:565».

[4] al-radhādh: light rain. “al-Sihah — r-dh-dh — 2:565.”

[5] الوابل:المطر الشديد.«الصحاح-وبل-5:1840».

[5] al-wābil: heavy rain. “al-Sihah — w-bl — 5:1840.”

[6] الهطل:تتابع المطر.«الصحاح-هطل-5:1850».

[6] al-haṭl: continuous rain. “al-Sihah — h-ṭ-l — 5:1850.”

[7] نشف الحوض الماء:شربه،و تنشّفه كذلك.«الصحاح-نشف-4:1432».

[7] nashafa al-ḥawḍa al-mā’a: it drank up the water; tatanashshafuhu likewise. “al-Sihah — n-sh-f — 4:1432.”

Qur’anic cross-reference:

وَ مٰا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَ الْإِنْسَ إِلاّٰ لِيَعْبُدُونِ [3]

Qur’an 51:56 — And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should serve Me. (M. H. Shakir)