The Spider — Verse 21

The Evidence for Life after Death Allah tells us that Ibrahim, peace be upon him, showed them the proof of life after death, which they denied, in their souls. For Allah created them after they had been nothing at all, then they came into existence and became people who could hear and see. The One Who originated this is able to repeat it, it is very easy for Him. Then he taught them to contemplate the visible signs on the horizons and the things that Allah has created: the heavens with their stars and planets, moving and stationary, the earth with its plains and mountains, its valleys, deserts and wildernesses, trees and rivers, fruits and oceans. All of that indicates that these are themselves created things, and that there must be a Creator Who does as He chooses, Who merely says to a thing "Be!" and it is. Allah says: أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ كَيْفَ يُبْدِىءُ اللَّهُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ إِنَّ ذلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ (See they not how Allah originates the creation, then repeats it. Verily, that is easy for Allah.) This is like the Ayah: وَهُوَ الَّذِى يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ (And He it is Who originates the creation, then He will repeat it; and this is easier for Him) (30:27). Then Allah says: قُلْ سِيرُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَانظُرُواْ كَيْفَ بَدَأَ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ اللَّهُ يُنشِىءُ النَّشْأَةَ الاٌّخِرَةَ (Say: "Travel in the land and see how He originated the creation, and then Allah will bring forth the creation of the Hereafter.") meaning, the Day of Resurrection. إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ (Verily, Allah is able to do all things.) يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرْحَمُ مَن يَشَآءُ (He punishes whom He wills, and shows mercy to whom He wills;) He is the Ruler Who is in control, Who does as He wishes and judges as He wants, and there is none who can put back His judgement. None can question Him about what He does; rather it is they who will be questioned, for His is the power to create and to command, and whatever He decides is fair and just, for He is the sovereign who cannot be unjust in the slightest. According to a Hadith recorded by the Sunan compilers: «إِنَّ اللهَ لَوْ عَذَّبَ أَهْلَ سَمَاوَاتِهِ وَأَهْلَ أَرْضِهِ لَعَذَّبَهُمْ وَهُوَ غَيْرُ ظَالِم لَهُم» (If Allah willed to punish the dwellers of His heavens and His earth, He would do so, while He would not be unjust to them.) Allah says: يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرْحَمُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُقْلَبُونَ (He punishes whom He wills, and shows mercy to whom He wills; and to Him you will be returned.) You will return to Him on the Day of Resurrection. وَمَآ أَنتُمْ بِمُعْجِزِينَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ فِى السَّمَآءِ (And you cannot escape on the earth or in the heaven. ) No one in heaven or on earth can flee from Him, for He is the Subduer Who is above His servants, and everything fears Him and is in need of Him, while He is the One Who is Independent of all else. وَمَا لَكُمْ مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّ وَلاَ نَصِيرٍوَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَايَـتِ اللَّهِ وَلِقَآئِهِ (And besides Allah you have neither any protector nor any helper. And those who disbelieve in the Ayat of Allah and the meeting with Him,) Those who disbelieved in the signs of Allah and denied the Resurrection, أُوْلَـئِكَ يَئِسُواْ مِن رَّحْمَتِى (such have no hope of My mercy) they will have no share in it, وَأُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (and for such there is a painful torment.) meaning, extremely painful, in this world and the next.

He chastises whomever He will to chastise and has mercy on whomever He will to have mercy and to Him you shall be returned.

He chastises whom He will and has mercy on whom He will. When He wants He acts with justice toward someone and drives him away from His kindness, and when He wants He acts with bounty toward him and calls him to His gentleness. All is tied to His beginningless will, and He issues the decree without any cause. It is not that He shows bounty toward someone because of his obedience, nor that He acts with justice toward someone because of his disobedience. That is a work that was taken care of in the Beginningless, a decree that went out as God wanted. The Pir of the Tariqah said, “Alas for the apportioning that has gone before me! Alack for the words spoken by the Self-Seer! What profit if I live happily or distraught? I fear what the Power- ful said in the Beginningless.” He chastises whom He will through abandonment and He has mercy upon whom He will through giving the success of beautiful doing. He chastises whom He will through ingratitude and He has mercy upon whom He will through faith. He chastises whom He will through dispersion of the heart and He has mercy upon whom He will through the togetherness of aspiration. He chas- tises whom He will by casting him into the darkness of self-governance and He has mercy upon whom He will by giving him to witness the flow of predetermination. He chastises whom He will by his love for this world and being held back from it and He has mercy upon whom He will by his renunciation of it and its expansion for him. He chastises whom He will by His turning away from him and He has mercy upon whom He will by His turning toward him.

He chastises whom He will and has mercy on whom He will. When He wants He acts with justice toward someone and drives him away from His kindness, and when He wants He acts with bounty toward him and calls him to His gentleness. All is tied to His beginningless will, and He issues the decree without any cause. It is not that He shows bounty toward someone because of his obedience, nor that He acts with justice toward someone because of his disobedience. That is a work that was taken care of in the Beginningless, a decree that went out as God wanted. The Pir of the Tariqah said, “Alas for the apportioning that has gone before me! Alack for the words spoken by the Self-Seer! What profit if I live happily or distraught? I fear what the Power- ful said in the Beginningless.” He chastises whom He will through abandonment and He has mercy upon whom He will through giving the success of beautiful doing. He chastises whom He will through ingratitude and He has mercy upon whom He will through faith. He chastises whom He will through dispersion of the heart and He has mercy upon whom He will through the togetherness of aspiration. He chas- tises whom He will by casting him into the darkness of self-governance and He has mercy upon whom He will by giving him to witness the flow of predetermination. He chastises whom He will by his love for this world and being held back from it and He has mercy upon whom He will by his renunciation of it and its expansion for him. He chastises whom He will by His turning away from him and He has mercy upon whom He will by His turning toward him.

He chastises whom He will and has mercy on whom He will. When He wants He acts with justice toward someone and drives him away from His kindness, and when He wants He acts with bounty toward him and calls him to His gentleness. All is tied to His beginningless will, and He issues the decree without any cause. It is not that He shows bounty toward someone because of his obedience, nor that He acts with justice toward someone because of his disobedience. That is a work that was taken care of in the Beginningless, a decree that went out as God wanted. The Pir of the Tariqah said, “Alas for the apportioning that has gone before me! Alack for the words spoken by the Self-Seer! What profit if I live happily or distraught? I fear what the Power- ful said in the Beginningless.” He chastises whom He will through abandonment and He has mercy upon whom He will through giving the success of beautiful doing. He chastises whom He will through ingratitude and He has mercy upon whom He will through faith. He chastises whom He will through dispersion of the heart and He has mercy upon whom He will through the togetherness of aspiration. He chas- tises whom He will by casting him into the darkness of self-governance and He has mercy upon whom He will by giving him to witness the flow of predetermination. He chastises whom He will by his love for this world and being held back from it and He has mercy upon whom He will by his renunciation of it and its expansion for him. He chastises whom He will by His turning away from him and He has mercy upon whom He will by His turning toward him.

He chastises whom He will and has mercy on whom He will. When He wants He acts with justice toward someone and drives him away from His kindness, and when He wants He acts with bounty toward him and calls him to His gentleness. All is tied to His beginningless will, and He issues the decree without any cause. It is not that He shows bounty toward someone because of his obedience, nor that He acts with justice toward someone because of his disobedience. That is a work that was taken care of in the Beginningless, a decree that went out as God wanted. The Pir of the Tariqah said, “Alas for the apportioning that has gone before me! Alack for the words spoken by the Self-Seer! What profit if I live happily or distraught? I fear what the Power- ful said in the Beginningless.” He chastises whom He will through abandonment and He has mercy upon whom He will through giving the success of beautiful doing. He chastises whom He will through ingratitude and He has mercy upon whom He will through faith. He chastises whom He will through dispersion of the heart and He has mercy upon whom He will through the togetherness of aspiration. He chas- tises whom He will by casting him into the darkness of self-governance and He has mercy upon whom He will by giving him to witness the flow of predetermination. He chastises whom He will by his love for this world and being held back from it and He has mercy upon whom He will by his renunciation of it and its expansion for him. He chastises whom He will by His turning away from him and He has mercy upon whom He will by His turning toward him.

He chastises whom He will and has mercy on whom He will.When He wants He acts with justice toward someone and drives him away from His kindness, and when He wants He acts with bounty toward him and calls him to His gentleness. All is tied to His beginningless will, and He issues the decree without any cause. It is not that He shows bounty toward someone because of his obedience, nor that He acts with justice toward someone because of his disobedience. That is a work that was taken care of in the Beginningless, a decree that went out as God wanted.The Pir of the Tariqah said, �Alas for the apportioning that has gone before me! Alack for the words spoken by the Self-Seer! What profit if I live happily or distraught? I fear what the Power- ful said in the Beginningless.�He chastises whom He will through abandonment and He has mercy upon whom He will through giving the success of beautiful doing. He chastises whom He will through ingratitude and He has mercy upon whom He will through faith. He chastises whom He will through dispersion of the heart and He has mercy upon whom He will through the togetherness of aspiration. He chas- tises whom He will by casting him into the darkness of self-governance and He has mercy upon whom He will by giving him to witness the flow of predetermination. He chastises whom He will by his love for this world and being held back from it and He has mercy upon whom He will by his renunciation of it and its expansion for him. He chastises whom He will by His turning away from him and He has mercy upon whom He will by His turning toward him.

يعذب مَن يشاء مِن خلقه على ما أسلف مِن جرمه في أيام حياته، ويرحم مَن يشاء منهم ممن تاب وآمن وعمل صالحًا، وإليه ترجعون، فيجازيكم بما عملتم.

وقوله تعالى "يعذب من يشاء ويرحم من يشاء" أي هو الحاكم المتصرف الذي يفعل ما يشاء ويحكم ما يريد لا معقب لحكمه ولا يسأل عما يفعل وهم يسألون فله الخلق والأمر مهما فعل فعدل لأنه المالك الذي لا يظلم مثقال ذرة كما جاء في الحديث الذى رواه أهل السنن "إن الله لو عذب أهل سماواته وأهل أرضه لعذبهم وهو غير ظالم لهم" ولهذا قال تعالى: "يعذب من يشاء ويرحم من يشاء وإليه تقلبون" أي ترجعون يوم القيامة.

وهو - سبحانه - ( يُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَآءُ ) ويرحم من يشاء برحمته ، ( وَإِلَيْهِ ) وحده لا إلى غيره ( تُقْلَبُونَ ) أى : ترجعون جميعا فيحاسبكم على أعمالكم .( وَمَآ أَنتُمْ بِمُعْجِزِينَ فِي الأرض وَلاَ فِي السمآء ) أى : وما أنتم - أيها الناس - بقادرين على أن تفلتوا أو تهربوا من لقاء الله - تعالى - ومن حسابه ، سواء أكنتم فى الأرض ، أم كنتم فى السماء ، إذ ليست هناك قوة فى هذا الوجود تحول بينكم وبين الانقلاب إليه - سبحانه - والوقوف بين يديه للحساب والجزاء .

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : يُعَذِّبُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَرْحَمُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُقْلَبُونَ (21)يقول تعالى ذكره: ثُمَّ اللَّهُ يُنْشِئُ النَّشْأَةَ الآخِرَةَ خلقه من بعد فنائهم، فـ( يُعَذِّبُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ) منهم على ما أسلف من جرمه في أيام حياته، ( وَيَرْحَمُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ) منهم ممن تاب وآمن وعمل صالحا(وَإِلَيْهِ تُقْلَبُونَ) يقول: وإليه ترجعون وتردّون.

( يعذب من يشاء ويرحم من يشاء وإليه تقلبون ) تردون .

يُعَذِّبُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَرْحَمُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُقْلَبُونَ (21)لما ذكر النشأة الآخرة أتبع ذكرها بذكر أهم ما تشتمل عليه وما أوجدت لأجله وهو الثواب والعقاب .وابتدىء بذكر العقاب لأن الخطاب جار مع منكري البعث الذين حظهم فيه هو التعذيب . ومفعولا فعلي المشيئة محذوفان جرياً على غالب الاستعمال فيهما . والتقدير : من يشاء تعذيبه ومن يشاء رحمته . والفريقان معلومان من آيات الوعد والوعيد؛ فأصحاب الوعد شاء الله رحمتهم وأصحاب الوعيد شاء تعذيبهم ، فمن الذين شاء تعذيبهم المشركون ومن الذين شاء رحمتهم المؤمنون ، والمقصود هنا هم الفريقان معاً كما دل عليه الخطاب العام في قوله { وإليه تقلبون } .والقلب : الرجوع ، أي وإليه ترجعون .وتقديم المجرور على عامله للاهتمام والتأكيد إذ ليس المقام للحصر إذ ليس ثمة اعتقاد مردود . وفي هذا إعادة إثبات وقوع البعث وتعريض بالوعيد .

{ يُعَذِّبُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَرْحَمُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ } أي: هو المنفرد بالحكم الجزائي، وهو إثابة الطائعين ورحمتهم، وتعذيب العاصين والتنكيل بهم. { وَإِلَيْهِ تُقْلَبُونَ } أي: ترجعون إلى الدار، التي بها تجري عليكم أحكام عذابه ورحمته، فاكتسبوا في هذه الدار، ما هو من أسباب رحمته من الطاعات، وابتعدوا من أسباب عذابه، وهي المعاصي.

يعذب من يشاء أي بعدله ويرحم من يشاء أي بفضله وإليه تقلبون : ترجعون وتردون

Man was non-existent and came into being only at a certain point in time. In view of this, why should it not be possible for the creation which occurred once, to take place once again? Shah Abdul Qadir Dehlavi has written this meaningful observation, ‘You have seen the beginning, you can now guess that it can be repeated in future.’ Each man himself is an example of the First Creation. If he needs further examples, he should observe and study this wide world of God. He will see that the whole world is replete with living examples of this event. God has provided these examples in this world so that man may understand what the Second Creation means and then perform such deeds as will be of avail to him in the next stage of existence.

Commentary The infidels of Makkah believed that it is Allah who has created the whole universe, but they deemed it impossible that the people will be resurrected after they once die. The present verses have described the fallacy of their view. It is stated that repeating the process of creation is much easier than its origination. It is strange that these infidels do believe that Allah has originated the creation, but they deny His power to do it again, while the latter is easier than the former. Then verse 20 has induced them to look around them to appreciate the splendors of the creation, so that they may apprehend that the One who has originated this marvelous creation can easily repeat the process. After establishing the Resurrection, the last three verses describe the punishment for those who deny it.

(He punisheth whom He will) He makes die whoever He will as a disbeliever and thus torments him (and showeth mercy unto whom He will) and makes to die whoever He will as a believer and thus shows mercy upon him, (and unto Him ye will be turned) after death and He will reward each according to his works.

He chastises whomever He wishes�by [abandoning him] to follow innovation, and has mercy on whomever He wishes by [assisting him] in adherence to the Sunna.His words, Exalted is He: