Council, Consultation, The Counsel — Verse 19

The Provision of Allah in this World and the Hereafter Here Allah speaks of His kindness towards His creation, in that He provides for every last one of them and does not forget anyone. When it comes to His provision, the righteous and the sinner are alike. Allah says: وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ فِي الاٌّرْضِ إِلاَّ عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا كُلٌّ فِى كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ (And no moving creature is there on the earth but its provision is due from Allah. And He knows its dwelling place and its deposit. All is in a Clear Book.) (11:6) And there are many similar Ayat. يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ (He gives provisions to whom He wills.) means, He gives generously to whomsoever He wills. وَهُوَ الْقَوِىُّ الْعَزِيزُ (And He is the All-Strong, the Almighty.) means, there is nothing that can overpower Him. Then Allah says: مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرْثَ الاٌّخِرَةِ (Whosoever desires the reward of the Hereafter,) means, whoever does things for the sake of the Hereafter, نَزِدْ لَهُ فِى حَرْثِهِ (We give him increase in his reward, ) meaning, `We will give him strength and help him to do what he wants to do, and We will increase it for him. So for every good, We will multiply it and give him between ten and seven hundred good rewards,' as much as Allah wills. وَمَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرْثَ الدُّنْيَا نُؤْتِهِ مِنْهَا وَمَا لَهُ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ مِن نَّصِيبٍ (and whosoever desires the reward of this world, We give him thereof, and he has no portion in the Hereafter.) means, whoever strives for the purpose of worldly gains, and never pays any heed to the Hereafter at all, Allah will deny him the Hereafter; and in this world, if He wills He will give to him and if He does not will, he will gain neither. So the one who strives with this intention in mind will have the worst deal in this world and in the Hereafter. The evidence for that is the fact that this Ayah is reinforced by the passage in Subhan (i.e., Surat Al-Isra') in which Allah says: y مَّن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعَـجِلَةَ عَجَّلْنَا لَهُ فِيهَا مَا نَشَآءُ لِمَن نُّرِيدُ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا لَهُ جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَـهَا مَذْمُومًا مَّدْحُورًا - وَمَنْ أَرَادَ الاٌّخِرَةَ وَسَعَى لَهَا سَعْيَهَا وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَـئِكَ كَانَ سَعْيُهُم مَّشْكُورًا - كُلاًّ نُّمِدُّ هَـؤُلاءِ وَهَـؤُلاءِ مِنْ عَطَآءِ رَبِّكَ وَمَا كَانَ عَطَآءُ رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا - انظُرْ كَيْفَ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَلَلاٌّخِرَةُ أَكْبَرُ دَرَجَـتٍ وَأَكْبَرُ تَفْضِيلاً (Whoever desires the quick-passing, We readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then, afterwards, We have appointed for him Hell; he will (enter) burn therein disgraced and rejected. And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it while he is a believer -- then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated. On each -- these as well as those -- We bestow from the bounties of your Lord. And the bounties of your Lord can never be forbidden. See how We prefer one above another (in this world), and verily, the Hereafter will be greater in degrees and greater in preferment.) (17:18-21) It was reported that Ubayy bin Ka`b, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ  said: «بَشِّرْ هذِهِ الْأُمَّةَ بِالسَّنَاءِ وَالرِّفْعَةِ وَالنَّصْرِ وَالتَّمْكِينِ فِي الْأَرْضِ، فَمَنْ عَمِلَ مِنْهُمْ عَمَلَ الْاخِرَةِ لِلدُّنْيَا، لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ فِي الْاخِرَةِ مِنْ نَصِيب» (Give the glad tidings to this Ummah of sublimity, high status, victory and power in the land. But whoever among them does the deeds of the Hereafter for the sake of worldly gain, will have no portion of the Hereafter.)" Making Legislation for the Creatures is Shirk Allah says: أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ شَرَعُواْ لَهُمْ مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَن بِهِ اللَّهُ (Or have they partners with Allah who have instituted for them a religion which Allah has not ordained) means, they do not follow what Allah has ordained for you of upright religion; on the contrary, they follow what their devils (Shayatin), of men and Jinn, have prescribed for them. They instituted taboos, such as the Bahirah, Sa'ibah, Wasilah or Ham. They also permitted eating flesh and blood of animals not slaughtered for consumption, gambling and other kinds of misguidance, ignorance and falsehood. These are things that they invented during Jahiliyyah, when they came up with all kinds of false rulings on what was permitted and what was forbidden, and false rites of worship and other corrupt ideas. It was recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ  said: «رَأَيْتُ عَمْرَو بْنَ لُحَيِّ بْنِ قَمَعَةَ يَجُرُّ قُصْبَهُ فِي النَّار» (I saw `Amr bin Luhayy bin Qama`ah dragging his intestines in Hell) -- because he had been the first one to introduce the idea of the Sa'ibah. This man was one of the kings of the Khuza`ah tribe, and he was the first one to do these things. He was the one who had made the Quraysh worship idols, may the curse of Allah be upon him. Allah said: وَلَوْلاَ كَلِمَةُ الْفَصْلِ لَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمْ (And had it not been for a decisive Word, the matter would have been judged between them.) means, the punishment would have been hastened for them, were it not for the fact that it had already been decreed that it would be delayed until the Day of Resurrection. وَإِنَّ الظَّـلِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (And verily, for the wrongdoers there is a painful torment.) i.e., an agonizing torment in Hell, what a terrible destination. The Terror of the Idolators in the Place of Gathering تَرَى الظَّـلِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا كَسَبُواْ (You will see the wrongdoers fearful of that which they have earned,) means, in the arena of Resurrection. وَهُوَ وَاقِعٌ بِهِمْ (and it will surely befall them.) means, the thing that they fear will undoubtedly happen to them. This is how they will be on the Day of Resurrection; they will be in a state of utter fear and terror. وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَـتِ فِى رَوْضَـتِ الْجَنَّـتِ لَهُمْ مَّا يَشَآءُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ (But those who believe and do righteous deeds (will be) in the flowering meadows of the Gardens. They shall have whatsoever they desire with their Lord.) What comparison can there be between the former and the latter How can the one who will be in the arena of resurrection in a state of humiliation and fear, deserving it for his wrongdoing, be compared with the one who will be in the gardens of Paradise, enjoying whatever he wants of food, drink, clothing, dwellings, scenery, spouses and other delights such as no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and has never crossed the minds of men. Allah says: ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْكَبِيرُ (That is the supreme grace.) means, the ultimate victory and complete blessing.

God is Gracious to His servants both the pious and the profligate for He does not destroy them through hunger despite their acts of disobedience. He provides for whomever He will from among each of the two classes of individuals whatever He will. And He is the Strong in effecting what He wants the Mighty Whose way always prevails.

God is gentle to His servants. God is gentle to His servants, He is benevolent and lovingly kind toward them. It was His gentle- ness that gave you the success to worship Him and the success to ask from Him. He made your heart the quarry of light so that you love without seeing and you recognize without perceiving. It is His gentleness that asks temporary acts of obedience from you and gives everlasting rewards as a gift unbroken [11:108]. It is His gentleness that gives blessings in His measure and asks for gratitude from the servants in their measure: Be wary of God as far as you are able [64:16]. It is His gentleness that gives the servants the success to serve and then puts laudation and praise on top of that: The repenters, the worshipers, and so on [9:112]. It is His gentleness that calls you ignorant at the time of sin so as to pardon you: Whosoever of you does an ugly deed in ignorance [6:54]. At the time of bearing witness He calls you knowing so that He may accept your testimony: except those who have borne witness to the truth while they are knowing [43:86]. At the time of shortcoming He calls you weak to efface your shortcoming: Man was created weak [4:28]. In burning and need that dervish said in the seclusion of secret whispering, “O God, You called me weak. What comes from the weak other than error? You called me ignorant. What comes from the ignorant other than disloyalty? You are a generous and gentle Lord. What is fit- ting for someone generous and gentle other than generosity, loyalty, and bestowing gifts?” What is fitting for the servants once they recognize His gentleness and benevolence toward them is to pull back their skirts from the two worlds, roll up the carpet of folly, bind the belt of servanthood around their waists, cling to the threshold of service and veneration, sew up their eyes from gazing at others, burn the haystack of wanting from people, and, with a heart free of dust and a breast free of burdens, sit waiting for the gentle favors and kindly acts of God, until the Real takes care of their business with His own gentleness and caresses their hearts in the cradle of the Covenant.

God is gentle to His servants. God is gentle to His servants, He is benevolent and lovingly kind toward them. It was His gentle- ness that gave you the success to worship Him and the success to ask from Him. He made your heart the quarry of light so that you love without seeing and you recognize without perceiving. It is His gentleness that asks temporary acts of obedience from you and gives everlasting rewards as a gift unbroken [11:108]. It is His gentleness that gives blessings in His measure and asks for gratitude from the servants in their measure: Be wary of God as far as you are able [64:16]. It is His gentleness that gives the servants the success to serve and then puts laudation and praise on top of that: The repenters, the worshipers, and so on [9:112]. It is His gentleness that calls you ignorant at the time of sin so as to pardon you: Whosoever of you does an ugly deed in ignorance [6:54]. At the time of bearing witness He calls you knowing so that He may accept your testimony: except those who have borne witness to the truth while they are knowing [43:86]. At the time of shortcoming He calls you weak to efface your shortcoming: Man was created weak [4:28]. In burning and need that dervish said in the seclusion of secret whispering, “O God, You called me weak. What comes from the weak other than error? You called me ignorant. What comes from the ignorant other than disloyalty? You are a generous and gentle Lord. What is fit- ting for someone generous and gentle other than generosity, loyalty, and bestowing gifts?” What is fitting for the servants once they recognize His gentleness and benevolence toward them is to pull back their skirts from the two worlds, roll up the carpet of folly, bind the belt of servanthood around their waists, cling to the threshold of service and veneration, sew up their eyes from gazing at others, burn the haystack of wanting from people, and, with a heart free of dust and a breast free of burdens, sit waiting for the gentle favors and kindly acts of God, until the Real takes care of their business with His own gentleness and caresses their hearts in the cradle of the Covenant.

God is gentle to His servants. God is gentle to His servants, He is benevolent and lovingly kind toward them. It was His gentle- ness that gave you the success to worship Him and the success to ask from Him. He made your heart the quarry of light so that you love without seeing and you recognize without perceiving. It is His gentleness that asks temporary acts of obedience from you and gives everlasting rewards as a gift unbroken [11:108]. It is His gentleness that gives blessings in His measure and asks for gratitude from the servants in their measure: Be wary of God as far as you are able [64:16]. It is His gentleness that gives the servants the success to serve and then puts laudation and praise on top of that: The repenters, the worshipers, and so on [9:112]. It is His gentleness that calls you ignorant at the time of sin so as to pardon you: Whosoever of you does an ugly deed in ignorance [6:54]. At the time of bearing witness He calls you knowing so that He may accept your testimony: except those who have borne witness to the truth while they are knowing [43:86]. At the time of shortcoming He calls you weak to efface your shortcoming: Man was created weak [4:28]. In burning and need that dervish said in the seclusion of secret whispering, “O God, You called me weak. What comes from the weak other than error? You called me ignorant. What comes from the ignorant other than disloyalty? You are a generous and gentle Lord. What is fit- ting for someone generous and gentle other than generosity, loyalty, and bestowing gifts?” What is fitting for the servants once they recognize His gentleness and benevolence toward them is to pull back their skirts from the two worlds, roll up the carpet of folly, bind the belt of servanthood around their waists, cling to the threshold of service and veneration, sew up their eyes from gazing at others, burn the haystack of wanting from people, and, with a heart free of dust and a breast free of burdens, sit waiting for the gentle favors and kindly acts of God, until the Real takes care of their business with His own gentleness and caresses their hearts in the cradle of the Covenant.

God is gentle to His servants. God is gentle to His servants, He is benevolent and lovingly kind toward them. It was His gentle- ness that gave you the success to worship Him and the success to ask from Him. He made your heart the quarry of light so that you love without seeing and you recognize without perceiving. It is His gentleness that asks temporary acts of obedience from you and gives everlasting rewards as a gift unbroken [11:108]. It is His gentleness that gives blessings in His measure and asks for gratitude from the servants in their measure: Be wary of God as far as you are able [64:16]. It is His gentleness that gives the servants the success to serve and then puts laudation and praise on top of that: The repenters, the worshipers, and so on [9:112]. It is His gentleness that calls you ignorant at the time of sin so as to pardon you: Whosoever of you does an ugly deed in ignorance [6:54]. At the time of bearing witness He calls you knowing so that He may accept your testimony: except those who have borne witness to the truth while they are knowing [43:86]. At the time of shortcoming He calls you weak to efface your shortcoming: Man was created weak [4:28]. In burning and need that dervish said in the seclusion of secret whispering, “O God, You called me weak. What comes from the weak other than error? You called me ignorant. What comes from the ignorant other than disloyalty? You are a generous and gentle Lord. What is fit- ting for someone generous and gentle other than generosity, loyalty, and bestowing gifts?” What is fitting for the servants once they recognize His gentleness and benevolence toward them is to pull back their skirts from the two worlds, roll up the carpet of folly, bind the belt of servanthood around their waists, cling to the threshold of service and veneration, sew up their eyes from gazing at others, burn the haystack of wanting from people, and, with a heart free of dust and a breast free of burdens, sit waiting for the gentle favors and kindly acts of God, until the Real takes care of their business with His own gentleness and caresses their hearts in the cradle of the Covenant.

God is gentle to His servants.God is gentle to His servants, He is benevolent and lovingly kind toward them. It was His gentle- ness that gave you the success to worship Him and the success to ask from Him. He made your heart the quarry of light so that you love without seeing and you recognize without perceiving. It is His gentleness that asks temporary acts of obedience from you and gives everlasting rewards as a gift unbroken [11:108]. It is His gentleness that gives blessings in His measure and asks for gratitude from the servants in their measure: Be wary of God as far as you are able [64:16]. It is His gentleness that gives the servants the success to serve and then puts laudation and praise on top of that: The repenters, the worshipers, and so on [9:112]. It is His gentleness that calls you ignorant at the time of sin so as to pardon you: Whosoever of you does an ugly deed in ignorance [6:54]. At the time of bearing witness He calls you knowing so that He may accept your testimony: except those who have borne witness to the truth while they are knowing [43:86]. At the time of shortcoming He calls you weak to efface your shortcoming: Man was created weak [4:28].In burning and need that dervish said in the seclusion of secret whispering, �O God, You called me weak. What comes from the weak other than error? You called me ignorant. What comes from the ignorant other than disloyalty? You are a generous and gentle Lord. What is fit- ting for someone generous and gentle other than generosity, loyalty, and bestowing gifts?�What is fitting for the servants once they recognize His gentleness and benevolence toward them is to pull back their skirts from the two worlds, roll up the carpet of folly, bind the belt of servanthood around their waists, cling to the threshold of service and veneration, sew up their eyes from gazing at others, burn the haystack of wanting from people, and, with a heart free of dust and a breast free of burdens, sit waiting for the gentle favors and kindly acts of God, until the Real takes care of their business with His own gentleness and caresses their hearts in the cradle of the Covenant.

الله لطيف بعباده، يوسِّع الرزق على مَن يشاء، ويضيِّقه على مَن يشاء وَفْق حكمته سبحانه، وهو القوي الذي له القوة كلها، العزيز في انتقامه من أهل معاصيه.

يقول تعالى مخبرا عن لطفه بخلقه في رزقه إياهم عن آخرهم لا ينسى أحدا منهم سواء في رزقه البر والفاجر كقوله عز وجل "وما من دابة في الأرض إلا على الله رزقها ويعلم مستقرها ومستودعها كل في كتاب مبين" ولها نظائر كثيرة وقوله جل وعلا "يرزق من يشاء" أي يوسع على من يشاء "وهو القوي العزيز" أي لا يعجزه شيء.

ثم بين - سبحانه - أنه رءوف رحيم بعباده فقال : ( الله لَطِيفٌ بِعِبَادِهِ ) أى : حفى بهم ، عطوف عليهم ، يفيض عليهم جميعا من صنوف بره مالا تحصيه العقول ، ومن مظاهر ذلك أنه لا يعاجلهم بالعقوبة ، مع مجاهرتهم بمعصيته ، وأنه يرزقهم جميعا مع أن أكثرهم لا يشكرونه على نعمه .وقوله ( يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ ) أى : يبسط رزقه ويوسعه لمن يشاء من خلقه ( وَهُوَ ) سبحانه ( القوي العزيز ) أى : وهو العظيم القوة الغالب على كل من سواه .

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : اللَّهُ لَطِيفٌ بِعِبَادِهِ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْقَوِيُّ الْعَزِيزُ (19)يقول تعالى ذكره: الله ذو لطف بعباده, يرزق من يشاء فيوسع عليه ويقتر على من يشاء منهم.(وَهُوَ الْقَوِيُّ) الذي لا يغلبه ذو أيد لشدته, ولا يمتنع عليه إذا أراد عقابه بقدرته (الْعَزِيزُ) في انتقامه إذا انتقم من أهل معاصيه.

قوله عز وجل : ( الله لطيف بعباده ) قال ابن عباس - رضي الله عنهما - : حفي بهم . قال عكرمة : بار بهم . قال السدي : رفيق . قال مقاتل : لطيف بالبر والفاجر حيث لم يهلكهم جوعا بمعاصيهم ، يدل عليه قوله : " يرزق من يشاء " ( البقرة - 212 ) ، وكل من رزقه الله من مؤمن وكافر وذي روح فهو ممن يشاء الله أن يرزقه . قال جعفر الصادق : اللطف في الرزق من وجهين ، أحدهما : أنه جعل رزقك من الطيبات ، والثاني : أنه لم يدفعه إليك بمرة واحدة . ( وهو القوي العزيز ) .

اللَّهُ لَطِيفٌ بِعِبَادِهِ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْقَوِيُّ الْعَزِيزُ (19)هذه الجملة توطئة لجملة { من كان يريد حرث الآخرة نزد له في حرثه } [ الشورى : 20 ] لأن ما سيذكر في الجملة الآتية هو أثر من آثار لطف الله بعباده ورفقه بهم وما يَسَّر من الرزق للمؤمنين منهم والكفار في الدّنيا ، ثم ما خصّ به المؤمنين من رزق الآخرة ، فالجملة مستأنفة استئنافاً ابتدائياً مقدِّمة لاستئناف الجملة الموطَّإ لها ، وهي جملة { من كان يريد حرث الآخرة نزد له في حرثه } الآية [ الشورى : 20 ] . وموقع جملة من كان يريد حرث الآخرة } الخ فسنبينه .واللطيف : البَر القوي البِرّ . ويدخل في هذا كثير من النعم . فسّر عدد من المفسّرين اللطيف بواهب بعضها وإنما هو تفسيرُ تمثيل لا يخُصُّ دلالةَ الوصف به . وفعل ( لَطَف ) من باب نصر يتعدى بالباء كما هنا وباللام كما في قوله : { إن ربّي لطيفٌ لما يشاء } كما تقدم في سورة يوسف ( 100 ) . وتقدم تحقيقُ معنى اسمه تعالى اللطيف .وعباده عام لجميع العباد ، وهم نوع الإنسان لأنه جمع مضاف . وجملة يرزق من يشاء } في موضع الحال من اسم الجلالة ، أو في موضع خبر عنه .والرزق : إعطاء ما ينفع . وهو عندنا لا يختص بالحلال وعند المعتزلة يختص به والخلاف اصطلاح .والظاهر : أن المراد هنا رزق الدّنيا لأن الكلام توطئة لقوله : { من كان يريد حرث الآخرة } [ الشورى : 20 ] .والمشيئة : مشيئة تقدير الرّزق لكل أحد من العباد ليكون عموم اللطف للعباد باقياً ، فلا يكون قوله : من يشاء } في معنى التكرير ، إذ يصير هكذا يرزق من يشاء من عباده الملطوففِ بجميعهم ، وما الرزق إلا من اللطف ، فيصيرُ بعضَ المعنى المفاد ، فلا جرم تعيّن أن المشيئة هنا مصروفة لمشيئة تقدير الرزق بمقاديره .والمعنى : أنه للطفه بجميع عباده لا يترك أحداً منهم بلا رزق وأنه فضل بعضهم على بعض في الرزق جرياً على مشيئته . وهذا المعنى يثير مسألة الخلاف بين أيمة أصول الدّين في نعمة الكافر ، ومِن فروعها رزقُ الكافر . وعن الشيخ أبي الحسن الأشعري أن الكافر غير منعم عليه نعمةً دنيوية لأن ملاذّ الكافر استدراج لمَّا كانت مفضية إلى العذاب في الآخرة فكانت غير نعمة ، ومرادهم بالدنيوية مقابل الدينية . وكأنَّ مراد الشيخ بهذا تحقيق معنى غضب الله على الكافرين كما جاء في آيات كثيرة ، فمراده : أن الكافر غير مُنْعَم عليه نعمةَ رضى وكرامةٍ ولكنها نعمة رحمة لما له من انتساب المخلوقية لله تعالى .وقال أبو بكر الباقلاني : الكافر منعَم عليه نعمة دُنيوية . وقالت المعتزلة : هو منعم عليه نعمة دنيوية ودينية : فالدنيوية ظاهرة ، والدّينية كالقُدرة على النظر المؤدي إلى معرفة الله .وهذه مسألة أرجع المحققون الخلافَ فيها إلى اللفظ والبناءِ على المصطلحات والاعتبارات الموافقة لدقائق المذاهب ، إذ لا ينازع أحد في نعمة المنعمين منهم وقد قال تعالى : { وذرْني والمُكذبين أولي النَّعْمَة }[ المزمل : 11 ] .وعُطف { وهو القوي العزيز } على صفة { لطيف } أو على جملة { يرزق من يشاء } وهو تمجيد لله تعالى بهاتين الصفتين ، ويفيد الاحتراس من توهم أن لطفه عن عجز أو مصانعة ، فإنه قوي عزيز لا يَعجز ولا يصانِع ، أو عن توهم أن رزقه لمن يشاء عن شحّ أو قِلّةٍ فإنه القويّ ، والقوي تنتفي عنه أسباب الشحّ ، والعزيز ينتفي عنه سبب الفقر فرزقه لمن يشاء بما يشاء منوط لحكمة عَلِمها في أحوال خلقه عامة وخاصة ، قال تعالى : { ولو بسط الله الرزق لعباده لبغوا في الأرض ولكِنْ ينزِّل بقَدَر ما يشاء } [ الشورى : 27 ] الآية .والإخبار عن اسم الجلالة بالمسند المعَرّففِ باللام يفيد معنى قصر القوة والعزة عليه تعالى ، وهو قصر الجنس للمبالغة لكماله فيه تعالى حتى كأنَّ قوة غيره وعزّة غيره عَدَم .

يخبر تعالى بلطفه بعباده ليعرفوه ويحبوه، ويتعرضوا للطفه وكرمه، واللطف من أوصافه تعالى معناه: الذي يدرك الضمائر والسرائر، الذي يوصل عباده -وخصوصا المؤمنين- إلى ما فيه الخير لهم من حيث لا يعلمون ولا يحتسبون.فمن لطفه بعبده المؤمن، أن هداه إلى الخير هداية لا تخطر بباله، بما يسر له من الأسباب الداعية إلى ذلك، من فطرته على محبة الحق والانقياد له وإيزاعه تعالى لملائكته الكرام، أن يثبتوا عباده المؤمنين، ويحثوهم على الخير، ويلقوا في قلوبهم من تزيين الحق ما يكون داعيا لاتباعه.ومن لطفه أن أمر المؤمنين، بالعبادات الاجتماعية، التي بها تقوى عزائمهم وتنبعث هممهم، ويحصل منهم التنافس على الخير والرغبة فيه، واقتداء بعضهم ببعض.ومن لطفه، أن قيض لعبده كل سبب يعوقه ويحول بينه وبين المعاصي، حتى إنه تعالى إذا علم أن الدنيا والمال والرياسة ونحوها مما يتنافس فيه أهل الدنيا، تقطع عبده عن طاعته، أو تحمله على الغفلة عنه، أو على معصية صرفها عنه، وقدر عليه رزقه، ولهذا قال هنا: { يَرْزُقُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ } بحسب اقتضاء حكمته ولطفه { وَهُوَ الْقَوِيُّ الْعَزِيزُ } الذي له القوة كلها، فلا حول ولا قوة لأحد من المخلوقين إلا به، الذي دانت له جميع الأشياء.

قوله تعالى : الله لطيف بعباده يرزق من يشاء وهو القوي العزيز .قوله تعالى : الله لطيف بعباده قال ابن عباس : حفي بهم . وقال عكرمة : بار بهم . وقال السدي : رفيق بهم . وقال مقاتل : لطيف بالبر والفاجر ، حيث لم يقتلهم جوعا بمعاصيهم . وقال القرظي : لطيف ، بهم في العرض والمحاسبة . قال :غدا عند مولى الخلق للخلق موقف يسائلهم فيه الجليل ويلطفوقال جعفر بن محمد بن علي بن الحسين : يلطف بهم في الرزق من وجهين : أحدهما : أنه جعل رزقك من الطيبات . والثاني : أنه لم يدفعه إليك مرة واحدة فتبذره . وقال الحسين بن الفضل : لطيف بهم في القرآن وتفصيله وتفسيره . وقال الجنيد : لطيف بأوليائه حتى عرفوه ، ولو لطف بأعدائه لما جحدوه . وقال محمد بن علي الكتاني : اللطيف بمن لجأ إليه من عباده إذا يئس من الخلق توكل ورجع إليه ، فحينئذ يقبله ويقبل عليه . وجاء في [ ص: 17 ] حديث النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : إن الله تعالى يطلع على القبور الدوارس فيقول - جل وعز - امحت آثارهم واضمحلت صورهم وبقي عليهم العذاب وأنا اللطيف وأنا أرحم الراحمين خففوا عنهم العذاب فيخفف عنهم العذاب . قال أبو علي الثقفي - رضي الله عنه - :أمر بأفناء القبور كأنني أخو فطنة والثواب فيه نحيفومن شق فاه الله قدر رزقه وربي بمن يلجأ إليه لطيفوقيل : اللطيف الذي ينشر من عباده المناقب ويستر عليهم المثالب ، وعلى هذا قال النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : يا من أظهر الجميل وستر القبيح . وقيل : هو الذي يقبل القليل ويبذل الجزيل . وقيل : هو الذي يجبر الكسير وييسر العسير . وقيل : هو الذي لا يخاف إلا عدله ولا يرجى إلا فضله . وقيل : هو الذي يبذل لعبده النعمة فوق الهمة ويكلفه الطاعة فوق الطاقة ، قال تعالى : وإن تعدوا نعمة الله لا تحصوها وأسبغ عليكم نعمه ظاهرة وباطنة ، وقال : وما جعل عليكم في الدين من حرج ، يريد الله أن يخفف عنكم . وقيل : هو الذي يعين على الخدمة ويكثر المدحة . وقيل : هو الذي لا يعاجل من عصاه ولا يخيب من رجاه . وقيل : هو الذي لا يرد سائله ولا يوئس آمله . وقيل : هو الذي يعفو عمن يهفو . وقيل : هو الذي يرحم من لا يرحم نفسه . وقيل . هو الذي أوقد في أسرار العارفين من المشاهدة سراجا ، وجعل الصراط المستقيم لهم منهاجا ، وأجزل لهم من سحائب بره ماء ثجاجا . وقد مضى في ( الأنعام ) قول أبي العالية والجنيد أيضا . وقد ذكرنا جميع هذا في ( الكتاب الأسنى في شرح أسماء الله الحسنى ) عند اسمه اللطيف ، والحمد لله . ( يرزق من يشاء ) ويحرم من يشاء . وفي تفضيل قوم بالمال حكمة ، ليحتاج البعض إلى البعض ، كما قال : ليتخذ بعضهم بعضا سخريا [ ص: 18 ] ، فكان هذا لطفا بالعباد . وأيضا ليمتحن الغني بالفقير والفقير بالغني ، كما قال : ( وجعلنا بعضكم لبعض فتنة أتصبرون ) على ما تقدم بيانه . وهو القوي العزيز

The life of this world is for the purpose of putting man to the test. Here, he is provided for, according to the requirements of the test. Now, a man who is Hereafter-minded, will use the provision of this world to build up his life in the Hereafter and consequently, he will be blessed with abundant rewards when he enters Paradise. Contrary to this, all the actions of the man who loves this worldly life will be performed with worldly interests in view. Such a person may receive the fruits of his efforts in the present world, but he will be completely deprived of everything in the Hereafter. When he had done nothing for the sake of Hereafter, how could he possibly be given anything in the afterlife?

Commentary اللَّـهُ لَطِيفٌ بِعِبَادِهِ (Allah is kind to His slaves - 42:19). The word, latif used in the text has more than one lexical meanings. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has translated it here as kind, and Sayyidna ` Ikrimah ؓ has translated it as benefactor. Muqatil (رح) has said that Allah Almighty is kind to all His servants, so much so that even the infidels and sinners keep on being showered with His worldly blessings. There are many types and kinds of the divine bounties, graces and favours showered upon His servants. That is why many meanings of the word latif have been stated in the Tafsir of Qurtubi, all of which are covered by the words ` kind' and ` benefactor'. Although Allah Ta’ ala provides sustenance to all His creatures without any exception - even to those animals on land and in waters whom nobody knows, yet the present verse states that He provides sustenance ` to whom He wills'. This is better understood from the explanation given in Tafsir Mazhari which says that there are countless' types and kinds of sustenance provided by Allah Ta’ ala; sustenance as necessary is provided to all and sundry, whereas some special kinds of sustenance are distributed by Him in degrees and quantities determined by His perfect wisdom. Somebody is given more of wealth and goods, somebody is given more of health and strength, somebody is given more of learning and knowledge and somebody is given more of other types and kinds; in this way everybody is dependent on another person and it is this dependence which persuades people to co-operate with and help each other and which is the foundation of human civilization. Ja'far Ibn Muhammad (رح) has said that Allah Ta’ ala's kindness to His servants in the matter of sustenance is in two ways. Firstly, He provides food and other necessities to every living being as per his needs, and secondly, He does not provide sustenance for anyone for the whole of his life all at once, rather gives him gradually according to his need, otherwise its preservation would not have been feasible. (Mazhari, Qurtubi) Note Shah ` Abdul Ghani Phulpuri رحمۃ اللہ علیہ relates from Haji Imdadullah (رح) that anyone who recites the above verse i.e. اللَّـهُ لَطِيفٌ بِعِبَادِهِ يَرْ‌زُقُ مَن يَشَاءُ ۖ وَهُوَ الْقَوِيُّ الْعَزِيزُ seventy times every morning regularly, would be preserved from shortage of sustenance and said that experience has shown it to be very effective.

(Allah is gracious unto His slaves) the pious as well as the sinful; it is also said that this means: His knowledge is gracious with His slaves, both the pious and sinful among them. (He provideth for whom He will) He expands the wealth of whomever He will. (And He is the Strong) in providing the sustenance of the slaves, (the Mighty) in retribution against those who do not believe.