The Meaning of Basa'ir
Basa'ir are the proofs and evidences in the Qur'an and the Message of Allah's Messenger ﷺ . The Ayah,
فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ فَلِنَفْسِهِ
(so whosoever sees, will do so for (the good of) himself.) is similar to,
فَمَنُ اهْتَدَى فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِى لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا
(So whosoever receives guidance, he does so for the good of himself, and whosoever goes astray, he does so at his own loss.) 10:108 After Allah mentioned the Basa'ir, He said,
وَمَنْ عَمِىَ فَعَلَيْهَا
(And whosoever blinds himself, will do so against himself,) meaning, he will only harm himself. Allah said,
فَإِنَّهَا لاَ تَعْمَى الاٌّبْصَـرُ وَلَـكِن تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِى فِى الصُّدُورِ
(Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind.) 22:46
وَمَآ أَنَاْ عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفِيظٍ
(And I (Muhammad) am not a Hafiz over you. ) neither responsible, nor a watcher over you. Rather, I only convey, Allah guides whom He wills and misguides whom He wills. Allah said,
وَكَذلِكَ نُصَرِّفُ الاٌّيَـتِ
(Thus We explain variously the verses...)6:105, meaning, just as We explained the Ayat in this Surah, such as explaining Tawhid and that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. This is how We explain the Ayat and make them plain and clear in all circumstances, to suffice the ignorance of the ignorant; and so that the idolators and disbelievers who deny you say, `O Muhammad! You have Darasta with those who were before you from among the People of the Book and learned with them'. Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Ad-Dahhak said similarly. At-Tabarani narrated that `Amr bin Kaysan said that he heard Ibn `Abbas saying, "Darasta, means, `recited, argued and debated."' This is similar to Allah's statement about the denial and rebellion of the disbelievers, e
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِنْ هَـذَا إِلاَّ إِفْكٌ افْتَرَاهُ وَأَعَانَهُ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ ءَاخَرُونَ فَقَدْ جَآءُوا ظُلْماً وَزُوراً - وَقَالُواْ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِىَ تُمْلَى عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلاً
(Those who disbelieve say, "This (the Qur'an) is nothing but a lie that he has invented, and others have helped him at it, so that they have produced an unjust wrong (thing) and a lie." And they say, "Tales of the ancients, which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon.") 25:4-5 Allah described the chief liar of the disbelievers Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah Al-Makhzumi,
إِنَّهُ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ - فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ - ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ - ثُمَّ نَظَرَ - ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ - ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ - فَقَالَ إِنْ هَـذَآ إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ - إِنْ هَـذَآ إِلاَّ قَوْلُ الْبَشَرِ
(Verily, he thought and plotted. So let him be cursed! How he plotted! And once more let him be cursed, how he plotted! Then he thought. Then he frowned and he looked in a bad tempered way. Then he turned back and was proud. Then he said, "This is nothing but magic from that of old. This is nothing but the word of a human being!") 74:18-25 Allah said next,
وَلِنُبَيِّنَهُ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
(And that We may make the matter clear for the people who have knowledge.) The Ayah means, so that We explain the matter to a people who know truth, and thus follow it, and know falsehood, and thus avoid it. Allah's wisdom is perfect, He allows the disbelievers to stray, and He guides the people who have knowledge. Allah said in other Ayat,
يُضِلُّ بِهِ كَثِيرًا وَيَهْدِي بِهِ كَثِيرًا
(By it He misleads many, and many He guides thereby.) 2:26, and;
لِّيَجْعَلَ مَا يُلْقِى الشَّيْطَـنُ فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ وَالْقَاسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ
(That He (Allah) may make what is thrown in by Shaytan a trial for those in whose hearts is a disease and whose hearts are hardened. ) 22:53 and,
وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهَادِ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
(And verily, Allah is the Guide of those who believe, to the straight path.) 22:54,
وَمَا جَعَلْنَآ أَصْحَـبَ النَّارِ إِلاَّ مَلَـئِكَةً وَمَا جَعَلْنَا عِدَّتَهُمْ إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيَسْتَيْقِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ وَيَزْدَادَ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِيمَـناً وَلاَ يَرْتَابَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَلِيَقُولَ الَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ وَالْكَـفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِهَـذَا مَثَلاً كَذَلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلاَّ هُوَ
(And We have set none but angels as guardians of the Fire, and We have fixed their number only as a trial for the disbelievers, in order that the People of the Scripture may arrive at a certainty and the believers may increase in faith, and that no doubts may be left for the People of the Scripture and the believers, and that those in whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy) and the disbelievers may say, "What does Allah intend by this example" Thus Allah leads astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none can know the hosts of your Lord but He.) 74:31, and;
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَآءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلاَ يَزِيدُ الظَّـلِمِينَ إَلاَّ خَسَارًا
(And We send down in the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers, and it increases the wrongdoers in nothing but loss.) 17:82, and,
قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ هُدًى وَشِفَآءٌ وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ فِى ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى أُوْلَـئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ
(Say, "It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness in their ears, and it is blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place far away.") 41:44 There are similar Ayat that testify that Allah sent down the Qur'an as guidance to those who fear Him and that He guides or misguides whom He wills by the Qur'an.
Say O Muhammad (s) to them Clear proofs have come to you from your Lord; whoever perceives them and believes then it is for his own good that he has perceived them since the reward resulting from his perception will be his; and whoever is blind to them and goes astray then it the evil consequence of his being astray will be to his own hurt. And I am not a keeper a watcher over you of your deeds I am but a warner.
Clear insights have come to you from your Lord, that is, clear signs, being the forms of the self-disclosures of His attributes which are the lights of the insights of the heart, for insight is a light by which the heart perceives, much as eyesight is the light by which they eyes perceive; whoever perceives, that is, [whoever] becomes perceptive by these [insights], then the benefit of his perceptions and guidance is only for his own soul; and whoever is veiled from these [insights], then the hurt of his veiledness does not extend to anyone else, rather to him alone. And I am not a keeper over you, a watcher to watch over you and preserve you from misguidance; rather it is God who is the Keeper, preserving you and preserving your deeds.
Clear insights have come to you from your Lord, that is, clear signs, being the forms of the self-disclosures of His attributes which are the lights of the insights of the heart, for insight is a light by which the heart perceives, much as eyesight is the light by which they eyes perceive; whoever perceives, that is, [whoever] becomes perceptive by these [insights], then the benefit of his perceptions and guidance is only for his own soul; and whoever is veiled from these [insights], then the hurt of his veiledness does not extend to anyone else, rather to him alone. And I am not a keeper over you, a watcher to watch over you and preserve you from misguidance; rather it is God who is the Keeper, preserving you and preserving your deeds.
قل -أيها الرسول- لهؤلاء المشركين: قد جاءتكم براهين ظاهرة تبصرون بها الهدى من الضلال، مما اشتمل عليها القرآن، وجاء بها الرسول عليه الصلاة والسلام، فمَن تبيَّن هذه البراهين وآمن بمدلولها فنَفْعُ ذلك لنفسه، ومَن لم يبصر الهدى بعد ظهور الحجة عليه فعلى نفسه جنى، وما أنا عليكم بحافظ أحصي أعمالكم، وإنما أنا مبلغ، والله يهدي مَن يشاء ويضل مَن يشاء وَفْق علمه وحكمته.
البصائر هي البينات والحجج التي اشتمل عليها القرآن وما جاء به الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم "فمن أبصر فلنفسه" كقوله "فمن اهتدى فإنما يهتدي لنفسه ومن ضل فإنما يضل عليها" ولهذا قال "ومن عمي فعليها" لما ذكر البصائر قال "ومن عمي فعليها" أي إنما يعود وباله عليه كقوله "فإنها لا تعمى الأبصار ولكن تعمى القلوب التي في الصدور" "وما أنا عليكم بحفيظ" أي بحافظ ولا رقيب بل إنما أنا مبلغ والله يهدي من يشاء ويضل من يشاء.
ثم أخذ القرآن فى تثبيت النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم وفى تسليته ، وفى مدح ما جاء به من هدايات فقال - تعالى - : { قَدْ جَآءَكُمْ . . . . } .قوله { قَدْ جَآءَكُمْ بَصَآئِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ } البصائر : جمع بصيرة ، وهى للقلب بمنزلة البصر للعين ، فهى النور الذى يبصر به القلب ، كما أن البصر هن النور الذى تبصر به العين .والمراد بها آيات القرآن ودلائله التى يفرق بها بين الهدى والضلالة . أى : قد جاءكم أيها الناس من ربكم وخالقكم هذا القرآن ودلائله التى يفرق بها بين الهدى والضلالة . أى : قد جاءكم أيها الناس من ربكم وخالقكم هذا القرآن بآياته وحججه وهداياته لكى تميزوا بين الحق والباطل ، وتتبعوا الصراط المستقيم .وإطلاق البصائر على هذه الآيات من إطلاق اسم المسبب على السبب .وقوله : { فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ عَمِيَ فَعَلَيْهَا } أى : فمن أبصر الحق وعلمه بواسطة تلك البصائر وآمن به فلنفسه أبصر وإياها نفع ، ولسعادتها ما قدم من ألوان الخير ، ومن عمى عن الحق وجهله بإعراضه عن هذه البصائر فعلى نفسه وحدها جنى وإياها ضرب العمى وهذا كقوله - تعالى : { إِنْ أَحْسَنْتُمْ أَحْسَنْتُمْ لأَنْفُسِكُمْ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا } وقوله : { مَّنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحاً فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَسَآءَ فَعَلَيْهَا } واختتمت الآية بقوله { وَمَآ أَنَاْ عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفِيظٍ } أى : وما أنا عليكم برقيب أحصى عليكم أعمالكم ، وأحفظكم من الضلال ، وإنما أنا علىَّ البلاغ والله وحده هو الذى يحصى عليكم أعمالكم ويجازيكم عليها بما تستحقون .
القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ بَصَائِرُ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ عَمِيَ فَعَلَيْهَا وَمَا أَنَا عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفِيظٍ (104)قال أبو جعفر: وهذا أمرٌ من الله جل ثناؤه نبيَّه محمدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يقول لهؤلاء الذين نبَّههم بهذه الآيات من قوله: (22) إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَالِقُ الْحَبِّ وَالنَّوَى إلى قوله: وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ على حججه عليهم, وعلى سائر خلقه معهم, (23) العادلين به الأوثان والأنداد, والمكذبين بالله ورسوله محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم وما جاءهم من عند الله= قل لهم يا محمد: " قد جاءكم "، أيها العادلون بالله، والمكذبون رسوله=" بصائر من ربكم "، أي: ما تبصرون به الهدى من الضلال، والإيمان من الكفر .* * *= وهي جمع " بصيرة ", ومنه قول الشاعر: (24)حَــمَلُوا بَصَـائِرَهُمْ عَـلَى أَكْتَـافِهِمْوَبَصِــيرَتِي يَعْـدُو بِهَـا عَتَـدٌ وَأَى (25)يعني بالبصيرة: الحجة البينة الظاهرة ، (26) كما:-13703- حدثني يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب قال، قال ابن زيد, في قوله: " قد جاءكم بصائر من ربكم " قال: " البصائر " الهدى، بصائر في قلوبهم لدينهم, وليست ببصائر الرؤوس . وقرأ: فَإِنَّهَا لا تَعْمَى الأَبْصَارُ وَلَكِنْ تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ [سورة الحج: 46] وقال: إنما الدين بصره وسمعه في هذا القلب . (27)13704- حدثنا بشر بن معاذ قال، حدثنا يزيد قال، حدثنا سعيد, عن قتادة: " قد جاءكم بصائر من ربكم "، أي بينة .وقوله: " فمن أبصر فلنفسه " يقول: فمن تبين حجج الله وعرَفها وأقرَّ بها، وآمن بما دلّته عليه من توحيد الله وتصديق رسوله وما جاء به, فإنما أصاب حظ نفسه، ولنفسه عمل, وإياها بَغَى الخير=" ومن عمي فعليها "، يقول: ومن لم يستدلّ بها، ولم يصدق بما دلَّته عليه من الإيمان بالله ورسوله وتنـزيله, ولكنه عمي عن دلالتها التي تدل عليها, يقول: فنفسَه ضر، وإليها أساء لا إلى غيرها .* * *وأما قوله: " وما أنا عليكم بحفيظ "، يقول: وما أنا عليكم برقيب أحصي عليكم أعمالكم وأفعالكم, وإنما أنا رسول أبلغكم ما أرسلت به إليكم, والله الحفيظ عليكم، الذي لا يخفى عليه شيء من أعمالكم . (28)----------------------الهوامش :(22) في المطبوعة والمخطوطة : (( لهذه الآيات )) باللام ، وصواب السياق يقتضي ما أثبت .(23) في المطبوعة (( وعلى تبيين خلقه معهم )) ، وهو كلام لا معنى له ، وهو في المخطوطة سيئ الكتابة ، وصواب قراءته ما أثبت . قوله : (( وعلى سائر خلقه معهم )) ، معطوف على قوله : (( عليهم )) قبله .وقوله : (( على حججه )) ، السياق : (( أن يقول لهؤلاء الذين نبههم بهذه الآيات ... على حججه عليهم )).وقوله بعد: (( العادلين به الأوثان )) ، صفة لقوله آنفًا (( أن يقول لهؤلاء الذين نبههم بهذه الآيات .. . ))(24) هو الأسعر الجعفي .(25) الأصمعيات : 23 ( وطبعة المعارف : 157 ) ، والوحشيات رقم : 58 ، المخصص 1 : 160 ، اللسان ( بصر ) ( عتد ) ( وأي ) . وغيرها كثير . وهي من قصيدة عير فيها إخوته لأبيه ، وذلك أن أباه قتل وهو غلام ، فأخذ إخوته لأبيه الدية فأكلوها ، فلما شب الأسعر ، أدرك بثأر أبيه ، وقال قبله :ولقـد عَلِمْـتُ ، عَـلَى تَجَشُّمِيَ الرَّدَىأَنَّ الحُـصُونَ الخَـيْلُ لا مَـدَرُ القُرَىوفسر أصحاب اللغة (( البصيرة )) هنا بأنها الدم ما لم يسل ، يعني : دماءهم في أبدانهم ، يعير أخوته . وقال غيرهم : (( البصائر )) دم أبيهم ، يقول : تركوا دم أبيهم خلفهم ولم يثأروا به ، وطلبته أنا . و (( عتد )) ( بفتح العين ، وفتح التاء أو كسرها ) : الفرس الشديد التام الخلق ، السريع الوثبة ، المعد للجري ، ليس فيه اضطراب ولا رخاوة . و (( الوأي )) ، الفرس السريع الطويل المقتدر الخلق .(26) انظر مجاز القرآن لأبي عبيدة 1 : 203(27) (( الدين )) ( بتشديد الياء وكسرها ) : المتدين ، صاحب الدين .(28) انظر تفسير (( الحفيظ )) فيما سلف 8 : 562 .
قوله عز وجل : ( قد جاءكم بصائر من ربكم ) يعني الحجج البينة التي تبصرون بها الهدى من الضلالة والحق من الباطل ، ( فمن أبصر فلنفسه ) أي : فمن عرفها وآمن بها فلنفسه عمل ، ونفعه له ، ( ومن عمي فعليها ) أي : من عمي عنها فلم يعرفها ولم يصدقها فعليها ، أي : فبنفسه ضر ، ووبال العمى عليه ، ( وما أنا عليكم بحفيظ ) برقيب أحصي عليكم أعمالكم ، إنما أنا رسول إليكم أبلغكم رسالات ربي وهو الحفيظ عليكم الذي لا يخفى عليه شيء من أفعالكم .
هذا انتقال من محاجّة المشركين ، وإثبات الوحدانيّة لله بالربوبيّة من قوله : { إنّ الله فالق الحبّ والنَّوى إلى قوله وهو اللّطيف الخبير } [ الأنعام : 95 103 ]. فاستؤنف الكلام بتوجيه خطاببٍ للنّبيء عليه الصّلاة والسّلام مقوللٍ لفعللِ أمر بالقول في أوّل الجملة ، حُذف على الشّائع من حذف القول للقرينة في قوله : { وما أنا عليكم بحفيظ } [ الأنعام : 104 ]. ومناسبة وقوع هذا الاستئناف عقب الكلام المسوق إليهم من الله تعالى أنّه كالتّوقيف والشّرح والفذلكة للكلام السّابق فيقدر : قُل يا محمّد قد جاءكم بصائر .وبصائر جمع بصيرة ، والبصيرة : العقل الّذي تظهر به المعاني والحقائق ، كما أنّ البصر إدراك العين الّذي تتجلّى به الأجسام ، وأطلقت البصائر على ما هو سبب فيها . وإسناد المجيء إلى البصائر استعارة للحصول في عقولهم ، شُبّه بمجيء شيء كان غائباً ، تنويهاً بشأن ما حصل عندهم بأنّه كالشّيء الغائب المتوقَّع مجيئه كقوله تعالى : { جاء الحقّ وزهق الباطل } [ الإسراء : 81 ]. وخلو فعل «جاء» عن علامة التّأنيث مع أنّ فاعله جمعُ مؤنّث لأنّ الفعل المسند إلى جمع تكسير مطلقاً أو جمع مؤنّث يجوز اقترانه بتاء التّأنيث وخلوُّه عنها .و ( من ) ابتدائيّة تتعلّق ب«جاء» أو صفة ل { بصائر } ، وقد جعل خطاب الله بها بمنزلة ابتداء السّير من جَانبه تعالى ، وهو منزّه عن المكان والزّمان ، فالابتداء مجاز لغوي ، أو هو مجاز بالحذف بتقدير : مِن إرادةِ ربّكم . والمقصود التّنويه بهذه التّعاليم والذّكريات الّتي بها البصائر ، والحثّ على العمل بها ، لأنّها مسداة إليهم ممّن لا يقع في هديه خلل ولا خطأ ، مع ما في ذكر الربّ وإضافته من تربية المهابة وتقوية داعي العمل بهذه البصائر .ولذلك فرّع عليه قوله : { فمن أبصر فلنفسه } ، أي فلا عذر لكم في الاستمرار على الضّلال بعد هذه البصائر ، ولا فائدة لغيركم فيها «فمن أبصر فلنفسه أبصر» ، أي من عَلِم الحقّ فقد عَلِم علماً ينفع نفسه ، { ومن عمي } أي ضلّ عن الحقّ فقد ضلّ ضَلالاً وزره على نفسه .فاستعير الإبصار في قوله : { أبصر } للعلم بالحقّ والعمللِ به لأنّ المهتدي بهذا الهدي الواردِ من الله بمنزلة الّذي نُوّر له الطّريق بالبدر أو غيره ، فأبصره وسار فيه ، وبهذا الاعتبار يجوز أن يكون { أبصر } تمثيلاً موجزاً ضمّن فيه تشبيه هيئة المرشَد إلى الحقّ إذا عمِل بها أرشِد به ، بهيئة المبصر إذا انتفع ببصره .واستعير العمى في قوله : { عَمِيَ } للمكابرة والاستمرار على الضّلال بعد حصول ما شأنه أن يُقلعه لأنّ المكابر بعد ذلك كالأعمى لا ينتفع بإنارة طريق ولا بهَدْي هاد خِرّيتتٍ . ويجوز اعتبار التمّثيليّة فيه أيضاً كاعتبارها في ضدّه السابق .واستعمل اللاّم في الأوّل استعارة للنّفع لدلالتها على المِلك وإنّما يُملك الشّيءُ النّافعُ المدّخر للنّوائب ، واستعيرت ( على ) في الثّاني للضرّ والتّبعة لأنّ الشّيء الضّارّ ثقيل على صاحبه يكلّفه تَعباً وهو كالحِمل الموضوع على ظهره ، وهذا معروف في الكلام البليغ ، قال تعالى :{ من عمل صالحاً فلنفسه } [ فصلت : 46 ] ، وقال { من اهتدى فإنّما يهتدي لنفسه ومن ضلّ فإنّما يضلّ عليها } [ الإسراء : 15 ] ، وقال { وليَحْمِلُنّ أثقالهم وأثقالاً مع أثقالهم } ، ولأجل ذلك سمّي الإثم وزراً كما تقدّم في قوله تعالى : { وهم يحملون أوزارهم على ظهورهم } [ الأنعام : 31 ] ، وقد جاء اللاّم في موضع ( على ) في بعض الآيات ، كقوله تعالى : { إنْ أحسنتم أحسنتم لأنفسكم وإن أسَأتم فلَهَا } [ الإسراء : 7 ].وفي الآية محسّن جناس الاشتقاق بين «البصائر» و«أبصَر» ، وملاحظة مناسبة في الإبصار والبصائر . وفيها محسّن المطابقة بين قوله : { أبصر } و { عمي } ، وبين ( اللاّم ) و ( عَلى ).ويتعلّق قوله : { لنفسه } بمحذوف دلّ عليه فعل الشّرط . وتقديره : فمن أبصر فلنفسه أبصر . واقترن الجواب بالفاء نظراً لصدره إذ كان اسماً مجروراً وهو غير صالح لأن يلي أداةَ الشّرط .وإنّما نسج نظم الآية على هذا النّسْج للإيذان بأنّ { لنفسه } مقدّم في التّقدير على متعلّقه المحذوف . والتّقدير : فلنفسه أبصر ، ولولا قصد الإيذان بهذا التّقديم لقال : فمن أبصر أبصر لنفسه ، كما قال : { إن أحسنتم أحسنتم لأنفسكم } [ الإسراء : 7 ] والمقام يقتضي تقديم المعمول هنا ليفيد القصر ، أي فلنفسه أبصر لا لفائدة غيره ، لأنّهم كانوا يحسبون أنّهم يغيظون النّبيء صلى الله عليه وسلم بإعراضهم عن دعوته إيّاهم إلى الهدى ، وقرينة ذلك أن هذا الكلام مقول من النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وقد أومأ إلى هذا صاحب «الكشاف» ، بخلاف آية { إن أحسنتم أحسنتم لأنفسكم } [ الإسراء : 7 ] ، فإنّها حكت كلاماً خُوطب به بنو إسرائيل من جانب الله تعالى وهم لا يتوهّمون أنّ إحسانهم ينفع الله أو إساءتهم تضرّ الله .والكلام على قوله : { ومن عمي فعليها } نظير الكلام على قوله : { فمن أبصر فلنفسه }.وعُدّي فعل { عَمِيَ } بحرف ( على ) لأنّ العمى لمّا كان مجازاً كان ضُرّاً يقع على صاحبه .وجملة : { وما أنا عليكم بحفيظ } تكميل لما تضمّنه قوله : { فمن أبصر فلنفسه ومن عمِي فعليها } ، أي فلا ينالني من ذلك شيء فلا يرجع لي نفعكم ولا يعود عليّ ضرّكم ولا أنا وكيل على نفعكم وتجنّب ضرّكم فلا تحسبُوا أنّكم حتّى تمكرون بي بالإعراض عن الهدى والاستمرار في الضّلال .والحفيظ : الحارس ومن يُجعل إليه نظر غيره وحفظُه ، وهو بمنزلة الوكيل إلاّ أنّ الوكيل يكون مجعولاً له الحفظ من جانب الشيء المحفوظ ، والحفيظ أعمّ لأنّه يكون من جانبه ومن جانب مَواليه . وهذا قريب من معنى قوله { وكذّب به قومك وهو الحقّ قل لستُ عليكم بوكيل } [ الأنعام : 66 ].والإتيان بالجملة الاسميّة هنا دقيق ، لأنّ الحفيظ وصف لا يُفيد غيرُه مُفادَه ، فلا يقوم مقامَه فعل حَفِظ ، فالحفيظ صفة مشبّهة يقدّر لها فِعْل منقول إلى فَعُل بضمّ العين لم يُنطق به مثل الرّحيم .ولا يفيد تقديم المسند إليه في الجملة الاسميّة اختصاصاً خلافاً لما يوهمه ظاهر تفسير الزمخشري وإن كان العلامة التّفتزاني مال إليه ، وسكت عنه السيّد الجرجاني وهو وقوف مع الظّاهر . وتقديم { عليكم } على { بحفيظ } للاهتمام ولرعاية الفاصلة .
{ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ بَصَائِرُ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ عَمِيَ فَعَلَيْهَا وَمَا أَنَا عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفِيظٍ } لما بين تعالى من الآيات البينات، والأدلة الواضحات، الدالة على الحق في جميع المطالب والمقاصد، نبه العباد عليها، وأخبر أن هدايتهم وضدها لأنفسهم، فقال: { قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ بَصَائِرُ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ } أي: آيات تبين الحق، وتجعله للقلب بمنزلة الشمس للأبصار، لما اشتملت عليه من فصاحة اللفظ، وبيانه، ووضوحه، ومطابقته للمعاني الجليلة، والحقائق الجميلة، لأنها صادرة من الرب، الذي ربى خلقه، بصنوف نعمه الظاهرة والباطنة، التي من أفضلها وأجلها، تبيين الآيات، وتوضيح المشكلات. { فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ } بتلك الآيات، مواقع العبرة، وعمل بمقتضاها { فَلِنَفْسِهِ } فإن الله هو الغني الحميد. { وَمَنْ عَمِيَ } بأن بُصِّر فلم يتبصر، وزُجِر فلم ينزجر، وبين له الحق، فما انقاد له ولا تواضع، فإنما عماه مضرته عليه. { وَمَا أَنَا } أي الرسول { عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفِيظٍ } أحفظ أعمالكم وأرقبها على الدوام إنما عليَّ البلاغ المبين وقد أديته، وبلغت ما أنزل الله إليَّ، فهذه وظيفتي، وما عدا ذلك فلست موظفا فيه
قوله تعالى قد جاءكم بصائر من ربكم فمن أبصر فلنفسه ومن عمي فعليها وما أنا عليكم بحفيظ .قوله تعالى قد جاءكم بصائر من ربكم أي آيات وبراهين يبصر بها ويستدل ; جمع بصيرة وهي الدلالة . قال الشاعر :جاءوا بصائرهم على أكتافهم وبصيرتي يعدو بها عتد وآييعني بالبصيرة الحجة البينة الظاهرة . ووصف الدلالة بالمجيء لتفخيم شأنها ; إذ كانت بمنزلة الغائب المتوقع حضوره للنفس ; كما يقال : جاءت العافية وقد انصرف المرض ، وأقبل السعود وأدبر النحوس .فمن أبصر فلنفسه الإبصار : هو الإدراك بحاسة البصر ; أي فمن استدل وتعرف فنفسه نفع .ومن عمي فعليها لم يستدل ، فصار بمنزلة الأعمى ; فعلى نفسه يعود ضرر عماه .وما أنا عليكم بحفيظ أي لم أؤمر بحفظكم على أن تهلكوا أنفسكم . وقيل : أي لا أحفظكم من عذاب الله . وقيل : " بحفيظ " برقيب ; أحصي عليكم أعمالكم ، وإنما أنا رسول أبلغكم رسالات ربي ، وهو الحفيظ عليكم لا يخفى عليه شيء من أفعالكم . قال الزجاج : نزل هذا قبل فرض القتال ، ثم أمر أن يمنعهم بالسيف من عبادة الأوثان .
Man wants to see God in a tangible shape and when God does not manifest Himself in this way, he presumes other tangible things to be gods and thus satisfies his appearance-loving instinct. But this shows a very poor appreciation of God’s Being. After all, how can God, who is so great as to have created this gigantic universe with its highly regulated systems, be so ordinary as to present Himself to a weak human creature in a form that will be visible to his eyes and touchable with his hands? Man must rather discover God through his heart and see Him with the eye of his faith. Only one who is satisfied with observation through insight will discover God. One who insists on His being visible to the naked eye will never truly find God, just like the person who fails to recognise a flower by its fragrance and insists on referring to chemical standards.
Commentary
Out of these five verses of Surah Al-An'am, the word: أَبْصَارُ` al absar' appearing in the first verse (103), is the plural of بَصَر (basar) which means vision, sight or ability to see, while the word: اِدرَک (idrak) means to reach, grasp, perceive, comprehend or encompass. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has explained the meaning of ` idrak' at this place as to comprehend or encompass. (Al-Bahr Al-Muhit)
Thus, the sense of the verse comes to be that even the combined ability of seeing given to the entire creation, to Jinns and humans and angels, and to the rest of the life forms, can never see Allah Jalla Sha'nuhu in a way that their vision would encompass His Being. But, as for Him, He watches the vision of His entire creation fully, and His ` seeing' encompasses all of them. Mentioned in this brief verse are two particular attributes of Allah Ta` ala.
1. Allah is Imperceivable: No eye in the whole universe, not even the combined eyesights of everyone, can encompass His Being.
Sayyidna Abu Said al-Khudri رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ reports that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: If all human beings, Jinn, angels and Shaytan, from the first to the last, were to stand in a row, even their combined sights cannot comprehend His Being. (Mazhari with reference to Ibn Abi Hatim)
Thus, so unique an attribute can belong to none but to the most-exalted Being of Allah. Otherwise, the sight bestowed by Allah on even the most insignificant life form of His creation can see with its mini-eyes much larger bodies and comprehend what they are. The sun and the moon are spheres of great magnitude, our earth being no match to them, yet the human eye, even the eyes of the smallest of animals, would see them in a way that would encompass their presence.
The truth of the matter is that the human eye is one sense organ out of the many given to human beings which enable them to see and react to what is perceptible. But, the Sacred Being of Allah Ta` ala is beyond the all-surrounding, all-comprehending overview of even reason and conjecture. There is no way this knowledge could be acquired by one single sense of sight. The Being and the Attributes of Allah Ta` ala are limitless while human senses, reason and imagination are all limited. It is obvious that the limitless cannot fit into the limited. This is why the philosophers and metaphysicians of the world who spent their lives in intellectual research and the respected Sufis who traversed through this difficult spiritual field through the medium of Illumination (Kashf) and Experiencing of the Presence (Shuhud) all agree upon the proposition that neither has anyone arrived at the total comprehension of the reality of His Being and Attributes, nor is that possible.
The Possibility of Seeing the Creator
The question is: Is it possible for human beings to see Allah Ta` ala, or is it not? On this religious question or مَسٔلَہ mas'alah, the belief of all ` Ulama of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama` ah (the majority of Muslims who adhere to the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his Sahabah ؓ is that it is not possible to see the Being of Allah Ta` ala in the state of life we have in this mortal world. This is the reason why, when Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) prayed: رَبِّ اَرِنِی (My Lord, show (Yourself) to me - 7:143), the answer given was: لَن ترَانِی ( ‘lan tarani" : ` you shall never see Me' - 7:143). It is obvious when this is the answer given to a prophet no less than Sayyidna Musa the Kalimullah (علیہ السلام) ، no Jinn or human being can even dare think about it. However, that believing Muslims will have the honour of seeing Allah Ta` ala in the 'Akhirah stands proved on the authority of sound (Sahib) and strong 'Al.hadith which have been reported in uninterrupted succession (mutawatir). And this is what appears in the Qur'an itself:
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاضِرَةٌ ﴿22﴾ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ ﴿23﴾
Faces on that Day shall be glowing, towards their Lord gazing! - 75:22-23
However, the disbelievers and the deniers will not have the honour of seeing Allah Ta` ala even on that Day, as punishment, as in a verse of the Qur'an:
كَلَّا إِنَّهُمْ عَن رَّبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَّمَحْجُوبُونَ ﴿15﴾
No indeed; surely from (the sighting of) their Lord on that Day, they shall be deprived - 83:15.
The Ziarah (the honour of seeing or visiting) of Allah Ta` ala shall take place in 'Akhirah at several places - and on the Day of Resurrection (Al-Mahshar) as well as after reaching Jannah (Paradise). For the people of Jannah, the Ziarah of Allah Ta` ala shall be the greatest of all blessings.
The Holy Prophet ﷺ said: When the people of Jannah have entered Jannah, Allah Ta` ala will ask them if they need any more blessings besides what they have already received in Jannah; if so, let them ask and they shall be granted those too. They will say: 0 Allah, You granted us deliverance from Jahannam (Hell), and admitted us into the Jannah (Paradise). What else could we ask for? That would be the time when the Veil shall stand removed, everyone shall have the honour to see Allah Ta` ala, and of all the blessings of Jannah, this will be the greatest. This Hadith appears in the Sahih of Muslim as reported by Sayyidna Suhayb ؓ .
As reported in a Hadith from the Sahih of al-Bukhari, the Holy Prophet ﷺ was sitting under moonlight. His noble Sahabah were with him. He looked at the moon, then said: You shall see your Rabb with your own eyes (in the 'Akhirah) in a way you are seeing this moon.
In a Hadith of Tirmidhi and the Musnad of Ahmad, it has been reported from Sayyidna Ibn ` Umar ؓ that people blessed with special ranks of Jannah by Allah Ta` ala will have the good fortune of seeing Him every morning and evening.
In short, no one can see Allah Ta` ala in the mortal world while, in the 'Akhirah, all those in Jannah will see Him. As for the Ziyarah made by the Holy Prophet ﷺ on the night of Mi'raj (the Ascent to the Heavens), that too was, in reality, the Ziarah of Allah Ta` ala as it would be in the Akhirah. According to Shaykh Muhiyuddin ibn al-` Arabi, the world is what lies circumscribed by the skies. Beyond that is the domain of 'Akhirah. A Ziyarah there cannot be called a Ziyarah here in the world.
Now, still unanswered remains the question: When we know from the verse of the Qur'an: لَّا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ (no vision can comprehend Him), that is, human beings just cannot see Allah Ta` ala, how would that become possible in the 'Akhirah? The obvious answer is that the verse of the Qur'an does not mean that the Ru'yah, Ziyarah or Seeing of Allah Ta` ala is impossible for human beings. Instead of that, the meaning of the verse is that human vision cannot comprehend or encompass His Being because His Being is unlimited while human vision is limited.
Even the Ziyarah made in the 'Akhirah will be in a manner that vision would still fail to comprehend Him fully; while in the mortal world, human beings and their vision do not have the strength and capacity to bear by ` seeing' even in this manner. Therefore, this ru'yah or seeing is absolutely impossible in the mortal world. But, in the 'Akhirah, given the strength and capability, this ru'yah, ziyarah, or seeing would become possible - but, a full, all-encompassing comprehending of the Most-True Being of Allah Subhanuhu wa Ta` ala would still remain impossible even then.
2. Allah is All-Perceiving: The second attribute of Allah Ta` ala mentioned in this verse is that His vision encompasses the whole universe. Nothing, anywhere, not even the minutest particle, is hidden from Him. This Absolute Knowledge with all-pervading, all-comprehending reach, is also a unique attribute of Allah Ta` ala. Other than Him, no created being has ever achieved such all-inclusive knowledge of everything, nor shall it ever be possible - because this is the domain of Allah, the most-exalted in His majesty.
After that it was said: (and He is All-Fine, All-Aware). Lexically, the word: اللَّطِيفُ (al-Latif) has two meanings: (a) kind, (b) fine or subtle in contrast with thick or course, that is, what cannot be perceived through the senses.
As for the word: الْخَبِيرُ (al-Khabir), it means All-Aware. Thus, the sentence comes to mean that Allah Ta` ala is All-Fine (Al-Latif), there-fore, He cannot be comprehended through the senses - and He is All-Aware (Al-Khabir), therefore, nothing in the entire universe is beyond His knowledge and awareness. If Al-Latif is taken to mean kind at this place, it will be suggesting that though Allah Ta` ala is All-Aware of everything we say or do, even what we intend, think or feel - which would have required that we should have been caught for every sin - but, He is kind and gracious too, therefore, He does not call us to account for every sin.
The word: بَصَائِرُ (basa'ir (appearing in the second verse (104) is the plural of بَصیرہ basirah which means reason, intelligence or insight, that is, the power through which one can acquire the knowledge of things which do not fall within the range of perception through the senses. ` Basa'ir', in this verse, means the evidences and sources through which one can get to know truth and reality. The meaning of the verse is: The sources and means of seeing the truth have reached you from Allah, that is, the Qur'an has come, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has come, manifest have been his miracles, and observed openly were his morals and dealings and teachings. All these are means of seeing the truth.
So, whoever has used these means has become the one blessed with true insight with his benefits secured, while the one who elected to remain blind to the truth by ignoring these means ends up losing what was good.
Towards the end of the verse, it was said: ` I do not stand guard over you.' It means that the Holy Prophet ﷺ has not been given the responsibility of forcing people to stop doing what was improper, as usually done by one appointed to oversee and guard (or self-appointed as vigilantes in our day). Instead, the functional responsibility of a messenger of Allah is only to convey commands, and explain. After that, following or not following the message conveyed becomes a matter of personal discretion and responsibility of the addressees.
(Proofs) an exposition (have come unto you from your Lord) i.e. the Qur'an, (so whoso seeth) believes in the Qur'an, (it is for his own good) reward, (and whoso is blind) disbelieves (is blind to his own hurt) punishment. (And I am not a keeper over you) to protect you.
The Meaning of Basa'ir
Basa'ir are the proofs and evidences in the Qur'an and the Message of Allah's Messenger ﷺ . The Ayah,
فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ فَلِنَفْسِهِ
(so whosoever sees, will do so for (the good of) himself.) is similar to,
فَمَنُ اهْتَدَى فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِى لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا
(So whosoever receives guidance, he does so for the good of himself, and whosoever goes astray, he does so at his own loss.) 10:108 After Allah mentioned the Basa'ir, He said,
وَمَنْ عَمِىَ فَعَلَيْهَا
(And whosoever blinds himself, will do so against himself,) meaning, he will only harm himself. Allah said,
فَإِنَّهَا لاَ تَعْمَى الاٌّبْصَـرُ وَلَـكِن تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِى فِى الصُّدُورِ
(Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind.) 22:46
وَمَآ أَنَاْ عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفِيظٍ
(And I (Muhammad) am not a Hafiz over you. ) neither responsible, nor a watcher over you. Rather, I only convey, Allah guides whom He wills and misguides whom He wills. Allah said,
وَكَذلِكَ نُصَرِّفُ الاٌّيَـتِ
(Thus We explain variously the verses...)6:105, meaning, just as We explained the Ayat in this Surah, such as explaining Tawhid and that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. This is how We explain the Ayat and make them plain and clear in all circumstances, to suffice the ignorance of the ignorant; and so that the idolators and disbelievers who deny you say, `O Muhammad! You have Darasta with those who were before you from among the People of the Book and learned with them'. Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Ad-Dahhak said similarly. At-Tabarani narrated that `Amr bin Kaysan said that he heard Ibn `Abbas saying, "Darasta, means, `recited, argued and debated."' This is similar to Allah's statement about the denial and rebellion of the disbelievers, e
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِنْ هَـذَا إِلاَّ إِفْكٌ افْتَرَاهُ وَأَعَانَهُ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ ءَاخَرُونَ فَقَدْ جَآءُوا ظُلْماً وَزُوراً - وَقَالُواْ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِىَ تُمْلَى عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلاً
(Those who disbelieve say, "This (the Qur'an) is nothing but a lie that he has invented, and others have helped him at it, so that they have produced an unjust wrong (thing) and a lie." And they say, "Tales of the ancients, which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon.") 25:4-5 Allah described the chief liar of the disbelievers Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah Al-Makhzumi,
إِنَّهُ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ - فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ - ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ - ثُمَّ نَظَرَ - ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ - ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ - فَقَالَ إِنْ هَـذَآ إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ - إِنْ هَـذَآ إِلاَّ قَوْلُ الْبَشَرِ
(Verily, he thought and plotted. So let him be cursed! How he plotted! And once more let him be cursed, how he plotted! Then he thought. Then he frowned and he looked in a bad tempered way. Then he turned back and was proud. Then he said, "This is nothing but magic from that of old. This is nothing but the word of a human being!") 74:18-25 Allah said next,
وَلِنُبَيِّنَهُ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
(And that We may make the matter clear for the people who have knowledge.) The Ayah means, so that We explain the matter to a people who know truth, and thus follow it, and know falsehood, and thus avoid it. Allah's wisdom is perfect, He allows the disbelievers to stray, and He guides the people who have knowledge. Allah said in other Ayat,
يُضِلُّ بِهِ كَثِيرًا وَيَهْدِي بِهِ كَثِيرًا
(By it He misleads many, and many He guides thereby.) 2:26, and;
لِّيَجْعَلَ مَا يُلْقِى الشَّيْطَـنُ فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ وَالْقَاسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ
(That He (Allah) may make what is thrown in by Shaytan a trial for those in whose hearts is a disease and whose hearts are hardened. ) 22:53 and,
وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهَادِ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
(And verily, Allah is the Guide of those who believe, to the straight path.) 22:54,
وَمَا جَعَلْنَآ أَصْحَـبَ النَّارِ إِلاَّ مَلَـئِكَةً وَمَا جَعَلْنَا عِدَّتَهُمْ إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيَسْتَيْقِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ وَيَزْدَادَ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِيمَـناً وَلاَ يَرْتَابَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَلِيَقُولَ الَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ وَالْكَـفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِهَـذَا مَثَلاً كَذَلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلاَّ هُوَ
(And We have set none but angels as guardians of the Fire, and We have fixed their number only as a trial for the disbelievers, in order that the People of the Scripture may arrive at a certainty and the believers may increase in faith, and that no doubts may be left for the People of the Scripture and the believers, and that those in whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy) and the disbelievers may say, "What does Allah intend by this example" Thus Allah leads astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none can know the hosts of your Lord but He.) 74:31, and;
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَآءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلاَ يَزِيدُ الظَّـلِمِينَ إَلاَّ خَسَارًا
(And We send down in the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers, and it increases the wrongdoers in nothing but loss.) 17:82, and,
قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ هُدًى وَشِفَآءٌ وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ فِى ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى أُوْلَـئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ
(Say, "It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness in their ears, and it is blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place far away.") 41:44 There are similar Ayat that testify that Allah sent down the Qur'an as guidance to those who fear Him and that He guides or misguides whom He wills by the Qur'an.
Clear insights have come to you from your Lord, that is, clear signs, being the forms of the self-disclosures of His attributes which are the lights of the insights of the heart, for insight is a light by which the heart perceives, much as eyesight is the light by which they eyes perceive; whoever perceives, that is, [whoever] becomes perceptive by these [insights], then the benefit of his perceptions and guidance is only for his own soul; and whoever is veiled from these [insights], then the hurt of his veiledness does not extend to anyone else, rather to him alone. And I am not a keeper over you, a watcher to watch over you and preserve you from misguidance; rather it is God who is the Keeper, preserving you and preserving your deeds.
Clear insights have come to you from your Lord, that is, clear signs, being the forms of the self-disclosures of His attributes which are the lights of the insights of the heart, for insight is a light by which the heart perceives, much as eyesight is the light by which they eyes perceive; whoever perceives, that is, [whoever] becomes perceptive by these [insights], then the benefit of his perceptions and guidance is only for his own soul; and whoever is veiled from these [insights], then the hurt of his veiledness does not extend to anyone else, rather to him alone. And I am not a keeper over you, a watcher to watch over you and preserve you from misguidance; rather it is God who is the Keeper, preserving you and preserving your deeds.
القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ بَصَائِرُ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ عَمِيَ فَعَلَيْهَا وَمَا أَنَا عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفِيظٍ (104)قال أبو جعفر: وهذا أمرٌ من الله جل ثناؤه نبيَّه محمدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يقول لهؤلاء الذين نبَّههم بهذه الآيات من قوله: (22) إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَالِقُ الْحَبِّ وَالنَّوَى إلى قوله: وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ على حججه عليهم, وعلى سائر خلقه معهم, (23) العادلين به الأوثان والأنداد, والمكذبين بالله ورسوله محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم وما جاءهم من عند الله= قل لهم يا محمد: " قد جاءكم "، أيها العادلون بالله، والمكذبون رسوله=" بصائر من ربكم "، أي: ما تبصرون به الهدى من الضلال، والإيمان من الكفر .* * *= وهي جمع " بصيرة ", ومنه قول الشاعر: (24)حَــمَلُوا بَصَـائِرَهُمْ عَـلَى أَكْتَـافِهِمْوَبَصِــيرَتِي يَعْـدُو بِهَـا عَتَـدٌ وَأَى (25)يعني بالبصيرة: الحجة البينة الظاهرة ، (26) كما:-13703- حدثني يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب قال، قال ابن زيد, في قوله: " قد جاءكم بصائر من ربكم " قال: " البصائر " الهدى، بصائر في قلوبهم لدينهم, وليست ببصائر الرؤوس . وقرأ: فَإِنَّهَا لا تَعْمَى الأَبْصَارُ وَلَكِنْ تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ [سورة الحج: 46] وقال: إنما الدين بصره وسمعه في هذا القلب . (27)13704- حدثنا بشر بن معاذ قال، حدثنا يزيد قال، حدثنا سعيد, عن قتادة: " قد جاءكم بصائر من ربكم "، أي بينة .وقوله: " فمن أبصر فلنفسه " يقول: فمن تبين حجج الله وعرَفها وأقرَّ بها، وآمن بما دلّته عليه من توحيد الله وتصديق رسوله وما جاء به, فإنما أصاب حظ نفسه، ولنفسه عمل, وإياها بَغَى الخير=" ومن عمي فعليها "، يقول: ومن لم يستدلّ بها، ولم يصدق بما دلَّته عليه من الإيمان بالله ورسوله وتنـزيله, ولكنه عمي عن دلالتها التي تدل عليها, يقول: فنفسَه ضر، وإليها أساء لا إلى غيرها .* * *وأما قوله: " وما أنا عليكم بحفيظ "، يقول: وما أنا عليكم برقيب أحصي عليكم أعمالكم وأفعالكم, وإنما أنا رسول أبلغكم ما أرسلت به إليكم, والله الحفيظ عليكم، الذي لا يخفى عليه شيء من أعمالكم . (28)----------------------الهوامش :(22) في المطبوعة والمخطوطة : (( لهذه الآيات )) باللام ، وصواب السياق يقتضي ما أثبت .(23) في المطبوعة (( وعلى تبيين خلقه معهم )) ، وهو كلام لا معنى له ، وهو في المخطوطة سيئ الكتابة ، وصواب قراءته ما أثبت . قوله : (( وعلى سائر خلقه معهم )) ، معطوف على قوله : (( عليهم )) قبله .وقوله : (( على حججه )) ، السياق : (( أن يقول لهؤلاء الذين نبههم بهذه الآيات ... على حججه عليهم )).وقوله بعد: (( العادلين به الأوثان )) ، صفة لقوله آنفًا (( أن يقول لهؤلاء الذين نبههم بهذه الآيات .. . ))(24) هو الأسعر الجعفي .(25) الأصمعيات : 23 ( وطبعة المعارف : 157 ) ، والوحشيات رقم : 58 ، المخصص 1 : 160 ، اللسان ( بصر ) ( عتد ) ( وأي ) . وغيرها كثير . وهي من قصيدة عير فيها إخوته لأبيه ، وذلك أن أباه قتل وهو غلام ، فأخذ إخوته لأبيه الدية فأكلوها ، فلما شب الأسعر ، أدرك بثأر أبيه ، وقال قبله :ولقـد عَلِمْـتُ ، عَـلَى تَجَشُّمِيَ الرَّدَىأَنَّ الحُـصُونَ الخَـيْلُ لا مَـدَرُ القُرَىوفسر أصحاب اللغة (( البصيرة )) هنا بأنها الدم ما لم يسل ، يعني : دماءهم في أبدانهم ، يعير أخوته . وقال غيرهم : (( البصائر )) دم أبيهم ، يقول : تركوا دم أبيهم خلفهم ولم يثأروا به ، وطلبته أنا . و (( عتد )) ( بفتح العين ، وفتح التاء أو كسرها ) : الفرس الشديد التام الخلق ، السريع الوثبة ، المعد للجري ، ليس فيه اضطراب ولا رخاوة . و (( الوأي )) ، الفرس السريع الطويل المقتدر الخلق .(26) انظر مجاز القرآن لأبي عبيدة 1 : 203(27) (( الدين )) ( بتشديد الياء وكسرها ) : المتدين ، صاحب الدين .(28) انظر تفسير (( الحفيظ )) فيما سلف 8 : 562 .
Man wants to see God in a tangible shape and when God does not manifest Himself in this way, he presumes other tangible things to be gods and thus satisfies his appearance-loving instinct. But this shows a very poor appreciation of God’s Being. After all, how can God, who is so great as to have created this gigantic universe with its highly regulated systems, be so ordinary as to present Himself to a weak human creature in a form that will be visible to his eyes and touchable with his hands? Man must rather discover God through his heart and see Him with the eye of his faith. Only one who is satisfied with observation through insight will discover God. One who insists on His being visible to the naked eye will never truly find God, just like the person who fails to recognise a flower by its fragrance and insists on referring to chemical standards.
Commentary
Out of these five verses of Surah Al-An'am, the word: أَبْصَارُ` al absar' appearing in the first verse (103), is the plural of بَصَر (basar) which means vision, sight or ability to see, while the word: اِدرَک (idrak) means to reach, grasp, perceive, comprehend or encompass. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has explained the meaning of ` idrak' at this place as to comprehend or encompass. (Al-Bahr Al-Muhit)
Thus, the sense of the verse comes to be that even the combined ability of seeing given to the entire creation, to Jinns and humans and angels, and to the rest of the life forms, can never see Allah Jalla Sha'nuhu in a way that their vision would encompass His Being. But, as for Him, He watches the vision of His entire creation fully, and His ` seeing' encompasses all of them. Mentioned in this brief verse are two particular attributes of Allah Ta` ala.
1. Allah is Imperceivable: No eye in the whole universe, not even the combined eyesights of everyone, can encompass His Being.
Sayyidna Abu Said al-Khudri رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ reports that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: If all human beings, Jinn, angels and Shaytan, from the first to the last, were to stand in a row, even their combined sights cannot comprehend His Being. (Mazhari with reference to Ibn Abi Hatim)
Thus, so unique an attribute can belong to none but to the most-exalted Being of Allah. Otherwise, the sight bestowed by Allah on even the most insignificant life form of His creation can see with its mini-eyes much larger bodies and comprehend what they are. The sun and the moon are spheres of great magnitude, our earth being no match to them, yet the human eye, even the eyes of the smallest of animals, would see them in a way that would encompass their presence.
The truth of the matter is that the human eye is one sense organ out of the many given to human beings which enable them to see and react to what is perceptible. But, the Sacred Being of Allah Ta` ala is beyond the all-surrounding, all-comprehending overview of even reason and conjecture. There is no way this knowledge could be acquired by one single sense of sight. The Being and the Attributes of Allah Ta` ala are limitless while human senses, reason and imagination are all limited. It is obvious that the limitless cannot fit into the limited. This is why the philosophers and metaphysicians of the world who spent their lives in intellectual research and the respected Sufis who traversed through this difficult spiritual field through the medium of Illumination (Kashf) and Experiencing of the Presence (Shuhud) all agree upon the proposition that neither has anyone arrived at the total comprehension of the reality of His Being and Attributes, nor is that possible.
The Possibility of Seeing the Creator
The question is: Is it possible for human beings to see Allah Ta` ala, or is it not? On this religious question or مَسٔلَہ mas'alah, the belief of all ` Ulama of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama` ah (the majority of Muslims who adhere to the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his Sahabah ؓ is that it is not possible to see the Being of Allah Ta` ala in the state of life we have in this mortal world. This is the reason why, when Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) prayed: رَبِّ اَرِنِی (My Lord, show (Yourself) to me - 7:143), the answer given was: لَن ترَانِی ( ‘lan tarani" : ` you shall never see Me' - 7:143). It is obvious when this is the answer given to a prophet no less than Sayyidna Musa the Kalimullah (علیہ السلام) ، no Jinn or human being can even dare think about it. However, that believing Muslims will have the honour of seeing Allah Ta` ala in the 'Akhirah stands proved on the authority of sound (Sahib) and strong 'Al.hadith which have been reported in uninterrupted succession (mutawatir). And this is what appears in the Qur'an itself:
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاضِرَةٌ ﴿22﴾ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ ﴿23﴾
Faces on that Day shall be glowing, towards their Lord gazing! - 75:22-23
However, the disbelievers and the deniers will not have the honour of seeing Allah Ta` ala even on that Day, as punishment, as in a verse of the Qur'an:
كَلَّا إِنَّهُمْ عَن رَّبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَّمَحْجُوبُونَ ﴿15﴾
No indeed; surely from (the sighting of) their Lord on that Day, they shall be deprived - 83:15.
The Ziarah (the honour of seeing or visiting) of Allah Ta` ala shall take place in 'Akhirah at several places - and on the Day of Resurrection (Al-Mahshar) as well as after reaching Jannah (Paradise). For the people of Jannah, the Ziarah of Allah Ta` ala shall be the greatest of all blessings.
The Holy Prophet ﷺ said: When the people of Jannah have entered Jannah, Allah Ta` ala will ask them if they need any more blessings besides what they have already received in Jannah; if so, let them ask and they shall be granted those too. They will say: 0 Allah, You granted us deliverance from Jahannam (Hell), and admitted us into the Jannah (Paradise). What else could we ask for? That would be the time when the Veil shall stand removed, everyone shall have the honour to see Allah Ta` ala, and of all the blessings of Jannah, this will be the greatest. This Hadith appears in the Sahih of Muslim as reported by Sayyidna Suhayb ؓ .
As reported in a Hadith from the Sahih of al-Bukhari, the Holy Prophet ﷺ was sitting under moonlight. His noble Sahabah were with him. He looked at the moon, then said: You shall see your Rabb with your own eyes (in the 'Akhirah) in a way you are seeing this moon.
In a Hadith of Tirmidhi and the Musnad of Ahmad, it has been reported from Sayyidna Ibn ` Umar ؓ that people blessed with special ranks of Jannah by Allah Ta` ala will have the good fortune of seeing Him every morning and evening.
In short, no one can see Allah Ta` ala in the mortal world while, in the 'Akhirah, all those in Jannah will see Him. As for the Ziyarah made by the Holy Prophet ﷺ on the night of Mi'raj (the Ascent to the Heavens), that too was, in reality, the Ziarah of Allah Ta` ala as it would be in the Akhirah. According to Shaykh Muhiyuddin ibn al-` Arabi, the world is what lies circumscribed by the skies. Beyond that is the domain of 'Akhirah. A Ziyarah there cannot be called a Ziyarah here in the world.
Now, still unanswered remains the question: When we know from the verse of the Qur'an: لَّا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ (no vision can comprehend Him), that is, human beings just cannot see Allah Ta` ala, how would that become possible in the 'Akhirah? The obvious answer is that the verse of the Qur'an does not mean that the Ru'yah, Ziyarah or Seeing of Allah Ta` ala is impossible for human beings. Instead of that, the meaning of the verse is that human vision cannot comprehend or encompass His Being because His Being is unlimited while human vision is limited.
Even the Ziyarah made in the 'Akhirah will be in a manner that vision would still fail to comprehend Him fully; while in the mortal world, human beings and their vision do not have the strength and capacity to bear by ` seeing' even in this manner. Therefore, this ru'yah or seeing is absolutely impossible in the mortal world. But, in the 'Akhirah, given the strength and capability, this ru'yah, ziyarah, or seeing would become possible - but, a full, all-encompassing comprehending of the Most-True Being of Allah Subhanuhu wa Ta` ala would still remain impossible even then.
2. Allah is All-Perceiving: The second attribute of Allah Ta` ala mentioned in this verse is that His vision encompasses the whole universe. Nothing, anywhere, not even the minutest particle, is hidden from Him. This Absolute Knowledge with all-pervading, all-comprehending reach, is also a unique attribute of Allah Ta` ala. Other than Him, no created being has ever achieved such all-inclusive knowledge of everything, nor shall it ever be possible - because this is the domain of Allah, the most-exalted in His majesty.
After that it was said: (and He is All-Fine, All-Aware). Lexically, the word: اللَّطِيفُ (al-Latif) has two meanings: (a) kind, (b) fine or subtle in contrast with thick or course, that is, what cannot be perceived through the senses.
As for the word: الْخَبِيرُ (al-Khabir), it means All-Aware. Thus, the sentence comes to mean that Allah Ta` ala is All-Fine (Al-Latif), there-fore, He cannot be comprehended through the senses - and He is All-Aware (Al-Khabir), therefore, nothing in the entire universe is beyond His knowledge and awareness. If Al-Latif is taken to mean kind at this place, it will be suggesting that though Allah Ta` ala is All-Aware of everything we say or do, even what we intend, think or feel - which would have required that we should have been caught for every sin - but, He is kind and gracious too, therefore, He does not call us to account for every sin.
The word: بَصَائِرُ (basa'ir (appearing in the second verse (104) is the plural of بَصیرہ basirah which means reason, intelligence or insight, that is, the power through which one can acquire the knowledge of things which do not fall within the range of perception through the senses. ` Basa'ir', in this verse, means the evidences and sources through which one can get to know truth and reality. The meaning of the verse is: The sources and means of seeing the truth have reached you from Allah, that is, the Qur'an has come, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has come, manifest have been his miracles, and observed openly were his morals and dealings and teachings. All these are means of seeing the truth.
So, whoever has used these means has become the one blessed with true insight with his benefits secured, while the one who elected to remain blind to the truth by ignoring these means ends up losing what was good.
Towards the end of the verse, it was said: ` I do not stand guard over you.' It means that the Holy Prophet ﷺ has not been given the responsibility of forcing people to stop doing what was improper, as usually done by one appointed to oversee and guard (or self-appointed as vigilantes in our day). Instead, the functional responsibility of a messenger of Allah is only to convey commands, and explain. After that, following or not following the message conveyed becomes a matter of personal discretion and responsibility of the addressees.
(Proofs) an exposition (have come unto you from your Lord) i.e. the Qur'an, (so whoso seeth) believes in the Qur'an, (it is for his own good) reward, (and whoso is blind) disbelieves (is blind to his own hurt) punishment. (And I am not a keeper over you) to protect you.