Verses 36–42

Chapter 13: Al-Ra’d (The Thunder) · Printed edition: Volume 22, pp. 214–230

This section of verses follows on from the previous one and continues to respond to the statement of the disbelievers, ‘Why has not some sign been sent down to him from his Lord?’ ().

وَالَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمِنَ الأَحْزَابِ مَن يُنكِرُ بَعْضَهُ قُلْ إِنَّمَا أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ وَلا أُشْرِكَ بِهِ إِلَيْهِ أَدْعُو وَإِلَيْهِ مَآبِ ٣٦

(13:36) Those whom We have given the Book rejoice in what has been sent down to you. Among the factions are those who deny a part of it. Say, ‘Indeed I have been commanded to worship Allah and not to ascribe any partner to Him. To Him do I summon and to Him will be my return.’

It appears that the phrase, Those whom We have given the Book, refers to the Jews and Christians or these two groups along with the Zoroastrians, because this is the usual way these terms are used in the Qurʾan. As for the fact that it is mentioned that the People of the Book rejoice because the Qurʾan has been sent down to the Prophet, the reason for this is that this chapter is of Meccan provenance and, according to historical accounts, the Arabian Jewish tribes in the early days of Prophetic mission were not opposed to the Prophet of Islam or his teachings. Rather, the events that led them to oppose him all took place after the Emigration to Medina. By contrast, in the early days of the migration, some of them accepted the call to Islam, testified to the prophethood of the Prophet, and testified that he was the prophet whose coming was foretold in their books. The Qurʾan relates this about them in the verse: … and a witness from the Children of Israel has testified to its like and believed … ().

As for the Christians, there were some among them who were following the true religion at that time and showed no enmity toward the call to Islam, like the Christians of Abyssinia, as mentioned in the story of the Muslims’ migration to Abyssinia, and some other non-Abyssinian people. The Qurʾan states about their likes: “Those to whom We gave the Book before it are the ones who believe in it (), and also states: Among the people of Moses is a nation who guide by the truth and do justice thereby ().

Similarly, the Zoroastrians of that time were also awaiting the advent and salvation of the Seal of the Prophets and the emergence of a religion that would promote truth and justice, and they did not show enmity and opposition to the Prophetic mission in the same way as the polytheists did.

With this background in mind, it appears that the intended referents of the People of the Book are these Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians, especially the true believers among the Christians who believed that Jesus was a human being whom God had sent as a prophet—like Negus (the king of Abyssinia) and his followers believed.

The latter part of this verse states: Indeed I have been commanded to worship Allah and not to ascribe any partner to Him. To Him do I summon and to Him is my return.’ This appears to confirm the above and it is very clear that the address in this sentence is more suitable for Christians than any other religious group.

Among the factions (al-Aḥzāb) are those who deny a part of it: The use of the definite article al- in al-Aḥzāb (‘the factions’) suggests that this term refers to a specific and known group. In other words: Some of the factions among the People of the Book deny some of what has been revealed to you; for example, they reject those verses that point to the Oneness of God, negate the Trinity, and negate other false beliefs, corrupted knowledge, and distorted rulings of the People of the Book.

Say, ‘Indeed I have been commanded to worship Allah and not to ascribe any partner to Him ...’—This sentence indicates that the intended meaning of the ‘part’ of the revelation which they deny refers to the verses that convey the unity in worship and obedience. In another verse, the Prophet is instructed to invite them to his message by finding points of agreement with them and states: Say, ‘O People of the Book! Come to a word common between us and you: that we will worship no one but Allah, and that we will not ascribe any partner to Him, and that we will not take each other as lords besides Allah.’ ()

God bids the Prophet to conclude this statement by saying: ‘To Him do I summon and to Him is my return’—in other words, He is my reference in all things.

Therefore, at the beginning of this statement, the Prophet announces his goal for himself and others, and at the end, he expresses their own path, saying words to the effect of: ‘I am commanded to worship only God, and my actions and my call should be based on this. I follow this path among people, and I do not call them toward anyone other than Him, nor do I refer to anyone other than Him in any of my affairs.’

Based on this explanation, the verse conveys the same meaning as the verse: Say, ‘This is my way. I summon to Allah with insight—I and he who follows me. Immaculate is Allah, and I am not one of the polytheists.’ ().

It is also possible that the meaning of the phrase, ‘… and to Him is my return,’ could refer to the issue of resurrection, in which case the verse means: ‘I only invite toward Him, because my return is only toward Him.’

Commentators have also presented alternative explanations of the phrase, Those whom We have given the Book rejoice in what has been sent down to you:

For example, some have read the word ‘Book’ in the verse as referring to the Qurʾan, and the phrase, Those whom We have given the Book, as referring to the Companions of the Prophet of God, while saying the term ‘factions’ refers to the Arab tribes that formed groups against the Prophet and his followers. These tribes, including Quraysh and others, created many obstacles and setbacks for him.

However, this explanation is not correct, because there is no precedent in the Qurʾan for specifically applying the phrase, Those whom We have given the Book, to the Companions of the Messenger of God. Additionally, even if we were to read the verse in this way, it would mean that this meaning has been repeated, as the following verse also pertains to the same meaning, which does not befit the eloquence of the Qurʾan.

Some may have said that this phrase is solely refers to the Jews, and that the intended meaning of ‘the Book’ is the Torah, and that when they spoke of some factions denying parts of the Qurʾan, they were referring to those verses of its that contained rulings contradictory to the distorted rulings of the Torah. If you argue that denying such verses is not limited to just some Jews, but rather that all Jews denied them, the response would be that it is true; however, some Jews denied that group of verses without the joy and pleasure of the Qurʾan’s revelation, while the remaining Jews were both happy and denied those verses. However, in order to establish this meaning for the verse, commentators were forced to undertake lengthy arguments.

Some commentators have reported that they said: The meaning of the pronoun ‘those’ applies to all Muslims, and the referents of the word ‘factions’ are the Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians. Others have also argued that the sentence ‘… and to Him will be my return’ conveys the implicit meaning of: ‘to Him is my destination, and yours as well.’

However, these statements have no basis in the apparent language of the verse, and there is no benefit in investigating or responding to them further.

وَكَذَلِكَ أَنزَلْنَاهُ حُكْمًا عَرَبِيًّا وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءهُم بَعْدَ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلاَ وَاقٍ ٣٧

(13:37) Thus We have sent it down as a dispensation (ḥukm) in Arabic; and should you follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you shall have against Allah neither any guardian nor any defender.

The demonstrative pronoun ‘thus’ refers to the Book mentioned in the previous verse, which includes all the scriptures revealed to the previous prophets, such as the Torah and the Gospel.

The term ḥukm refers to a judgment and a verdict, as the purpose of a book revealed from heaven is precisely this. As he stated in another verse: … and He sent down with them the Book with the truth, that it may judge between the people concerning that about which they differed … Hence, from one perspective, the book is simultaneously a divine judgment and, from another perspective, it serves as a judge between the people. This is the meaning of ḥukm, not ḥikma, as some have claimed.

The term ‘Arabic’ serves as an adjective for ‘judgment’ and highlights the significance of the book being revealed in Arabic, the language of the Messenger of God. This aligns with the divine tradition of sending prophets with messages in their people’s language, as stated in the verse: We did not send any messenger except with the language of his people (). Implicitly, this also indicates that the ‘people of the Book’ referred to in the preceding verse are primarily the Jews and Christians. The focus of these verses is largely on them, similar to how the previous verses were directed towards the idolaters.

Based on this, the statement, … and should you follow their desires …, serves as a prohibition from following the desires of the people of the Book, which is not only mentioned in this verse but has been repeatedly forbidden in the Qurʾan, with the primary reason being that they demanded miracles in addition to the miracle of the Qurʾan from the Prophet. Similarly, the idolaters sought miracles from him. In addition, the people of the Book considered abrogation of laws to be impossible and expected God’s Messenger to adhere to their own religious laws. These two reasons, especially the first, were the main factors that led them to such expectations.

According to this explanation, the verse means: ‘Just as we revealed the Book to the People of the Book (Jews and Christians), we also revealed this Qurʾan to you, in your language, and in a state that contains divine judgment, or in a state that governs among people. And if you follow the desires of the people of the Book—if, like them, you hope that a sign other than the Qurʾan will be revealed to you, or if you compromise with them, desiring to retain a part of their abrogated laws or their distorted ones—We will punish you. In that situation, you will have no recourse but to receive God’s punishment, and nobody will be able to save you from it. Therefore, the addressee in this verse is solely God’s Messenger, not the community as a whole, as some have mistakenly thought.

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلاً مِّن قَبْلِكَ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ أَزْوَاجًا وَذُرِّيَّةً وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَن يَأْتِيَ بِآيَةٍ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ لِكُلِّ أَجَلٍ كِتَابٌ ٣٨

(13:38) Certainly We have sent messengers before you, and We appointed for them wives and descendants; and a messenger may not bring a sign except by Allah’s leave. There is a decree for every term:

After the Messenger of God was forbidden from following the desires of the People of the Book with regard to the signs in addition to the Qurʾan they demand from him, this verse reminds him of the true reality and rids him of any desire for such reliance, urging him to trust in God and refer to Him in all his affairs.

The fact is that it is God’s established modus to select messengers, who are human beings, from among the people themselves and to send the messengers following a familiar and customary way, not for them to control the unseen realms or to possess any attributes of divinity in their capacity, such as having supernatural powers to do whatever they want. They are, after all, just like other people and have no authority or control over their own affairs, on the contrary, everything is in God’s hands.

God is the only one who can send forth signs and miracles if He so chooses. However, He does so only when His wisdom dictates, and not at all times are these occurrences considered appropriate or wise, lest the divine order become chaotic or disrupted. Each specific period has its suitable wisdom and divine decree, and thus for every particular time there is an appropriate sign.

This is the reality indicated in the verse, Certainly We have sent messengers before you, and We appointed for them wives and descendants, and the statement, and a messenger may not bring a sign except by Allah’s leave, points to the fact that prophets do not possess any supernatural powers and are not independent in what they want. They can only accomplish what God permits them to do.

The meaning of the phrase, There is a decree for every term, is this: There is a specific decree for each period, and there is a special time for each decree, as prescribed by divine ordinance. This is a reference to the exceptions mentioned earlier, except by Allah’s leave, and to the established custom of God and His divine decrees.

Thus, it is only God who can reveal whatever He wills and grant permission for whatever He desires. However, He does not reveal, and He does not permit at all times and for every sign, for there is a specific decree for each period, which He has written. Nothing happens except for the events written in that decree.

The explanation by some that the phrase, There is a decree for every term, is equivalent to the meaning, ‘for every book, there is a term,’ meaning that for every book God sends down there is a specific time in which it is sent down, in which it is acted upon—so that the Torah has a specific time, the Bible has a specific time, and the Qurʾan as a specific time—is not correct and not worthy of consideration.

يَمْحُو اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاء وَيُثْبِتُ وَعِندَهُ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ ٣٩

(13:39) Allah effaces (yamḥū) and confirms (yuthbit) whatever He wishes and with Him is the Mother Book.

The word yamḥū means to remove all trace of something. When it is said, ‘I effaced the writing’ (maḥawtu al-kitāb), it means that the lines and images of the writing were removed. In , when God says, Allah will efface the falsehood and confirm the truth with His words, it means that God removes the traces of falsehood. Similarly, He also said, As for the scum, it leaves as dross () and We made the night and the day two signs. Then We effaced the sign of the night, and made the sign of the day lightsome (), meaning that He removed the traces of darkness from the night. Thus, maḥw (‘effacing’) is synonymous with naskh (‘abrogation’). When it is said, ‘The sun abrogates the shadow’ (nasukhat al-shams al-ẓill), it means that the sun removes the shadow and all of its traces.

In the present verse, the term yuthbit, derived from ithbāt (‘to confirm’) is mentioned in contrast to maḥw. Ithbāt means keeping something in its place so that it does not move or slip. For example, when it is said: ‘the peg is firmly fixed in the ground’ (athbata al-watad fī a-arḍ), it means that the peg has been firmly hammered into the ground in such a way that it does not budge or move. Therefore, in this context, the opposite of confirmation is effacement, which means the removal of traces of something after it has been affirmed, and this term is frequently used in the Qurʾan.

And the fact that the phrase, Allah effaces and confirms whatever He wishes, is connected on one hand to the phrase, There is a decree for every term, and on the other hand to the phrase, and with Him is the Mother Book, on the other, clearly indicates that the effacement and confirmation of the Book are specific to certain times. Thus, a book that God has affirmed at one point in time may later be obliterated by Him, and another book may be confirmed in its place. Therefore, the Almighty God continually confirms one book and effaces another.

Based on this, if we consider the written contents of the book to be expressions of God’s signs, miracles, and indications of His names and attributes, and we recognize that the existence of everything is a sign of God Himself, then it is accurate to say that God is constantly engaged in effacing one sign and confirming another. Just as He Himself has said, For any verse that We abrogate or remove from memories, We bring another which is better than it, or similar to it, and He has also said, When We change a sign with another in its place ().

Thus, the statement Allah effaces and confirms whatever He wishes with the consideration that it is absolute and unqualified in relation to the phrase, there is a decree for every term, suggests that it is meant to be read as a rationale for it. The meaning of this is: ‘for every time there is a specific book, so the books differ according to different times, and since the Almighty God effaces the book He wishes to remove of, He confirms another book in its place. Hence, the difference between the books is due to the differing divine dispositions and not because the books themselves have each a fixed condition that cannot be changed. Rather, it is the Almighty God who changes them, confirming another book in place of the effaced one.

And the statement, and with Him is the Mother Book, means that the essence and origin of the book exists with God, as the word ‘Mother’ (umm) denotes the origin of something from which it has emerged and to which it shall return. This statement refutes any misconception that may have arisen in a person’s mind and explains the reality of the matter. For the difference in the state of the book, its effacement, its confirmation, the changing of its written decrees, and the judgments executed therein may lead some people to the misconception that God’s decrees and the affairs of the world have no fixed and immutable nature, that His authority is dependent on external factors, much like the judgments of human beings and those with discernment. Or this may cause some people to conclude that God’s commands are, in essence, meaningless and futile, that they neither have determinacy by their essential nature nor are they influenced by anything external.

The assertion has been refuted with the phrase and with Him is the Mother Book (), which refers to the primal essence of scripture and the unchanging decree to which these fluctuating decrees—which are erased or established depending on times and terms—ultimately return. If the Mother Book itself were susceptible to erasure and confirmation, it would be akin to these fluctuating decrees, and be without any foundation.

If such changes were not rooted in this essence, then the acts of erasure and confirmation in God’s actions would either be contingent upon external circumstances necessitating them, which would imply that the Almighty is constrained and dominated by external factors and causes just like us. Yet, God decrees and none can alter His decrees.

Alternatively, God’s actions could be wholly arbitrary, which would disrupt the organized system of creation and general providence by unbinding interconnected things. However, God has made clear that this is not the case, when He says: We did not create the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them for play. We did not create them except with reason ().

In essence, the verse conveys that God, the Exalted, has a decree—or a ruling and judgment—for every moment and term. He erases these decrees, rulings, and judgments as He wills and establishes them as He wishes. This means that He can change a settled decree at one time and introduce another in its place at another time. Yet, relative to every moment, He has a decree that is unchanging and does not admit any erasure or confirmation. It is the foundational decree to which other decrees return and emanate from, being erased or established as He deems fit.

The verse clarifies, firstly, that the rule of erasure and confirmation is general for all occurrences across different times and terms, encompassing everything in the heavens, the earth, and whatever is in between. God has declared: We did not create the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them except with reason and for a specified term ().

This is predicated upon the general statement, Allah effaces and confirms whatever He wishes (). Limiting the context of this statement to prophetic signs does not necessitate that the verse is exclusively pertinent to that context, as the context is not inherently limiting.

Based on this premise, the flaw in the opinions of some commentators becomes apparent. For example, some assert that this verse pertains to jurisprudential rulings, referring to abrogation (naskh). Another view is that it relates to permitted actions inscribed in the records of deeds; God erases some and replaces them with acts of obedience or disobedience for which there is recompense. A third perspective holds that it concerns the erasure of the believers’ sins as a favor and the confirmation of the disbelievers’ sins as a penalty. A fourth posits that it pertains to situations influenced by supplications and alms during times of hardship, disasters, economic distress, and the like. A fifth believes that erasure is the removal of sins through repentance and confirmation is the transformation of bad deeds into good ones. A sixth view opines that it refers to God erasing certain generations and establishing others in their place. The seventh interpretation is about the passing away of the moon and the confirmation of the sun, signifying the erasure of the sign of night and the establishment of the illuminating sign of the day. An eighth suggests it is about the erasure of this world and the confirmation of the hereafter. The ninth contemplates that this concerns souls during sleep; God takes some and releases others as He wills. The tenth interpretation holds that it is about the decreed fates written on the Night of Decree; God erases and confirms from it as He wishes.

These interpretations, and others like them, lack any textual evidence to limit the verse specifically to them. The verse has an undeniable generality. Observational experience corroborates this; the law of change is evident throughout the observable universe. When a thing is measured across two moments of its existence, change becomes evident in its essence, attributes, and actions. Yet, in the very essence of any state when considered in terms of its own existence and objective reality, it appears stable and unchanging because a thing does not change from its inherent nature.

Observable entities have two dimensions: one of change, which encompasses death, life, cessation, permanence, and various transformations; and another of stability, unchanging from its state. These two dimensions either relate directly to the Book of Erasure and Confirmation and the Mother of the Book, or they function as extensions of them. Regardless, the verse holds true in both dimensions.

Secondly, God, the Exalted, has a fixed decree for everything, which does not admit any change. This highlights the flaw in the claim of some who argue that every decree is subject to change, citing scattered narrations, supplications, and other verses and traditions indicating that supplications and alms can avert the negative aspects of decrees. An example of such a supplication is one that has been narrated from the Imāms and some Companions, where they have supplicated: ‘O Lord, if You have written my name among the wretched, erase it from there and inscribe me among the fortunate,’ and there are other supplications with similar themes. However, it is important to understand that these supplications pertain to non-definitive decrees (al-qaḍāʾ ghayr al-maḥtūm), which we do not deny.

Thirdly, the divine decree is bifurcated into a mutable decree (qaḍāʾ mutaghayyir) and an immutable one (qaḍāʾ ghayr mutaghayyir). The detailed exploration of this verse will be continued shortly.

وَإِن مَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعْضَ الَّذِي نَعِدُهُمْ أَوْ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلاغُ وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ ٤٠

(13:40) Whether (in mā) We show you (nuriyanna-ka) a part of what We promise them, or take you away, your duty is only to communicate, and it is for Us to do the reckoning.

In is a conditional particle and mā is added for emphasis, and the evidence for this is the presence of the particle of emphasis nūn in the verb that follows (nuriyyanna-ka).

In this verse, God clarifies what the Prophet is responsible for, which is to engage in the task of warning and conveying the message. Therefore, he should not follow the desires of the people in relation to the revelation of a sign to him, as they demanded. Moreover, neither should he expect to see the outcome of his message or the impending punishment that God had promised them.

This verse contains an indication that divine reckoning takes place in this world, just as it takes place in the hereafter.

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا نَأْتِي الأَرْضَ نَنقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا وَاللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ لاَ مُعَقِّبَ لِحُكْمِهِ وَهُوَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ ٤١

(13:41) Have they not seen how We visit the land diminishing it at its edges? Allah judges, and there is none who may repeal His judgment, and He is swift at reckoning.

This rhetorical question is meant to provoke them to reflect after they had been threatened with destruction. It is understood from this verse that ‘visiting’ the land and ‘diminishing it’ at its edges is a figure of speech for visiting death and destruction upon its inhabitants. This verse is similar to His saying, Rather We have provided for them and their fathers until they lived on for long years. Do they not see how We visit the land diminishing it at its edges? Are they the ones who will prevail? ().

Some say that the verse refers to the people of Mecca who did not realize that their territory was being reduced from its fringes by the conquest of surrounding villages by the Muslims, one after the other. They should fear that their city will also be conquered and vengeance taken upon them. However, this interpretation is to be rejected because this particular chapter is from the Meccan period, and such conquests only occurred after the Emigration to Medina. Although, the verses with their threats and warnings do foreshadow their destruction in the Battle of Badr and other battles, rather than the conquest of Mecca.

Allah judges, and there is none who may repeal His judgment, and He is swift at reckoning: This means that dominance belongs to Allah alone. He judges and there is no one who can reverse His judgment or overcome it by means of prevention or rejection. And He, the Exalted, takes account of every action as soon as it occurs without delay, so that no one can interfere or tamper with it. His statement, Allah judges... and so on, is in the same meaning as His saying in the verse of Sūrah al-Anbiyāʾ quoted above: Are they the ones who will prevail?

وَقَدْ مَكَرَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَلِلَّهِ الْمَكْرُ جَمِيعًا يَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ وَسَيَعْلَمُ الْكُفَّارُ لِمَنْ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ ٤٢

(13:42) Those who were before them schemed; yet all devising belongs to Allah. He knows what every soul earns. Soon the faithless will know in whose favor the outcome of that abode will be.

This means that those who came before them plotted, but it did not benefit them. Their plotting could not prevent God from visiting the land and diminishing it at its edges. So, Allah the Exalted dominates all plotting, nullifies it, and turns it back on those who plot as a lesson.

The statement, He knows what every soul earns, occurs in the context of explaining His control over all plotting. After all, one’s plots can only succeed when the one they are plotting against is ignorant of it. But if they know about it, then it becomes invalidated.

The expression, soon the faithless will know in whose favor the outcome of that abode will be, decisively asserts that the matter of outcomes essentially being based on their consequences is an inevitable reality that will not fail to occur, and they will witness it firsthand. Thus, there is no need to prolong the conversation with them further or indulge in informing them of this, for they will undoubtedly become aware soon enough.

Examining Narrations

1. In Al-Durr al-manthūr, al-Suyūṭī cites Ibn Shayba, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn Mundhir, and Ibn Abī Ḥātim, all of whom narrate from Mujāhid that when the verse, and a messenger may not bring a sign except by Allah’s leave () was revealed, the polytheists of the Quraysh said to Prophet, ‘We don’t believe you can do anything. The matter has already been decided!’ In response to them, God revealed this verse, Allah effaces and confirms whatever He wishes (), warning them that He can bring forth whatever He wills for them.’

Author’s comment: The meaning of the verse, as we explained it above, is distinct from the content of this narration. Furthermore, the narration goes on to say that God decides each month of Ramaḍān concerning provisions, misfortunes, and other aspects, can either maintain or erase what He has decreed.

Another narration from Jābir relates that the Prophet said, ‘God erases or increases the provisions of some, just as He can diminish or prolong their lifespans.’ However, given the verse’s general scope, the erasure and confirmation of provisions and lifespans are just instances of the general principles of confirmation and erasure.

2. In Al-Durr al-manthūr, al-Suyūṭī quotes Ibn Mardawayh narrating from Ibn ʿAbbās that someone asked the Prophet about the meaning of the verse, Allah effaces and confirms whatever He wishes, the Prophet replied: ‘This relates to the Night of Determination and concerns the rise and fall of fortunes, and the erasure, and affirmation of individuals’ lifespans and provisions. However, aspects like life and death, misery and felicity, remain unchanged from their predetermined state and are unaffected.’

Author’s comment: This narration contradicts many other reports from the Prophet, the Imāms, and the Companions. It also conflicts with the general understanding of the verse and lacks logical coherence. A similar narration from Ibn ʿUmar quotes the Prophet saying, in relation tothe aforementioned verse, that aspects like misery and felicity, life and death, are not subject to erasure or affirmation.

3. Additionally, in the same source, both Ibn Mardawayh and Ibn ʿAsākir narrate from ʿAlī that he asked the Prophet about this verse, and he replied: ‘I will delight you with its interpretation, and I will also delight those of my community who come after me. The essence is that almsgiving, when done correctly, kindness to parents, and righteous deeds in general, transform misery into felicity, prolong one’s life, and protect from harmful incidents.’

Author’s comment: This narration essentially lists some examples of what the verse is referring to without delving deeper into its meaning.

4. In al-Kāfī, al-Kulaynī narrates through his chain of transmission from Hishām b. Sālim, Ḥafs b. Bakhtarī, and others, from Imām al-Ṣādiq regarding the verse, Allah effaces and confirms whatever He wishes that he said: ‘Isn’t it the case that what is confirmed can be erased, and what is erased or obliterated can be confirmed?’.

Author’s comment: This narration has also been quoted by al-ʿAyyāshī in his exegesis, citing Jamīl, from him.

5. In Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, it is narrated from Fuḍayl b. Yasār that he said: ‘I heard from Abū Jaʿfar say: “Some matters are inevitable and are bound to happen. Others are contingent and dependent, and God brings them about, erases or confirms them as He wills, and no one knows of these matters. But whatever is conveyed by the prophets will certainly come to pass, as God is not pleased to have Himself, His angels, or His prophets belied.”’

Author’s comment: This narration is also presented in the same book through another chain of transmission. Al-Kulaynī has also narrated it in al-Kāfī, via his own his chain from Fuḍayl from the Imām.

6. In the same book, it is narrated from Zurāra from Abū Jaʿfar that he said: ‘ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn would say: ‘If it were not for a verse in the Book of God, I would inform you about everything that has occurred and will occur until the Day of Resurrection.’ When asked about which verse he was referring to, he replied, Allah effaces and confirms whatever He wishes and with Him is the Mother Book.

Author’s comment: The meaning of this tradition implies that from the noble verse it is understood that God intends His creation to live in uncertainty about future events, so they can act according to life’s necessities. If they knew everything, they would not accept the usual causes of guidance, and the two foundational principles of life, fear, and hope would lose their significance. Indeed, if the events of the future were entirely visible and unveiled to them, this divine purpose, which is the continuation of ordinary human life, would be corrupted. This is the reason why the Imām does not reveal the future, not because if he did, God, through erasing, confirming, and bringing about change, would contradict him by making something appear contrary to what he had informed others about, as the Imām is secure from such things. Thus, there is no contradiction between this narration and the previous ones.

7. In the same source, there is a narration related by al-Fuḍayl b. Yasār from Abū ʿAbd Allāh, in which he states: ‘Indeed, God, the Blessed and Exalted, wrote a book containing everything that has occurred and everything that will happen. He placed it before Him, and whatever He willed from it, He brought forward, and whatever He willed from it, He delayed. Whatever He willed from it, He erased, and whatever He willed from it occurred; and whatever He did not will did not happen.’
8. In the same source, Ibn Sinān narrates from Abū ʿAbd Allāh: Indeed, Allah brings forward whatever He wills, delays whatever He wills, erases whatever He wills, and establishes whatever He wills. With Him is the Mother of the Book.’ The Imām also said: ‘Every matter that Allah wills is present in His knowledge before He decrees it. Nothing appears to Him except that it was already in His knowledge; for nothing appears to Him out of ignorance.’

Author’s comment: There are numerous traditions on the topic of Badāʾ (‘Divine Revision’) from the Imāms, and we cannot simply disregard them on the pretext of their being solitary reports.

As you can see, the above narration denies the occurrence of Badāʾ if, by this, it is meant that God’s knowledge changes and God becomes aware of something that He was not previously aware of. In fact, the doctrine of Badāʾ in these narrations only suggests a manifestation of a decree from God that runs contrary to expectations, rather than an actual change in His knowledge or essence. It is the erasing of the original decree and the establishment of a new one, with God having foreknowledge of both of both.

This is a truth that no rational individual can deny. When anticipating events, two potentialities or realities are envisioned: one determined by the incomplete causes, such as conditions, causes, or obstacles that can be contravened, and another determined by the complete causes and reasons. This latter existence is fixed, unconditional, and cannot be contravened, unlike the first.

The two books referred to by the discussed verse—namely the book of erasure and affirmation and the Mother Book (Umm al-Kitāb) either represent these two stages of existence or serve as the foundations for them. Regardless, the matter that a decree or a will from God manifests contrary to what was expected is a clear issue, leaving no room for doubt.

It appears to us that the dispute regarding the doctrine of Badāʾ—as derived from the traditions of the Imāms of the Ahl al-Bayt—between those who affirm it and those who deny it, is in actually a debate about terminology and semantics that dissipates with the slightest degree of scrutiny. For this reason, we did not allocate a separate discussion for this matter in this book, even though our approach has been to devote a discussion to each scholarly issue.

Our rationale for asserting that the dispute about Badāʾ is semantic stems from the fact that those who reject this doctrine argue that affirming it implies a change in God’s knowledge. Yet this implication applies to our human understanding of Badāʾ, where it might suggest a change in our knowledge. However, Badāʾ in the sense presented in the traditions of the Prophet’s Household does not present such a problem.

9. In al-Durr al-manthūr, al-Suyūṭī quotes al-Ḥākim, who narrates from Abū al-Dardāʾ that the Messenger of Allah recited the verse, Allah effaces and confirms (yuthbit) whatever He wishes … (), without stressing the -b- on yuthbit.

Author’s comment: There are also a number of traditions that suggest that the passage, Have they not seen how We visit the land diminishing it at its edges? () refers to the death of learned and virtuous individuals.

10. In the same source, Ibn Mardawayh is cited, he quotes Abū Hurayra as saying that the Messenger of Allah said concerning the verse, Have they not seen how We visit the land diminishing it at its edges?, that it refers to the death of scholars.
11. In Majmaʿ al-bayān, it is narrated from Abū ʿAbd Allāh that the verse refers to the death of scholars, jurists, and the righteous.
12. In al-Kāfī, with its chain of narrators from Muḥammad b. ʿAlī from Jābir from Abū Jaʿfar, a.s., it is reported that ʿAlī b. Al-Ḥusayn, used to say that he felt relieved in his soul concerning the hastening of death or martyrdom in his family due to Allah the Almighty’s statement, Have they not seen how We visit the land diminishing it at its edges? He said: ‘It refers to the loss of scholars.’

Author’s comment: It seems that the intended meaning is that he felt relieved in his soul because God Almighty attributed the demise of scholars to Himself and not to someone else; thus, he found solace in death or martyrdom because it was in the hands of God.