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yamḥū llāhu mā yashāʾu wa-yuthbitu wa-ʿindahū ʾummu l-kitābi
Allah effaces and confirms whatever He wishes and with Him is the Mother Book.
— Ali Quli Qarai
13Ar-RaʿdالرعدVerse 39 of 43
The Thunder13. Ar-Raʿdالرعد
Al Ra‘d
The Thunder
MedinanVerse 39 of 43
Surah Ar-Ra‘d – Verse 39
39. “Allah effaces out whatever He pleases and He confirms (similarly), and with Him is the Mother (Basic Source) of the Book.”
The Qur’anic sentence:
presents a universal law which has been alluded to in the various Islamic texts. It states that the actualization of the various beings and events in the world follows two stages: The stage of decisiveness within which no changes may occur, (and it has been referred to in the verse as ‘the Mother of the Book’). The other stage or the second stage, within which changes may occur, is referred to, here, as the effacement and confirmation stage. The verse says:
“Allah effaces out whatever He pleases and He confirms (similarly), and with Him is the Mother (Basic Source) of the Book.”
At times, these two stages are referred to as ‘the Preserved Table’ and ‘the Effacement and Confirmation Tablet.’ It seems as though no alteration can find its way in one of the above Tables and it is completely preserved, while the other Table is prone to undergo changes, something may be written on it and then can be wiped out or something else be written instead of it. Imam Baqir (as) has been quoted as saying:
“There are some events which are certain to happen while there are others which are dependent on some conditions and circumstance with Allah, each of which He deems He precedes it and each of which He wills He effaces it and confirms the other, as He chooses.” 3
Anyway, according to what is concluded from the verses of the Qur’an and quotations, all pre-ordained Divine acts are of two kinds. Those matters which should be everlasting and thus their laws are also perennial like the verses which say:
“My word shall not be changed…” 4
and where it says:
“every thing has its exact measurement before Allah. 5
Or where it implies that Such pre-determined acts are kept recorded in the preserved table:
“In a guarded tablet…” 6
and:
“It is a written Book,”
“Those who are drawn near (to Allah) shall witness it.” 7
Those matters which are uncertain and their expediency depends on the people’s behaviour, such as people’s repentance from sin which is ensued by forgiveness as it is expedient, or donation to charity which is expedient for the repulsion of calamities, or oppression and cruelty which causes Divine punishment for the corruption which goes with it; that is, Allah is not confined in His administration of the universe as His infinite wisdom and His Omniscience and because of the change of conditions, He can introduce changes in His system of creation and laws.
It goes without saying that such changes are not signs of His ignorance or reconsideration or His regret, but they are based on His Wisdom and changes in conditions or the end of the cycle of that matter. The Glorious Qur’an has many examples for this meaning, among which are the following:
“…Call upon Me, I will answer you…” 8
Man can obtain one’s interests with supplication calling and prayer and changes his own destiny.
“…Allah may after that bring about reunion.” 9
The Divine law is not constantly the same everywhere. Probably, Allah introduces a new plan with the emergence of the necessary conditions.
“…every moment He is in a state (of glory).” 10
That is, He tends to a particular task in completing His grace and blessings to people.
“…but when they turned aside, Allah made their hearts turn aside…” 11
“And if the people of the towns had believed and kept from evil, We would have certainly opened up for them blessings…” 12
Allah’s wrath course will be diverted by His grace and blessings.
“Verily Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition…” 13
Allah does not change the destiny of any nation unless they alter themselves.
“Except him who repents and believes and does good deed; so these are they of whom Allah changes the evil deeds to good ones…” 14
“…but if you revert (to your sins) We shall (also) revert (to Our punishment)…” 15
Question: If the knowledge of Allah is identical with His Essence and it is unchangeable, then whatever there has been in His knowledge must be executed, otherwise, it is identical with ignorance. Answer: Allah’s knowledge is based on the system of means and devices. That is, He knows that if such an instrument is used it will result in a specific conclusion, and if the other one is used such a thing will ensue; and thus His knowledge is not apart from the knowledge of causes and devices. 16
One of the criticisms, which is proposed by the Sunni people as against the Shiites, is that they claim: The Shi‘ites regard /bida’/ (change in an earlier divine ruling, or heresy) for Allah, and they imagine that /bida’/ means change in the Divine knowledge and discovery of the offence for Allah. While what the Shi‘ites have in mind is not so and their objective is the appearance of something which we human beings imagined the reverse of it before.
The Arabic term /bida’/ in creation is like ‘abrogation in law’. That is, as if we consider by the appearance of a regulation or a verdict that it is binding and continuous, while after sometime we notice that it has been changed. Certainly, it does not follow that the law-maker has been regretting or he has been ignorant of it. Rather, the circumstances have led to these changes in the law, just like a prescription which the physician changes in accordance with the existing conditions of the sick.
However, as soon as the patient’s mood changes, the physician issues a new prescription. Therefore, similar to the case of abrogation in the verses, which in fact is regarded as a kind of /bida’/, and is accepted by all of the Islamic sects, they must also accept /bida’/ in this very stated sense. Thus, /bida’/ signifies our ignorance and not of Allah’s ignorance.
Some Examples of “bida’”
We thought that when Allah ordered Hadrat ‘Ibrahim (as) to decapitate his son, He wanted Ishmael (as) to be killed and his blood be shed on the earth. But, it was later revealed that the Divine Will had been to put the father to the test and not to kill the son. Concerning the issue of Allah’s having a date with Hadrat Mūsa (as), we thought that the course of supplication and talking to Allah would take 30 nights:
“And made an appointment with Moses for thirty nights…”, 17
however, we found later that the course has been for forty nights from the beginning. At first 30 nights and later 10 nights were added. We thought that the qiblah of the Muslims has been Bayt-ul-Muqaddas forever. However, the verses clarified for us the change of qiblah, telling us that our constant qiblah has been Ka‘bah. When the signs of Allah’s wrath appeared, even Hadrat Yūnus (as) became confident that the Divine punishment was certain to come and that his infidel nation would perish. Thus, he went out from among the people, but the people accepted the faith and Allah’s wrath was removed:
“…except the people of Jonah (Yūnus)? When they believed, We removed from them the penalty…” 18
Anyway, the meaning of /bida’/ is not Allah’s ignorance and changing of His knowledge, for Allah knew from the beginning that the blood of Ishmael would not be shed; or the course of Moses’ supplication and talking to Allah would last for forty nights; the qiblah of the Muslims would be Ka‘bah; and the nation of Yūnus would deserve being saved. However, the apparent picture of the commandments and events were such that man had a different thought. Thus, no change has occurred in the Divine knowledge and it is we whose view has undergone changes.
In this stated sense /bida’/ has got numerous educational implications, among which is that man is hopeful for changes of conditions till the last minutes of his life. The spirit of trust enlivens in him and he will not fall into the trap of outward aspects. Thus man’s faith in the invisible world and Allah’s power may increase; and by way of repentance, donations and prayers, he seeks to change the course of accidents and the Divine wrath. Imam Sadiq (as) has remarked:
“Allah has pledged faith in /bida’/ accompanied with Unity from all prophets.”
In another tradition, we are advised that whoever thinks that a new problem has been clarified for Allah which He did not know already, we should try to avoid him19.
Explanations
Allah has open hands for changes in the system of creation and divine religion:
“Allah effaces out whatever He pleases…”
Allah has not left the creation process to itself.
“Allah effaces out whatever He pleases and He confirms (similarly)…”
The obliteration or reconfirmation of the laws, which govern the universe, are in His Own hands. The effacement and the confirmation of the laws done by Allah are based on His Knowledge and Wisdom.
“…and with Him is the Mother (Basic source) of the Book.”
The world of creation has a registry book in which all events are recorded.
Some Traditions
1- Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (as) has been quoted as having asked the Prophet (S) with regard to the above verse, and he (S) said:
“I illuminate your eyes with the interpretation of this verse and I also illuminate the eye of my Ummah after me by its interrelation: Charity given in its proper place, and kindness to one’s parents and achieving any other good deeds, done in a correct manner, convert unhappiness into happiness, and prolong one’s life, and prevent dangers.” 20
Allusion is made here to the fact that happiness or wretchedness is not an unavoidable matter. Even if man has done certain jobs which align him along the line of the wretched ones, he can still change his position and his destiny by turning to good things, especially helping and serving the people, since the room for these affairs is ‘the Table of effacement and confirmation’ and not ‘the Mother of the Book’! Imam Ali-Ibn-il-Hussayn, Zany-ul-‘ Abidin (as) has also been quoted as saying:
“If there were not one verse in the Qur’an, I would foretell for you all the events of the past and the future until the Day of Resurrection.”
The one quoting the tradition says he asked which verse he (as) meant. He answered:
“Allah said: ‘Allah effaces out whatever He pleases and He confirms (similarly), and with Him is the Mother (Basic Source) of the Book’.”
This tradition provides the reason that at least a part of the knowledge of the great leaders of the religion, regarding the different events, concerns ‘the Table of effacement and confirmation’, and ‘the Preserved Table’, with all its traits, is peculiar to Allah, and He instructs only those parts of it that He deems worthy to those special servants whom He considers as suitable. 2- Imam Baqir (as) has been quoted as saying:
“Some events are certain to happen and they do become realized. And there are some other events which are depended on conditions and are conditional before Allah; whichever He deems fit, He will give it the priority and whichever He pleases, He will efface out, and whichever He pleases, He will confirm.” 21
Therefore, we have it in a tradition from Imam Sadiq (as) who said:
“Allah, Almighty and Glorious, sent no prophets except that He took these three pledges from him: Confession as to be subservient and subject to Allah; negation of all kinds of paganism; and the acceptance of this creed that Allah gives priority to whatever He pleases and delays whatever He pleases.” 22
In fact, the first testament is concerned with obedience and submission to Allah, and the second one relates to the campaign against the paganism, and the third one relates to the subject of /bida’/, the result of which is that man’s destiny is in his own hands and by changing the conditions, he can be covered by Allah’s favor or by His punishment. Finally, the Shi‘ite scholars, basing their argument on the above, are of the opinion that when /bida’/ is attributed to Allah, it may be rendered as /’ibd a’/, that is, the appearance of something which was not apparent formerly and what would not be predicted.
As for attributing this matter to the Shi‘ites, that they believe that Allah sometimes regrets His Own acts or becomes aware about what He did not know already, is of the greatest crimes and is of the most unforgiving accusations. Therefore, some of the Imams have been quoted as saying:
“He who believes that something will be revealed and exposed to Allah today which He was not aware of yesterday, then such a person must be abhorred and detested.” 23
Footnotes