اللَّهَAllahيَعْلَمُknowsمَاwhatفِيis inالسَّمَاءِthe heavensوَandالْأَرْضِthe earth
Allah knows what is in the heavens and the earth.
إِنَّIndeedذَلِكَthatفِيis inكِتَبٍa bookإِنَّIndeedذَلِكَthatعَلَىis uponاللَّهِAllahيَسِيرُeasy
Indeed, that is in a book; indeed, that is easy for Allah.
وَقَوْلُهُAnd His saying«خَيْرُهُGoodnessوَشَرَّهُand evilأَمَّاAs forوَصْفُdescribingالْقَدَرِthe predestinationبِالْخَيْرِ؛with goodness;فَالْأَمْرُthe matterفِيهِin itظَاهِرٌ.is apparent.
And His saying: 'Its goodness and evil, as for describing predestination with goodness; the matter in it is apparent.'
وَأَمَّاAnd as forوَصْفُdescribingالْقَدَرِthe predestinationبِالشَّرِّ؛with evil;فَالْمُرَادُthe intendedبِهِby itشَرٌّevilمَقْدُورٌof what is decreedلاnotشَرٌّevilالْقَدَرُthe predestinationالَّذِيwhichهُوَisفِعْلٌan actionاللَّهِ؛of Allah;فَإِنَّfor indeedفِعْلَthe actionاللَّهِof Allahعَزَّ وَجَلَّthe Exalted and Almightyلَيْسَis notفِيهِin itشَرٌّ،evil,كُلُّallأَفْعَالِهِHis actionsخَيْرٌis goodوَحِكْمَةٌ،and wisdom,لَكِنbutالشَّرُّthe evilفِيinمَفْعُولَاتِهِHis creationsوَمَقْدُورَاتِهِ؛and decreed things;فَالشَّرُّthe evilهُنَاhereبِاِعْتِبَارِin regard toالْمَقْدُورِthat which is decreedوَالْمَفْعُولِ،and the acted upon,أَمَّاas forبِاِعْتِبَارِin relation toالْفِعْلِ؛the action;فَلَا،no,وَلِهَذَاand for thisقَالَthe Prophet saidالنَّبِيُّthe Prophetعَلَيْهِupon himالصَّلَاةُprayersوَالسَّلَامُ :and peace :وَالشَّرُّand evilلَيْسَis notإِلَيْكَto You
And as for describing predestination with evil; the intended meaning is the evil of what is decreed, not the evil of predestination which is the action of Allah; for indeed the action of Allah the Exalted is not in it evil; all His actions are good and wise, but the evil is in the outcomes and decrees; the evil here is with respect to the decreed and the acted upon, but with respect to the action, it is not, and for this, the Prophet said: 'And evil is not to You.'
فَمَثَلًا؛For example;نَحْنُweنَجِدُfindفِيinالْمَخْلُوقَاتِthe creaturesالْمَقْدُورَاتِdecreed thingsشَرًّا؛evil;فَفِيهَاfor in themالْحَيَّاتِthe snakesوَالْعَقَارِبِand scorpionsوَالْسُّبُعَاتِand beastsوَالْأَمْرَاضِand diseasesوَالْفَقْرِand povertyوَالْجَدْبِand scarcityوَمَاand whatأَشْبَهَis similarذَٰلِكَ،to that,وَكُلُّand allهَذِهِtheseبِالنِّسْبَةِin regard toلِلْإِنْسَانِhumansشَرٌّ؛evil;لِأَنَّهَاbecause theyلَاdo notتُلَائِمُهُ،suit him,وَفِيهَاand in themأَيْضًاalsoالْمَعَاصِيَthe sinsوَالْفُجُورَand immoralityوَالْكُفْرَand disbeliefوَالْفِسُوقَand debaucheryوَالْقَتْلَand killingوَغَيْرَand otherذَٰلِكَ،that,وَكُلُّand allهَذِهِtheseشَرٌّ،evil,لَكِنbutبِاِعْتِبَارِin regard toنِسْبَتِهَاits relationإِلَىtoاللَّهِAllahهِيَisخَيْرٌ؛good;لِأَنَّbecauseاللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّAllah the Exaltedلَمdid notيَقْدُرْهَاdecree itإِلَّاexceptلِحِكْمَةٍfor a wisdomبَالِغَةٍgreatعَظِيمَةٍand profoundعَرَفَهَاrecognized itمَنْwhoعَرَفَهَا،recognized it,وَجَهَلَهَاand rejected itمَنْwhoجَهِلَهَاignores it.
For example; we find in the creatures what is decreed to be evil; for in them are snakes, scorpions, beasts, diseases, poverty, scarcity and similar things, and all of these, in relation to humans, are evil; because they do not suit him, and in them also are sins, immorality, disbelief, debauchery, killing, and other things, and all of these are evil, but in regard to their relation to Allah, they are good; because Allah the Exalted did not decree them except for a great wisdom which He recognized by those who knew it, and rejected by those who did not know it.
وَعَلَىAnd onهَذَاthisيَجِبُit is necessaryأَنْtoنَعْرِفَwe knowأَنَّthatالشَّرَّthe evilالَّذِيwhichوُصِفَwas describedبِهِby itالْقَدَرِthe predestinationإِنَّمَاis onlyهُوَitبِاِعْتِبَارِin terms ofالمَقْدُورَاتِthe decreed thingsوَالْمَفْعُولَاتِand the acted uponلَاnotبِاِعْتِبَارِin terms ofالتَّقْدِيرِthe predestinedالَّذِيwhichهُوَisتَقْدِيرُthe decreeاللَّهِof Allahوَفِعْلُهُand His action.
And on this, it is necessary to know that the evil which was described by predestination is, in fact, in terms of the decreed things and the acted upon, not in terms of the decree which is the decree of Allah and His action.
قَالَ:He said:وَعَرْشُهُand His Throneعَلَىis uponالْمَاءِ»the water.'
He said: 'And His Throne is upon the water.'
(۱)(1)قِطْعَةٌA pieceمِنْofحَدِيثٍa hadithعَلِيٌّAliبِنْbinأَبِيAbuطَالبٍTalibرَضِيَmay Allah be pleased with himعَنْهُ،about him,رَوَاهُnarratedمُسْلِمٌMuslim(۷۷۱).(771).
(1) A piece of hadith narrated by Ali bin Abu Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated by Muslim (771).