Surah Al-Qasas, Ayah 69

Allah Alone is the One Who has the Power of Creation, Knowledge and Choice

Allah tells us that He is the only One Who has the power to create and make decisions, and there is no one who can dispute with Him in that or reverse His judgement. His saying:

وَرَبُّكَ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ وَيَخْتَارُ

(And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses,) means, whatever He wills, for what He wills, happens; and what He does not will, does not happen. All things, good and bad alike, are in His Hands and will return to Him.

مَا كَانَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ

(no choice have they.) is a negation, according to the correct view. This is like the Ayah,

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلاَ مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْراً أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ

Commentary

وَرَ‌بُّكَ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيَخْتَارُ‌ (And your Lord creates what He wills and chooses - 28:68). According to one interpretation of this verse, the choice referred to here is Allah's choice with regard to the divine commands, and the sense is that as Allah Ta` ala is unique in the creation of universe and no one is His partner, so is He in the issuance of His commands. He can give out any command to His creatures. But Imam Baghawi, in his commentary, and ` Allamah Ibn Al-Qayyim (رح) in the preface of Zad al-Ma` ad have adopted another interpretation according to which the choice of Allah Ta’ ala, as envisaged in this verse, relates to the prerogative of Allah Ta` ala by which He selects any one from His creatures for His favours. According to Baghawi, this was the reply given to the infidels of Makkah on their observation لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ هَـٰذَا الْقُرْ‌آنُ عَلَىٰ رَ‌جُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْ‌يَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ (Why was this Qur'an not sent down upon some man of moment in the two cities? - 43:31) that is, ` If Allah had wished to reveal this Qur'an He should have revealed it on some dignitary of Makkah or Ta'if, so that he should have had respect and reverence. What was the wisdom in revealing it on a poor orphan?' In answer to this suggestion it is said in the present verse that it is the prerogative of the Lord of universe, who has created all the creatures without any help or partner, to select any one from His creatures for the special favours He wishes to confer. It is not for you to suggest whom He should or should not select, nor is He bound to listen to your suggestions.

On Judgement Day, the adherents of misguided leaders (sharik), whose word they accepted as if it were the word of God, will find themselves in a strange predicament. They will find that those great ones, whom they had been so proud to follow, have led them straight to Hell. They will then, in disgust, blame their leaders for their plight. But their leaders will retort that they have nobody to blame but themselves. They will allege that if their followers obtensibly bowed to their will, it was only because it was in accordance with their own desires. They will further accuse their followers of being slaves to their own desires. But they will then admit that they too had given in to temptation and that since leaders and followers had to face the same fate, there was no point in blaming each other.