and recognizes that if Allah were to leave him to himself, He would leave him to weakness, incapacity, and vulnerability, and that he has no power to bring himself either benefit or harm. This is the believer. Yet man, merely as man, is naturally prone to transgression. This is like the saying of Allah Most High: “Man undertook it; indeed, he has always been most unjust and ignorant.” [al-Ahzāb: 72]

Then He, Mighty and Majestic, said, threatening this transgressor: “Surely to your Lord is the return.” That is, the ultimate return is to Him. No matter how much you transgress, exalt yourself, act arrogantly, and deem yourself self-sufficient, your return is to Allah, Mighty and Majestic. As Allah Most High says: “But whoever turns away and disbelieves, Allah will punish him with the greatest punishment. Surely to Us is their return, then surely with Us is their reckoning.” [al-Ghāshiya: 23–26]

Since the return in every matter is to Allah, no one can ever escape Allah’s decree, nor can anyone escape His recompense and justice. As for His words, “Surely to your Lord is the return,” we might say that their import is broader than warning and threat alone: they include warning and threat, while also encompassing a more general meaning. The meaning would then be that every matter must ultimately be referred to Allah. In matters of religious law, judgment must be referred to the Book and the Sunnah: “If you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger.” [al-Nisā’: 59] In the affairs of creation, all recourse is likewise to Allah: “When you cried out to your Lord for help, He answered you.” [al-Anfāl: 9]

Thus, the servant has no one to return to but Allah. All matters return to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and He does whatever He wills. Even the wars, tribulations, and evils that occur among people were decreed by Allah, but He decreed them for a wise purpose. Allah Most High says: “Had Allah willed, those who came after them would not have fought one another after the clear proofs had come to them. But they differed: some of them believed and some disbelieved. Had Allah willed, they would not have fought one another, but Allah does whatever He wills.” [al-Baqara: 253]

Thus, the words “Surely to your Lord is the return” contain a threat to this man who transgressed when he considered himself self-sufficient and independent of his Lord. They also convey a broader and more comprehensive meaning: that every matter must ultimately be referred to Allah Most High. Then He said: “Have you considered the one who forbids a servant