Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (1/439)

And He—exalted is He—also says:

“So that Allah may make evident those who believe and may take from among you martyrs.” ⦗Āl ʿImrān 3:140⦘

In this verse, too, there are further layers of wisdom. Passages like this abound in the speech of Allah, mighty and majestic, and even in human discourse: when one wisdom is cited for an act, that does not preclude the presence of other wisdoms. Still, the choice to single out a particular wisdom in a given context must be because of its special relevance there.

A similar case is found in His words:

“… so that you may warn a people whose forefathers were never warned.” ⦗Yā Sīn 36:6⦘

Those people were the very first to receive the warning and the most entitled to it; naming them therefore serves a purpose—mentioning them specifically does not mean that others are excluded from being warned.

He—sublime is He—has also said:

“The Trustworthy Spirit has brought it down—upon your heart so that you might be one of the warners—in a clear Arabic tongue.” ⦗al-Shuʿarāʾ 26:193–195⦘

Yet it is well known that the revelation came so that he might also bring glad tidings, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, make lawful what is wholesome, make unlawful what is vile, and remove burdens and shackles—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَيَتَّخِذَ مِنْكُمْ شُهَدَاءَ} [آل عمران: ١٤٠] . وَفِي ذَلِكَ حِكَمٌ أُخْرَى، وَمِثْلُ ذَلِكَ كَثِيرٌ فِي كَلَامِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَغَيْرِ كَلَامِ اللَّهِ إِذَا ذَكَرَ حِكْمَةً لِلْفِعْلِ لَمْ يَلْزَمْ أَنْ لَا تَكُونَ لَهُ حِكْمَةٌ أُخْرَى، لَكِنْ لَا بُدَّ لِتَخْصِيصِ تِلْكَ الْحِكْمَةِ بِالذِّكْرِ فِي ذَلِكَ الْمَوْضِعِ مِنْ مُنَاسَبَتِهِ، وَهَذَا كَالْمُنَاسَبَةِ فِي قَوْلِهِ: {لِتُنْذِرَ قَوْمًا مَا أُنْذِرَ آبَاؤُهُمْ} [يس: ٦] . فَإِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ كَانُوا أَوَّلَ الْمُنْذَرِينَ، وَأَحَقَّهُمْ بِالْإِنْذَارِ، فَكَانَ فِي تَخْصِيصِهِمْ بِالذِّكْرِ فَائِدَةٌ لَا أَنَّهُ خَصَّهُمْ لِانْتِفَاءِ إِنْذَارِ مَنْ سِوَاهُمْ. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ - عَلَى قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنْذِرِينَ - بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِيٍّ مُبِينٍ} [الشعراء: ١٩٣ - ١٩٥] . وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّهُ نَزَلَ بِهِ لِيَكُونَ بَشِيرًا، وَلِيَأْمُرَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ، وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ، وَيُحِلَّ الطَّيِّبَاتِ، وَيُحَرِّمَ الْخَبَائِثَ، وَيَضَعَ الْآصَارَ وَالْأَغْلَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.