“Say, ‘Each person acts according to his own disposition; and your Lord knows best who is most rightly guided in way.’ (84) They ask you about the Spirit. Say, ‘The Spirit is of the command of my Lord, and you have been given only a little knowledge.’” (85)

His words, exalted is He: “Say, ‘Each person acts according to his own disposition.’” Ibn Abbas said: “According to his own direction.”

Al-Hasan and Qatadah (1) said: “According to his intention.”

Muqatil said: “According to his innate character.”

Al-Farra’ said: “According to the way upon which he has been formed.”

Al-Qutaybi said: “According to his nature and innate disposition.”

It was also said: according to the path he has chosen for himself. It is derived from shakl (likeness or form). One may say, “You are not of my kind or my disposition.” These meanings are all close to one another. The Arabs say, “A road with branching paths,” when roads diverge from it. Thus, the meaning of the verse is that each person acts in accordance with what resembles him, as the proverb says: “Every man’s deeds resemble him.”

“Your Lord knows best who is most rightly guided in way”: that is, whose path is clearer.

His words, exalted is He: “They ask you about the Spirit. Say, ‘The Spirit is of the command of my Lord,’” to the end of the verse.

Abd al-Wahid ibn Ahmad al-Malihi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Na‘imi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il narrated to us; Qays ibn Hafs narrated to us; Abd al-Wahid—that is, Ibn Ziyad—narrated to us; al-A‘mash narrated to us from Ibrahim, from Alqamah, from Abdullah, who said:

While I was walking with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, through the cultivated fields (2) of Medina, and he was leaning on a palm stalk (3) that he had with him, we passed by a group of Jews. Some of them said to the others, “Ask him about the Spirit.” Others said, “Do not ask him, lest he give you an answer that you dislike.” But some of them said, “We shall certainly ask him.” So one of them stood and said, “O Abu al-Qasim, what is the Spirit?”

He remained silent, and I said, “Revelation is being sent down to him.” So I stood aside. When the revelation had lifted from him, he said: “They ask you about the Spirit. Say, ‘The Spirit is of the command of my Lord, and you have been given only a little knowledge.’” (4)

Al-A‘mash said: “This is how it appears in our recitation.”