Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (623)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(74–75) “On the Day He calls to them and says, ‘Where are those alleged partners of Mine whom you used to claim?’ And We shall draw from every nation a witness and say, ‘Produce your proof.’ Then they will know that the truth belongs to Allah, and what they used to fabricate will have forsaken them.”

That is, on the Day Allah calls those who associated others with Him and regarded them as His equals—those who claimed that He had partners deserving of worship, able to benefit and harm—Allah will expose the audacity and falsehood of their claim, and how they themselves would expose its falsity (1). He will “call to them and say, ‘Where are those alleged partners of Mine whom you used to claim?’” They were partners only according to their claim, not in reality. As Allah says, “Those who invoke supposed partners besides Allah follow nothing but conjecture, and they do nothing but speculate.”

When they and their supposed partners have been brought forward, We shall draw “from every nation” among the denying nations “a witness” to testify to what took place in worldly life—their polytheism and beliefs. These witnesses serve as chosen representatives.

That is, We shall select from among the leaders of the deniers someone to argue on their behalf and defend their brethren and all those who followed the same path. When they come forward for judgment, “We shall say, ‘Produce your proof’”—your argument and evidence establishing the validity of your polytheism. Did We command you to do this? Did My messengers command you? Did you find it in any of My scriptures? Is any one of them entitled to any share of divinity? Can they benefit you, ward off Allah’s punishment from you, or avail you in any way? Then let them do so, [if] they possess the requisite capacity (2), and let them show you what they can do, if they have any power.

“Then they will know” at that moment that their assertion is false and corrupt, and “that the truth belongs to Allah” Most High. The case will have gone against them, their argument will have been silenced, and Allah’s proof will have prevailed. “What they used to fabricate will have forsaken them”: all their lies and falsehood will vanish, fade away, and cease to exist. They will know that Allah has treated them justly, for He imposed punishment only upon those who deserved and merited it.

(1) This is the reading in manuscript *Bāʾ*; manuscript *Alif* reads: *wa-takdhīb* (“and denial”). (2) This is the reading in manuscript *Bāʾ*; manuscript *Alif* reads: *fīhim ilāhiyya* (“there is divinity in them”).

﴿٧٤-٧٥﴾ ﴿وَيَوْمَ يُنَادِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُ أَيْنَ شُرَكَائِيَ الَّذِينَ كُنْتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ * وَنَزَعْنَا مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ شَهِيدًا فَقُلْنَا هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ فَعَلِمُوا أَنَّ الْحَقَّ لِلَّهِ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ﴾ . أي: ويوم ينادي الله المشركين به، العادلين به غيره، الذين يزعمون أن له شركاء، يستحقون أن يعبدوا، وينفعون ويضرون، فإذا كان يوم القيامة، أراد الله أن يظهر جراءتهم وكذبهم في زعمهم وتكذيبهم (١) لأنفسهم فـ ﴿يُنَادِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُ أَيْنَ شُرَكَائِيَ الَّذِينَ كُنْتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ﴾ أي: بزعمهم، لا بنفس الأمر، كما قال: ﴿وَمَا يَتَّبِعُ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ شُرَكَاءَ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلا الظَّنَّ وإن هم إلا يخرصون﴾ فإذا حضروا وإياهم، نزع ﴿مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ﴾ من الأمم المكذبة ﴿شَهِيدًا﴾ يشهد على ما جرى في الدنيا، من شركهم واعتقادهم، وهؤلاء بمنزلة المنتخبين. أي: انتخبنا من رؤساء المكذبين من يتصدى للخصومة عنهم، والمجادلة عن إخوانهم، ومن هم وإياهم على طريق واحد، فإذا برزوا للمحاكمة ﴿فَقُلْنَا هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ﴾ حجتكم ودليلكم على صحة شرككم، هل أمرناكم بذلك؟ هل أمرتكم رسلي؟ هل وجدتم ذلك في شيء من كتبي؟ هل فيهم أحد يستحق شيئا من الإلهية؟ هل ينفعونكم، أو يدفعون عنكم من عذاب الله أو يغنون عنكم؟ فليفعلوا إذا [إن] كان فيهم أهلية (٢) وليروكم إن كان لهم قدرة، ﴿فَعَلِمُوا﴾ حينئذ بطلان قولهم وفساده، و ﴿أَنَّ الْحَقَّ لِلَّهِ﴾ تعالى، قد توجهت عليهم الخصومة، وانقطعت حجتهم، وأفلجت حجة الله، ﴿وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ﴾ من الكذب والإفك، واضمحل وتلاشى وعدم، وعلموا أن الله قد عدل فيهم، حيث لم يضع العقوبة إلا بمن استحقها واستأهلها.

(١) كذا في ب، وفي أ: وتكذيب. (٢) كذا في ب، وفي أ: فيهم إلهية.