that Allah has made lawful for you, and do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not love transgressors.”

He thus forbade them to declare wholesome things unlawful. A group of the Companions had resolved to adopt monasticism, so Allah revealed this verse. The two Sahīh collections relate that some Companions made the following statements. One said, “As for me, I will fast without taking a day off.” Another said, “As for me, I will pray all night and never sleep.” Another said, “As for me, I will not approach women.” Another said, “As for me, I will not eat meat.” The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“What is the matter with men who say such-and-such? Yet I fast and refrain from fasting, pray at night and sleep, marry women, and eat meat. Whoever turns away from my sunnah is not of me.”

A fuller discussion of these matters belongs elsewhere.

The point here is that Allah has explained, in His Book and through His Messenger, His wisdom in His creation and His commands. For example, He says:

“Do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. It is indeed an immorality and an evil way.”

He thus explains its prohibition by the fact that it is an immorality independently of the prohibition, and that this is the reason for forbidding it. He also says:

“When they commit an immoral act, they say, ‘We found our fathers doing it, and Allah has commanded us to do it.’ Say, ‘Allah does not command immorality.’”

He thus declares Himself free of this, presenting it as grounds for praising Him and affirming that He is exalted above it. This shows that there are things that cannot be ascribed to Allah as His commands. Things are not all equal in themselves or in His sight. He does not distinguish what is commanded from what is forbidden merely by arbitrary choice. Rather, He assigns commands to what He commands and prohibitions to what He forbids in accordance with the requirements of His wisdom.