رَبِّ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ وَما بَينَهُمَا الرَّحمٰنِ ۖ لا يَملِكونَ مِنهُ خِطابًا
The Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, the all-beneficent, whom they will not be able to address.
EXEGESIS
Khiṭāban: address. Given the Quranic uses of this root as well as the next verse, the verse is apparently depicting a picture of a court, where authority, command, and judgement exclusively belong to God.
These verses describe the manifestation of God’s absolute sovereignty and grandeur. The subject they in this verse would include everyone in the heavens and the earth, including the spirit, the angels, the jinn, and mankind – including both the rebels and the God-wary. The same applies to None shall speak in the next verse.
EXPOSITION
These verses summarise and wrap up the chapter. The description of God as The Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them could allude to the many signs and creations of God that were discussed earlier, in verses 6-16. This part of the verse could relate to the previous verses and the entire chapter in several ways:
- It involves an argument for the truth of the hereafter as the great tiding (verse 2). The implicit argument is: since God is the Lord of this ordered system and universe, there must be an end and purpose to it, which will be realised in the hereafter.
- It justifies the claim in the previous verse that God will reward the God-wary by an ample and sufficient bounty. He has the means, will, and power to do so because He is The Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, the all-beneficent.
- Following the terrifying descriptions of the resurrection and hell (verses 17-30), this verse clarifies that all of these fall under God’s lordship and all-beneficence. In other words, God has made these very threats out of His mercy and due to His lordship: to correct, grow, and guide the audience. The attribute the all-beneficent could also serve to balance the dominating theme of threat in this chapter. It can also justify the sufficing bounty of the God-wary discussed earlier. Yet, it should be noted that the Quran has often used al-raḥmān interchangeably with allāh (see verse 17:110 in particular), i.e. as a specific personal name for Him and not as an attribute of mercy.
Whom they will not be able to address. This part of the verse is apparently connected to and elaborated by the next verse. The two verses are about speaking as a witness or advocate in God’s court of justice on the Day of Judgement. No creature will have the right to testify in that court and no one shall speak except by His leave (11:105). They will have no say in God’s judgement, will have no right to intercede before Him, cannot object to His verdict, cannot question His authority, and will have no resolution but to submit to His dominion. He is not questioned concerning what He does, but they are questioned (21:23).
There are many other verses in the Quran that deny the right to speak on the Day of Judgement, such as: Today We shall seal their mouths (36:65); This is a day wherein they will not speak, nor will they be permitted to offer excuses (77:35-36); No friend will inquire about [the welfare of his] friend (70:10); When the trumpet is blown, there will be no ties between them on that day, nor will they ask [about] each other (23:101). The current verse clarifies that there is no contradiction between these verses and other verses that indicate and ascribe speech or intercession to the creatures on that day. The key point is that no one will possess (yamlikūna) the right to speak or intercede in and of himself. All speech and intercession are bestowed by God according to His grace and mercy, not owned by the people according to their right and entitlement. Moreover, there is no contradiction between the next verse – None shall speak except whom the All-Beneficent permits and who says what is right – and the lying of disbelievers on the Day of Judgement (6:23-24, 58:18), because the current verses are about the stage of witnessing or interceding in God’s court of justice on that day.
Today, the disbelievers doubt and question the great news of the hereafter; they take it lightly; they mock it insolently; they differ and disagree over it; and they deviate from the truth about it (verses 1-3). However, a day shall come when they will not be able to address. It is a day when they will be humbled before the Lord of the universe and subjugated to His command.
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
Some exegetes have drawn a subtle inference from the transition from your Lord in verse 36 to The Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in this verse: it shows that the latter follows the former. In other words, God is first and foremost the Lord and creator of the reality of Muhammad (s), and then – through him – He fashions, creates, and directs the other beings. This is in line with the famous sacred tradition: ‘Had it not been for you [O Muhammad] I would not have created the heavens.’ It can also be matched with the principle of unity (qāʿidat al-waḥdah) in metaphysics, as discussed in Islamic philosophy.
It should be noted: 1. The reported sacred tradition is not found in the main authorities of hadith. 2. The apparent expression and context of these verses cannot back these strong and profound inferences, although these verses do not negate them either. The most that can be said is that once these principles are proven in their own field, these verses may be quoted as potential confirmation and evidence from the Quran, and even then only at a secondary and hidden level of meaning. 3. It is important not to mix different disciplines and fields of study. No matter how strong and certain a philosophical or mystical view is, it is incorrect to impose it on the Quran. That is a clear example of tafsīr bil-raʾy (speculative interpretation of the Quran according to one’s opinion). Likewise, it is against academic integrity – not to mention religious piety – to forge a hadith and attribute it to God or the Infallibles even if its content is known to be true otherwise. Citing the original source of any transmitted text is pivotal in avoiding this fatal slip.
[1] Mizan, 20/171-172.
[2] Alusi, 15/220.
[3] Mizan, 20/170.
[4] Razi, 31/24.
[5] Furqan, 30/59-60.