ما أَشهَدتُهُم خَلقَ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ وَلا خَلقَ أَنفُسِهِم وَما كُنتُ مُتَّخِذَ المُضِلّينَ عَضُدًا
I did not make them a witness to the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor to their own creation, nor do I take those who mislead as assistants.
EXEGESIS
ʿAḍud (assistants) is said to originally refer to a part of the body where strength is held. Another opinion is that ʿaḍud originally refers to what is between the elbow and the shoulder, that is, the upper arm. From this comes the meaning of support, as the rest of the arm is supported by this part, like in the verse, We will strengthen your arm (ʿaḍud) by means of your brother (28:35). In either case, it here means the one who helps when his assistance is sought.
EXPOSITION
As the theme of the surah is knowledge, God now further explains why taking the likes of Iblis and his progeny as guardians instead of God is such a grave mistake. He points to their limited knowledge of the world around them and even of their own selves. The questions on the origin of the universe and the origin of life are mysteries about which no one can claim to have certain knowledge. Taking such as guardians or as objects of worship is then a case of the blind following the blind, as the expression goes. God is pointing out that they are not worthy of worship or adulation, as they are limited and created beings themselves; this is the creation of Allah. Now show Me what others besides Him have created. Rather, the wrongdoers are in manifest error! (31:11).
I did not make them a witness to the creation of the heavens and the earth: all created beings are temporal by definition, their knowledge is limited, they see not what came before them, nor what will come after them. Say: ‘I have no control over any benefit for myself nor [over] any harm except what Allah may wish. Had I known the unseen, I would have acquired much good, and no ill would have befallen me. I am only a warner and a bearer of good news to a people who have faith’ (7:188). How then could those who have not been given knowledge of the world or themselves dare to make false claims about God? It is of course their ignorance that allows them to do that.
The phrase I did not make them a witness is saying that those people were not there to witness the beginning of creation, but it is expressed in a way that emphasises their utter dependence on God. Even if someone was to witness something it is because God made them a witness over that thing, and so He did not say ‘they were not witnesses’.
Nor to their own creation: this is like Iblis who was not a witness to his own creation, yet claimed by right of his creation to hold superiority to Prophet Adam (a). How could anyone be a witness to their own creation when by definition they were non-existent prior to that? The limitation of every created being is inherent to their definition. Why would anyone then take anyone from creation as a partner besides God? Why substitute the limited for the eternal? How evil a substitute for the wrongdoers (verse 50).
Nor do I take those who mislead as assistants: God did not need anyone’s help or advice when creating all that is, least of all from those who are opposed to Him and invite others to that same opposition. Everything that is, was created by Him and Him alone; this is the creation of Allah. Now show Me what others besides Him have created. Rather, the wrongdoers are in manifest error! (31:11). This is the correct understanding and it should not be understood from this statement that God would take assistants from those who are not those who mislead.
We also know that God is He who gave everything its creation and then guided it (20:50). Guidance is the duty of God and if He were to choose misguiding devils as assistants, that would be contrary to His wisdom.
This verse is also reminiscent of It omits nothing, big or small (verse 49). The fact that they are neither witnesses nor assistants means God did not need or get their aid in any shape or form.
Finally, like in the previous verse, this too can be taken as a reminder and evidence that one should not rely on the help of those who wish to harm him, physically or spiritually, like in the verse, O you who have faith! Do not take My enemy and your enemy for friends (60:1).
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- It is reported that one day, Imam al-Husayn (a) went to the tent of ʿUbayd-Allāh ibn al-Ḥurr al-Juʿfī. After they exchanged greetings the Imam asked him to come to his aid. ʿUbayd-Allāh said: ‘By God, I have not left Kufa except out of fear that you will enter it and I will not fight for you. If you were to fight you would be the first one killed. However, this is my sword and steed, take them.’ The Imam turned his face away and said: ‘If you withhold your own self from us then we have no need for your belongings, nor do I take those who mislead as assistants.’
- Jabalah ibn Suḥaym reports from his father, that when Imam Ali (a) was given the oath of allegiance he was informed that Muʿāwiyah had withheld from giving his oath, saying: ‘If he gives me rulership over the Levant or the wealth that ʿUthmān has entrusted to my stewardship I will pledge myself to him.’ Mughīrah then came to Imam Ali (a) and said to him: ‘O Commander of the Faithful! You know who is Muʿāwiyah. He has been given rulership over the Levant by your predecessor. It would be appropriate for you to grant him what he desires, in order to maintain the harmony of affairs. Then, if it becomes necessary, you may remove him.’ Imam Ali (a) replied: ‘Do you guarantee that I live, O Mughīrah, from the time he assumes power until he is deposed?’ He replied: ‘No.’ Then he said: ‘May God, the Almighty, never ask me to appoint him over two men from the Muslims on a dark night.’ Then he recited nor do I take those who mislead as assistants.
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
Some have said them in I did not make them a witness may refer to the disbelievers at the time of the Prophet, or to the angels, or to all of creation. The first does not fit well with the context of the verse as it talks about God not taking those who mislead as assistants, which more than likely is referring to Iblis and his progeny mentioned in the previous verse, and does not fit very well at all with the disbelievers of Mecca, about whom no one has claimed that they were somehow sharing in the authority of God and were guardians in My stead (verse 50). The second simply does not make sense. The third should then be ‘I did not make you’ instead of I did not make them, as it should include everyone, even the addressee. Also it does not fit the statement that follows: nor do I take those who mislead as assistants.
Abū Ḥayyān argues that nor do I take those who mislead as assistants is addressed to the Prophet to clarify to people that he naturally would never seek the help of anyone who is misguided, nor has he ever done so at any point in his life.
Rāzī relates that one possible meaning for the verse suggested is that anfusihim (translated here as their own, but literally meaning ‘their selves’) means each other (the self of one another, as it were), like in the verse, and slay your folks (anfusakum) (2:54). This would mean that they were not witnesses to the creation of one another. Tabatabai criticises this, saying that the purpose of the verse is to deny the guardianship (wilāyah) of the devilish jinns. He says that the Arabs were not claiming that the jinns had guardianship over one another, but rather that they had such authority over creation. Therefore they have no wilāyah as they were not witnesses over their own creation.
INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS
- You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.
- By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
- For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
- All things were created through Him, and without Him nothing was created that was created.
[1] Tahqiq, ʿ-ḍ-d.
[2] Tabrisi, 6/734.
[3] Qurtubi, 11/2; Tantawi, 8/536.
[4] Tibyan, 7/58.
[5] Mizan, 13/327.
[6] Related to this, some have considered I did not make them a witness to be figurative, meaning that God did not ask for their advice when creating (Alusi, 8/280). Tabatabai criticises this, saying there is no need to interpret bearing witness in a figurative sense, since the literal meaning is clear (Mizan, 13/328).
[7] See also Tantawi, 8/536.
[8] Mizan, 13/327.
[9] Alusi, 8/280.
[10] See also Tantawi, 8/537.
[11] Nur, 3/268-269. See also Aḥmad ibn Aʿtham al-Kūfī, al-Futūḥ (Beirut: Dār al-Aḍwāʾ, 1411 AH), 5/74.
[12] Amali.T, p. 87; Manaqib, 2/375; Nur, 3/268.
[13] Tabrisi, 6/735; Razi, 21/473. Rāzī argues that the pronoun them should refer to the wrongdoers mentioned in the previous verse as that is the closest possible referent.
[14] Thalabi, 6/177.
[15] Māwardī, al-Nukat wa al-ʿUyūn (Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah), 3/315.
[16] Muhit, 7/191. This argument is better understood by taking into account the past tense kuntu, which more accurately could be rendered into English as ‘nor have I ever taken those who mislead as assistants’.
[17] Razi, 21/473.
[18] Mizan, 13/328.
[19] Nehemiah 9:6.
[20] Hebrews 11:3.
[21] Colossians 1:16.
[22] John 1:3.