Part 106

Someone might say that there is a group of people who have rejected this sense of the word, and have adopted the practice of making the exception for matters that are subject to doubt. For example, the Qur?anic verse that reads, “..You shall enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills . . .” (48:27) was taken by al-Zajjaj to mean that

“ Tha‘lab, Ahmad Ibn Yahya al-Shaybani Abu al-‘Abbas (?-291 A.H.), was a famous authority on Arabic grammar and hadith. He wrote the well-known Ma'‘ani al-Qur?an. [Al-Fikrist, vol. 2, p. 1110 and Kitab al-Iman MZ, p. 390.}

Allah commands them to enter the Sacred Mosque. It has also been said that the use of the exception is due to fear and a concern for safety; in other words, the meaning of the saying is, “may you enter safely.” As to whether they will enter, however, this is an event that is not subject to doubt. According to another interpretation of the saying, it means, “may either all or some of you enter,” since Allah knew that some of them would die; hence, the exception was used because not all of them would enter. It has been noted that due to their futile distortion of the actual intent of the words of the Qur’an, proponents of all of these interpretations have succumbed to the very notion they had rejected. Consider, for example, those who interpret the verse to mean that Allah commands them to enter the Sacred Mosque. They hold that Allah already knew whether He would command them to do so or not; for His knowledge that He would command them to enter is like His knowledge that they would enter. In this way they have made the exception dependent on a meaning that is not conveyed by the words themselves. Moreover, Allah’s knowledge is related both to that which is manifest and that which is concealed. Similarly, with respect to their fear and concern for safety, Allah knows whether they will enter safely or fearfully, and in fact He declares that they will enter safely, knowing that they would do so. Hence, neither of these occurrences were subject to doubt according to Allah nor, for that matter, in the mind of His Messenger. As for those who understand the verse to mean that either some or all of them would enter, they hold that that which depends on the divine will is the entrance of those referred to in this saying. That is, if reference was made to all of them, then all of them would undoubtedly go in; and if reference was being made to the majority, then the entrance of these was what hung on the divine will. As for that which is not referred to, it may not be made conditional with the use of the particle “in,” if; rather, the particle employed would be inna, that, which would indicate an unequivocal promise.

‘Umar [Ibn al-Khattab] said to the Prophet (pbuh) on the day of the Battle of Hudaybiyyah: “Did you not used to tell us that we would come to the Ka‘bah and do a circle around it?” The Prophet replied: “Yes, I did. But did I tell you that you would come to it this year?” “No,” ‘Umar replied: “So then,” said the Prophet, “you will certainly come to the Ka‘bah and make the circle around it.”

Someone might ask why he [the Prophet] did not make any of the other promises mentioned in the Qur’an dependent on Allah’s will. The reason for this is that this verse was revealed after the Prophet (pbuh) came back from Hudaybiyyah. They

had made the minor pilgrimage that year and had striven to enter the Sacred Mosque, but the polytheists prevented them from doing so. So they returned with hearts full of grief, the depth of which no one but Allah knows. They were waiting for the fulfillment of this promise that year. For the Prophet (pbuh) had promised them unconditionally that this would take place. And it is said that in his sleep he saw someone who said: “You shall enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills.” In the morning he told people about his vision and ordered them to go on a minor pilgrimage. However, they could not make the minor pilgrimage that year, and this verse was revealed. In this verse, Allah promises them the same thing the Messenger promised them. The clause, “if Allah wills” was intended to certify that they would indeed enter the Sacred Mosque and that Allah would fulfill His promise. Similarly, if a man is absolutely determined to do something, he would say, “I swear by Allah that I will do so and so, if Allah wills.” Indeed, he says, “if Allah wills,” not because he is in doubt about his ability or desire to do so, but to certify and assure that he will do it. For he fears that, if he does not say, “if Allah wills,” his determination might be thwarted and he will not achieve what he desires. Sahih Muslim and Sahih al-Bukhari relate that Sulayman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I swear by Allah that I will make the rounds among a hundred women tonight; each one will give birth to a child who will become a horseman who fights in the Cause of Allah.” When his friend told him to say, “if Allah wills,” Sulayman did not say it. And none of them gave birth except one who bore a dwarf, a male child split in two. The Prophet (pbuh) said: “I swear by Him Whose hand is my soul, if he had said, “if Allah wills,” the women would have given birth to children all of whom would have become horsemen and fought for the Cause of Allah. Accordingly, if he had said, “if Allah wills,” this would not have meant that he doubted what he sought and desired. Rather, it would have been to certify that Allah would help him to fulfill it. For nothing happens unless Allah wills it. So if a man swears that he will do something but does not say, “if Allah wills,” then his desire will not be fulfilled. For if anyone swears by Allah without saying, “if Allah wills,” Allah will prove him wrong.

Some have been asked: “By what have you come to know your Lord?” They said: “By the way in which He nullifies people’s resolutions and thwarts their ambitions.” Allah says: “Nor say of anything, ‘I shall be sure to do so and so tomorrow’ without adding, ‘if Allah wills . ..’” (18:23-24). For his saying, “I will do,” implies both seeking and informing. What he seeks is certain; however,

whether it takes place or not depends on whether he wills it, and his seeking of the action must come from Allah by His might and power. So, in his request, he must request what he seeks from Allah; and when informing, he must only report what Allah has shown him. Accordingly, if he decides something without making the matter conditional on Allah’s will, then he will be like the person who swears by Allah without saying, “if Allah wills.” Then Allah will prove him to be a liar, determined to do something he desires, without hesitation. Therefore he must say, “if Allah wills,” in order to achieve his desire, which he swore to fulfill. For his desire will not be fulfilled unless Allah wills it, but not due to hesitation in his will. Indeed, Allah wants to fulfill what He promises them, and His Will is firm and without hesitation. Moreover, whatever Allah wills, He does. For whatever He wants to be done will be done, unlike the human being, who wants what he will achieve and sees happening to him what he does not want.

His saying, “if Allah wills,” certifies that what He promises will most definitely be fulfilled by His desire and will. For what He wants and desires will be achieved, and what He does not want will never happen. Hence, the exception is made here for the purpose of reassurance, since what they had been promised that year had not taken place. However, this was not the case for all other promises they had been given.

Accordingly, there has been a dispute and controversy among Muslim jurists about the person who makes the exception in an oath, although he is not hesitant and has a firm desire to achieve his goal. Is such a man excused for having made the exception, or must he do penance if he breaks his word? As for the person who is hesitant and who must make the exception, he does so without a doubt. Indeed, the correct view is that in all cases one ought to make the exception because Allah’s will encompasses everything, and because no matter how firm one’s own will is, it still depends on the will of Allah. So he may be definite about his will to achieve his goal, but he is uncertain that his desire will be fulfilled, nor does he want it to be fulfilled if Allah has predestined it not to take place. For he has made the commitment to fulfill it only if Allah wills it; and if Allah does not want it to be achieved, this person would not make the commitment and he would not swear by Allah to achieve it even if he had a firm desire. For not everything that one desires does he swear by Allah to achieve, and in such a case, no penance or atonement is required if one fails to achieve it.

What has been mentioned above makes clear that one should say, “if Allah wills,” to gain one’s full desire and will to achieve his goal, not because he has doubts about his will. This is applicable to what a man desires and swears to achieve. Allah says: “. . . You shall enter the Sacred Mosque . . .” (18:27). This is a report of what He wants to be done and that which He knows will happen. Allah makes their entrance into Makkah dependent on His will by saying, “if Allah wills.” This is also the case regarding something that one wants to report regarding a future action he is completely sure of his intent to achieve. Hence, he says, “if Allah wills,” to achieve his goal, but does not say it due to doubts about his will or about its occurrence.

Accordingly, the exception is to be made when there is a full desire and strong will to achieve a goal. However, one may still fear that his goal will not be achieved; thus, he says, “if Allah wills,” to achieve his hope, even though he knows that it will happen. He also asks and prays to Allah to help him achieve the aim he knows will be fulfilled, as in the case of the Prophet (pbuh) on the day of the Battle at Badr. The Prophet (pbuh) told his people that they would defeat the polytheists, although he entered the tent to ask for divine aid, saying: “Oh Allah, please fulfill what you have promised me.” For the knowledge of what Allah has decreed does not prevent His Decree from taking place as a result of causes, one of the greatest of which is supplication. Likewise, hope in His Mercy and fear of His Punishment could be among the most important causes of someone’s deliverance from His Punishment and achieving His Mercy.