17:84 Al-Israa (The Night Journey)

أي: { قُلْ كُلٌّ } من الناس { يَعْمَلُ عَلَى شَاكِلَتِهِ } أي: على ما يليق به من الأحوال، إن كان من الصفوة الأبرار، لم يشاكلهم إلا عملهم لرب العالمين. ومن كان من غيرهم من المخذولين، لم يناسبهم إلا العمل للمخلوقين، ولم يوافقهم إلا ما وافق أغراضهم. { فَرَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ هُوَ أَهْدَى سَبِيلًا } فيعلم من يصلح للهداية، فيهديه ومن لا يصلح لها فيخذله ولا يهديه.

ولهذا قال "قل كل يعمل على شاكلته فربكم أعلم بمن هو أهدى سبيلا" أي منا ومنكم وسيجزى كل عامل بعمله فإنه لا تخفي عليه خافية.

Turning away from Allah at Times of Ease and despairing at Times of Calamity

Allah tells us about the weakness that is inherent in man, except for those whom He protects at both times of ease and calamity. If Allah blesses a man with wealth, good health, ease, provision and help, and he gets what he wants, he turns away from the obedience and worship of Allah, and becomes arrogant. Mujahid said, "(It means) he goes away from Us." I say, this is like the Ayah:

فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُ مَرَّ كَأَن لَّمْ يَدْعُنَآ إِلَى ضُرٍّ مَّسَّهُ

(But when We have removed his harm from him, he passes on as if he had never invoked Us for a harm that touched him!) 10:12 and;

فَلَمَّا نَجَّـكُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ

(But when He brings you safe to land, you turn away.) When man is stricken with evil, which means disasters, accidents and calamities,

كَانَ يَئُوساً

(he is in great despair.), meaning that he thinks he will never have anything good again. As Allah says,

وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَا الإِنْسَـنَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةً ثُمَّ نَزَعْنَاهَا مِنْهُ إِنَّهُ لَيَئُوسٌ كَفُورٌ - وَلَئِنْ أَذَقْنَاهُ نَعْمَآءَ بَعْدَ ضَرَّآءَ مَسَّتْهُ لَيَقُولَنَّ ذَهَبَ السَّيِّئَاتُ عَنِّي إِنَّهُ لَفَرِحٌ فَخُورٌ - إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ أُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمْ مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ

(And if We give man a taste of mercy from Us, and remove it from him, verily, He is despairing, ungrateful. But if We let him taste good after evil has touched him, he is sure to say: "Ills have departed from me." Surely, he is exultant, and boastful. Except those who show patience and do righteous good deeds: those, theirs will be forgiveness and a great reward.) (11:9-11)

قُلْ كُلٌّ يَعْمَلُ عَلَى شَاكِلَتِهِ

(Say: "Each one does according to Shakilatihi...") Ibn `Abbas said, "According to his inclinations." Mujahid said, "According to his inclinations and his nature." Qatadah said, "According to his intentions." Ibn Zayd said, "According to his religion." All these suggestions are close in meaning. This Ayah - and Allah knows best - is a threat and a warning to the idolators, like the Ayah:

وَقُل لِّلَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ اعْمَلُواْ عَلَى مَكَانَتِكُمْ

(And say to those who do not believe: "Act according to your ability and way") (11:121) So Allah says:

قُلْ كُلٌّ يَعْمَلُ عَلَى شَاكِلَتِهِ فَرَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ هُوَ أَهْدَى سَبِيلاً

(Say: "Each one does according to Shakilatihi, and your Lord knows best of him whose path is right.") meaning either us or you. Everyone will be rewarded in accordance with his deeds, for nothing whatsoever is hidden from Allah.

Say ‘Everyone including us and you acts according to his own character his own manner of conduct and your Lord knows best who is better guided as to the way’ as to the path he follows and He will reward him accordingly.

Commentary

Regarding the explanation of the word: شاکِلَۃ (shakilah) in verse 84: كُلٌّ يَعْمَلُ عَلَىٰ شَاكِلَتِهِ (Everyone acts in his own style), several interpretations have been reported from authorities among the early righteous elders,

such as, disposition, habit, instinct, intention, way or manner. In sum, all these turn into a second nature in terms of the circumstances, habits and customs everyone lives with. Thus, what one does remains subservient to it. (Qurtubi) In this verse, human beings have been warned that they must abstain from bad surroundings, bad company and bad habits and take to the company of good people and inculcate good habits (a1-Jassas). The reason, as stated earlier, is that one's response pattern built up under the influence of surrounding, company and custom makes one do what it dictates. Imam al-Jassas has also given another meaning of 'shakilah' at this place, that of 'like.' Given this meaning, the sense of the verse would be that everyone feels comfortable with a person who is compatible with one's temperament. A good man finds another good man familiar while a wicked man feels comfortable with another wicked man whose style he follows without any qualms of conscience. An example of this behavior pattern appears in what Allah says in the Qur’ an: الْخَبِيثَاتُ لِلْخَبِيثِينَ (Evil women are for evil men - 24:26) and وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ لِلطَّيِّبِينَ (Good women are for good men - 24:26). It means that everyone strikes familiarity with a man or woman according to one's own temperament. In short, this too is a warning against falling into bad company and bad habits. One should really make an effort to abstain from these.

Say: “Each acts according to his own manner.” What comes from the Adamite other than disloyalty? What comes from water and clay other than error? What will be seen from the Lord's generosity other than loyalty? In the whole Qur'an, no verse offers more hope than this. He is saying, “Everyone does what comes from him, and from everyone comes what is worthy of him. The servant returns to sin and the Lord returns to forgiveness.” One of revealed books tells us that God said, “O child of Adam! You keep on returning to sins, and I keep on returning to forgiveness.” It was said to the abandoned one of the empire, the despairing Iblis, “Prostrate yourself before Adam!” He said, “I will not, for Adam is from dust, and I am from fire.” It was said to him, “O unlucky one! No doubt everyone does what is worthy of him, and from everyone comes what is inside him. When fire dies down, it becomes ashes, which can never be renewed. Dust, even if it is old, is renewed by sprinkling water on it. O Iblis, O you who are of fire, you left aside one command, so you will die and never come to life! O Adam, O you who are of dust, you let one tear of remorse fall from your eyes, so I have forgiven your sins and will caress you. O Iblis, what you did comes from fire. O Adam, what you saw is born of dust. Say: 'Each acts according to his own manner.'”