21:23 Al-Anbiyaa (The Prophets)

إن من دلائل تفرُّده سبحانه بالخلق والعبادة أنه لا يُسأل عن قضائه في خلقه، وجميع خلقه يُسألون عن أفعالهم.

{ لَا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ ْ} لعظمته وعزته، وكمال قدرته، لا يقدر أحد أن يمانعه أو يعارضه، لا بقول، ولا بفعل، ولكمال حكمته ووضعه الأشياء مواضعها، وإتقانها، أحسن كل شيء يقدره العقل، فلا يتوجه إليه سؤال، لأن خلقه ليس فيه خلل ولا إخلال. { وَهُمْ ْ} أي: المخلوقين كلهم { يُسْأَلُونَ ْ} عن أفعالهم وأقوالهم، لعجزهم وفقرهم، ولكونهم عبيدا، قد استحقت أفعالهم وحركاتهم فليس لهم من التصرف والتدبير في أنفسهم، ولا في غيرهم، مثقال ذرة.

وقوله " لا يسئل عما يفعل وهم يسئلون " أي هو الحاكم الذي لا معقب لحكمه ولا يعترض عليه أحد لعظمته وجلاله وكبريائه وعلمه وحكمته وعدله ولطفه " وهم يسئلون " أي وهو سائل خلقه عما يعملون كقوله " فوربك لنسألنهم أجمعين عما كانوا يعملون " وهذا كقوله تعالى " وهو يجير ولا يجار عليه ".

He shall not be questioned about what He does but they shall be questioned about their actions.

The next verse viz: لَا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ (He is not questioned of what He does, and they are questioned) probably reinforces the argument that anyone who is answerable for his actions to someone else cannot be God.

He will not be questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned. This is a rejection of the free-willers and a right guidance for the Sunnis. The free-willers say, “If we turn over all the newly arrived things to God, He would be defective.” They say, “Evil is from us and good from Him.” In the same way, the Zoroastrians say that good is from Yazdān and evil from Ahrīman. “The free-willers are the Magi of this community.” A free-willer said to a Zoroastrian, “Become a Muslim.” He said, “As long as He does not want it, how can I become a Muslim?” The free-willer said, “He wants it, but Iblis does not.” The Zoroastrian said, “Then I will stay with the stronger antagonist. What will I do with the weak one?” As for the right guidance of the Sunnis, it is that the Real is the absolute owner and is able to act upon His possession as He wants. MuṣṬafā said, “Were He to chastise me and the son of Mary, He would chastise us without wronging us.” Fear a God who does whatever He wants while no one has the gall to protest! “Have shame before God because of His proximity to you, and fear God because of His power over you.” Know also that this a work that is over and done with. He has taken each to his own domicile and made his place apparent, and then He has brought him back to the beginning of the road of interaction. When the prophets came, they did not bring any new work into this world, nor did they place any new report in your breast. Rather, they put into motion what was in your breast and they called you to what had been deposited for you. We would not have been guided had God not guided us [7:43]. ʿAlī was asked about the measuring out. He said, “It is God's secret, so do not disclose it; it is a tremendous ocean, so do not importune it.” Human knowledge does not have the capacity to carry it. Man's understanding and imagination will never reach it. He does not know that the more he goes forward, the more he becomes bewildered. The more he exercises self-determination, the more he falls. What is the spirit next to Your face other than a meddler? What is intellect next to Your lips other than a fool? [DS 902]