35:19 Faatir (The Originator)

وما يستوي الأعمى عن دين الله، والبصير الذي أبصر طريق الحق واتبعه، وما تستوي ظلمات الكفر ونور الإيمان، ولا الظل ولا الريح الحارة، وما يستوي أحياء القلوب بالإيمان، وأموات القلوب بالكفر. إن الله يسمع مَن يشاء سماع فَهْم وقَبول، وما أنت -أيها الرسول- بمسمع مَن في القبور، فكما لا تُسمع الموتى في قبورهم فكذلك لا تُسمع هؤلاء الكفار لموت قلوبهم، إن أنت إلا نذير لهم غضب الله وعقابه. إنا أرسلناك بالحق، وهو الإيمان بالله وشرائع الدين، مبشرًا بالجنة مَن صدَّقك وعمل بهديك، ومحذرًا مَن كذَّبك وعصاك النار. وما من أمة من الأمم إلا جاءها نذير يحذرها عاقبة كفرها وضلالها.

يخبر تعالى أنه لا يتساوى الأضداد في حكمة اللّه، وفيما أودعه في فطر عباده. { وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمَى } فاقد البصر { وَالْبَصِيرُ{

يقول تعالى كما لا تستوى هذه الأشياء المتباينة المختلفة كالأعمى والبصير لا يستويان بل بينهما فرق وبون كثير وكما لا تستوي الظلمات ولا النور ولا الظل ولا الحرور كذلك لا تستوي الأحياء ولا الأموات وهذا مثل ضربه الله تعالى للمؤمنين وهم الأحياء وللكافرين وهم الأموات كقوله تعالى: "أو من كان ميتا فأحييناه وجعلنا له نورا يمشي به في الناس كمن مثله في الظلمات ليس بخارج منها" وقال عز وجل "مثل الفريقين كالأعمى والأصم والبصير والسميع هل يستويان مثلا" فالمؤمن بصير سميع في نور يمشي على صراط مستقيم في الدنيا والآخرة حتى يستقر به الحال في الجنات ذات الظلال والعيون والكافر أعمى وأصم في ظلمات يمشي لا خروج منها بل هو يتيه في غية وضلاله في الدنيا والآخرة حتى يفضي به ذلك إلى الحرور والسموم والحميم وظل من يحموم لا بارد ولا كريم. وقوله تعالى: "إن الله يسمع من يشاء" أي يهديهم إلى سماع الحجة وقبولها والانقياد لها "وما أنت بمسمع من في القبور" أى كما لا ينتفع الأموات بعد موتهم وصيرورتهم إلى قبورهم وهم كفار بالهداية والدعوة إليها كذلك هؤلاء المشركون الذين كتب عليهم الشقاوة لا حيلة لك فيهم ولا تستطيع هدايتهم.

Nor are the blind and the seer equal that is the disbeliever and the believer are not equal

Commentary

Verse 18: وَلَا تَزِرُ‌ وَازِرَ‌ةٌ وِزْرَ‌ أُخْرَ‌ىٰ (And no bearer will bear the burden of any other person) means that, on the Day of Judgment, no one will be able to bear the burden of another person's sins. Everyone will have to bear his or her burden. As for what appears in Surah Al-` Ankabut (29:13): وَأَثْقَالًا مَّعَ أَثْقَالِهِمْ , which means that people who make others go astray will not only bear the burden of going astray personally, but will also bear the burden of having made others go astray. it does not mean that they will somehow lighten the burden of those they had caused to go astray. Instead, their burden will weigh on them as it was in its own place and because of the crime of those who made people go astray, being twofold, their burden too will become twofold, one: that of being astray and two: that of making others go astray. Therefore, there is no contradiction in these two verses. (Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani)

Explaining this verse, Sayyidna ` Ikrimah ؓ said: On that Day, a father would say to his son, 'You know how affectionate a father I was to you?' He will say, 'yes, your favors to me are countless. You have certainly faced many a hardship for me during the life of the world.' Then, the father will say, 'son, today I need you. Give me some of your good deeds, so that I can have my salvation.' The son will say, 'father, the return you asked for is not much, but what can I do? If I were to give that to you, I shall be facing the same situation that you are facing now, therefore, I am sorry, I cannot help you.' Then, he will say the same thing to his wife, 'I sacrificed everything for you during the life of the world. Today, I need a few of your good deeds. Please give these to me.' The wife will give him the same answer as was given by the son.

Sayyidna ` Ikrimah ؓ said that this is what the verse: لَا تَزِرُ‌ وَازِرَ‌ةٌ وِزْرَ‌ أُخْرَ‌ىٰ (And no bearer will bear the burden of any other) means. Then he said that the noble Qur'an has taken up this subject in several of its verses. At one place, it has said: لَّا يَجْزِي وَالِدٌ عَن وَلَدِهِ وَلَا مَوْلُودٌ هُوَ جَازٍ عَن وَالِدِهِ شَيْئًا that is, on that Day, neither a father would be able to have his son be spared from the punishment, nor would a son be able to do that for his father (31:33). The essential sense is that no one will save another person by carrying the burden of his sins over one's own shoulders. However, the matter of intercession (shafa'ah) is dierent. Similarly, in another verse, it was said: يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ‌ الْمَرْ‌ءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ that is, on that Day, one will run from his brother and his mother and father and his wife and children (80:34, 35). The purpose of running is no other but that he would be in fear, lest these people try to pass on the burden of their sins on him or come up with a request for some of his good deeds. (Ibn Kathir)