Ash-Shu'araa (The Poets)

78. “Who created me, and Himself guides me,”

79. “And Himself feeds me and provides me to drink;”

80. “And whenever I am sick, then He heals me,”

81. “And Who caused me to die, then gives me life,”

82. “And Who, I hope, will forgive me my mistakes on the Day of Judgment.”

At first, the world and the Creator of the world must be regarded, and then one’s self may be attended.

That He created us and guides us is a sign that He likes us, not the idols.

The bounty of His guidance (after creation) is the greatest bounty, because creation, in this sense, is for one time but guidance exists in every moment and for ever.

However, in these verses, Abraham describes the Lord of the Worlds and mentions some of His material and spiritual bounties, so that, by comparing with idols, who neither hear the demands of their worshippers nor have any benefit or loss for them, the matter may be made completely clear.

It begins with the bounties of creation and guidance where Abraham says about Allah:

“Who created me, and Himself guides me,”

Abraham implies that Allah has guided him both in the world of genesis and has provided the material and spiritual means available for him, and, in the world of religion, He has sent down revelation and heavenly Book to him.

Mentioning /f/ at the beginning of the Qur’anic phrase /fa huwa yahdin/ (and Himself guides me) which has occurred after the concept of creation, indicates that ‘guidance’ is not separate from ‘creation’ and they both go forth with together everywhere.

The Arabic word /yahdin/, that is in simple present tense, is an evidence to the continuity of guidance and the need of man to Him throughout his life.

It seems that, by this statement, Abraham implies that from the first point of his life and creation, he has always been with Him and He has also been with him so that he feels His presence in his life and living. He implies that He is a friend Who takes him wherever He desires.

Next to stating the first stage of Lordship, that is the stage of guidance after creation, Abraham pays to the material bounties and says:

“And Himself feeds me and provides me to drink;”

Yes, I see all bounties from Him; my whole entity, as well as my drink and my food all are from Him and because of His blessings.

Not only when I am sound and healthy I am involved in His blessings, but also when I become sick it is He Who heals me.

The verse says:

“And whenever I am sick, then He heals me,”

Sickness is sometimes from His side, too, but, observing etiquette in speech, Abraham attributes it to himself.

Then Abraham goes further than the stage of the life of this world and pays to the eternal life in hereafter in order to make clear that not only he enjoys favours in the present world but also in the next world and in all conditions he sits at the table of His bounties.

He says about Him:

“And Who caused me to die, then gives me life,”

Abraham indicates that both his death and his returning to life against are from His origin.

Then he (as) implies that when he arrives the scene of; gathering-place of Resurrection his hope is fixed only on Him, of Whom he seeks forgiveness.

The verse says:

“And Who, I hope, will forgive me my mistakes on the Day of Judgment.”

There is no doubt that prophets are sinless and they have no fault to be forgiven for; but as we have said formerly, sometimes the good deeds of the righteous are counted as the faults of the near-stationed ones and, therefore, in their high rank one good act is sometimes questionable against them, too, because it has hindered the accomplishment of a better action, and thus this is called ‘leaving the better’.

Abraham never relies on his good deeds, because they are naught comparing the kindness of Allah, and they are not worthy of mentioning when His bounties are considered. His reliance is only on Allah’s Grace, and this is the last stage of being hopeful to Him.

In the commentary of Atyab-ul-Bayan, where explaining this verse, it is asked whether the divine prophets and Imams are immaculate and they have not any fault.

Answer: Before the presence of Allah, the One, they know their deeds little, humble, and faulty in order that they should not have any shortcoming in worship, or they would not commit any ‘leaving the better’, or they would not achieve any shortcoming in disciplines. For instance, the holy Prophet (S) used to say to Allah:

“We have not known You as the due knowing of You.”1

Imam Amir-ul-Mu’minin (as) says:

“The praises have not been numerated for You as You have for Yourself.”2

And, by this statement, the problem of many narrations concerning the immaculate ones can be solved.

Shortly speaking, here in order to specify the real deity, Abraham first pays to the creative power of Allah, then he makes the rank of His Lordship in all stages clear.

The first is the stage of guidance; the second is the stage of material bounties, irrespective of producing suitable conditions and removing the barriers; and the final stage is the eternal life in the next world, where His Lordship will also be shown in ttie form of granting different merits and forgiving the sins.

Thus, Abraham nullifies the superstitious imagination of numerous gods and various deities and bows before Allah with glorification.