بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the Noble Quran
Allah (swt) Does Whatever He Wills
(Translated)
https://www.al-waie.org/archives/article/20490
Al Waie Magazine Issue No. 482
Forty-first Year, Rabi’ al-Awwal 1448 AH corresponding to August 2026 CE
Khalifa Muhammad – Jordan
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Allah (swt) says,
[إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَسْتَحْيِي أَن يَضْرِبَ مَثَلاً مَّا بَعُوضَةً فَمَا فَوْقَهَا فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ فَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَيَقُولُونَ مَاذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِهَـذَا مَثَلاً يُضِلُّ بِهِ كَثِيراً وَيَهْدِي بِهِ كَثِيراً وَمَا يُضِلُّ بِهِ إِلاَّ الْفَاسِقِينَ]
“Indeed, Allah is not ashamed to present an example—that of a mosquito or what is above it. As for those who have believed, they know that it is the truth from their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, they say, ‘What did Allah intend by this as an example?’ He misleads many thereby and guides many thereby. And He misleads not except the defiantly disobedient” [TMQ Surah Al-Baqarah: 26].
This verse was revealed in response to the kuffar (disbelievers) and the Jews who objected to—and mocked—the use of the spider and the fly as examples. They questioned how Allah (swt) could cite such lowly creatures as parables. Their objection stemmed from obstinacy and arrogance; for no two rational people would disagree on the wondrous nature of Allah’s creation, nor on the fact that everything perceptible to human senses is a magnificent sign of Allah. All of humanity is incapable of creating a fly, a mosquito, or a spider.
Thus, Allah (swt) has the right to cite whatever He wills from His creation as an example, just as He has the right to swear by whatever He wills of His created beings. He has indeed done so; His actions are truth, and His words are truth. It escaped their notice that the eloquent poets and prose writers among the Arabs frequently cited such creatures in their verses and proverbs—examples too numerous to recount here. Yet, the true significance lies in the proverb’s aptness for the subject at hand and the striking resemblance between the image used and the reality it illustrates.
They also failed to realize that citing such lowly creatures was entirely fitting for the deities they claimed to worship alongside Allah (swt) for those alleged gods were even more contemptible than the creatures themselves, and thus fully deserved to be likened to them.
The statement of Allah (swt) Who said, [إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَسْتَحْيِي أَن يَضْرِبَ مَثَلا] “Indeed, Allah is not ashamed to present an example...” was revealed in response to the disbelievers' question, (أما يستحي رب محمّد أن يضرب الأمثال بالذباب والعنكبوت؟) “Does the Lord of Muhammad not feel shame in citing the fly and the spider as examples?” This verse belongs to the category of mutashabih (ambiguous) verses that must be interpreted in light of the muhkam (unambiguous) verses—specifically, the statement of Allah (swt) Who said, [لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ] “There is nothing like unto Him” [TMQ Ash-Shura: 11]. Thus, the general meaning is that nothing prevents Allah (swt) from citing whatever example He wills; He may cite any example whatsoever—a meaning underscored by the indefinite, non-specific particle ma (ما) in the phrase [مَثَلاً مَّا] “an example of any kind,” which signifies absolute generality regarding the type of example. The word dharb (ضرْبُ striking) here is used metaphorically to mean “designating” or “setting forth”—that is, designating or setting forth a particular matter as an example. As for ba‘udah (بَعُوضَةً a mosquito), it is the singular form of ba‘ud (بعوض mosquitoes); it is a small, flying insect with a slender proboscis that hovers around humans to suck their blood for nourishment, and it is known as namus or has-has in various contemporary Arabic dialects. As for the phrase [فَمَا فَوْقَهَا] “or anything above it”, the particle fa (ف)—while linguistically denoting sequence and immediate succession—here signifies a progression in degree. The intent is to cite the small mosquito as an example, followed by something even smaller. Although the word fawqa (فَوْقَ above) fundamentally denotes spatial elevation, it is used metaphorically to indicate an increase in the quality or attribute under discussion; appearing after the mention of the mosquito, it signifies an even greater degree of insignificance and triviality. This aligns with the parables Allah (swt) drew regarding the deities claimed by the disbelievers, implying that nothing prevents Allah (swt) from citing the mosquito—or something even more insignificant and trivial than the mosquito—as a parable for the disbelievers’ gods.
Allah’s (swt) saying, [فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ فَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَيَقُولُونَ مَاذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِهَـذَا مَثَلاً] “As for those who believe, they know that it is the truth from their Lord; but as for those who disbelieve, they say, ‘What did Allah intend by this as an example?’”—details the state of people regarding the parables set forth by Allah (swt). Regarding Allah’s address, people fall into two groups: believers and disbelievers. The particle fa (فَـ) here indicates sequence and immediate succession—specifically, a sequence in mention, meaning the people’s reaction is stated immediately after the parable itself is cited. The particle ammaa (أَمَّا as for) introduces a conditional structure where the fa (ف) appears in the response clause [فَيَعْلَمُونَ]“they know.”
Thus, the state of the believers is that they recognize the parable as the truth from their Lord, which serves as a cause for their guidance and an increase therein; conversely, the state of the disbelievers is characterized by obstinacy and arrogance, causing the parable to lead to their misguidance and an increase therein—as evidenced by the remainder of the verse.
The pause after the words of Allah (swt) [مَاذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِهَـذَا مَثَلاً] “What did Allah intend by this as an example?” is a waqf taamm (وقف تامّ complete pause). If one were to continue reading without pausing, the subsequent text might be misconstrued as an adjective describing the parable itself, which is not the case; the parable does not, of its own accord, cause misguidance or guidance. Instead, this serves as an explanation and clarification of the two clauses introduced by ammaa (أَمَّا as for): one group finds guidance through this parable [فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ] “As for those who believe...”, while another group goes astray because of it [وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ] “But as for those who disbelieve”. Consequently, this clause has no grammatical function within the sentence structure because it is an explanatory clause—meaning, [يُضِلُّ بِهِ كَثِيراً وَيَهْدِي بِهِ كَثِيراً] “He misleads many thereby and guides many thereby.” Regarding the saying of Allah (swt) Who said, [يُضِلُّ بِهِ كَثِيراً وَيَهْدِي بِهِ كَثِيراً] “He misleads many thereby and guides many thereby,” the most likely interpretation is that it serves as a response to the previously mentioned question posed by the disbelievers, [مَاذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِهَـذَا مَثَلاً] “What did Allah intend by this example?” For although a parable illustrates the very reality for which it was cited, Allah (swt) has also made it a means of guidance for the rightly guided and a cause of misguidance for those who go astray. This meaning is attested to by numerous verses, such as the saying of Allah (swt) Who said, [وَإِذَا مَا أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ فَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ أَيُّكُمْ زَادَتْهُ هَـذِهِ إِيمَانًا فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ فَزَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَهُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ * وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَتْهُمْ رِجْسًا إِلَى رِجْسِهِمْ وَمَاتُواْ وَهُمْ كَافِرُونَ] “And whenever a Surah is revealed, there are among them those who say, ‘Which of you has this increased in faith?’ As for those who believe, it has increased them in faith, and they rejoice. But as for those in whose hearts is a disease, it has added filth to their filth, and they died while disbelievers” [TMQ Surah At-Tawbah: 124–125], among others.
Regarding the saying of Allah (swt) Who said, [وَمَا يُضِلُّ بِهِ إِلاَّ الْفَاسِقِينَ] “And He misleads thereby only the defiantly disobedient,” Fisq (الفسق defiant disobedience) signifies an exit from an original state—much like a bird emerging from its egg after breaking the shell. Thus, departing from the rulings of the Shariah Law constitutes fisq. The faasiqoon (فاسقون defiantly disobedient)—those whom Allah (swt) leads astray through His signs and parables—are those who have stepped outside the bounds of the rulings He ordained. This does not mean, by any stretch of meaning, that Allah (swt) compels the misguided to go astray or the rightly guided to find guidance. Instead, Allah (swt) recompenses every person according to their deeds in this world. Whoever chooses guidance and the straight path of Allah (swt), Allah facilitates the ways of guidance for them. Allah (swt) says, [وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْا زَادَهُمْ هُدًى] “And those who are guided—He increases them in guidance” [TMQ Surah Muhammad: 17]; Allah (swt) says, [وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا] “And those who strive for Us—We will surely guide them to Our ways” [TMQ Surah Al-Ankabut: 69]; and Allah (swt) says, [وَيَزِيدُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْا هُدًى] “And Allah increases those who are guided in guidance” [TMQ Surah Maryam: 76]. Whoever deviates from the Shariah rulings of Allah (swt) and chooses error finds that Allah (swt) facilitates the means of that error for them. Allah (swt) said, [قُلْ مَن كَانَ فِي الضَّلَالَةِ فَلْيَمْدُدْ لَهُ الرَّحْمَنُ مَدًّا] “Say, ‘Whoever is in error—let the Most Merciful extend for him a long extension in it’” [TMQ Surah Maryam: 75]. Furthermore, after mentioning the number of the inhabitants of the Fire, He (swt) said, [وَلِيَقُولَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ وَالْكَافِرُونَ مَاذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِهَذَا مَثَلًا كَذَلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَن يَشَاء وَيَهْدِي مَن يَشَاء] “And let those in whose hearts is disease and the disbelievers say, 'What does Allah intend by this as an example?' Thus does Allah send astray whom He wills and guide whom He wills” [TMQ Surah Al-Muddaththir: 31].
We conclude by noting the similarity in the state of disbelievers across different times and places. We observe how atheists and the irreligious today fabricate lies against Allah (swt), attempting to turn believers away from their Iman. Just as we saw disbelievers in the time of the Messenger (saw) objecting to Allah’s use of parables, we see them today on social media claiming that Allah insults Abu Lahab and his wife in an entire Surah, as well as Al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah and other disbelievers. They express astonishment—as their minds, whims, and devils have deluded them—at the idea of an Allah (swt) who would insult any of His servants. In doing so, they project an image of the Divine based on their own flawed, limited intellects, drawing an analogy to earthly kings, presidents, or rulers who do not insult their subjects—while conveniently ignoring what such rulers might do in private. They thus measure the Creator against the created using their imperfect, limited minds; how evil is the judgment they make! Allah (swt) is [فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ] “the Accomplisher of what He wills” [TMQ Surah Al-Buruj: 16], and He wrongs no one, [وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا] “And your Lord wrongs no one” [TMQ Surah Al-Kahf: 49]. Instead, He (swt) recompenses every doer according to their deeds. He is as He described Himself (swt) Who said, [لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ]“There is nothing like unto Him” [TMQ Surah Ash-Shura: 11]—and not as the devils portray Him in the minds of atheists.