Fatwa ID: 06750

Answered by: Alimah Sherbhanu Jadwat

Question:

I had a question regarding this ayah

إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَن يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا الْإِنسَانُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ ظَلُومًا جَهُولًا ﴿٧٢﴾

Truly, We did offer the Amanah to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it. But man bore it. Verily, he was unjust and ignorant.

Can this be interpreted that every individual decided to, using free will, partake in the test that is dunya?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

The majority of the Fuqahaa aver that the term ‘ Al- Amaanah’ refers to the takaalif of the Shariah , ie. to take the huge responsibility of fulfilling the ahkam of the Shariah with its resultant rewards; as well as to abstain from the prohibitions, and face the punishment in the event of transgression.

The first person to accept this Amaanah was Hadrat Adam A.S. However every person in the world of souls pledged submission to Allah. When Allah enquired ‘ Im I’m not your Sustainer ’, everyone agreed in unison.

References:

وَ اِذۡ اَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنۡۢ بَنِىۡۤ اٰدَمَ مِنۡ ظُهُوۡرِهِمۡ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمۡ وَ اَشۡهَدَهُمۡ عَلٰٓى اَنۡفُسِهِمۡ‌ ۚ اَلَسۡتُ بِرَبِّكُمۡ‌ ؕ قَالُوۡا بَلٰى‌ ۛۚ شَهِدۡنَا ‌ۛۚ اَنۡ تَقُوۡلُوۡا يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ اِنَّا كُنَّا عَنۡ هٰذَا غٰفِلِيۡنَ

سورة الأعراف ١٧٢

قال العوفي عن ابن عباس: يعن بالامانة الطاعة و عرضها عليهم قبل ان يعرضها على آدم فلم يقطنها فقال لآدم: اني قد عرضت الأمانة على السماوات والأرض والجبال فلم يطقنها فهل انت آخذ بما فيها ؟ قال يا ربي وما فيها؟ قال : أن أحسنت جزيت و إن أسأت عوقبت فأخذها آدم فتحملها…

ص٥٢٧ /ج٣

تفسير القرآن العظيم

اسماعيل ابن كثير الدمشقي

المكتب الثقاني الازهر القاهرة

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best

Written by Alimah Sherbhanu Jadwat

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham