Bismillah

I came across a few gems from Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen rahimahullah in his tafseer and wanted to share them.

Hakeem before ‘Aleem

After the Angels give the glad tidings to Ibrahim alayhi salaam and Sarah alayha salaam of their son and she expresses her shock and amazement, the angels say to her:

قَالُوا كَذَ‌ٰلِكِ قَالَ رَبُّكِ ۖ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْعَلِيمُ
They said, “Thus has said your Lord; indeed, He is the Wise, the Knowing.” (51:30)

Here the Name of Allah ‘Al-Hakeem’ comes before ‘Al-’Aleem’ because Hikmah precedes ‘Ilm in this situation. Hikmah here is for two things:

1- the delaying of a child for her - Allah did not delay a child for her until she reached this old age without wisdom.
2- giving her a child after she gave up hope in having children and she thought she was barren.

So here we see two wisdoms - hikmah in what has already happened and hikmah in what is to come.

Al-’Aleem comes before Al-Hakeem in most of the ayat in the Qur’an that connect these two Blessed Names, but in this ayah, the situation of Sarah necessitates that Al-Hakeem precedes Al-’Aleem.

The Hikmah of Allah

The Shaykh rahimahullah continues with explaining Al-Hakeem from ayah 30 in this surah. He says that Al-Hakeem not only means that Allah is the Most Wise, but it points to the fact that He is also the Most Powerful in His Authority.

Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen rahimahullah gives the example of ‘Ad when they say:

مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً
“Who is mightier than us in strength?” (41:15) Allah azza wa jal responds,

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً
“See they not that Allah, Who created them was mightier in strength than them?” (41:15)

Allah punished them with something that is so simple and seemingly harmless - a wind. This wind that you cannot even grasp or touch. They claimed that they were strong and could defend themselves from anything, yet because Allah is Al-Hakeem, He destroyed these people who said, “who is mightier than us in strength?” with a simple wind.

This shows us that Allah is Ahkam al-Haakimeen, His Hukm emanates from His Power and Authority and because He is Ahkam al-Haakimeen, His Hukm is the best.

Their Manner of Questioning

Allah says,

يَسْأَلُونَ أَيَّانَ يَوْمُ الدِّينِ
They ask: “When will be the Day of Recompense?” (51:12)

This question is one of denial and shows that they do not believe in the Day of Judgment - for if they were asking this question for information or for clarification they would have asked the way Jibreel alayhi salaam asked the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam: akhbirni ‘an as-saa’ah (inform me about the Hour) - this is a question to gain understanding and clarification.

But these people who are heedless and doubtful ask: ayyana yaum ad-deen, ‘when is the Day of Judgment?’ showing that they want to remove themselves from this fact. That is why Allah azza wa jal says about them,

بَلْ عَجِبُوا أَن جَاءَهُم مُّنذِرٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَقَالَ الْكَافِرُونَ هَـٰذَا شَيْءٌ عَجِيبٌ أَإِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًا ۖ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ رَجْعٌ بَعِيدٌ
Nay, they wonder that there has come to them a warner from among themselves. So the disbelievers say: “This is a strange thing! “When we are dead and have become dust (shall we be resurrected?) That is a far return.” (50:2-3)

So they are asking about the Day of Judgment not to gain understanding of it and to gain conviction in it, but rather to deny it and to show their disbelief in the idea of a resurrection.