Surah Ale-Imran (The Family Of Imran ) 3 : 26

Overview (Verses 26 - 27)

What God’s Sovereignty Entails

Say: “Lord, Sovereign of all dominion, You grant dominion to whom You will and take dominion away from whom You will. You exalt whom You will and abase whom You will. In Your hand is all that is good. You are able to do all things. You cause the night to pass into the day, and You cause the day to pass into the night. You bring forth the living from the dead, and You bring forth the dead from that which is alive. You grant sustenance to whom You will, beyond all reckoning.” (Verses 26-27)

These verses take the form of a direct instruction from God to His Messenger and every believer to turn to God, stating the absolute truth of the oneness of God and that He is the only One Who controls human life and the universe at large. This latter quality is simply a demonstration of God’s Lordship of the whole universe in which He has no equals or partners.

When we carry out this instruction we note that it takes the form of an address made with all humility. The rhythm of a prayer is very clear in its construction, and its total effect is that of a heartfelt appeal. Its references to the universe as an open book touch gently on our feelings. It groups together God’s conduct of human life and His full control of the universe, thus stressing the absolute truth of a single Godhead sustaining all. It also stresses the fact that human life is but one ingredient in the life of the universe. Submission to God alone is acknowledged by the universe, as it is indeed the proper attitude expected of man. Any deviation is a folly which leads to perversion.

“Say: ‘Lord, Sovereign of all dominion, You grant dominion to whom You will and take dominion away from whom You will. You exalt whom you will and abase whom You will.” This expresses the natural result of the oneness of God. Since there is only a single deity, He is then the only Master, “the Sovereign of all dominion” Who has no partners. He gives whatever portion He wishes of His dominion to whomever He wants of His servants. What is given becomes simply like a borrowed article. Its owner retains his absolute right of taking it back whenever he wants. No one, then, has any claim of original dominion giving him the right of absolute power. It is simply a received dominion, subject to the terms and conditions stipulated by the original Sovereign. If the recipient behaves in any way which constitutes a violation of these conditions, his action is invalid. Believers have a duty to stop him from that violation in this life. In the life to come, he will have to account for his violation of the terms stipulated by the original Sovereign.

He is also the One Who exalts whom He wills and abases whom He wills. He needs no one to ratify His judgement. No one grants protection against the will of God, and no one has the power to prevent His will taking its full course. His power is absolute and His control is total.

The authority of God ensures the realisation of all goodness. He exercises it with justice. When He gives dominion to anyone or takes it away from him, He does so with justice. Similarly, it is with justice that He exalts or abases any of His servants. This ensures real goodness, in all situations. It is sufficient that He should will something for it to be realised: “In Your hand is all that is good. You are able to do all things.”

God’s supervision of the affairs of human beings with all that is good resulting from it is simply an aspect of His control and, supervision of life in general and of the universe at large: “You cause the night to pass into the day, and You cause the day to pass into the night. You bring forth the living from the dead, and You bring forth the dead from that which is alive. You grant sustenance to whom You will, beyond all reckoning.” In this way verse 27 refers to great universal phenomena and paints them in a manner which overwhelms man’s whole being: his heart, feelings and senses. It paints a subtle interwoven movement whereby each of the day and night enter into the other, and whereby the living are brought out of the dead and the dead out of the living. When man gives his full attention to the observation of this movement and listens to the voice of uncorrupted human nature identifying its origin, he is bound to conclude, with all certainty, that it is God Who controls it and makes it possible.

Some commentators explain that what is meant by the night and day passing into each other is that each of them takes part of the other when one of the four seasons succeeds another. Others believe that it refers to each of them creeping into the other with the first shades of darkness every evening and the first rays of light every morning. Whichever explanation we prefer, our hearts can almost visualise God’s hand as it works in the universe wrapping one ball in darkness and opening another to daylight, reversing one position into another. We can see the dark lines gradually creeping into the light of day, and we can see the dawn slowly beginning to breathe, with the darkness all around. The night stretches little by little as it gains more and more of the hours of day at the beginning of winter, and the day stretches little by little, gaining on the night, as summer approaches. No man ever claims to control either movement with its fine subtleties. No rational person can ever claim that either movement happens by chance.

The same applies to the cycle of life and death: each creeps into the other very slowly and gradually. Every single minute death creeps into every living thing so as to be side by side with life. Death works into a living being and life builds up. Living cells die and disappear, while new living cells come into existence and begin their work. Those cells which have died come back to life in a different cycle, and what comes into life dies again in yet another cycle. All this happens within every single living thing. The circle, however, becomes wider and the living thing dies. Its cells, however, become minute particles which are incorporated in another formula, then enter the body of another living being and come back to life. It is an ever continuing cycle which goes on throughout the day and night. No man claims to control or do any part of this whole process. No rational person can claim that it comes about by chance.

It is a complete cycle which goes on within the whole universe and within every living thing. It is a fine, subtle and, at the same time, great cycle brought about before our own eyes and minds by this brief Qur’ānic statement. It is a strong pointer to the One Who is able to create, plan and control. How can human beings, then, try to isolate themselves and their affairs from the Creator Who controls and plans everything? How can they devise for themselves systems which satisfy their own whims when they are only a sector of this universe, regulated by the Wise Who knows all?

How can some of them enslave others? How can some look at others as gods when all of them look to God for their own sustenance: “You grant sustenance to whom You will, beyond all reckoning.”

This final touch puts our human hearts face to face with the greatest truism of the oneness of God: there is only one deity Who controls, sustains, plans, owns and grants sustenance to all. People must submit only to the Eternal Master of all, the Sovereign of all dominion, Who exalts and abases, gives life and causes death, Who gives His grace to whom He wills and withdraws it from whom  He wills. In every situation He ensures justice and brings about what is good.