Characteristics of Actions and Their Consequences

Reporting on the passing of previous nations is an obvious and non-beneficial piece of news, except in regard to the condition that accompanies it.

Discussing the stories of prophets is beneficial and instructive in the sense that they are role models for others, as the Glorious God said to the noble Prophet: “We narrate to you the stories of the messengers to strengthen your heart”(393). However, merely investigating and proving the nature of religiosity of past nations has no benefit or fruit for the discussant or others, because even if their salvation is proven, these people gain nothing from it, just as if the predecessors were wicked, others would not be held accountable: “To it belongs what it has earned, and to you belongs what you have earned. And you will not be asked about what they used to do.”

Just as in personal matters no one is responsible for the actions of another and is not accountable for the deeds of others: “No bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another”(394), in collective matters as well, no type, class, or nation is responsible for the actions of another nation: “That was a nation which has passed on. It will have [the consequence of] what it earned, and you will have what you have earned.” This general principle and Qur’anic motto has been repeatedly emphasized that no individual or nation will be held accountable for the crime and burden of another individual or nation: “And you will not be asked about what they used to do.” The aforementioned points can be derived from other verses such as: “Say, ‘For me is my work and for you is your work. You are disassociated from what I do, and I am disassociated from what you do’”(395), “Say, ‘You will not be asked about what we committed, and we will not be asked about what you do’”(396), “If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, [you do it] to yourselves”(397).

In the verse under discussion, if the letter “lām” in lahā is for specification, the meaning of the first part of the verse is the general and comprehensive principle of the specificity of action to the doer; whether the action is right or wrong. The meaning of the latter part refers to some of the branches of that comprehensive principle, because no one’s action is related to another; consequently, the other neither benefits from his action nor is harmed by it. If the letter “lām” is for benefit, in contrast to the letter “ʿalā” which is for indicating harm, the meaning of the first part refers specifically to beneficial actions that are inseparable from the doer, and the meaning of the latter part refers specifically to harmful actions that are not separated from their doer. The other side of the section related to harmful actions is omitted, which is understood from the context; that is, “and they will not be asked about what you do” is derived from the implication of the speech: “Every sheep is hung by its own leg”(398). It is also worth mentioning that the precedence of the preposition and the object it governs (: lahā, lakum) can be for exclusivity.

The fundamental difference between the verse under discussion and similar ones with other verses that consider the connection of action to be disconnected from the non-doer, is that the verse under discussion and its counterparts also have a specific message, which is that only action, whether mental or physical, i.e., belief, character, and physical action, is beneficial or harmful; but lineage and racial connection are neither beneficial nor harmful, as will be discussed in the narrative section.

Note 1: The main content of the verse under discussion is that a person’s righteous or unrighteous action is neither beneficial nor harmful to another, even if that other person is a relative of the doer. It never refers to the righteous actions of Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac, and nothing that contradicts the infallibility of the prophets can be derived from the phrase “and you will not be asked about what they used to do.” Therefore, there is no need for forced interpretations or to say that the content of the verse contradicts the infallibility of the prophets and that we must seek to justify it.

Note 2: Ālūsī reports that some exegetes have interpreted the verse under discussion as follows: Each of Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac was a nation; meaning, in honor and value, they were equivalent to a nation. You are not commanded to perform their actions, but only to perform the actions that the Prophet of Islam was commanded to do. What has been officially decreed within the realm of Islam is authoritative, not what the previous prophets did. Then he says: If these verses were the words of this exegete himself, it would be possible to interpret them in this baseless and unfounded manner; however, these verses are the words of the Lord of the Worlds, which are far above such interpretations(399).