Tafseer of The Night Journey · Al-Israa · 17:84
Say, "Each works according to his manner, but your Lord is most knowing of who is best guided in way."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: Say, O Muḥammad, to the people: Each one acts according to his shākila — his disposition and his way. Dan is uw Heer het best op de hoogte van wie van u who among you de meest rechte weg kent — that is to say: your Lord knows best which of you treads the more upright way to the truth.
With what we have said concerning this, the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) have also said.
Account of those who said that:
ʿAlī related to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His words kullun yaʿmalu ʿalā shākilatihi: "according to his disposition."
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His words ʿalā shākilatihi: "according to his disposition."
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid: qul kullun yaʿmalu ʿalā shākilatihi — he said: "according to his nature, in his own manner."
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: qul kullun yaʿmalu ʿalā shākilatihi — that is to say: according to his disposition and in accordance with his intention.
Others said: al-shākila means: the religion.
Account of those who said that:
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His words kullun yaʿmalu ʿalā shākilatihi: "according to his religion; al-shākila: the religion."
