Tafseer of The Sovereignty · Al-Mulk · 67:22
Then is one who walks fallen on his face better guided or one who walks erect on a straight path?
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.
The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: أَفَمَنْ يَمْشِي ("Is then he who walks"), O people, مُكِبًّا عَلَى وَجْهِهِ ("bent over upon his face"), who does not see what is before him, nor what is on his right and left side, أَهْدَى ("better guided") — that is to say: more steadfast upon the path and better guided upon it — أَمَّنْ يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا ("or he who walks upright"), the gait of the children of Ādam upon their two feet, عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ ("upon a straight path")? He says: upon a road in which there is no crookedness. And it is said: [one says] مُكِبًّا because it is an intransitive verb, and when it is not transitive, one adds the alif to it and says: "akabba fulān ʿalā wajhihi" (so-and-so fell forward upon his face), so he is "mukibb." To this belongs the verse of al-Aʿshā:
Bent over upon his two horns, digging at her root,
upon the surface of the bare path, [loose and] sinking down (1).
He therefore said "mukibban," because it is an intransitive verb; but when it is transitive, the alif is omitted, and one says: "kababtu fulānan ʿalā wajhihi" (I threw so-and-so forward upon his face), and "kabbahu Allāh ʿalā wajhihi" (Allah threw him forward upon his face).
And in accordance with what we have said about this, so also spoke the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl).
* Mention of who said this:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: أَفَمَنْ يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلَى وَجْهِهِ أَهْدَى أَمَّنْ يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ — he says: is he who walks in error better guided, or he who walks well-guided?
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, he said: al-Ḥasan related to us, he said: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word: مُكِبًّا عَلَى وَجْهِهِ he said: in error; أَمَّنْ يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ he said: the true, straight [path].
It was related to us on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd related to us, he said: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His word: أَفَمَنْ يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلَى وَجْهِهِ — by it the disbeliever (kāfir) is meant — is he better guided, أَمَّنْ يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا ("or he who walks upright"), the believer? Allah has set forth a parable for them both.
And others said: no, by it is meant that Allah will gather the disbeliever upon his face on the Day of Resurrection. So He said: أَفَمَنْ يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلَى وَجْهِهِ ("Is then he who walks bent over upon his face") on the Day of Resurrection أَهْدَى أَمَّنْ يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا ("better guided, or he who walks upright") on that day?
* Mention of who said this:
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: أَفَمَنْ يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلَى وَجْهِهِ أَهْدَى — "That is the disbeliever, who fell forward upon sins against Allah in this worldly life; Allah will gather him upon his face on the Day of Resurrection." Then it was said: O prophet of Allah, how is the disbeliever gathered upon his face? He said: "Verily, He who made him walk upon his two feet is able to gather him upon his face on the Day of Resurrection."
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, he said: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: أَفَمَنْ يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلَى وَجْهِهِ he said: that is the disbeliever who acts in disobedience to Allah, and Allah will gather him upon his face on the Day of Resurrection. Maʿmar said: it was said to the Prophet ﷺ: how do they walk upon their faces? He said: "Verily, He who made them walk upon their feet is able to make them walk upon their faces."
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, he said: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ he said: the believer who acted in obedience to Allah, and Allah will gather him in his obedience.
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Footnotes:
(1) The verse is by al-Aʿshā of Banū Qays ibn Thaʿlaba (his dīwān, 295), from a poem in which he praises Iyās ibn Qabīṣa al-Ṭāʾī; the verse describes a bull to which he compares a she-camel. "Mukibban": with the head bent downward, digging in the arṭā bush (mentioned in the preceding verse) to make there a shelter to which he withdraws. "Rawqayhi": his two horns. "ʿalā ẓahri ʿuryāni al-ṭarīqa": upon the surface of the bare path. "Ahyam": collapsing, not holding firm, an attribute of "ʿuryān al-ṭarīqa." He says: the bull fell forward with his two horns upon the root of the tree, digging therein a house to which he withdraws, upon this open place where the sand falls loosely and without cohesion. The author cited the verse as a testimony for the word of Allah the Exalted: أفمن يمشي مكبا على وجهه that is to say: with the head bent toward the earth. And al-Farrāʾ said in Maʿānī al-Qurʾān (folio 338) concerning His word: أفمن يمشي مكبا على وجهه : you say "qad akabba al-rajul" when it is a verb that does not pass over to anyone (intransitive); and when the verb does pass over [to an object] (transitive), you omit the alif, and you say "qad kabbahu Allāh li-wajhihi" (Allah threw him forward upon his face), and "kababtuhu anā li-wajhihi" (I threw him forward upon his face). End of quotation.
