Righteous without God's Grace

[SoRoUsH 1,035]

سلام

The end of the following verse seems to imply that there are a few people, who wouldn't have followed Shaytan, even without God's grace. 

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

وَاِذَا جَآءَهُمۡ اَمۡرٌ مِّنَ الۡاَمۡنِ اَوِ الۡخَـوۡفِ اَذَاعُوۡا بِهٖ‌ ۚ وَلَوۡ رَدُّوۡهُ اِلَى الرَّسُوۡلِ وَاِلٰٓى اُولِى الۡاَمۡرِ مِنۡهُمۡ لَعَلِمَهُ الَّذِيۡنَ يَسۡتَنۡۢبِطُوۡنَهٗ مِنۡهُمۡ‌ؕ وَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهٗ لَاتَّبَعۡتُمُ الشَّيۡطٰنَ اِلَّا قَلِيۡلًا

...

وَلَوْلَا : And if not
فَضْلُ : (had been the) bounty
ٱللَّهِ : (of) Allah
عَلَيْكُمْ : on you
وَرَحْمَتُهُۥ : and His Mercy,
لَٱتَّبَعْتُمُ : surely you (would have) followed
ٱلشَّيْطَٰنَ : the Shaitaan
إِلَّا : except
قَلِيلًا : a few.

...And had there not been Allah's grace upon you and His mercy, ye would surely have followed Satan, save a few.

(4:83)

 

This brings up a couple of interesting questions:

1. Who are those few people?

2. Do they need God's grace? 

3. Are they naturally and essentially different than most people? And if so, what is so different about them that makes them not fall for Shaytan even without God's grace? 

 

Since the term "Uli al-Amr" is used in the same verse, I can see how the "few people" could be a reference to Ahlul Bayt (عليه السلام). And if so, this verse seems to support their 'isma (infallibility). Shaytan cannot misguide them, even without God's grace. 

They are created differently than us, and due to their different essence, they cannot be misguided. 

 

Thoughts?

[Cool 1,081]

10 hours ago, SoRoUsH said:

This brings up a couple of interesting questions:

1. Who are those few people?

Mukhlaseen!

Lets take a look at what Shaytan said:

قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَكَ هَـذَا الَّذِي كَرَّمْتَ عَلَيَّ لَئِنْ أَخَّرْتَنِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لأَحْتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهُ إَلاَّ قَلِيلاً

17:62 He said: Tell me, is this he whom Thou hast honored above me? If Thou shouldst respite me to the day of resurrection, I will most certainly cause his progeny to perish except a few.

قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ

15:39-40

10 hours ago, SoRoUsH said:

2. Do they need God's grace? 

Yes, Allah's honouring someone can also be understood as His grace. 

وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ وَحَمَلْنَاهُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَاهُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلاً

17:70

ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ

62:4

[SoRoUsH 1,035]

2 hours ago, Cool said:

Allah's honouring someone can also be understood as His grace. 

وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ وَحَمَلْنَاهُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَاهُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلاً

17:70

This does not seem to be the case. Why would you assume so? 

Clearly, honour and grace are distinct in this verse. If anything, this verse contradicts your claim that they're the same. 

You wouldn't say that حَمَلْنَاهُمْ is the same as كَرَّمْنَا. So, why assume that فَضَّلْنَاهُمْ is same as كَرَّمْنَا?

They (كَرَّمْنَا ,حَمَلْنَاهُمْ ,رَزَقْنَاهُم ,فَضَّلْنَاهُمْ) are different things that God has done for Bani Adam.

Edited January 18 by SoRoUsH

[Cool 1,081]

45 minutes ago, SoRoUsH said:

They (كَرَّمْنَا ,حَمَلْنَاهُمْ ,رَزَقْنَاهُم ,فَضَّلْنَاهُمْ) are different things that God has done for Bani Adam.

Yes brother they are different, but each one of them can also be considered as grace (فضل). I hope you understand me:

كرمنا تضعيف كرم ; أي جعلنا لهم كرما أي شرفا وفضلا

كرم الكرم إذا وصف الله تعالى به فهو اسم لإحسانه وإنعامه المتظاهر

Lets take the example of sustenance, knowledge etc. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) has mentioned it as فضل too:

لتبتغوا فضلا من ربكم [الإسراء/12]، يعني: المال وما يكتسب

Creation itself can also be understood as فضل. And that is also indicated in the same verse as خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلاً. Another way of looking at it is by realizing that the first thing Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) created was the noor of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) so that the Hidden Treasure (God) should be known/recognized. 

كنت كنزا مخفيا. فأردت أن أعرف فخلقت الخلق فبه عرفوني

I find God's mercy & grace everywhere. And these two sometimes mentioned with specific meanings, representing the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) & Imam Ali (عليه السلام) 

قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ

10:57

According to a hadith mentioned by Agha Poya in his tafseer. Imam Muhammad bin Ali al Baqir (عليه السلام) said:

The Holy Prophet is "fazl" and Ali ibn abi Talib is "rahmah".