Fatir · Makki · ayah 43 of 45

Fatir 35:43

ٱسْتِكْبَارًا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَكْرَ ٱلسَّيِّئِ ۚ وَلَا يَحِيقُ ٱلْمَكْرُ ٱلسَّيِّئُ إِلَّا بِأَهْلِهِۦ ۚ فَهَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا سُنَّتَ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ ۚ فَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ ٱللَّهِ تَبْدِيلًا ۖ وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ ٱللَّهِ تَحْوِيلًا

“[Due to] arrogance in the land and plotting of evil; but the evil plot does not encompass except its own people. Then do they await except the way [i.e., fate] of the former peoples? But you will never find in the way [i.e., established method] of Allāh any change, and you will never find in the way of Allāh[1257] any alteration.[1258]”

Saheeh International

Essence

Arrogance breeds hidden plotting, but the plot comes home to its maker, and Allah's way with plotters is never swapped and never redirected.

A reflection

No exceptions desk

The ayah opens with a single word: istikbār, arrogance. It names the root of everything that follows. The arrogant person rarely thinks the rules are wrong. He thinks they are for other people.

Picture a man who has talked his way through life. Bouncers wave him in. Traffic wardens tear up the ticket after a joke. Receptionists find him a slot that did not exist. He has learned that every system has a desk, and every desk has a person who can be charmed or worn down. His pride is built on that lesson.

Then the ayah closes twice, with a door that has no desk in front of it. You will never find any change in Allah's way, it says. You will never find any turning aside in it either. There is no one to charm and no clever form of words. The pattern that took the arrogant before him will take him too, unless he lets the arrogance go.

That is humbling in the right way. The ego wants to be the exception. Allah's way says there are no exceptions, only people. The proud man and the poor man stand before the same law.

Notice the word "find". Allah does not only state the rule. He invites the listener to search history for one exception, and says the search will come back empty. One commentator notes that denying the finding is a way of denying the thing itself, with the proof attached. Only a Lord certain of His own constancy speaks like that.

Is this the stiffness of a ruler who cannot change his mind? It is the opposite. He is never surprised, never bribed and never in a mood. A judge you can talk round is a frightening judge. A way that never bends is the only kind the weak can trust.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.