Imam al-Tabari on Allah’s Will and Command (Kun/Be) For a Thing To Exist (Kun Fa Yakun)
From Imam At-Tabari’s Tafseer (vol 2, pg. 469-470) on the verse [2:117]
The Arabic text first, then the translation, then the scans.
Arabic Text:
وَأَوْلَى الأَقْوَالِ بِالصَّوَابِ فِي قَوْلِهِ : {وَإِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ} أَنْ يُقَالَ : هُوَ عَامٌّ فِي كُلِّ مَا قَضَاهُ اللَّهُ وَدبَرَهُ ، لِأَنَّ ظَاهِرَ ذَلِكَ ظَاهِرُ عُمُومٍ ، وَغَيْرُ جَائِزٍ إِحَالَةُ الظَّاهِرِ إِلَى الْبَاطِنِ مِنَ التَّأْوِيلِ بِغَيْرِ بُرْهَانٍ لِمَا قَدْ بَيَّنَّا فِي كِتَابِنَا : كِتَابُ الْبَيَانِ عَنْ أُصُولِ الأَحْكَامِ وَإِذْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ كَذَلِكَ ، فَأَمْرُ اللَّهِ جَلَّ وَعَزَّ لِشَيْءٍ إِذَا أَرَادَ تَكْوِينَهُ مَوْجُودًا بِقَوْلِهِ : {كُنْ}
فِي حَالِ إِرَادَتِهِ جل ثناؤه إِيَّاهُ مَكُونًا ، لاَ يَتَقَدَّمُ وُجُودَ الَّذِي أَرَادَ إِيجَادَهُ وَتَكْوِينَهُ إِرَادَتَهُ إِيَّاهُ ، وَلاَ أَمْرُهُ بِالْكَوْنِ وَالْوُجُودِ ، وَلاَ يَتَأَخَّرُ عَنْهُ . فَغَيْرُ جَائِزٍ أَنْ يَكُونَ الشَّيْءُ مَأْمُورًا بِالْوُجُودِ مُرَادًا كَذَلِكَ إِلاَّ وَهُوَ مَوْجُودٌ ، وَلاَ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَوْجُودًا إِلاَّ وَهُوَ مَأْمُورٌ بِالْوُجُودِ مُرَادٌ كَذَلِكَ . وَنَظِيرُ قَوْلِهِ : {وَإِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ} قَوْلُهُ : {وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ تَقُومَ السَّمَاءُ وَالأَرْضُ بِأَمْرِهِ ثُمَّ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ دَعْوَةً مِنَ الأَرْضِ إِذَا أَنْتُمْ تَخْرُجُونَ} بِأَنَّ خُرُوجَ الْقَوْمِ مِنْ قُبُورِهِمْ لاَ يَتَقَدَّمُ دُعَاءَ اللَّهِ ، وَلاَ يَتَأَخَّرُ عَنْهُ.
Translation:
The most correct view regarding Allah’s saying: {When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, “Be,” and it is.} [2:117] is to say: it is general in everything that Allah decreed and administered, because the apparent of that is generality, and it is not permissable to interpret the apparent to a hidden meaning of taweel without evidence, due to the reason I mentioned in my book “Kitab al-Bayan ‘an Usool al-Ahkam”.
And if this is the case, then Allah’s -Ta’ala Dhikruh- command for a thing, if he willed its formation/existence, is with His saying {kun (Be)}. In the moment of His Will -Jal Thana’uh- for it to become, the existence of that which He willed its formation does not proceed His Will for it, nor His command (i.e. kun/Be) for it to be, nor does it delay; because it is not possible that a thing be commanded to exist except that it is existent, and willed so; nor (is it possible) that it be existent except that it be commanded to exist, and willed so.
And like His saying {When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, “Be,” and it is.} is His saying: {Among His Signs is that heaven and earth hold firm by His command. Then, when He calls you forth from the earth, you will emerge at once.} [30:25], The emergence of the people from their graves does not precede Allah’s call to them, nor does it delay.”
[Tafsir at-Tabari (2/469-470) Tahqiq: AtTurki - Dar Hajer]
Scans (vol2 pg.469-470) :
