Al-Anfal 68: Had it not been for a preordained decree by Allah, a great punishment would surely have hit you for the ransom you have taken.

Verse 68 of Surah Al-Anfal.

Had there not been a decree given beforehand by Allah, a decree, a great punishment would surely have touched you for the ransom you took.

Can you see Allah Almighty's justice here? His justice. What is the justice here?

Be they Muslim or non-Muslim.

Since He says His mercy in the universe is for everyone, these people He sent into the world of the unseen, that is, these people living in a world where His Being is not seen — He does not want anyone to wrong them, or put them under captivity and (?). Just as every person is born free from his mother, with free thought — according to the verse "Did you think you would die without proving what kind of person you are?" No one can hold anyone in captivity. Even if he holds them, even if he holds them, he cannot hold them for ransom. Ransom. Allah does not load on anyone's back what is beyond his strength.

In this case: had there not been, from before, regarding the captives taken, their being exchanged mutually, with captives being exchanged mutually — had there not been such a word, it says, for the ransom, for the ransom you took, a great punishment would surely have touched you, it says. Yes, here Allah Almighty symbolizes His attribute of justice here. Whoever it may be, His mercy in the universe is for everyone; in the hereafter only for the believer; there He will lift His mercy from the non-Muslims; the eternal life of hell will be for the non-Muslims. Yes, Allah Almighty is the Possessor of justice.

In this world, whatever belief people may hold,

they are under Allah's mercy. That's how it is. Deny if you like. Associate partners if you like. Do whatever you do. Why did He send you here? So that you prove what kind of person you are. Partial will is in your hand. With the judgments you make, with the actual deeds you do, you will make yourself a witness to yourself, to those around you and to Allah. In this case, every soul will taste death. And according to the verse in which He said "(?) your return is to Me". (?) at the Resurrection the Supreme Court will be set up, and all souls taste death, and "the return is to Me", according to the verse of Allah Almighty where He said this, at the Supreme Court everyone will be called to account. That day, only that day, the day when judgment belongs to Allah, without any wrong being done to anyone, what everyone earned, as the return for his own two hands, will be given to him.

Yes.

For this reason He says: My mercy has surpassed My wrath. Therefore in the world there is no wronging of anyone. Every soul, according to the pledge it gave Allah Almighty at the covenant of "Alastu bi-Rabbikum", has come to the world of mulk to make its own self a witness. So while people live in the world of mulk, no person may torment and wrong another; he has no authority to do so. For this reason our Lord has not made the ransoms taken from people oppressively and unjustly lawful. Had there not been a decree given beforehand by Allah, surely for the ransoms you took My punishment would have touched you. That is, whatever belief you have — they have — do not torment anyone unjustly, He commands.

This verse shows the one who is human our Lord's freedom and greatness. To the one who is human: on earth Allah Almighty, who feeds you and gives you drink, gives you every kind of provision and wants no benefit from you; our Lord, who created you and wishes only His Being to be known — in the face of so many blessings He has given, if you are ungrateful to Him, and He, in the world, in whatever way, even if you associate partners with Him, wants you not to be wronged, wants to protect your freedom in your life, and in the face of this you, because of your unbelief, are ungrateful to Him, does this fit the conscience of a human who is human?

That thinking which does not fit those consciences — Allah Almighty says: they are like four-legged animals walking the earth, (?) even more astray. There you go.

The verses always confirm one another. You cannot see any verse contradicting another.

Yes, this verse shows mankind our Lord's freedom and greatness. It sees man's existence melting and vanishing before his Lord. There is no person who — a person given every blessing for a lifetime, granted a life, and the people who receive these blessings show hostility to the giver of the blessing and demonstrate against him. Look. See how Allah protects even those who deny Him, who turn people from Allah's path, while they live in the world of mulk, and that these too not suffer any injustice from His creatures in the mulk — lighting people's way, how beautifully He shows people Allah's justice.

Oh, His justice.

One who is human grasps these things. Just think.

Suppose I am the owner of a treasure.

I keep giving to the person across from me. And he, (?), comes and takes from me. And I give him even more. In this case, how does that person love me? Think. What kind of wish does he make for me? Think.

He benefits from me. Whenever he wants, he meets all his needs from me. Would he want me to disappear? And I am a human being.

Toward Allah, Owner of the worlds, the Creator, toward your Lord who bestowed so many blessings on you, toward the one who gave so many blessings, if you turn your back, with what conscience will you go into the presence of that Allah, and with what conscience will you be ungrateful and to Allah turn your back?

While, people being people, they make wishes for one another, while people who benefit from one another say "let me be the turab of your feet", "the turab of your feet", that is, "let me be the dust of the ground you step on" — these words reach our ears — you, toward your Lord, who created you as a human and bestowed a life, and on you bestowed so much (?), be ungrateful for the many blessings He has given and turn your back on Him; amid so many blessings, still He protects you, still He protects your rights, still He holds you equal with other people in the world.