[Insight] Mankind is in need of Allah

An insight into 4 verses from Surah Fatir. These verses have two primary central themes. One is how each person is dependant on Allah and the other is each person will be responsible of their deeds on the day of judgement. Extracted from Tafsir Ibn Kathir, with additional comments from the author.

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[الناس مفتقرون إلى الله وكل يحمل أوزاره يوم القيامة]

[Mankind is in need of Allah and each person will be responsible of their deeds on the Day of Judgment]

Translation: O Humanity, you are the ones who need Allah, and Allah is Free-of-All-Needs, the Ever-Praised [15] 

If He so wills, He can do away with you and bring a new creation [16]

 For Allah, that is not something difficult [17]

No bearer will bear the burden of any other person. If a person carrying a heavy load calls (someone) to (share) his load, nothing from it shall be carried (by the latter), even though he be a near kin. You can warn only those who fear their Lord, while He is unseen, and establish Salāh. Whoever gets purified gets purified for his own benefit. And to Allah is the final return [18]

Commentary

Almighty Allah informs us that he is independent from everyone and everything, rather all of the creation is dependent on him. They are all in a state of humility towards him. Allah says: 

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ أَنتُمُ ٱلْفُقَرَآءُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ

Humanity is in need of Allah in all situations and states and Almighty Allah has no need for them at all. This is why Allah says: 

وَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلْغَنِىُّ ٱلْحَمِيدُٱلْحَمِيدُ

Allah is unique, free from all needs, and has no partners. He is praiseworthy in all that he does, says, decrees and legistlates.  

إِنْ يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَأْتِ بِخَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ

If he wished, he would have replaced you, O’ Mankind, and brought another nation. This is not difficult for him and no one can prevent this. This is why he says وَمَا ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ بِعَزِيزٍ 

 For Allah, that is not something difficult]

 وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ

Meaning on the day of Judgment, everyone will be responsible for their own sin.

 وَإِن تَدْعُ مُثْقَلَةٌ إِلَىٰ حِمْلِهَا

If a person who has a heavy load asks someone to assist them in carrying their lord or a part of it, there will be no one to help, as Allah says: 

لَا يُحْمَلْ مِنْهُ شَىْءٌ وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَىٰٓ

Even if they are close relatives, to the extent that even if it is his father or son, they will not carry it. Every person will be occupied with himself and his state. 

Then Allah mentions those who take heed of the reminders: 

إِنَّمَا تُنذِرُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ

Those who take heed are the people of intellect, those that fear their lord, those that fulfill what they are ordered [such as fulfilling the 5 daily prayers]. Those who undertake good deeds, Allah says regarding them:

وَمَن تَزَكَّىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَتَزَكَّىٰ لِنَفْسِهِ

The benefit of these good deeds will return to him. When will they return to him? Allah explains:

وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمَصِيرُ

Towards him is the final return [Day of Judgment], and Allah will recompense everyone according to his deeds. If good his reward will be good, if evil then his recompense will be evil. 

[Summarised from Tafsir Ibn Kathir]

Insights

Below are some benefits we can take from these set of verses –

• Allah is independent and free of need
• The severity of the day of judgment 
• Don’t assist in sin
• Importance of kinship

Allah is independent and free of need

The beginning part of this verse illustrates to us that Allah is free of need and totally independent. Allah says: O Humanity, you are the ones who need Allah, and Allah is Free-of-All-Needs, the Ever-Praised. 

This shows us that Allah is unique and there is no one like him. All humans are in need of Allah in every aspect of their life, even if they don’t believe in him. Allah is the one who gave us life and he will bring us back to life, to account us for our deeds. So it is incumbent upon us that we prepare for this journey and work hard for this life, which is everlasting. 

This verse also serves as a rebuke to those who associate partners with Allah, as Allah is free of need, high above his creation. Allah is the creator and everything else is his creation. Thus, we worship Allah alone and seek his help. 

The severity of the day of judgment 

Allah indicates in these verses the severity of the day of judgment. Each person will be worried about his own state and will totally disown everyone else.  Allah says in another verse – ‘on that Day every person will flee from their own siblings, ‘and ˹even˺ their mother and father’, ‘and ˹even˺ their spouse and children.’ ‘For then everyone will have enough concern of their own.’ [80:34-37] 

Everyone will be concerned about himself and there will be no concept of friendship on this day. 

Don’t Assist in Sin

Another point that can be taken from these verses is a person may have done a sin due to the influence of a friend or someone else or may have assisted in a sin, However, on the day of judgment, when he will ask his friend to carry some of his evil deeds, he will straight out refuse and won’t even give a second thought, as he will be concerned regarding himself. 

the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

“Whoever calls people to guidance will have a reward like that of those who follow him, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest, and whoever calls people to misguidance will have a burden of sin like that of those who follow him, without that detracting from their burden of sin in the slightest.”

Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh (4831)

Importance of kinship 

Another subtle point can be drawn from these verses. Allah mentions that those who are the closest to you on the day of judgment, will abandon you. Those people that Allah describes that are closest to you are your family and kith of kin. 

This is a very important subject and the importance of keeping good ties with your family and kith of kin can be understood from the following hadith: 

‘Aisha [Allah bless her] reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The bond of family is suspended from the Throne and it says: Whoever upholds me, Allah will uphold him. Whoever severs me, Allah will sever him.”

[Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5989, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2555]

Keeping good ties with your family is established from the Quran and Sunnah and hence every effort should be made towards keeping these ties.