إِنَّ الَّذِي فَرَضَ عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْآنَ لَرَادُّكَ إِلَى مَعَادٍ قُلْ رَبِّي أَعْلَمُ مَنْ جَاءَ بِالْهُدَى وَمَنْ هُوَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ ﴿۸۵﴾ وَمَا كُنْتَ تَرْجُو أَنْ يُلْقَى إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابُ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً مِنْ رَبِّكَ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ ظَهِيرًا لِلْكَافِرِينَ ﴿۸۶﴾ وَلَا يَصُدُّنَّكَ عَنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أُنْزِلَتْ إِلَيْكَ وَادْعُ إِلَى رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿۸۷﴾ وَلَا تَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴿۸۸﴾

﴾85﴿ Innal lazee farada 'alaikal Qur-aana laraaadduka ilaa ma'aad; qur Rabbeee a'lamu man jaaa'a bil hudaa wa man huwa fee dalaalim mubeen
﴾86﴿ Wa maa kunta tarjooo ai yulqaaa ilaikal Kitaabu illaa rahmatan mir Rabbika falaa takoonanna zaheeral lil kaafireen
﴾87﴿ Wa laa yasuddunnaka 'an Aayaatil laahi ba'da iz unzilat ilaika wad'u ilaa Rabbika wa laa takoonanna minal mushrikeen
﴾88﴿ Wa laa tad'u ma'al laahi ilaahan aakhar; laaa ilaaha illaa Hoo; kullu shai'in haalikun illaa Wajhah; lahul hukkmu wa ilaihi turja'oon

﴾85﴿ Indeed, the Being who has imposed the duty upon you to deliver the Quran will indeed return you to the place of return. Say, My Lord knows best who comes with guidance and who is in clear error
﴾86﴿ And you did not expect that the word (the Quran) would be given to you, but it was given to you by a mercy from your Lord. Therefore, do not be an assistant to the disbelievers
﴾87﴿ And they should not turn you away from the signs of Allah after they have been revealed to you, and call upon your Lord and do not be among the polytheists
﴾88﴿ And do not call upon another god with Allah. There is no deity except Him. Everything will perish except His face. His is the dominion and to Him you will be returned.

[85] In this verse, there are two conclusions (تفریعات): one based on verse 7 and the other on verse 37.
This is a direct address to the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace), meant to encourage and strengthen him in his mission of da‘wah (inviting to the truth).
From this verse onward, eight addresses to the Prophet begin.
"مَعَادٍ" – the intended meaning is Makkah al-Mukarramah, and this contains a prophecy: O Prophet, you will be driven out of this city, but you will return to it in victory.
Just as Musa (peace be upon him) was separated from his mother but then returned, and just as he left Egypt and later returned, similarly the Prophet will return to Makkah.
Alternatively, "معاد" may refer to Paradise.
"قُلْ رَبِّي" – is a response to the mockery of the disbelievers, who accused the Prophet (peace be upon him) of being in misguidance.
[86] In this verse as well, there are two conclusions (تفریعات):
The first is based on verse 7, and the second on verse 17.
In the first conclusion, there is an indication that prophethood is granted through the mercy of Allah, not something that can be earned or acquired by effort.
In the second, there is encouragement and support for the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace).
This also serves as evidence that offering any kind of support to the disbelievers is forbidden.
[87] This is encouragement (تشجیع) for the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace), as the disbelievers invite him to compromise and attempt to distract him from conveying the Qur’an through various forms of deception.
However, he is instructed not to accept their words.
In this verse, Allah mentions two prohibitions (نهی) and one command (امر) directed to the Prophet (peace be upon him):
1. Do not obey the disbelievers.
2. Do not follow their desires.
3. Recite (and remain firm upon) what has been revealed to you.
[88] This is also a supportive address to the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace), meant to encourage him to oppose the practices of the idolaters in worship.
In this verse are mentioned five statements of tawḥīd, each refuting a specific type of shirk (polytheism):
1. Refutation of shirk in supplication (شِرْك فِي الدُّعَاء)
2. Refutation of shirk in divinity (شِرْك فِي الأُلُوهِيَّة)
3. Refutation of shirk in attributes (شِرْك فِي الصِّفَات)
4. Refutation of shirk in rulership and law (شِرْك فِي الحُكْم)
5. Belief in resurrection after death, which implies tawḥīd in accountability (توحید فِي الحِسَاب)
"كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ" – The correct understanding of this verse has several interpretive angles:
On “كُلُّ شَيْءٍ” (Everything): There are three possible interpretations:
1. All existents, whether possible (mumkināt) or necessary (wājib)—in which case, the word "shay’" (thing) includes Allah (as in Surah Al-An‘am 6:19).
2. All possible beings, which is the more widely accepted meaning of "shay’".
3. It may refer to all actions (a‘māl).
On “هَالِكٌ” (perishing): There are also three interpretations:
1. Perishing, as in ceasing to exist, like in Surah Ar-Rahman (55:26).
2. Void by nature, meaning all things are dependent on Allah and have no independent existence.
3. Non-accepted, i.e., valueless unless done for Allah’s sake.
On “وَجْهَهُ” (His Face): Three possible meanings:
1. The Face of Allah—in the literal wording but without likening Him to creation; the reality of it is known only to Allah. This is the belief of the Salaf (early righteous scholars).
2. “His Face” refers to His essence (dhāt), using "face" to indicate the whole being, as in Arabic expressions where a part represents the whole.
3. Some scholars interpret it as deeds done for Allah’s sake, i.e., the actions that are directed toward His pleasure and acceptance.
--- Questions & Answers: First Question: Is the exception connected (متصل) or disconnected (منقطع)?
First Answer: The exception is connected, because:
The word "shay’" can rightly apply to Allah, as previously explained.
Or, if "everything" refers to actions, then "His Face" refers to sincere deeds done for Allah. In both cases, the exception is from within the category of the excluded—hence, it's connected.
Second Question: If "hālik" means perishing, does it imply that Paradise, Hell, and souls also perish?
First Answer: Even though "everything" is general (‘āmm), other texts have specifically excluded eight things from this rule. These have been mentioned by Imam Suyuti and other scholars.
And Suyuti composed the following lines of poetry listing them:
(You may share the poem if you'd like, and I can provide translation and explanation.)
ثَمَانِيَةٌ حُكْمُ الْبَقاءِ يَعُمُّهَا
مِنَ الْخَلْقِ وَالْبَاقُونَ فِيْ حَيِّزِ الْعَدَمْ
There are eight creations upon which the ruling of permanence applies,
From all creation, while the rest fall within the realm of nonexistence.
هِيَ الْعَرْشْ وَالْكْرْسِيُّ نَارٌ وَجَنَّةٌ
وَعَجْبٌ وَأرْوَاحٌ كَذَا الَّلوْحُ وَالْقَلَمُ
They are: the Throne (ʿArsh), the Footstool (Kursī), the Fire (Hellfire), and Paradise, The Tailbone (ʿAjb adh-dhanab), souls (arwāḥ), as well as the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawḥ) and the Pen (al-Qalam).
"عَجْب" means the tailbone, the lowest part of the spine.
Second answer to the earlier question: In "كُلُّ شَيْءٍ", the intended meaning is not absolute (ḥaqīqī) universality, but rather customary (‘urfī) universality—meaning, everything that has been created for eventual destruction.
Third question: If "وجه" (face) is mentioned, then what about other attributes of Allah like Yad (Hand), ʿAyn (Eye), Sāq (Shin), etc.? Does this imply that they are included in "كُلُّ شَيْءٍ" and therefore considered perishable—which is impossible?
First answer: Only "face" is mentioned, but it represents the entire essence (dhāt) of Allah, as previously explained. Therefore, Yad, ʿAyn, etc. are also included within the meaning of "وجه", and hence not part of the perishable category.
Second answer: The exclusion (ḥaṣr) here is not absolute, but relative (iḍāfī). The purpose of mentioning “وجه” is not to exclude Yad, ʿAyn, etc., but to exclude all perishable creations (mumkināt). So the verse doesn't aim to enumerate all divine attributes, but to emphasize that all creation perishes except Allah.
Thus, this sentence carries three possible meanings:
1. Every created thing is, by nature, dependent and perishable, except for the Face/Essence of Allah.
2. Everything created for destruction will perish, except the Face/Essence of Allah.
3. Every deed is void and wasted, except the deed done sincerely for the sake of Allah. This third meaning is favored by Imam Bukhari, though it is not preferred by many other commentators and scholars.
Note (تنبیه): Some Sufis have used the first meaning to argue in favor of "Wahdat al-Wujūd" (Unity of Existence) and have applied this label to it. However, this claim is false and corrupt, because the common interpretation of Wahdat al-Wujūd among the Sufis often leads to the concept of ḥulūl (indwelling of Allah in creation), which is kufr (disbelief).
If some Sufis interpret it to mean that true existence belongs only to Allah, and that the existence of all other beings is merely figurative or dependent, then while that understanding itself is correct, it is still impermissible to apply the term “Wahdat al-Wujūd” to it—because the term is misleading and associated with false doctrines.