A286
Surah: 002 - Ayah: 286
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2:286
Wisdom 27: The Wise Qur'an is the Book of heavenly and Divine wisdom, in which the injunctions which are apparent are for all, the common as well as the chosen people, but the injunctions which are hidden in wisdom- filled allusions are only for the chosen, as God says: "On no soul does God place a burden greater than it can bear." (2:286). Thus, the Holy Qur'an indicates to the people of tarlqat and the people of haqiqat that they should experience spiritual death before the physical death and become enriched with the everlasting wealth of knowledge and recognition.
Here are some references to the verses in which spiritual death is alluded to: "Then you slay your (carnal) soul." (2:54)
(a) "Then We revived you after your (spiritual) death, so that you may be grateful." (2:56)
(b) "Indeed, God commands you to slaughter an ox." (2:67), that is, to sacrifice the carnal soul.
(c) "Then yearn for (practical) death, if you are the truthful." (2:94). That is, by spiritual death, you prove that you have entered the initial paradise.
The noble Qur’an does not impose a duty upon a person if he does not have the natural capacity to accomplish it (2:286). If this is a Qur’anic fact, let us see in the light of verse (73:20) how many hours some of the great companions of the Prophet, who used to get up for cibadat with him, used to sleep. When did they get up at night and for how long did they do dhikr-u `ibadat? The answer to this question is in the same Surah that, sometimes they used to spend two-thirds of the night in dhikr-u `ibadat, sometimes half of it and sometimes one third of it. This difference is related more and more to the season and less and less to their different conditions. Season in the sense that in the whole year, day and night increase and decrease constantly. Anyhow, according to the Qur’anic programme, the time of sleep is very limited
It is said in the Qur'an that: “God does not impose on any soul a duty but to the extent of its capacity” (2:286). Further, it is said: “And We have shown him the two paths [of good and bad]” (90:10). Furthermore, it is said: “Nay man sees himself [on every level]” (75:14). From these verses it is evident that man is not predetermined, rather he is free. For the capacity or the expansion indicates the domain of free will of [using] the faculties of the carnal soul and the intellect, and “imposing a duty (taklif)” implies God’s commandments and prohibitions. This means that the domain of choice or free will of each human being is according to the capacity of his intellect and knowledge, and the responsibility also becomes incumbent upon him accordingly. If both the paths of good and bad are before him, it also means that he has choice and free will, not predetermination and compulsion. Had there been the latter, there would have been fixed only one path as in the case of the angels and animals, who have been shown only one path. Further, if man is capable of seeing himself and he does do so practically, it shows that he knows well both the beginning and end of the good and bad, and choosing one of the two can put it into practice, which is called free will (ikhtiyar).
This verse has been referred 3 times.