And when Abraham said, ‘My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead’…[Sahl] was asked whether or not Abraham was in doubt concerning his faith, and was therefore asking his Lord to show him a sign or miracle in order to restore his faith. He replied:His question was not out of doubt; he was merely asking for an increase in certainty (ziyādat al-yaqīn) to the faith he already had. Thus he asked for an unveiling of the cover of visual beholding with his physical eyes, so that by the light of certainty, his own certainty regarding God’s omnipotence might be increased, and [his certainty] regarding His creative [power] mightth be consolidated. Do you not notice how when He asked [him], ‘Why, do you not believe?’ he replied ‘Yes.’ If he had been in doubt he would not have said ‘Yes’. Furthermore, if God was aware of any doubt in him and had he given Him the answer ‘Yes’, [attempting to] conceal his doubt, God would definitely have disclosed that, Exalted is He, as such things cannot be concealed from Him. Therefore, this confirms that the request for [his heart’s] reassurance (ṭumaʾnīna) signified a request for an increase in his certainty. Then it was asked, ‘Surely the people of the “Table Spread” sought profound peace of mind, through the sending down of the feast, and their [request] was out of doubt. So how does this correspond?’ He replied:Abraham made it known that he was a believer, and he only asked for profound peace of mind in addition to faith in order to receive greater [certainty]. The people of the Table Spread, on the other hand, made it known that they would believe only after they had found calm reassurance in their hearts. As He said: and that our hearts may be reassured, and that we may know that you have spoken to us truthfully [5:113]. Thus they made it known that their knowledge of his [Jesus’] truthfulness, after they had been reassured by witnessing the feast, was to be the starting point of their faith.Abū Bakr [al-Sijzī] said: I heard him say on another occasion:…But so that my heart may be reassured… [2:260] — that is, ‘I do not feel secure against one of Your enemies challenging me if I should say, My Lord is He who gives life and death [2:258], and then [one of them] should ask, “Did you see Him give life and death?” In this way my heart would be at ease in being able to answer “Yes” to him, once I had witnessed that.
made it known that he was a believer, and he only asked for profound peace of mind in addition to faith in order to receive greater [certainty]. The people of the Table Spread, on the other hand, made it known that they would believe only after they had found calm reassurance in their hearts. As He said: and that our hearts may be reassured, and that we may know that you have spoken to us truthfully [5:113]. Thus they made it known that their knowledge of his [Jesus’] truthfulness, after they had been reassured by witnessing the feast, was to be the starting point of their faith.Abū Bakr [al-Sijzī] said: I heard him say on another occasion:…But so that my heart may be reassured… [2:260] — that is, ‘I do not feel secure against one of Your enemies challenging me if I should say, My Lord is He who gives life and death [2:258], and then [one of them] should ask, “Did you see Him give life and death?” In this way my heart would be at ease in being able to answer “Yes” to him, once I had witnessed that.
