Verses 1–21
Introduction
If we carefully examine this chapter, it seems highly likely that the beginning of the chapter consists of verses that were revealed during the final days of the Prophet’s stay in Mecca, on the eve of his emigration to Medina. This covers the first forty verses of the chapter, where God calls attention to a variety of celestial and terrestrial blessings that form the basis of human life and are beneficial to human beings in their worldly affairs. He has provided evidence of His unity in Lordship through the precise order and harmonious arrangement of these blessings.
In another section of these early verses, God argues against the falsehood of the beliefs of the idol worshipers and exposes the futility of their endeavours, stating that He will soon punish them just as He punished previous nations who were like them, and that He will soon settle their account on the Day of Resurrection through His justice.
God the Exalted begins these verses with the statement, Allah’s edict is coming! So do not seek to hasten it. Immaculate is He and exalted above having any partners that they ascribe to Him (), following this with verses containing arguments for His transcendence and glorification. From the arrangement of these arguments, we can understand that the primary aim of the verses at the beginning of the chapter is to warn the audience of the imminence of divine edict and tell them that it will befall them soon. Furthermore, they contain a threat to the idol worshipers who, in mockery, used to ask why the punishment the Prophet had warned about had not yet been sent down to them. This is akin to the verse, Yet excuse and forbear until Allah issues His edict (), in which He gives glad tidings to the believers that soon, the truth will soon prevail over falsehood, monotheism over polytheism, and faith over disbelief.
As for the remainder of the verses of the chapter, which consists of eighty-eight verses starting with, Those who migrate for the sake of Allah after they have been wronged (), and continuing to the end of the chapter, their connection and context suggest that they were revealed in the early years of the Prophet’s time in Medina, following the Emigration.
The beginning and the end of the surah appear to have been revealed at times that were very close to one another. This is due to the presence of verses whose contents only apply to certain incidents that occurred following the migration. For example, the verse that says, Those who migrate for the sake of Allah … () and the verse ‘ We certainly know that they say, ‘It is only a human that instructs him’ (), which was revealed regarding Salmān al-Fārsī, who embraced the faith in Medina, and the verse, Whoever renounces faith in Allah after affirming his faith—barring someone who is compelled …(), which was revealed concerning ʿAmmār, as will be discussed. Also, verses were revealed regarding the Jews and others concerning legal rulings—all of this suggests that these verses in question are Medinan.
However, there is an apparent difference in the time of revelation within some of them, such as Those who migrate for the sake of Allah … , and When We change a sign with another in its place—and Allah knows best what He sends down—they say, ‘You are just a fabricator’ (), which could extend to two or five verses, and Whoever renounces faith in Allah after affirming his faith… followed by several verses.
In all fairness, after considering all aspects, verses such as Those who migrate for the sake of Allah … and the verses that follow it, and Whoever renounces faith in Allah after affirming his faith …’, along with a few subsequent verses, and ‘ And if you retaliate, retaliate with the like of what you have been made to suffer () and the two verses that follow, are Medinan due to the contextual evidence that supports this. The rest seem more likely to be Meccan than Medinan. Although this may not conform to some of the traditional narrations, the context itself testifies to this, and it is more deserving to be followed. In the interpretation of verse 118 from Surah al-Anʿām, we discussed the possibility that it was revealed after Surah Al-Nahl, which is Meccan in origin. The main theme of the end of the chapter is to command patience and to promise a good reward for having patience in the way of God.
The purpose of this chapter is to announce the imminent decree of God, which refers to the triumph of the true religion over the disbelievers. God concludes that the sole deity worthy of worship is Him alone since the governance of the universe, like its creation, is solely contingent upon Him, and all blessings originate from Him—none of them are the product of any other than Him. Therefore, it is imperative to worship only the One True God.
The chapter also clarifies that since the true religion is from God, no other religion or law should be legislated or followed besides His. Further details regarding the divine religion are explained as well.
This is the objective pursued by most verses of this chapter, which they follow up with various statements. While expressing this purpose, there are verses that address the issue of migration and related matters.
Commentary
أَتَى أَمْرُ اللَّهِ فَلاَ تَسْتَعْجِلُوهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ١
(16:1) Allah’s edict is coming! So do not seek to hasten it. Immaculate is He and exalted above having any partners that they ascribe to Him.
From the context, it appears that this verse is addressed to the idol worshipers, as the subsequent verses are all engaged in argumentation against them. The flow of discussion continues until verse twenty-two, which states: Your God is the One God… (), which is likewise directed toward them. All of these verses serve as a logical corollary to the phrase under discussion, which states: Immaculate is He and exalted above having any partners that they ascribe to Him.
The implication of this arrangement is that the edict, whose coming is foretold at the beginning of the verse—Allah’s edict is coming!—is one that purifies the realm of God’s Lordship from the idolaters polytheism and eradicates it completely. Nowhere in God’s discourse are the believers described as being hasty in matters; instead, wherever the matter of the Hour, the Resurrection, the victory of Islam, or the descent of divine punishment is mentioned, it is the idolaters who are described as being impatient and hasty.
Some examples of this can be seen in the verse the verse: Say, ‘Tell me, should His punishment overtake you by night or day; so what part of it do the guilty seek to hasten?’ … They inquire of you, ‘Is it true?’ Say, ‘Yes! By my Lord, it is true, and you cannot thwart (), and other similar verses, all of which are addressed to the idol worshipers.
Therefore, the intended meaning of the edict whose coming is foretold in the verse is the very promise that God gave to His Messenger and to the believers who were with him. It is also the fulfillment of the warnings that were repeatedly given to the idol worshipers, where it was declared: Yet excuse and forbear until Allah issues His edict. Indeed Allah has power over all things (). Based on the context, pronoun ‘it’ in the phrase do not seek to hasten it (fa-lā tastaʿjilū-hu) appears to refer to this edict. It is also possible that the intended meaning of the phrase, Allah’s edict is coming!, is to signify its imminence, a usage that is common in conventional conversations. For example, to someone awaiting the arrival of a leader, and wishing to convey that his arrival is imminent, one might say: ‘Here comes the leader’, even though he has not yet arrived.
Additionally, note that the phrasing of the verse, Immaculate is He and exalted above having any partners that they ascribe to Him, shifts from addressing an absent audience to a present one (since previously it was said, So do not seek to hasten … whereas now it is stated, Immaculate is He and exalted above having any partners that they ascribe to Him.) This rhetorical turn indicates that those who worship idols are so contemptible that they are not worthy of a direct address, and their apparent hastiness for the punishment to come stems, in fact, from their polytheism and is a form of mockery and scorn toward the Prophets’ call.
From what has been discussed, it is evident that the argument posited by some commentators—that the verse addresses both believers and idol worshipers—is to be disregarded, as it is evident that this view is incongruent with the context of the verse.
Furthermore, God Almighty in another part of His discourse explicitly denies that the believers are those who hasten for it and states: Those who do not believe in it ask to hasten it, but those who have faith are apprehensive of it, and know that it is true (). This also refutes the claim made by some others that the ‘edict’ refers to the Day of Judgment, because although the idol worshipers did indeed hasten the punishment of the afterlife—as evidenced by the verse When will this promise be fulfilled, if you are truthful? ()—the context of the verse under discussion, as previously mentioned, indicates otherwise.
What is remarkable here is that some proponents of this theory have argued for it by referencing the declaration at the end of Surah al-Ḥijr: by your Lord, We will question them all (), saying that this shows the present verse is a reference to the Resurrection and the questioning of the idol worshipers. They also say that the beginning of this chapter—Allah’s edict is coming!—parallels the phrase at the end of Surah al-Ḥijr: and worship your Lord until certainty comes to you (). Considering that ‘certainty’ in this verse means death, it is very appropriate to interpret the chapter in question as referring to the Day of Judgment rather than worldly punishments. Among the evidence reinforcing this association is the usage of the term ‘comes to you’ in that chapter and ‘has come’ in this chapter, which are expressed with the same root in Arabic. However, such tortuous interpretations should not be heeded.
Similar to this reasoning is the argument by some other commentators who have posited that the ‘edict’ (amr) refers to the singular of commands (awāmir), meaning a legislative decree or law. They suggest that the phrase should be understood as ‘The command of God has come’, signifying that God’s decrees are detailed in this chapter, which includes oaths, pledges, and prohibitions—hence, they say that the statement, so do not seek to hasten it, is specifically directed to the believers. However, this argument is evidently flawed.
يُنَزِّلُ الْمَلائِكَةَ بِالْرُّوحِ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ عَلَى مَن يَشَاء مِنْ عِبَادِهِ أَنْ أَنذِرُواْ أَنَّهُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنَاْ فَاتَّقُونِ ٢
(16:2) He sends down the angels with the Spirit (rūh) of His command to whomever He wishes of His servants: ‘Warn the people that there is no god except Me; so be wary of Me.’
People, both in the past and present, despite their profound disagreements about the nature of the soul, unanimously understand a single meaning from the word ‘spirit,’ which is that which is the cause of life and vitality, certainly a life characterized by consciousness and will. And it is this meaning that is intended in the verse under discussion.
As for what the reality of the spirit is, it can be understood in general from the verses of the Qurʾan. For instance, from the verse on the day when the Spirit and the angels stand in an array () and from the verse, The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day whose span is fifty thousand years (), and from other verses, it is concluded that the spirit is an independent reality, an entity endowed with life, knowledge, and power, not one that is merely an attribute or state that exists in another entity, as some have mistakenly thought.
The Qurʾan, from another aspect, identifies the spirit as part of the Lord’s command, saying: ‘The Spirit is of the command of my Lord’ (), and then it defines the Lord’s command with verses like All His command, when He wills something, is to say to it ‘Be,’ and it is. So immaculate is He in whose hand is the dominion of all things () conveying that the command of God is that creative word which God uses to bring things into existence. In other words, the command of God is the very existence that He bestows upon things, but not existence in every aspect; rather, it is an existence that is contingent upon the Divine and is not mixed with matter, time, or space, as indicated by the verse ‘and Our command is but a single thing, like the twinkling of an eye (), pointing to this independence from matter, time, and space, as the quoted expression is used in a context where gradual process is not involved—that is, not material or subject to material motion. Esteemed reader, keep this summary in mind, until, God willing, a more detailed explanation will be presented in our exegesis of Surah al-Isrāʾ.
From the brief explanation given above, it becomes evident that the spirit is the word of life which God speaks into objects, bringing them to life according to His will. For this reason, it is referred to in the verse Thus have We revealed to you the Spirit of Our dispensation, as inspiration and the imparting of it to the messenger and prophet is called revelation. Therefore, the meaning of imparting God’s sublime word (the word of life) into the heart of God’s messenger is that the spirit is revealed to him. Keep this in mind.
He sends down the angels with the Spirit of His command (bi al-rūh min amri-hi)—whether we interpret the preposition bi as causative or as denoting companionship, the meaning remains essentially the same and there will not be much difference between the two readings. This becomes clear upon careful reflection, for the descent of the angels with the accompaniment of the spirit means the instillation of it into the heart of the prophet so that his heart, with the possession of that spirit, becomes prepared to receive divine knowledge. Similarly, the descent of the angels because of the spirit conveys more or less the same meaning, since the word of God, which is the word of life, influences the angels and brings them to life just as it does humans. The pronoun ‘He’ in the phrase He sends down refers back to God, and the sentence is an explanatory one that provides the rationale for the coda of the preceding verse: exalted above having any partners that they ascribe to Him.
The verse conveys that God Almighty is exalted and far above the notion of associating any partners with Him. His transcendence and uniqueness are the very reasons He dispatches angels, who are either accompanied by the spirit—akin to His divine command and part of His act of creation—or because of His command. These angels are sent to whomever He wills among His servants. Their mission is to deliver a clear message to humanity: there is no deity except God Himself. They also caution against the worship of any entities other than Him.
Commentators have interpreted this verse in diverse ways. Some have suggested that ‘the Spirit’ symbolizes the revelation or the Qur’an. They argue that the term ‘spirit’ is used because, akin to how the human spirit gives life to the body, the revelation or the Qur’an revitalizes the hearts of people. The same commentator further explains that the phrase ‘of His command’ (min amri-hi) should be understood as ‘by His command.’ This explanation is supported by the usage in another verse, ‘who guard him from Allah’s command,’ which implies ‘because of the command of God.’ This is because it is commonly acknowledged that no one can guard anyone ‘from’ the command of God.
As for the claim that the preposition ‘min’ (‘of’) in min amri-hi means ‘bi’ (‘by’), and the reference to the verse who guard him from Allah’s command, the response is the same as we have previously discussed in our commentary on this verse in Surah Raʿd. There we mentioned that the preposition ‘min’ retains its own meaning and does not mean ‘bi,’ as part of God’s command protects some creations from others. In the verse under discussion, the meaning of with the Spirit of His command is the spirit that is from the command of God—and besides, the genitive phrase min amri-hi (‘of His command’) is properly placed and not superfluous—just as it is in the verse, The Spirit is of the command of my Lord. This differs from the verse ‘who guard him from Allah’s command, and even if in that instance it means ‘by,’ we cannot say that in these two cases it also necessarily means ‘by.’
The view that the term ‘Spirit’ in this context refers to revelation, the Qur’an, or as some suggest, prophethood, holds some merit in terms of the resulting implications. Indeed, the sending down of angels with a spirit by God’s command does lead to revelation and prophethood. However, it is not accurate to inherently define revelation and prophethood as ‘spirit,’ or to interpret them as such based on a common lexical meaning. Nor is it appropriate to use a metaphor suggesting that the ‘spirit’ enlivens the heart in the same way the actual spirit gives life to the body. The reason for this is that we have consistently emphasized the importance of understanding Qur’anic terms by referring to their usage in other relevant Qur’anic contexts for interpretation. This approach is preferable to relying on general linguistic practices and their interpretation of word applications.
What we gather from other instances in the Qurʾan is that the ‘spirit’ is itself a creation among God’s creations, an entity with various levels and degrees. One level of it exists in animals and in non-believers among humans, and a higher level is found within believing individuals, as it is stated and strengthened them with a spirit from Him (). Another level of the spirit is that by which prophets and messengers are fortified, as mentioned: and supported him with the Holy Spirit (), and also: ‘Thus have We revealed to you the Spirit of Our dispensation (), the details of which, God willing, will be discussed later.
This is the understanding that is derived from the verses of the Qurʾan. As for the discussion on whether the application of the term ‘spirit’ to this idea is literal or figurative, and the intricacy of whether, if figurative, it is an explicit metaphor or an implicit one, or whether the phrase with the Spirit of His command is an example of simile intended to specify the likeness, which is indeed plausible based on my earlier explanation—as commentators have expressly stated in regards to the verse: and eat and drink until the white streak becomes manifest to you from the dark streak at the crack of dawn ()—that it is a simile meant to clarify the likeness within the context of speech. These are literary discussions with a technical aspect, but they do not contribute significantly to uncovering truths.
Others have said: The phrase ‘of His command’ is intended to explain the nature of ‘the Spirit’, which is meant to signify revelation, as previously discussed.
The issue with this reading, disregarding the problems we have already outlined above, is that this verse and the verse ‘The Spirit is of the command of my Lord’ in the Surah al-Isrāʾ, follow a similar path, and the apparently undeniable meaning of the verse in al-Isrāʾ is that the preposition ‘of’ (min) there signifies its origin. It means to convey that the Spirit is part of the divine command and one of its aspects. Similar in approach to this is the verse, The angels and the Spirit descend therein by the permission of their Lord for every command ().
Some others have said that the Spirit refers to Gabriel, and they substantiate their claim with the verse, brought down (nazala bi-hi) by the Trustworthy Spirit upon your heart (). They affirm that the Trustworthy Spirit undoubtedly refers to Gabriel, and the preposition bi in that verse signifies accompaniment. Furthermore, the term ‘angels’ in the present verse refers to the angels of revelation who are aides to Gabriel, and the term ‘amr’ refers to a command (rather than affair or a matter), implying that the Almighty sends down the angels of revelation, along with Gabriel, to deliver His commands to the prophets.
The issue with this interpretation lies in its similarity to the message of another verse, “He casts the Spirit of His command upon whomever of His servants that He wishes, that he may warn of the Day of Encounter” (). The apparent meaning of this verse doesn’t align with identifying the ‘Spirit’ as Gabriel. If ‘the Spirit’ were interpreted as Gabriel, the verse would imply that God sends Gabriel, by His command, to any of His servants He chooses, to warn them about the Day of Meeting. However, this interpretation seems implausible in this context. Consequently, if this meaning is unsuitable for this verse, it is equally unsuitable for the verse we are currently examining.
Among the various interpretations, one particularly problematic perspective posits that ‘the Spirit’ refers to human spirits. This viewpoint implies that no angel descends without also accompanying the spirit of a person. This interpretation, attributed to Mujāhid, is evidently flawed and lacks credibility.
And when it is stated: to whomever He wishes of His servants (), this implies that the sending of messengers and the descent of angels with a spirit from His command to them is solely dependent upon the divine will, and no force can overpower His will nor compel Him to this task or prevent Him from it, just as in all His other actions there is none who can coerce or forbid Him; rather, everything He does is by His will and decree.
Therefore, what we have said—that nothing and no one compels Him—does not contradict the fact that His actions are based on wisdom and expediency and are responsive to the varying capacities of individual human beings. They are not issued except in accordance with the preparedness and suitability of the recipient. Just as the pleas of a beggar attract the generosity and kindness of the passerby without compelling him to give anything, so too does the readiness of the human being draws nearer the effusion of God Almighty’s grace, while the unprepared person remains deprived. Thus, God Almighty does what He wills without being compelled or prevented from performing His actions, and at the same time, He performs no act and bestows no mercy except according to the capacity and suitability of the recipient.
And this meaning is conveyed by the verses of the Qurʾan concerning the grace of prophethood, as it says: And when a sign comes to them, they say, ‘We will not believe until we are given the like of what was given to Allah’s messengers.’ Allah knows best where to place His messengership! Soon the guilty will be visited by a degradation before Allah and a severe punishment because of the plots they used to devise (). For the verse clearly indicates that subjects vary in their acceptance of the honor of prophethood, and God is most knowledgeable about who deserves and is fit for prophethood. These scheming criminals do not possess the eligibility for prophethood and the performance of miracles; on the contrary, they are subjected to abasement and severe punishment before God because they are wrongdoers and deceitful.
This shows that just because the descent of angels upon prophets is dependent on God’s will, it does not follow that the selection and choosing of messengers is without regard for their individual merits and readiness to receive God’s grace.
On this basis the fallacy of the claim made by some commentators becomes apparent, as they have argued with this verse in question that, in the matter of prophethood, no preference or capability is a condition because the verse has made prophethood solely contingent on the will of God and has not attached any other stipulation to it. Therefore, a messenger attains his mission by the will of God alone, not because he is distinguished by qualities that make him capable and prepared to receive it or give him precedence over others, since God Almighty is not bound by anything (even the acquired merit of a messenger) in His actions. The fallacy of this statement becomes apparent from what we have already discussed
Similar to the above-mentioned case is the argument that the verse demonstrates that prophethood is a divine gift, rather than something acquired through a person’s effort. This is because, in the execution of His will, God does not differentiate between prophethood and non-prophethood, or gifted matters and acquired matters. Acquired affairs also materialize by the will of God, and nothing in the world comes into existence without His permission.
The phrase, ‘Warn (andhirū) the people that (anna-hu) there is no god except Me; so (fa) be wary of Me’ is an explanation for He sends down the angels with the Spirit, because this phrase either pertains to revelation or explains the nature of the Spirit—assuming that Spirit here means revelation—and indhār (‘warning’) implies informing someone of something that includes an element of fear, just as giving glad tidings means informing of something that includes an element of joy. Al-Rāghib has interpreted it in this manner, but other lexicographers have said that indhār means announcing danger. According to al-Rāghib’s explanation, the verse’s meaning would be: ‘Inform them, while instilling fear in them, of My oneness in divinity and make them aware of the necessity of being wary of Me.’ According to the explanation of the others, the verse’s meaning would be: ‘Declare to them that there is no god but Me…’; in this case, the word anna-hu serves as a second object to the verb ‘warn’ rather than being in a state of being affected by omission of a preposition as in the first interpretation.
From the above explanation, it is evident that the consequential preposition ‘fa’ (‘then’) in the phrase ‘so fear Me’ indicates that this phrase follows on from ‘there is no deity except Me’, and both phrases are in the position of a second object or as a substitute for the second object for ‘warn’ (the first object being ‘the people’) This meaning becomes even clearer when we consider that the essence of His divinity is that every being starts from Him and ends with Him, or that He is the only deity worthy of being worshiped. The necessary implication of His being the rightful deity is that creation should fear Him, since all goodness and happiness ultimately depend upon Him. Therefore, if we consider Him to be utterly alone in His divinity, without any partner, it follows that we should fear only Him. This is because taqwā (‘Godwariness’), which is defined as the rectification of one’s actions, is contingent upon the rectification of one’s beliefs and opinions. Belief in multiple deities and belief in their worship is inconsistent with the belief in a unique, peerless deity who sustains everything and holds dominion over all things.
Hence, we observe that no prophet was solely tasked with calling their people to monotheism without concern for their deeds, nor were they solely focused on reforming their actions without regard to their beliefs. The verses of the Qurʾan clearly states: ‘And We did not send any messenger before you but We revealed to him that there is no deity except Me, so worship Me’ ().
Therefore, what the prophets warned against involves deviation in both belief and in action. Indeed, their warning encompasses both aspects: the declaration of God’s oneness (‘there is no god except Me’) and the call to righteousness and fear of God (‘so be wary of Me’). The matters of belief are all included in the phrase ‘there is no deity except Me’, and practical issues are encompassed within the command to be wary of God.
Hence, we should not pay attention to those who claim that the phrase calling people to be wary of God is addressed only to those disbelievers who were hastening His punishment in the preceding verse, or that it is solely related to the disbelievers of Quraysh and has no relevance to the warnings of the Messenger of God.
خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ تَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ٣
(16:3) He created the heavens and the earth in truth. He is above having any partners that they ascribe to Him.
The meaning of the heavens and the earth being created ‘in truth’ implies that their creation was not for falsehood, and not even the slightest falsehood is to be associated with them. Thus, we see the aforementioned statement followed by a declaration of God’s transcendence above any partners they ascribe to Him, which they call upon for intercession in the hopes that these partners would guide them toward good and protect them from evil. Certainly, these associates are among the falsehoods that have no place in God’s dominion or in the creation of the heavens and the earth.
This verse and the following ones argue for God’s utter oneness in divinity through both His creation and providence. These two aspects differ because creation and the existence of cosmic signs point to God’s divinity, while the benefit that some creatures provide for others points to His lordship and governance. A being becomes a benefit to another only when there is some form of connection and attachment between the two, a connection that establishes a system between them—and a unified system is indicative of a unified governance. The unity of this governance signifies the unity of the Governor. Thus, the fact that all beings in the heavens and on earth are a benefit to humans is itself evidence that God Almighty alone is the Lord of humanity and the Lord of everything.
خَلَقَ الإِنسَانَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ مُّبِينٌ ٤
(16:4) He created man from a drop of seminal fluid, and, behold, he is an open contender (khaṣīm mubīn)!
The reference to the creation of mankind in this verse pertains to the general process of human generation which begins from seminal fluid. Therefore, the fact that Adam, the father of mankind, and Jesus son of Mary, were not created from sperm does not contradict this verse.
The purpose of mentioning that the creation of man is from an insignificant drop of fluid is to highlight the audacity and shamelessness of human beings in challenging God.
The word khaṣīm (‘contender’) is a participle derived from khuṣūma (‘dispute’) and signifies one who is argumentative. While this verse could be interpreted as highlighting the grace God has bestowed upon humans by transforming them from an abject drop of fluid into complete beings capable of communication and thought about all things great and small, many verses of the Qurʾan that deal with this subject are, in fact, aimed at highlighting human shamelessness in challenging God: Does not man see that We created him from a drop of seminal fluid, and, behold, he is an open contender? (). Therefore, it is more fitting to interpret this verse as aiming to expose the impudence and audacity of humans, chastising them for their shamelessness, particularly as this verse follows the one that sanctifies God from the idol worshipers’ association of partners with Him.
وَالأَنْعَامَ خَلَقَهَا لَكُمْ فِيهَا دِفْءٌ وَمَنَافِعُ وَمِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ ٥
(16:5) And the cattle (anʿām), He created them, in which there is warmth (difʾun) for you and other uses and some of them you eat.
The term anʿām is the plural of ‘ni’am,’ which refers to camels, cows, and sheep. These animals are called ‘anʿām’ because their skin and hair are soft, in contrast to ‘ḥāfir’ animals, whose skin is coarse. This is the explanation provided by al-Ṭabrisī in Majmaʿ al-Bayān. Al-Rāghib also states in al-Mufradāt that the word difʾun signifies the opposite of cold, meaning warmth. It appears that the intended meaning of warmth here is the heat that these animals provide through their skins and wool, protecting against the cold, or it could be a reference to the heat generated within the body.
The manāfiʿ mentioned are the other uses derived from these animals, such as their milk, meat, hides, and other advantages. The phrase ‘for you’ in the present verse could be linked to ‘He created,’ with the phrase ‘in which there is warmth and benefits’ qualifying the pronoun ‘them’ in ‘He has created them.’ It is also possible that ‘for you’ is the specification for the latter clause, meaning the phrase ‘in them, there is warmth’ and that the full meaning in that case would be ‘in the cattle there is warmth for you.’
وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا جَمَالٌ حِينَ تُرِيحُونَ وَحِينَ تَسْرَحُونَ ٦
(16:6) There is in them a beauty for you when you bring them home for rest (turīḥūn) and when you drive them forth to pasture (tasraḥūn).
This verse indicates that livestock offer an aesthetic appeal and pleasant aspect. In Majmaʿ al-Bayān, al-Ṭabrisī says that turīḥun (‘bring … home for rest’) derives from the term irāḥa, which means to return the herd or flock from grazing to their home at dusk for rest; hence, the place where animals rest is called a ‘marāḥ.’ Additionally, the term tasraḥūn (‘when you drive them forth to pasture’) comes from the root ‘saraḥa,’ referring to the release of animals from their pens to the grazing fields at dawn.
Here, God Almighty declares that in the livestock and quadrupeds, there are two moments of beauty and pleasant scenery: one when the animals are driven out toward the fields in the morning, and the other when they are brought back toward the dwelling in the evening.
وَتَحْمِلُ أَثْقَالَكُمْ إِلَى بَلَدٍ لَّمْ تَكُونُواْ بَالِغِيهِ إِلاَّ بِشِقِّ الأَنفُسِ إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَرَؤُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ ٧
(16:7) And they bear your burdens (athqāl) to towns which you could not reach except by straining yourselves. Indeed your Lord is most kind and merciful.
The term athqāl (‘burdens’) is the plural of thaql, which means ‘a heavy burden’. ‘straining yourselves’ refers to the hardship endured by people in transporting loads over long distances and across challenging paths.
The meaning here is that livestock, such as camels and oxen, transport the heavy loads of humans to a city that would be difficult to carry without them. Without camels and oxen, reaching that city would impose a degree of hardship on people that would be difficult for their souls to bear. Through the creation of camels and oxen and making them subject to humans, God has lifted this burden from humanity, showing that God is Kind and Merciful toward people.
وَالْخَيْلَ وَالْبِغَالَ وَالْحَمِيرَ لِتَرْكَبُوهَا وَزِينَةً وَيَخْلُقُ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ ٨
(16:8) And horses, mules and asses, for you to ride them, and for adornment, and He creates what you do not know.
This clause is connected to the term ‘cattle’ in the previous verse (), with the meaning: ‘And He created horses, mules, and donkeys for you to ride and to serve as an adornment’—horses, mules, and donkeys were also created for you to ride upon and to serve as ornaments for you. This latter statement suggests that the creation of these animals is linked to your benefits, as you ride on them and take them as a source of beauty and ornamentation.
…and He creates what you do not know—this means that God creates things of which you are unaware, and He has subjugated them to you so that you may benefit from them. The context of the verses serves as evidence for the explanations we have drawn from this verse.
وَعَلَى اللَّهِ قَصْدُ السَّبِيلِ وَمِنْهَا جَائِرٌ وَلَوْ شَاء لَهَدَاكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ٩
(16:9) With Allah rests guidance to the straight path (qaṣd al-sabīl), and some of them are devious (wa min-hā jāʾir), and had He wished He would have guided you all.
The term qaṣd, according to al-Rāghib and others, signifies the straightness of the path, meaning that the path should be direct in conveying its traveler to their goal. While qaṣd is technically a verbal noun, it is used here in the sense of an active participle, and its addition to the word sabīl (‘path;) denotes a qualitative relationship, implying that what is meant by the ‘direction of the path’ (a literal translation of qaṣd al-sabīl) is, in fact, ‘directing path’ (al-sabīl al-qāṣid) as opposed to the term ‘straying’ (jāʾir), which means for a path deviate from the proper goal and lead the traveler away from their intended destination.
The intended meaning behind the statement, With Allah rests guidance to the straight path, is that God has a self-imposed obligation to delineate a direct and straight path for His servants, one that leads them to happiness and success. Since there is no ruler other than God who can impose this obligation upon Him, He has made it incumbent upon Himself to establish a way for His servants and guide them toward Him, and He has indeed done so.
Establishing the path in this way means equipping every being, including humans, with the necessary faculties which, if employed correctly, will lead them to their intended perfection and desired happiness, as the verses of the Qurʾan states: ‘He said, ‘Our Lord is He who gave everything its creation and then guided it’ (). And concerning humans specifically, it states: So set your heart on the religion as a people of pure faith, the origination of Allah according to which He originated mankind. There is no altering Allah’s creation; that is the upright religion, but most people do not know ().
Guidance, then, consists of the inspirations bestowed upon humans from two sources: one is their innate nature (fiṭra), and the other is through the sending of messengers (baʿth al-rusul), the revelation of scriptures, and the establishment of laws. The Qurʾan says concerning the first source: by the soul and Him who fashioned it, and inspired it with its virtues and vices () and regarding the second source, it says: Indeed We have guided him to the way, be he grateful or ungrateful ().
In the context of guidance, God Almighty has strategically positioned this verse amidst other verses that enumerate the blessings humankind receives from the heavens and earth, including cattle, horses, mules, donkeys, rain descending from the sky, crops, and the like. This placement is intentional because the discussions in two verses culminate in the themes of journeying and riding beasts of burden. Thus, it is fitting to allude to the spiritual paths that lead humanity to their ultimate truth and the perfection they seek in the course of life.
Hence, what God says in this verse is: ‘One of the bounties that God has graciously bestowed upon His servants is that He has made it incumbent upon Himself to demonstrate the middle path to them so that they may attain the bliss of their lives and be guided to their Lord.’
Notice that, in this verse, God has attributed the straight path (qaṣd al-sabīl) to Himself but has not associated the deviant path with Him. This is because deviation (jāʾir) represents the path of misguidance, which is not established by God but rather represents a departure from the straight path of guidance that He has laid out for human beings. Therefore, the deviant path, in essence, is not an actual path so much as straying from it.
Therefore, the verse clearly attributes the straight path to God while not associating the latter path with Him. Since the straight path—attributed to God—leads one to God, we understand that the deviant path, not attributed to Him, does not lead to God. It is, in fact, a deviation from the path.
There might arise a misconception that by establishing such a path, God has paradoxically allowed Himself to be defied by His creation and rendered His own blessings unappreciated by humans, as we observe that most people do not tread this path and have not found guidance through it. Had He not established such a path, His servants would not have rebelled. Hence, it seems as though God has been overpowered in His own scheme by His servants. To counter such an assumption, an additional clause is added: … and had He wished He would have guided you all. This means that if the majority do not follow God’s path, it is not due to any deficiency on the part of the Divine or any dominance over Him. It is rather because God has chosen not to impose guidance upon them, for if He had so willed, He could have guided everyone such that none would have had the ability to deviate from the right path, as God is, in every situation, the Supreme and the Dominant.
In other words, the deliberate path that God has established is one built upon human freewill, where individuals navigate their way through life of their own volition, performing righteous deeds and avoiding sins by choice. Such a path cannot be based on compulsion, nor can it be universal, because the temperaments of individuals vary, and their constitutive make-up differs from one person to another. Consequently, the effects of these varied natures and compositions are also different, leading to differences among people in faith and disbelief, piety, and debauchery, obedience and sin.
This verse is one of those that sparked an intense debate between two groups within the Muslim community—the Ashʿarī and the Muʿtazilī schools of thought. The Muʿtazilī theologians have used this verse to argue that some matters can be attributed to God and others cannot, because the verse attributes the path of righteousness to God, but not the path of injustice. This argument is mentioned by al-Zamakhsharī in his Tafsīr al-Kashshāf.
In response, the Ashʿarī theologians have spared no effort to refute this reading of the present verse. One scholar has stated that both paths originate from God, and if the path of injustice is not attributed to Him, it is merely out of respect for God. Another has said that the phrase With Allah rests guidance to the straight path means that God’s grace and generosity lead Him to extend the path of truth and not to expound the path of falsehood and deviance, though, in principle, both paths originate with none other than God Almighty. Yet another scholar has denied that the change in style within the verse indicates anything at all.
However the truth, as we have already explained, is that the path of error is, in reality, not a path at all, but a non-existent matter. Therefore, the Muʿtazilī and Ashʿarī debates over the permissibility of attributing the creation of it to God are moot. This is because the verse clearly indicates that the path of righteousness is attributed to God, and the path of injustice is not, but this does not necessarily imply that the path of injustice is the creation of some other being. As we have said, the path of injustice and the way of deviance is, in reality, not a path at all; rather, if we look closely, it is a non-existent matter, and a non-entity cannot be created (indeed, it does not need to be created, as it does not exist), so there is no point in debating who has established this misguidance and deviation. And if in some instances misguidance by the misled is attributed to God, it merely signifies a lack of His leading them to the right path, not his directing them to some alternate path.
In the present passage, the matter under discussion is the divine decree of misguidance and guidance, which has also been addressed in the verses: Indeed Allah leads astray whomever He wishes, and guides whomever He wishes () and Thereby He leads many astray, and thereby He guides many (). In response to the question of why some are guided while others are led astray, it is articulated that the act of leading astray is a form of retribution for the deeds that merit misguidance, rather than a foregone decree that they should be misguided. This interpretation is reinforced by the phrase and He leads no one astray thereby except the transgressors (), which shows that when a person engages in evil deeds and chooses of their own freewill to stray from the path of servitude to God by disobeying God and not repenting for his misdeeds, this marks the beginning of a self-initiated course of misguidance. It originates from the individual and is attributable to them. Should the person not turn back from such a path, God enforces this state of misguidance as a form of punishment, merely affirming the path of error that they had already set themselves upon through their choices in life.
The reason we argue that misguidance begins with the individual is because God has provided guidance through the innate nature of human beings and through the messages of prophets, teaching humanity the right path. Therefore, if someone loses their way despite this, it can only be by their own doing.
هُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاء مَاء لَّكُم مِّنْهُ شَرَابٌ وَمِنْهُ شَجَرٌ فِيهِ تُسِيمُونَ ١٠
(16:10) It is He who sends down water from the sky: from it (min-hu) you get your drink and from it (min-hu) are sustained the plants (shajar) wherein you pasture your herds (tusīmūn).
This verse shifts to discussion about another form of God’s blessings, referring to the vegetation which sustains both humans and animals. It enumerates factors involved in their growth, such as the darkness of night, the light of day, the sun, and the moon, and other things. This change from the previous sequence is signified by the fact that God says It is He who sends down water from the sky …, whereas if it were following directly the previous sequence, it should have stated simply ‘… and sends down water from the sky.’
The verb tusīmūn derives from the root isāma, which means to graze one’s livestock. An animal that grazes by itself without the need for provided fodder is called a sā’ima.
In this verse, the prepositional phrase ‘from it’ (min-hu) appears twice: initially to denote distinction, and subsequently to indicate origin or source. The term shajar refers to all plants which have a stem and leaves, and then by extension, is used to encompass all plants—both with and without a stem—as it is employed in this verse, stating: are sustained the plants (shajar) wherein you pasture your herds. The remainder of the verse’s meaning is clear.
يُنبِتُ لَكُم بِهِ الزَّرْعَ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالنَّخِيلَ وَالأَعْنَابَ وَمِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ١١
(16:11) With it He makes the crops grow for you and olives (zaytūn), date palms (nakhīl), vines, and fruits of all kinds (min kulli al-thamarāt). There is indeed a sign in that for a people who reflect.
The term zaytūn (‘olives’) can be used to refer to both the tree and its fruit. Some have said that the term zaytūn is a collective noun, and its singular form is zaytuna. Similarly, the term nakhīl (‘date palms’) is used in both singular and plural forms, with its singular being nakhīla. The term aʿnāb is the plural of ʿinaba, which means grapes or the fruit of the vine. This term also applies to both the vine and its fruit.
The context indicates that the phrase min kulli al-thamarāt (‘and fruits of all kinds’) means: ‘He causes to grow for you the trees of all the fruits’. The specific mention of these three fruits, while referring to all others generally, might be due to the fact that these three fruits were the ones most commonly used as food. Given that this universal and comprehensive plan—which includes both humans and animals benefiting from these fruits and plants—is a testament to the uniqueness of God in providence, the noble verse concludes by saying: There is indeed a sign in that for a people who reflect.
وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومُ مُسَخَّرَاتٌ بِأَمْرِهِ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ ١٢
(16:12) He disposed the night and the day for you, and the sun, the moon and the stars are disposed by His command. There are indeed signs in that for a people who apply reason.
Throughout this book, we have extensively explored the concepts surrounding the regulation of night and day, as well as celestial entities like the sun and moon. Each of these elements—be it individually like the sun, moon, and stars, or collectively like the phenomena of night and day—exhibits unique properties and produces specific effects. These attributes and effects individually testify to God’s uniqueness in Lordship. Consequently, in the verse under scrutiny, God intentionally concludes with the phrase, “there are indeed signs in that for a people who apply reason,” using the plural form ‘signs.’ This is in contrast to the neighboring verses, where the singular form is employed, highlighting the multitude and diversity of these evidences.
وَمَا ذَرَأَ لَكُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ مُخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَانُهُ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَذَّكَّرُونَ١٣
(16:13) And whatever He has created (dharaʾa) for you in the earth of diverse hues (mukhtalifan alwānu-hu)—there is indeed a sign in that for a people who take admonition
The verb dharaʾa is synonymous with khalaqa, and mukhtalif alwānu-hu denotes the variation in the colors of minerals and other elemental compounds that have been created from the earth and from which humans benefit. It is not far-fetched to suggest that the variation in colors may be a metaphor for variation in types, and in that sense, the discussed verse is closely related in meaning to the verse: In the earth are neighboring terrains and vineyards, farms, and date palms growing from the same root and from diverse roots, irrigated by the same water, and We give some of them an advantage over others in flavor. There are indeed signs in that for a people who apply reason (), about which we have made a similar argument.
The diversity of colors in what He has created on Earth—such as plants, trees, and fruits—is something through which one can reason about the unity and uniqueness of God in His lordship. Since it is a singular matter, it is therefore said: ‘a sign’ (āya, singular), and not ‘signs’ (ayāt, plural).
There are three types of argument presented here, the first is attributed to people who reflect (alladhīna yatafakkarūn), the second to people who apply reason (alladhīna yaʿqilūn), and the third to people who take admonition (alladhīna yatadhakkarūn). The reason for this is that the first argument is composed of simple premises, where mere reflection is sufficient to draw conclusions. However, the second is made up of scientific premises, which can only be understood by scholars who are knowledgeable about the celestial bodies and the secrets of the Earth. Only someone who knows the movements and transitions of celestial bodies and the effects of these movements can draw conclusions from this evidence. The third is composed of general and philosophical premises, from which only those who are mindful of universal principles can deduce and thereby affirm the unity of God in His lordship. For example, they understand that a world which is constantly changing necessarily requires a cause, and they know that all materials ultimately reduce to one common and similar substance, and they recognize that all differences in materials must lead back to something beyond material, which exists beyond this substance.
وَهُوَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ الْبَحْرَ لِتَأْكُلُواْ مِنْهُ لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا وَتَسْتَخْرِجُواْ مِنْهُ حِلْيَةً تَلْبَسُونَهَا وَتَرَى الْفُلْكَ مَوَاخِرَ فِيهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُواْ مِن فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ١٤
(16:14) It is He who disposed the sea for your benefit that you may eat from it fresh (tariyyan) meat, and obtain from it ornaments, which you wear—and you see the ships plowing through it (mawākhir fī-hā)—and that you may seek of His grace, and that you may give thanks.
This verse enumerates yet another category of God’s blessings, which includes the seas, mountains, cities, roads, and signs, just as in the previous section, which counted the blessings of the deserts, plains, trees, fruits, and the like. Thus, it is said: It is He who disposed… and not ‘and disposed…’
The word ṭarīyyan (‘fresh’), on the pattern of fa’īl, derives from the root of ṭarāwa (‘freshness’), which, according to al-Rāghib’s Mufradāt, means moist and fresh in any context.
The latter term mawākhir is the broken plural of mākhira, which is derived from makhr, which means ‘to cleave water apart’, as in ‘the ship cleaved the water,’ meaning the ship split the water apart, left and right. For this reason, a ship is sometimes referred to as ‘mākhira.’ In Majmaʿ al-Bayān, al-Ṭabrisī mentions that the verb makhara can also be used in the sense of to split the earth for agriculture. The intent behind eating fresh meat from the sea refers to consuming fish that is caught from it, and the extraction of ornaments for adornment refers to pearls and corals that are retrieved from the sea and with which women beautify themselves.
… and you see the ships plowing through it—This means you observe the ships splitting the sea waters to their left and right. It is plausible that when it is said ‘you see,’ it is not addressing anyone specific, but rather is a general address meant for any observer, anyone who possesses the ability to perceive this scene. Hence, this is not an address to the Prophet Muḥammad, so it cannot be claimed that there is a transition from plural to singular in the verse.
… and that you may seek of His grace, and that you may give thanks—This implies that you might seek some of God’s provision through sea voyages and the launching of ships. This clause is connected to a preceding implied sentence, which can be reconstructed as follows: ‘And you see the ships plowing through it so that you may achieve such and such and that you might seek...’. The use of such styles of connection in the Qurʾan is very common.
… and that you may give thanks—This means another result of the subjugation of the sea and the launching of ships is that you may be grateful. The bounties of the sea are an additional grace from God Almighty, given that God has already provided enough blessings on land such that humanity does not need the sea’s resources. Nevertheless, God bestowed these additional blessings and subjected the seas to humanity, so they might be grateful. This is because humans tend to be less aware of God’s blessings in their everyday necessities and it is often forgotten that these life necessities are indeed blessings from God. If He so willed, He could withdraw them at any moment. This is unlike the excess bounties, such as those of the sea, which make humans more aware of God’s grace when they encounter them.
وَأَلْقَى فِي الأَرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ وَأَنْهَارًا وَسُبُلاً لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ١٥
(16:15) He cast in the earth firm mountains lest it should shake with you (an tamīda bi-kum), and made streams and ways, so that you may be guided
In Majmaʿ al-bayān, al-Ṭabrisī writes: ‘The verb tamīda comes from mayda, meaning to rock to the left and right in a disturbed state.’
The meaning of the phrase, lest it should shake with you, is that: ‘If God has placed mountains upon the earth to prevent it from swaying you to and fro, it is to avoid the disruption of your lives by such instability of the earth.’
And made streams—meaning, He has made rivers flow so that you may easily bring water to your agriculture and orchards, and quench your domestic animals.
… and ways so that you may be guided—This phrase is a continuation from the previous mention of rivers, meaning that God has established ways toward the goal of guidance that is expected of you. These paths are sometimes natural, like the routes between two lands which connect them without any barrier interrupting, like a plain situated between two mountains; and others are man-made, such as a path which forms naturally due to frequent travel, or roads that humans construct intentionally.
From the context, it appears that the term ‘ways’ includes all types of way, encompassing both natural and man-made paths, and there is no problem with attributing those ways made by humans to God. This is because we see in these verses that rivers and landmarks are also attributed to God, even though it is often humans who construct rivers and signs. Just as we see idols carved by human hands attributed to God, calling them God’s creation, as it is said: when Allah has created you and whatever you make ().
The reason for this is that all these things, whatever they may be, are the effects of God’s creation, and it is God who has created them and made them able to produce such effects. Of course, the creation in the aforementioned examples is a mediated one, meaning God has created these things, but through the mediation of human hands.
وَعَلامَاتٍ وَبِالنَّجْمِ هُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ ١٦
(16:16) —and the landmarks (ʿalāmāt) as well, and by the stars they are guided.
The term ʿalāmāt (‘landmarks’) is the plural of ʿalāma, which refers to something that makes something known. This term is connected to the term ‘rivers’ in the previous verse, meaning that God has placed marks by which you may infer things that are beyond your direct sensory perception. These marks include all natural and conventional signs, each indicating a particular meaning, such as indicators, words, gestures, lines, and the like, which signify something either naturally or by convention.
The Sublime God then mentions finding one’s way by the stars, saying: ‘And by the stars, they are guided.’ Although the discourse could have continued to be in the second person, a third person verb is used here to avoid repeating the phrase ‘you .. guided’ from the previous verse.
The preceding verse, With Allah rests guidance to the straight path, and some of them are devious, and had He wished He would have guided you all (), addresses the question of spiritual guidance amidst a series of verses about physical and manifest blessings, taking on the form of an interjected sentence. It would seem fitting to place this after the verse, And by the stars, they are guided …, which is related to physical guidance, as it is appropriate to discuss spiritual guidance after physical guidance. However, to avoid confusion and any suggestion of there being a contradiction between these two kinds of guidance, it is placed here, and even though it takes the form of an interjection, it is, nonetheless, appropriately positioned.
From the above discourse, the Qurʾan now turns to expound the three pillars of divinity and lordship, namely, that God alone is the Creator, the Bestower of blessings, and the Knower of the inner and outer aspects of human beings.
أَفَمَن يَخْلُقُ كَمَن لاَّ يَخْلُقُ أَفَلا تَذَكَّرُونَ ١٧
(16:17) Is He who creates like one who does not create? Will you not then take admonition?
The next verses summarize the details of the argument presented above in order to draw a conclusion from them. The previous sixteen verses established a detailed argument for the oneness and totality of God’s Lordship, of which this verse is a summary. It states: God Almighty is the creator of all things. Thus, He is the one who has bestowed countless blessings, without which the order of the universe which cannot possibly be maintained, and is the One who knows everything about humankind’s outward and inward aspects. Therefore, He is the sole Master of everything, the sole Governor of all affairs, and He is the Sustainer of all. None of these false deities that the idol worshipers have created possess any of these attributes. Hence, none of them have lordship, and the only deity in existence is one, and no other, and that is the Noble God.
From this point, the misconception mentioned by some commentators becomes evident, when they assert that these verses establish the concept of monotheism through two approaches: the path of creation and the path of blessings. The flaw in this explanation is that the path of creation only affirms the oneness of the Creator and Maker, which even the idolaters accept. There is no need to prove the oneness of the Maker in discussions with them, because they neither deny the existence of God nor the fact that God is the creator of everything, including their idols. They acknowledge that their idols create nothing; rather, they attribute a share in divine providence to them on the basis that they claimed God had delegated the management of the world and the role of intercession to these idols. Against such people, what is the benefit of proving the existence of the Maker?
Therefore, the intent of these verses is not to establish the existence of the Maker. And if blessings are mentioned, it is to reaffirm the existence of these blessings, because when one accepts that God is the creator of everything, it follows that the effects of His creations, which are the blessings we enjoy, also come from God. He is the one who has provided us with all these blessings. Since the existence of these blessings is from Him and under His dominion, and since His ownership is neither voided nor transferred to another nor subject to change, He and He alone is our true benefactor. No other being has a share in being the benefactor, not even the blessings themselves, for their beneficial nature does not originate from themselves; they will not be considered our benefactors because both they and their effects are rightfully the property of God alone.
For this reason, God Almighty does not limit Himself to the matters of creation and blessing alone in these verse. After all, if these two elements alone were enough to persuade humans to humble themselves and worship the Creator and the Provider of blessings, then people would have felt the need to worship the clouds that send rain. Instead, He also included the matter of providence and added the verse, Allah knows whatever you hide and whatever you disclose, to teach us that the creator and benefactor worthy of worship must also be all-knowing. Thus, He guides each of His creations toward their intended perfection, showing them the path to the prosperity that He has destined for them. It is evident that worship is only true worship when the deity is aware of its worshiper’s devotion, witnessing their submission and humility.
Hence, both sets of verses—the ones concerning creation and those concerning blessings—are collectively a single argument presented to affirm God’s oneness and sole lordship over the universe, to make idol worshipers and idolaters who deny this truth desist from their denial.
Thus, when the Qurʾan says: Is He who creates like one who does not create? Will you not then take admonition?, it is comparing the attributes of God with those of others to make it clear that no being other than Him can ever hope to be a deity, and God’s attributes are not equal to those of beings beside Him. The question posed here is a rhetorical with the force of a denial, and those who do not create, referred to here, are the false deities they worshiped and invoked besides God.
As elucidated in the preceding discussion, the essence of this concept is that God Almighty is the creator and sustainer of all beings. Consequently, His status is incomparable to any entity that does not create. God not only initiates the existence of beings but also owns them and governs their effects. These effects are pivotal, influencing both the intrinsic order of the beings themselves and the broader cosmic order.
وَإِن تَعُدُّواْ نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لاَ تُحْصُوهَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ١٨
(16:18) If you enumerate Allah’s blessings, you will not be able to count them. Indeed Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.
The verse draws attention to the vastness and multitude of God’s blessings, underscoring that they are innumerable for a person. In essence, every being in existence constitutes a blessing within the grand scheme of the cosmos, although some beings might not be perceived as blessings in relation to others.
God Almighty explains this abundance of blessings from Him by stating: Indeed Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful (). This is among the subtlest and most precise of rationalizations, for with this expression it is understood that the innumerability of blessings springs from the blessings of His two attributes of forgiveness and mercy. With His forgiveness or maghfira—which means to conceal—He covers the shortcomings and deficiencies of things, and with His mercy or raḥma, which refers to the completion of what is lacking and the removal of need from another, He manifests the goodness and perfection of each thing and adorns it with the ornament of His beauty. Therefore, His forgiveness and mercy extend to all existent beings, for anything that becomes good and beneficial for something else, consequently, counts as a blessing toward it. Hence, some things are blessings relative to others. Ultimately, the blessing of God has the same expansiveness and universality as His forgiveness and mercy. It is for this reason that He states: If you enumerate Allah’s blessings, you will not be able to count them.
This verse is among those where God’s forgiveness is invoked without any mention of sin, which in the common religious parlance is defined as an act of disobedience to the commands of the Lord.
وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُسِرُّونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ ١٩
(16:19) Allah knows whatever you hide and whatever you disclose.
The Qur’an next addresses the third pillar of God’s Lordship: knowledge. The attribute of knowledge is essential for a deity; without it, the distinction between worship and disregard by the servants becomes irrelevant, rendering their devotion meaningless and without consequence. Therefore, it is imperative for the worshiped Lord to be all-knowing, specifically aware of both the visible and the invisible aspects of His servants. The authenticity of worship hinges on the intent behind it, and an act qualifies as true worship only if it stems from a sincere intention, which resides within the inner consciousness of the servant. The genuine fulfillment of worship’s purpose is acknowledged only when the Lord fully grasps both the external actions and the internal intentions of the servant. And God, who is exalted and glorified, perfectly perceives what is concealed and what is disclosed by man, just as He is the Creator and Provider. It is these roles of creation and provision that make Him rightfully worthy of worship.
The choice of wording in this verse, specifically highlighting God’s awareness of what is concealed and what is revealed, sheds light on the profound nature of His knowledge. While it could have been phrased as ‘God is the knower of the unseen and the seen,’ or ‘God is knowledgeable of all things,’ the verse deliberately states: Allah knows whatever you hide and whatever you disclose.
This specific mention of God’s cognizance of hidden thoughts and visible actions pertains directly to the context of human worship. Worship involves not just the physical actions and utterances but also the innermost thoughts and feelings of the worshiper. In this realm of devotion, where both the external practices and the internal sincerity are integral, it is crucial that the deity comprehends every aspect—both the visible actions and the hidden intentions. This comprehensive knowledge is what allows the true essence and worth of the worship to be fully recognized and valued.
وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ لاَ يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْئًا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ ٢٠
(16:20) Those whom they invoke besides Allah do not create anything and are themselves created.
This points to the absence of the first pillar of lordship in the idols and false gods of the polytheists. Since they lack the first pillar of lordship—the creation of things—they inherently lack the second pillar as well—the bestowal of blessings—which is derived from the first, as this too is a creative act.
For this reason, the deities of the polytheists are not gods or lords; rather, it is the only God Almighty who is the true Lord.
أَمْوَاتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَاء وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ ٢١
(16:21) They are dead, not living, and are not aware when they will be resurrected.
This highlights the absence of the third pillar of lordship in the idols of the polytheists, which is knowledge of the hidden and the manifest aspects of their devotees. In this denial, there is an emphasis to the extent of negating life and existence itself, which implies the absence of any knowledge whatsoever, to say nothing of the most perfect form of it, which is the knowledge of the outward and inward nature of humans, and which is what God Almighty possesses. The Qurʾan states: They are dead, not living, first affirming their death, which never aligns with consciousness or awareness, then emphasizing that state of death by negating life from them.
If, among all aspects of the idols’ ignorance, the particular knowledge of when people will be resurrected is mentioned, it is relevant because the Day of Resurrection is when humans are rewarded, and it is incumbent upon a god who is worthy of worship to know the day when he will reward his servants. However, these idols are unaware of such a day, so how then can they be considered remotely worthy of worship?
From this, it becomes evident that the first pronoun, that is, the plural ‘they’ in they … are not aware, refers to the idols, wile the second pronoun, that is, the plural ‘they’ when they will be resurrected, refers to the polytheists. It is incorrect to interpret both pronouns as referring to the idols, as the knowledge of the Day of Resurrection is exclusive to the Most High God and hidden from others, and ignorance of it is not exclusive to the idols. More erroneous is the claim by those who have said that both pronouns refer to the polytheists. So reflect on this.
While at first glance the verses under discussion seem to negate the divinity of the idols, a closer examination reveals that the same argument is also applicable to negating the divinity of the spirits that these idols are supposed to represent, namely the angels, jinn, holy men and women, celestial bodies, and any other deities that the pagans worship. This is because none of them are creators, benefactors, or intrinsically knowledgeable in of themselves. If they possess any of these qualities whatsoever, they do so through the Divine rather than themselves, as it is only the Lord is the one who inherently and independently holds these attributes. So reflect on this.
In these two verses—namely Those whom they invoke besides Allah do not create anything and are themselves created. They are dead, not living, and are not aware when they will be resurrected—there is a rhetorical shift from speaking directly to the audience to speaking in the third person, and it is perhaps intended to highlight that in both instances, the topics of the Resurrection and the Day of Judgment, both of which the polytheists deny, are discussed. Thus, the address turns to the Prophet of God to convey the message to them indirectly, so that it is introduced without providing an opportunity for them to object directly.
The statement ‘Your God is One God’ (in the following verse, ) is a logical conclusion derived from the arguments laid out in the previous verses. It indicates that once it is established that only God Almighty meets the conditions of divinity and only His worship is worthwhile, while the deities the polytheists claim do not (and, indeed, cannot) meet these conditions—they are neither creators, benefactors, nor inherently knowledgeable—it logically follows that the one worthy of worship is indeed the Singular Deity. The implication of this statement is that such a deity must be exclusively identified with God Almighty.
Examining Narrations
- In Majmaʿ al-bayān, al-Ṭabrisī writes that forty verses from the beginning of this chapter are Meccan and the remainder, from Those who migrate for the sake of Allah after they have been wronged, We will surely settle them in a good place in the world … () to the end of the chapter, are Medinan, as reported by Ḥasan and Qatāda. Some have said, with the exception of the last three verses, which pertain to the time when the Prophet returned from the Battle of Uḥud and begin with And if you retaliate, retaliate with the like of what you have been made to suffer …, the rest are Meccan, and those three verses were revealed between Mecca and Medina (as reported by Ibn ʿAbbās, ʿAtāʾ, and al-Shaʿbī). In one tradition transmitted from Ibn ʿAbbās, it is stated that some verses are Meccan and others are Medinan; the Meccan verses run from the beginning of the chapter to the phrase … and there be a great punishment for you (), while the Medinan ones start from Do not sell Allah’s covenant for a paltry gain … () to … the best of what they used to do ().
Author’s comment: We have previously stated that what is derived from the context and style of the verses contradicts all of these narrations.
- In Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, Hishām b. Sālim narrates from ‘one of our companions’ that he asked Imām al-Ṣādiq about the meaning of the verse: Allah’s edict is coming! So do not seek to hasten it (). He replied: ‘When God informs His Prophet of a matter that is going to happen, Allah’s edict is coming! So do not seek to hasten it until its appointed time arrives. When God informs us of something that is going to happen, it is as if it has already occurred.’
Author’s comment: It appears that the use of the past tense ‘it is as if it has already occurred’ is to indicate the certainty of the event’s occurrence and its inevitability.
- In al-Durr al-manthūr, al-Suyūṭī cites Ibn Mardawayh, who narrates from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said that when the verse, ‘Allah’s edict is coming!, was revealed, the Companions of the Prophet became anxious until the phrase So do not seek to hasten it was revealed, which calmed them down.
- In the same source, al-Suyūṭī cites Ibn Jarīr and Ibn Mundhir from Ibn Jurayj, who said: ‘When the verse, Allah’s edict is coming! So do not seek to hasten it, was revealed, some of the hypocrites said to one another: “This man thinks that the edict of God has come, so stop some of the things you do until we see what this edict is!” And when they saw that nothing was sent down and no punishment came, they said: “Be assured that there will never be any punishment!” Then the verse, Mankind’s reckoning has drawn near to them, yet they are disregardful … () was revealed. They said: “This man has reverted to his former belief, and when they saw that no punishment came, they felt certain that no punishment would ever come.” Then the verse And if We defer their punishment until a certain time, they will surely say, ‘What holds it back?’ … () was revealed.
Author’s comment: This narration suggests that, even in Mecca, before the Emigration to Medina, there were some hypocrites among the Muslims. Other narrations also attest to this fact.
- In the same book, al-Suyūṭī reports from Ibn Abī Ḥātim, al-Ṭabarānī, Ibn Mardawayh, and al-Ḥākim, who declared the tradition authentic, on the authority of ʿUqba b. ʿĀmir, who said: ‘The Messenger of God said: “Before the coming of the Day of Judgment, a dark cloud will rise from the west, resembling a shield, turning toward you and ascending continuously in the sky until it covers the entire expanse of heaven. Then a caller will cry out: ‘O people!’ People will turn to one another asking, ‘Did you hear that voice?’ Some will say, ‘Yes, I heard it,’ while others will doubt, until the caller cries out again: ‘O people!’ They will ask each other again, ‘Did you hear that sound?’ They will reply, ‘Yes,’ and then the proclamation will be made: ‘O people! The command of God has come, so do not hasten it.’”
The Messenger of God added, “I swear by the One in whose hand my soul lies, He will not grant respite for two merchants who have unrolled a piece of cloth to fold it up again, or a man who is filling his trough to give water to someone or an animal, or a man who is milking his camel to drink from its milk, or anyone else who is occupied with their work to finish it.”’
Author’s comment: Some scholars have attempted to interpret these three reports—along with other narratives that have come down with similar meanings—to suggest that the coming divine edict refers to the Day of Resurrection. However, these reports do not contain any evidence to support such a reading of the verse.
As for the first report, mere anxiety does not prove that the Companions understood the divine edict in question to be the coming of the Day of Judgment, because it is possible that God’s edict, whatever it may be, is something that prompts His servants to reflect. There is no clear evidence that they understood it in this way, nor is the ambiguity a matter of linguistic interpretation that should be referred back to the conventional usage of language experts. Moreover, this report is not free from issues because God Almighty has described the hastening of the Day of Judgment a characteristic of the disbelievers, condemning them for this act and considering the believers to be free of it, and has stated: but those who have faith are apprehensive of it. We have already mentioned above that the phrase, So do not seek to hasten, it is addressed to the idol worshipers rather than the believers, and what it means is to reprimand them for their impatience and for demanding that the Prophet hasten their impending doom or invoke the punishment with which he had threatened them—it is not a request for respite or delay. Thus, it would not make sense for them to be calmed by hearing the words, So do not seek to hasten it.
The second narrative presented here seems to suggest that what was understood from God’s edict was a worldly punishment, rather than the Day of Resurrection, thereby confirming our previous explanation rather than that of these other scholars.
As for the third narrative, at most what it indicates is that the coming of the Day of Resurrection is one of the instances of the coming of God’s edict. No one doubts this in the least, but this is different from saying that the Resurrection is the intended meaning of the edict mentioned in the verse.
- In al-Nuʿmānī’s Kitāb al-Ghayba, he narrates via his chain of transmission from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Kathīr from Abū ʿAbd Allāh regarding the phrase, Allah’s edict is coming! So do not seek to hasten it: ‘This edict of God is our cause in which haste should not be made, and God supports our cause with three armies: The angels, the believers, and the riders, and his emergence is like the emergence of your Prophet, as the verse states: Just As your Lord brought you out from your home with a just cause ().’ Therefore, according to this narration, the edict mentioned in the verse refers to the advent of Imām al-Mahdī.
Author’s comment: This narration has also been presented by Shaykh al-Mufīd in his book on the Occultation, from the same narrator, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, from the same Imām, and the intended meaning of ‘his emergence’ is the appearance of the Mahdī, which has been explicitly mentioned in other narrations. However, this falls under the category of applying a general verse to a specific instance or is one of the symbolic or allegorical explanations of the Qurʾan.
- In al-Kāfī, al-Kulaynī narrates through his chain of transmission from Saʿd al-Iskāf that a man came to the Commander of the Faithful and asked him about the Spirit, questioning whether or not it was Gabriel. He said: ‘Gabriel is one of the angels, and the Spirit is something other than Gabriel.’ Saʿd said: ‘This response was difficult for the questioner to accept.’ He said, ‘You said something tremendous indeed that no one else has mentioned,’ because no one considered that the Spirit could be other than Gabriel. The Commander of the Faithful said: ‘You are a misguided man who repeats the utterances of the misguided. Have you not seen that God Almighty said to His Prophet: Allah’s edict is coming! So do not seek to hasten it. Immaculate is He and exalted above having any partners that they ascribe to Him. He sends down the angels with the Spirit (), and this is explicit in that the angels are other than the Spirit.
Author’s comment: This narration corroborates the narrations we have previously mentioned, and there are a series of narrations that state that the Spirit is a creation even greater than Gabriel.
- In Tafsīr al-Qummī, under the verse He created man from a drop of seminal fluid, and, behold, he is an open contender! (), it is reported that the Imām said: ‘God created man from a worthless drop of fluid, and it is this same worthless drop that became a a vocal disputant with Him!’
- Also, in the same source, under the verse when you bring them home for rest and when you drive them forth to pasture (), the Imām has said: ‘This refers to the time of returning from the pasture and the time of setting out to the pasture.’
- In Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, from Zurāra, from one of the two Imāms, al-Bāqir or al-Ṣādiq, it is narrated that he said: ‘I asked him about the urine of horses, donkeys, and mules, and he said: “We consider it disliked.” I asked, “Isn’t their flesh permissible?” He replied: “Has not God Almighty made it clear to you: He created the cattle, in which there is warmth for you and other uses and some of them you eat (). This means that the meat of cattle, namely camels, cows, and sheep, is permissible, but concerning beasts of burden, namely horses, mules, and donkeys, it has only been stated: And horses, mules and asses, for you to ride them, and for adornment. From the former, the consumption of meat is mentioned, but from the latter, only the matter of riding is mentioned.
Author’s comment: There are differing narrations about the permissibility of horses, mules, and donkeys for eating, and the school of the Prophet’s Household is that eating their meat is permissible but disliked.
- In Tafsīr al-Qummī, about the verse , and He creates what you do not know (), it is mentioned that the Imām said: ‘This refers the wonders which God creates in the seas and the land of the world.’
- And in al-Durr al-manthūr, it is reported that under the verse With Allah rests guidance to the straight path, and some of them are devious (wa min-hā jāʾir) ʿAbd b. Ḥumayd, Ibn Mundhir, and Ibn al-Anbārī (in the Kitāb al-Maṣāḥif) have transmitted from ʿAlī that he recited the verse in the form fa-min-kum jāʾir (‘some of you are devious’).
- In Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, as narrated from Ismāʿīl b. Abī Ziyad from Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad, from his father, from his forefathers, from ʿAlī, it is recounted that the Prophet said regarding the explanation of the verse , and by the stars they are guided (): ‘The star referred to here is the North Star, because it is the only star which does not circle around the pole and does not change its position, and by which the people of the land and sea find their way.’
Author’s comment: This narration has also been reported from Imām al-Ṣādiq.
- In al-Kāfī, al-Kulaynī narrates via a chain of narration from Dāwūd al-Jaṣṣāṣ: ‘I heard Imām al-Ṣādiq say that the star mentioned in the verse, and by the stars they are guided, refers to the Prophet Muḥammad, and the landmarks refer to the Imāms of guidance.’
Author’s comment: al-Kāfī has also reported this narration through two other chains from the Imām al-Ṣādiq and from Imām al-Riḍā, and both al-ʿAyyāshī and al-Qummī have included it in their commentaries. Shaykh al-Ṭūsī has narrated it in his Amāī from Imām al-Ṣādiq, and this is not from the category of commentary (tafsīr), but from the category of esoteric interpretation (bāṭin), as indicated by the fact that al-Ṭabrisī has transmitted it in Majmaʿ al-bayān where Imām al-Ṣādiq said: ‘We are the signs, and the Messenger of God is the star. He then stated: The Messenger of God said: “God has placed the stars as a source of security for the inhabitants of the heavens and the People of my Household as a source of security for the inhabitants of the earth.’