Verses 20–34
After the story of Luqmān, the discourse returns to the signs of God’s oneness and the absence of any partner for Him, which it left off at the verse This is the creation of Allah. Now show Me what others besides Him have created. Rather the wrongdoers are in manifest error! ()
Commentary
أَلَمْ تَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُمْ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَأَسْبَغَ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعَمَهُ ظَاهِرَةً وَبَاطِنَةً ۗ وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يُجَادِلُ فِي اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَلَا هُدًى وَلَا كِتَابٍ مُنِيرٍ ٢٠
(31:20) Do you not see that Allah has disposed for you (lakum) whatever there is in the heavens and whatever there is on the earth and He has showered upon you His blessings, the apparent and the hidden? Yet among the people are those who dispute concerning Allah without any knowledge or guidance or an illuminating scripture.
This verse signifies a return to the discussion before the story of Luqmān, and it shows that the sūrah is addressed to the idol-worshippers, although the end of the verse suggests a general audience. Therefore, the first part of the verse would be the continuation of the Prophet’s words that were being related immediately before the story: This is the creation of Allah. Now show Me what others besides Him have created, which also means there is no transition in addressee (iltifāt) when it says: Do you not see…?
On the other hand, if we say that the speaker in the verse is God, then Do you not see…? is a transition in addressee, from the third-person (“they”) in …Rather the wrongdoers are in manifest error! () to the second-person (“you” pl.). In this context, such a transition reflects the speaker’s exasperation at the ignorance and obstinacy of those He to whom he speaks, as no amount of evidence or prompting makes a difference to them. Therefore, he presents them with something that is immediately accessible to them so that perhaps they will come to their senses.
This refers to the connections we can perceive between the different parts of the world within the natural order that governs the cosmos in general and governs the human being in particular; the human being is the noblest constituent of the physical universe because of his awareness and his will, and therefore God has disposed the cosmos for his sake.
“To dispose” (taskhīr) means to compel an instrument (fāʿil) to act in accordance with one’s wishes, as, for instance, the writer disposes the pen or the master disposes the servant to act, of the latter’s own free-will, in accordance with his wishes. The natural order, whatever it may be, follows God’s will, and this is the order that governs the human realm.
From the above, it appears that the lām (“for”) in lakum is purposive (ghāʾī), meaning “for your sake” and the one who makes use of the heavens and the earth is God (that is, “It is God who makes use of the heavens and the earth for your sake”). On the other hand, it is also possible that the lām is for ownership, meaning “to you”, and the one who makes use of the heavens and the earth is the human being by God’s leave (that is, “It is God who has placed the heavens and the earth at your disposal.”), as reflected in the fact that as human civilization has grown and developed, human beings have gradually brought more of the world under their dominion and made use of it for their own benefit. However, this second reading does not fit with the opening of the verse, namely Do you not see…?
And He has showered upon you His blessings, the apparent and the hidden: “To shower” (isbāgh) means to supplement and expand, meaning “He has supplemented and expanded His blessings for you.” “Blessings” (niʿam) is the plural of niʿmah, which means anything beneficial that the human being enjoys. The apparent and the hidden blessings, based on the fact that this is addressed to the polytheists, refer to—in the case of the apparent– the senses, such as hearing and sight, the limbs, health, wellbeing, and—in the case of the hidden—sustenance and good things that are not perceptible directly by the senses, such as awareness, will, and intellect.
However, if we take this to be addressed to everyone, then the apparent blessings are those which are perceptible to the senses, as mentioned above, or religion, which arranges the affairs of this world and the hereafter. Meanwhile, the hidden blessings include the ones already mentioned above, but also include spiritual blessings such as the stations people achieve through acts of sincerity.
Yet among the people are those who dispute concerning Allah without any knowledge or guidance or an illuminating scripture: The tone suggests that the address now returns to the Prophet. “To dispute” (mujādalah) means to engage in theoretical arguments to overcome the other party. The association of knowledge, guidance, and scripture suggests that what is meant by “knowledge” (ʿilm) here is that which has been obtained from rational proofs; by “guidance” (hudā), that which has been bestowed by God via revelation or inspiration; and by “scripture” (kitāb), the divine scripture which has been sent by God through revelation to the Prophets, which is why he describes it as “illuminating” (munīr). These are the three paths to knowledge—there is no fourth.
Therefore, who dispute concerning Allah without these things means that they dispute about His oneness, His lordship, and His divinity without any proof. Rather, they just follow what other people are saying.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ الشَّيْطَانُ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ ٢١
(31:21) When they are told, Follow what Allah has sent down, they say, We will rather follow what we found our fathers following. What! Even if Satan be calling them to the punishment of the Blaze?
The pronoun they refers to the meaning of “those” in among the people are those in the previous verse, just as the Arabic pronouns in that verse were singular based on the word man.
When they are told, Follow what Allah has sent down: Here, God chooses what Allah has sent down rather than “follow the Book” or “follow the Qur’an” to show that this summons is not dogmatic, but is based on proof, because the fact that the Book has come from God is demonstrated by the proofs of prophethood. It is as if God is saying: “When they are summoned to the religion of divine unity by the scripture that has certainly been sent down by God…” or, to put it in more universal terms: “When they are presented with arguments and evidence, they respond with baseless dogma and say: ‘We will follow what we found our fathers following.’”
What! Even if Satan be calling them to the punishment of the Blaze? This is a rhetorical question meant as a rebuke, meaning: “Will they follow their fathers even if this is Satan calling them to the punishment of the Blaze?”
Even if… (law) here is conjunctive (waṣliyyah) and is joined to an implicit statement that is similar to the clause that follows it and has the meaning: “Would they follow them if Satan was not calling them and even if he was?”
To summarize: It is only good to follow someone if they are upon the truth, but when they are themselves following falsehood, and following them leads only to misery and punishment, then following them is like worshipping someone other than God, and there is none worthy of worship save Him.
وَمَنْ يُسْلِمْ وَجْهَهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ ۗ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ عَاقِبَةُ الْأُمُورِ ٢٢
(31:22) Whoever surrenders his countenance to Allah and is virtuous has certainly held fast to the firmest handle, and with Allah lies the outcome of all matters.
This is a new discussion, though it could also be a circumstantial qualifier (ḥāl) for the object (mafʿūl) of calling them (yadʿūhum), in which case the pronoun refers to them, giving the meaning: “Even if Satan be calling them… while whoever surrenders his countenance to God… is saved and will succeed, as all affairs return to God and, therefore, only He should be worshipped.”
To “surrender one’s countenance” (islām al-wajh) to God means for the human being to turn to God with the entirety of his being and to turn away from everyone except Him. “Virtue” (iḥsān) means to do righteous deeds based out of certainty regarding the hereafter. This is explained at the beginning of the sūrah: a guidance and mercy for the virtuous, who maintain the prayer, and pay the zakāt, and are certain of the Hereafter (). The “firmest handle” means a hold that will never break.
This renders the meaning: “Whoever believes God is one and acts righteously with certainty about the Hereafter will be saved and will never perish at the outcome of his affair, as this is in God’s hands, and it is He whom promises him salvation and success.”
Hence it appears that the coda, and with Allah lies the outcome of all matters serves to explain the rationale for has certainly held fast to the firmest handle.
وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَلَا يَحْزُنْكَ كُفْرُهُ ۚ إِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُهُمْ فَنُنَبِّئُهُمْ بِمَا عَمِلُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ ٢٣ نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلًا ثُمَّ نَضْطَرُّهُمْ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ ٢٤
(31:23–24) As for those who are faithless, let their faithlessness not grieve you. To Us will be their return, and We will inform them about what they have done. Indeed Allah knows best what is in the breasts. We will provide for them for a short time, then We will shove them toward a harsh punishment.
These verses console the Prophet so that he will not be overtaken by grief and reassure him that they will return to God in the hereafter and He will inform them of what they have done—meaning He will make the reality and consequences of their deeds visible to them, which are embodied by hellfire.
We will provide for them for a short time, then We will shove them toward a harsh punishment: This is another way of saying that He will reveal their true state to them. The previous explanation—To Us will be their return, and We will inform them about what they have done—might suggest that so long as they are living comfortably in this world, they are beyond God’s power, and it is only when they die or are resurrected that He may act against them and punish them for their deeds. Therefore, the next verse reveals that they are never beyond God’s governance; He is merely providing for them in this world for a while before He takes them to a harsh punishment. In other words, they are completely within His power in any situation; their affair is always God’s and they can never thwart God, whether they are living comfortably or otherwise.
وَلَئِنْ سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ ۚ قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٢٥
(31:25) If you ask them, Who created the heavens and the earth? they will surely say, Allah. Say: All praise belongs to Allah! Yet most of them do not know.
This verse points to the fact that not only it is human nature (fiṭrah) to believe in divine unity, but the polytheists themselves confess to this without realizing it because if they are asked who created the heavens and the earth, they readily acknowledge that it was God. And if God is the creator of the cosmos, then He is also its governor because governance is inseparable from creation. And if God is the one who governs the affairs of the cosmos and the granter of blessings, which He expands and contracts, and who is hoped-for and feared, then He is the sole object of worship and has no partner. In other words, they have admitted there is only one God without realizing it.
This is why God commands His Messenger to praise God upon hearing their unwitting confession of faith: Say, All praise belongs to Allah! before saying that most of them do not grasp the significance of their acknowledgement of God as the creator and all that it entails: Yet most of them do not know. Of course, a small number of them understand fully what this means, but they refuse to yield to the truth. Instead, they choose to be obstinate, as God says elsewhere: They impugned them though they were convinced in their hearts wrongfully and defiantly. ()
لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ ٢٦
(31:26) To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. Indeed Allah is the All-sufficient, the All-laudable.
The polytheists’ confession that God is the creator only establishes His oneness in lordship and divinity if the governance and disposing of the cosmos is also solely in his hands. However, the fact that He is the creator is enough to entail all of this, but He mentions it in order to complete the argument. Then he calls on the Prophet to praise Him while bemoaning that the people are ignorant because of their own heedlessness.
Then He initiates a second line of argument, namely that true sovereignty of the cosmos is only in His hands because He is absolutely sufficient (ghanī) and utterly praiseworthy (maḥmūd). The reasoning of this argument is as follows: God is the source of every creation and the granter of every excellence, so He possesses everything that existent things need. In other words, He is absolutely sufficient, for were this not the case He could not be the source of created things or the granter of their excellences, which would violate our original premise.
Then, if God is absolutely sufficient, then everything in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him, and therefore He is the absolute sovereign over all things. This means He can dispose things as He pleases, and that everything that happens in the cosmos is under His direction. And if anything was under the direction of a being other than Him, then that other being would be the sovereign of that thing and He would not be the absolute sovereign of all, which would violate our original premise. Therefore, in that He has complete control of the universe, He is the Lord of the Worlds and the only God who is worshipped and thanked for His blessings and kindness.
This is what God alludes to when He says To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. Indeed Allah is the All-sufficient…—To Allah belongs… is the proof of His oneness, and Indeed Allah is the All-sufficient… explains why He has sovereignty over all things.
As for the All-laudable, this means that He is praised in his actions and represents the source of another argument, namely that praise is given when someone does something beautiful by their own volition. Every beautiful thing in this world belongs to God and, therefore, all praise ultimately returns to Him. In other words, He is praised absolutely. Were there anything of the finely-tuned natural order that had come from other than Him, without any relation to Him, then praise would not have belonged to Him in its entirety, which would violate our original premise.
وَلَوْ أَنَّمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ أَقْلَامٌ وَالْبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ سَبْعَةُ أَبْحُرٍ مَا نَفِدَتْ كَلِمَاتُ اللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ٢٧
(31:27) If the trees of the earth were pens, and the sea replenished with seven more seas, the words of Allah would not be spent. Indeed Allah is all-mighty, all-wise.
In the context of If… (law), the phrase, the trees of the earth signifies every tree on the earth, and the sea means the sea in its entirety. Replenished with seven more seas means that if the sea in its entirety were multiplied sevenfold. It appears that seven here is simply being used to mean “an abundance” rather than a specific number. Words (kalimāt) means an utterance which carries a meaning. In the Qur’an, word can also refer to what comes into being by His command, as in Whenever He wills something, he says to it Be! and it is () and to Jesus: The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only an apostle of Allah, and His Word that He cast toward Mary… ().
The meaning of the verse is: “Even if the trees of the earth were made into pens and the sea were taken and multiplied sevenfold before being turned into ink, and the words of God were written by those pens from that ink, the ocean would dry up before God’s words were exhausted, because the words of God are never-ending.”
Based on this, we can see that the verse has been kept succinct by omitting some details, and that the phrase Indeed Allah is all-mighty, all-wise serves as an explanation for what came before it. In other words: Because God is all-mighty and there is nothing that can overcome Him, whatever is from Him cannot be exhausted by this writing, and because He is all-wise, he does not delegate the direction of the cosmos to anyone else.
This verse is connected to the one before it in that it highlights that the direction of the Creation is His alone. In this context, the verse points to the extent of his dominion, and the abundance of his cosmic commands, such that even if the ocean were multiplied sevenfold and transformed into ink, and all the trees on the earth were made into pens, they would be exhausted before His commands and words were.
مَا خَلْقُكُمْ وَلَا بَعْثُكُمْ إِلَّا كَنَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ ٢٨
(31:28) Your creation and your resurrection are not but as of a single soul. Indeed Allah is all-hearing, all-seeing.
Now the discussion turns to the possibility of the Resurrection, especially in that the polytheists thought it (to be) a far-fetched notion because of the number of people who had died and decayed into the earth beyond all recognition.
When God says Your creation and your resurrection are not but as of a single soul, He intends to show that the resurrection is not only possible but also easily achieved, as God is not distracted from one thing by another, nor is He impeded by multiplicity; one and many are the same to Him. Furthermore, He mentions creation along with resurrection to show that there is no difference between originating something and bringing it back again—both are equally easy or difficult. In fact, actions cannot even be described as easy or difficult for Him in the first place.
By using the second-person plural “your” (-kum) in your creation and your resurrection (khalqukum wa… baʿathukum) to refer to mankind, and then equating this with a single soul, it is as if to say: “O human beings! Despite your multitude, your creation and resurrection are the same to God as the creation and resurrection of a single soul. If it seems hard to imagine that God could resurrect all humanity to hold them to account for their deeds because of the sheer number of human beings, then this can only be because you think He is unaware of your many different actions. However, God is not ignorant of any part of them because He is all-hearing of your speech and all-seeing of your deeds. In other words, He is directly aware of your behaviour.
The above repels the objection to the phrasing of the verse, that since the coda is supposed to provide the rationale (taʿlīl) for what has come before it, it would have been more appropriate to invoke God’s power. For example, by saying: “Indeed God has power over all things” or “Indeed God is all-powerful, all-mighty” or something along those lines, rather than “all-hearing, all-seeing”, as these attributes have nothing to do with creation and resurrection!
The reason all-hearing, all-seeing have been chosen in this context is because the verse is responding to the objection that the resurrection is for recompensing humanity for their deeds, but these deeds are many and intertwined with one another. Therefore, how can God separate them out in order to requite people for them? In other words, the original objection is aimed at what was said four verses before: and We will inform them about what they have done (), and this verse answers by asking how any words or deeds can be concealed from Him while He is all-hearing, all-seeing, and nothing escapes his notice.
One might object that the coda of the verse …and We will inform them about what they have done… reads: indeed Allah knows best what is in the breasts and that this suggests that people are recompensed on the Day of Judgement for the contents of their hearts, whether good or evil. This is also indicated by the verse: and whether you disclose what is in your hearts or hide it, Allah will bring you to account for it ().
The answer is, if we are talking about the contents of people’s hearts, then indeed Allah knows best what is in the breasts is the response. On the other hand, if we are talking about people’s external acts—their words and deeds—then the response is that indeed Allah is all-hearing and all-seeing. The objection and the response are, in some respects, similar to what God says in the verse: He said, Their knowledge is with my Lord, in a Book. My Lord neither makes any error nor forgets. (). So ponder!
The are other responses to this objection which are less complete, and these can be found in the lengthier works of commentary.
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِي إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ٢٩
(31:29) Have you not regarded that Allah makes the night pass into the day and makes the day pass into the night; and He has disposed the sun and the moon, each moving for a specified term, and that Allah is well aware of what you do?
This verse testifies to the claim previous verse, that God has complete knowledge of human actions, with the fact that the natural order of the night and the day, where one sometimes grows longer and the other recedes according to different seasons and regions, is a fixed cycle. The same applies to the order of the sun and the moon, as their times of rising and setting change, as do their courses across the sky. Each moves for a specified duration, and there is no inconsistency in this finely-tuned system that they follow. All of this means that the one who governs this system cannot possibly be lacking in knowledge or awareness.
Makes the night pass into day means that God extends the night into the hours of the day before reversing the process and extending the day into the hours of the night. By disposing the sun and the moon to move for a specified term, God means that each of their positions is assigned a particular time in a cycle, which they return to the beginning of. Whoever witnesses this carefully arranged natural order and studies it in detail cannot possibly deny that whatever governs this system does so on the basis of knowledge, without any ignorance, as this cannot possibly be mere chance or coincidence.
And that Allah is well aware of what you do—this is joined to the position of …that Allah makes the night pass into day…, and the argument implicit in this is that: “Can you not see that God is well aware of what you do? After all, anyone who witnesses the order of night and day, of the sun and the moon, can hardly be unaware that the Maker is fully aware of all acts, great and small.” This is what some commentators have said.
However, this argument is problematic, because to derive God’s knowledge of human actions from His knowledge of the cosmic order is purely speculative, and one cannot ask someone have you not regarded…? about it, as this implies a visible fact.
Perhaps what is meant by “regarding” (have you not regarded…?) God’s awareness of human actions is that when the human being ponders on the natural order than underpins the actions of his own soul, insofar as these emanate from within the human realm, he sees that they are divided into those actions that stem from his outward abilities, such as the senses, and those which stem from his inner ones, such as comprehension or will; and from another angle, some of them divide into abilities and tools; or all of them from another angle into powers of attraction and repulsion; or from yet another angle into the stages of his life, such as childhood, adolescence, youth and old age, and so on. Then, these powers are connected to one another and make use of one another, and the soul is guided to utilise each in its proper manner in order to achieve its utmost perfection and happiness in the vicissitudes of material life, where some succeed and others fail.
When the human being studies this perplexing system, he cannot doubt that it has been set in motion by its Lord and put in order by its Maker, who is all-knowing and all-powerful. Therefore, bearing witness to this wondrous system means bearing witness to the fact that God is fully aware of what people do.
And God knows best!
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنَّ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ الْبَاطِلُ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيرُ ٣٠
(31:30) That is because Allah, He is the Real, and whatever they invoke besides Him is nullity, and because Allah is the All-exalted, the All-great.
Previously, God has said that everything originates with Him, and thus depends upon Him for its continued existence and direction of its affairs, and will ultimately return to Him, without there being any difference between the one and the many, and that those whom people invoke besides Him have neither the powers of creation nor command. Now, He combines all of these facts beneath a single explanation, namely: That is because Allah, He is the Real, and whatever they invoke besides Him is nullity….
This is because the Real (al-Ḥaqq) is that which is subsistent and abiding, while nullity (al-Bāṭil) is that which is evanescent and fleeting. Because Allah, He is the Real (bi anna allāh huwa al-ḥaqq) contains a separating pronoun (ḍamīr al-faṣl—Allah, He is the real) and a predicate (khabar) made definite with al- (al-ḥaqq). This indicates exclusivity (ḥaṣr), namely that the predicate can only apply to the subject mentioned here and no other.
Therefore, when God says that is because Allah, He is the Real, this means that He alone enjoys subsistence without nullity. In other words, He is subsistent (thābit) from every aspect or, you might say, He is existent (mawjūd) in every possible scenario; His existence is absolute, unrestricted, and unconditioned. His existence is necessary and His non-existence is impossible. All other beings are contingent and only exist in one possible scenario, and that possible scenario is through the existence of their cause. This means that their existence is limited, in that it depends on another, and not necessary in and of itself.
And if being “real” means that something is subsistent, then God is the self-subsistent being and all other beings only subsist and become real through Him.
Reflecting on this idea, you will realise: firstly, that things in their entirety depend on God for their existence, as does the natural order as a whole and the lesser orders within each species and each individual creature.
Secondly, that entelechies (kamālāt wujūdiyyah), which are those attributes of existence (ṣifāt al-wujūd) such as knowledge, power, life, seeing, hearing, unity, creation, sovereignty, sufficiency, praise, and awareness—some of which have been enumerated in the prior verses—are attributes that subsist with God as befits His greatness and sanctity precisely because they are attributes of existence, and existence subsists with God. So such qualities are either identical with His essence (dhāt), as are knowledge and power, or they are extraneous to His essence but applied to His actions, such as creation, sustenance, and mercy.
Thirdly, that accepting the existence of a partner in His essence or His governance, and anything that implies deficiency or want is negated from him. These are the negative attributes (ṣifāt salbiyyah) such as having no partner, having no number, or having no physicality or accidents of physicality such as time or place, ignorance, incapacity, nullity or evanescence, etc.
Therefore, God’s absolute and unrestricted existence negates every kind of negative attribute from Him. In other words, it affirms His absolute existence, as a double-negation is an affirmation.
Perhaps the words, and because Allah is the All-exalted, the All-great imply the subsistence of both positive and negative attributes. The All-exalted (al-ʿalī) signifies His transcendence above any attribute that does not befit Him, and thus is the summation of the negative attributes, while the All-great signifies that He encompasses every kind of existent perfection, and thus is the summation of the positive attributes.
It also shows that the verse’s opening is proof for its coda and its coda is proof that God encompasses all the affirmative and negative attributes. In other words, this essence is the locus of all perfections. In other words, it is God.
…and whatever they invoke besides Him is nullity… follows the same logic as That is because Allah, He is the Real. The deities they call upon beside Him have no reality of their own and have no power to create or direct, because “a partner to God in His divinity and lordship” is utter nullity. And if it is nullity, then in no circumstances can it be attributed with the acts of creation and governance.
“The Real” (al-ḥaqq), “the All-exalted” (al-ʿalī) and “the All-great” (al-kabīr) are three of God’s beautiful names (asmāʾ al-ḥusnā). Based on the above, we have seen that “the Real” corresponds to the concept of “the Necessary Existent” (wājib al-wujūd), “the All-exalted” corresponds to the negative attributes (al-ṣifāt al-salbiyyah), and “the All-great” corresponds to the affirmative attributes (al-ṣifāt al-thubūtiyyah). This approximates what we have said already, namely that together these represent “the locus of all perfection” (al-mustajmiʿ li-ṣifāt al-kamāl).
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ الْفُلْكَ تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِنِعْمَتِ اللَّهِ لِيُرِيَكُمْ مِنْ آيَاتِهِ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ ٣١
(31:31) Have you not regarded that the ships sail at sea by Allah’s blessing (bi niʿmat Allāh), that He may show you some of His signs? There are indeed signs in that for every patient and grateful one.
The bāʾ in bi niʿmat allāh signifies causation (sababiyyah), and “blessing” (niʿmah) is mentioned in preparation for the end of the verse, and it hints to the audience that they should give thanks to God for His blessings as it is a rational duty to give thanks to one who has brought benefit to you.
In this case, the meaning of the verse is: “Do you not see that the ships sail and travel across the sea because of God’s blessings, which are the means which enable them to travel, such as the wind and the water, and other elements?”
Some commentators have suggested that the bāʾ here either makes its verb transitive (taʿdiyyah) or signifies accompaniment (maʿiyyah), in which case bi-niʿmat allāh refers to the goods being carried by the ships (that is, “with God’s blessing”).
The verse concludes with the coda: There are indeed signs in that for every patient [ṣabbār] and grateful (shakūr) one—Ṣabbār means one who is abundantly patient in times of hardship, and shakūr means one who gives abundant thanks in times of ease. According to some, this is an allusion to the believers.
وَإِذَا غَشِيَهُمْ مَوْجٌ كَالظُّلَلِ دَعَوُا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ فَلَمَّا نَجَّاهُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ فَمِنْهُمْ مُقْتَصِدٌ ۚ وَمَا يَجْحَدُ بِآيَاتِنَا إِلَّا كُلُّ خَتَّارٍ كَفُورٍ ٣٢
(31:32) When waves cover them like awnings (ẓulal), they invoke Allah, putting exclusive faith in Him. But when He delivers them towards land, some of them remain unswerving. And no one will impugn Our signs except an ungrateful traitor.
Al-Rāghib says that ẓullah (pl. ẓulal) means a raincloud that overshadows someone, and it is usually used in an ominous or foreboding sense, as God says: as if it were a canopy (ka-annahu ẓullah) () and the punishment of the day of the overshadowing cloud (adhāb yawm al-ẓulla) ().
So the verse means: “When the waves of the ocean cover them and surround them like a cloud, they cleave to God and pray to Him for salvation, putting their faith in Him alone.” In other words, this is evidence that it is in their nature (fiṭrah) is to believe in divine unity.
But when He delivers them towards land, some of them (minhum) remain unswerving: “Unswerving” (muqtaṣid) means one who is heading straight for a destination (qaṣd), and this is the divine unity to which their human nature guides them. Using min in minhum (“some of them…”) is to imply a small number of them. In other words: When God saves those praying to Him with dedication and delivers them to land, only a few of them remain unswerving in their faith.
And no one will impugn Our signs except an ungrateful traitor (khattār kafūr): Khattār is a noun of intensification (mubālaghah), derived from khatr, which means to be perfidious and disloyal. The tone of the verse suggests that this refers to many people, and the meaning is clear.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ وَاخْشَوْا يَوْمًا لَا يَجْزِي وَالِدٌ عَنْ وَلَدِهِ وَلَا مَوْلُودٌ هُوَ جَازٍ عَنْ وَالِدِهِ شَيْئًا ۚ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ ۖ فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُمْ بِاللَّهِ الْغَرُورُ ٣٣
(31:33) O mankind! Be wary of your Lord and fear the day when a father shall not repay his child, nor the child shall repay its father in any wise. Indeed Allah’s promise is true. So do not let the life of the world deceive (lā tagurrannakum al-ḥayāt al-dunyā) you, nor let the Deceiver deceive you concerning Allah.
After presenting ample proofs and admonitions, God draws them together in a conclusion (O mankind! Be wary of your Lord…) that addresses all people in general, inviting them to be wary of God and warning them of the Day of Resurrection, a day on which nothing but faith and Godwariness will avail.
Al-Rāghib says:
“To repay (jazāʾ)” means “to suffice (ghinā).”
He also says:
“To deceive someone” (gharartu fulānan) means to have seized his prize (ghurrah) and obtained what I want. Ghirrah means to be inattentive while awake, and ghirār means to be heedless while napping… Gharūr is anything that beguiles a person, whether wealth, status, desire, or Satan. Commentators have said that the Deceiver in this verse is either Satan, as he is the foulest deceiver, or this world, as it is said: “This world beguiles, strikes, and moves on… (al-dunyā taghurr wa taḍurr wa tamurr)”.
Therefore, the meaning of the verse is: O mankind! Be wary of your Lord—who is God—and fear the day when a father shall not repay—that is, suffice—his child, nor the child shall repay—that is, avail—its father in any wise. Indeed Allah’s promise—of the Resurrection—is true. So do not let the life of the world deceive you—with its beguiling trinkets—nor let the Deceiver—referring here to the category (jins) of whatever deceives the human being in the life of this world, or referring specifically to Satan—deceive you concerning Allah.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِ ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ ٣٤
(31:34) Indeed the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah. He sends down the rain, and He knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. Indeed Allah is all-knowing, all-aware.
The meaning of the verse is clear.
Notice that God has listed three things that He has knowledge of: the knowledge of the Hour, which He keeps to Himself alone, as indicated by the verse Indeed the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah; the sending down of the rain; and the knowledge of what is in the wombs, which are known to others as well.
Then he mentions two things that the human being is ignorant of, and in being ignorant of this is ignorant of everything that will befall him: No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die.
God mentions all of this to show that He has knowledge of every affair great and small, even the Hour whose knowledge no creature can obtain. Human beings are ignorant of even the most important things that do concern them, while God knows them. Therefore, God warns them to beware of associating partners with Him, rebelling against His command or turning away from His summons, lest they perish by their own ignorance.
Examining Narrations
- In Kamāl al-Dīn, Ḥammād ibn Abī Ziyād narrates:
I asked my master, Mūsā ibn Jaʿfar about the verse: He has showered upon you His blessings, the apparent and the hidden. ()
He told me, “The apparent blessing is the manifest Imām (al-imām al-ẓāhir), while the hidden blessing is the hidden Imām (al-imām al-ghāʾib).”
Author’s comments: This interpretation is a case of applying the verse to an external referent (al-jarī).
- In Tafsīr al-Qummī, Jābir narrates that a man said in the presence of Imām al-Bāqir: He has showered upon you His blessings, the apparent and the hidden (). Imām al-Bāqir said:
As for the apparent blessing, it is the Prophet and the knowledge of God and divine unity that he brought. As for the hidden blessing, it is allegiance (wilāyah) to us, the Prophet’s Household and holding fast to our affection….
Author’s comments: This is of the same kind as the previous verse.
- In Majmaʿ al-Bayān, about the verse He has showered upon you…, it is narrated by al-Ḍaḥḥāk from Ibn ʿAbbās:
I asked the Prophet about it and he said, “O Ibn ʿAbbās! As for what is apparent, this is Islam, what God made of your creation, and the sustenance which He bestowed upon you. As for what is hidden, it is your wicked deeds that He conceals and does not disgrace you with.
“O Ibn ʿAbbās! Indeed God says: ‘I have given the believer three things that were not his: the prayers of the faithful upon him after his deeds are done; I have made a third of his wealth to expiate his slips; and the third is that I have concealed his wicked deeds and not disgraced him with them, and were I to make them visible upon him, his own family would cast him out, never mind others!’”
Author’s comments: Something similar has been narrated in al-Durr al-Manthūr via Ibn ʿAbbās. Like the previous two traditions, this too is a case of applying the verse to an external referent.
- In al-Tawḥīd, ʿUmar ibn Udhaynah narrates from Imām al-Bāqir:
God’s Messenger said: “Every child is born upon fiṭrah,” meaning with the knowledge that God is his creator. That is God’s saying: If you ask them, Who created the heavens and the earth? they will surely say, Allah. (31:52)
- In Tafsīr al-Qummī, about the verse: Have you not regarded that the ships sail at sea by Allah’s blessing… (), we read that it means:
The ships that sail at sea by God’s power.
- In the same source, about There are indeed signs in that for every patient and grateful one (), we read:
He who is steadfast in poverty and deprivation and gives thanks to God in all circumstances.
- About the same verse, Majmaʿ al-Bayān presents the tradition:
Faith (īmān) has two halves; one half is patience and the other is thanksgiving.
Author’s comments: The meaning of the tradition is taken from this verse which, as we mentioned above, is alluding to the believer.
- In Tafsīr al-Qummī, about the verse except an ungrateful traitor (), we read:
A traitor (khattār) is a backstabber.
And about the verse Indeed Allah’s promise is true (), we read:
That is the Day of Resurrection.
- In his Irshād, Mufīd narrates the words of Imām ʿAlī to a man whom he heard reviling this world without knowing what he should say:
This world is an abode of truth for the one who speaks truly of it, an abode of safety for one who understands it, an abode of wealth for one who takes provision from it, the place in which God’s prophets prostrated and the place to which His revelation was sent down, the place of prayer for His angels and the marketplace of His friends whose earnings therein are mercy and whose profit is paradise. So who can revile it when it has proclaimed its departure, announced its leave, and given news of its own demise? Through its pleasures, it created eagerness for pleasure. Through its trials, it warned of trials. It terrified and forewarned, encouraged and alarmed!
Therefore, O you who revile the world and are beguiled by its deception! When did it deceive you? Was it by your fathers’ resting in decay or your mothers’ resting beneath the dirt? How many did your look after in illness with your bare hands, hoping for a cure? You consulted physicians for them, sought out medicine for them, but your seeking did not avail them and your intervention did not help them! With them, this world showed you your own death and resting place, such that neither your laments nor your loved ones could avail you!
- In al-Khiṣāl Abū Usāmah narrates from Imām al-Ṣādiq:
Shall I not inform you of five things that God has not informed any of His creatures about? Indeed the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah. He sends down the rain, and He knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. Indeed Allah is all-knowing, all-aware ().
Author’s comments: There are a great many narrations from the Prophet and Imāms that foretell events in their lives, and their times and places of death. These narrations must limit the scope of the above narration and others like it to exclude cases of divine education (taʿlīm ilāhī). However, there are some narrations which do not allow themselves to be qualified thus and they should be given no heed.
- In al-Durr al-Manthūr, Ibn Mundhir narrates from ʿIkrimah:
A man called al-Wirāth, from the tribe of Banū Māzin ibn Ḥafṣah ibn Qays Ghaylān, came to the Prophet and said: “O Muḥammad, when will the Hour set in? Our land has grown arid; when will it be verdant? I have left behind my wife pregnant; when will she give birth? I know what I have earned today, but what will I earn tomorrow? And I know in which land I was born, but in which will I die?” Then this verse was revealed.
Author’s comments: This tradition is not without issues, as the questions it contains do not correlate perfectly with the contents of the verse.
- In the same source, Ibn Mardawayh narrates from Imām ʿAlī:
Only five things from the secrets of the Unseen were hidden from your Prophet: Indeed the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah. He sends down the rain, and He knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. Indeed Allah is all-knowing, all-aware ().