Verses 9–14
After recounting the heavenly and earthly blessings that God bestows upon human beings, this section argues for the oneness of God as the deity. There is no creator but Him and no administrator of creation other than Him (exalted be He!). Some of the points refer to the resurrection.
Commentary
وَاللَّهُ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ الرِّيَاحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًا فَسُقْنَاهُ إِلَى بَلَدٍ مَّيِّتٍ فَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِ الأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا كَذَلِكَ النُّشُورُ ٩
(35:9) Allah is the one who sends the winds; then they send aloft the clouds. Then We drive them to a dead land and bring the land back to life after its death. Such shall be the resurrection!
Here, this refers to the actualization of rainfall and the subsequent verdant growth. For this reason, it says, Allah is the one who sends the winds. This is different from a similarly-worded verse in Sūrah al-Rūm, which says: Allah is the one who sends the winds…and when it falls upon those of His servants whom He wills, they rejoice () [in that focus of the verse in Sūrah al-Rūm is on people rejoicing at the rainfall, not the springing up of greenery].
They send aloft the clouds is linked to Allah sends, and they refers to the winds [meaning, the winds send aloft the clouds]. Although these two verses [ & ] are in the present tense, they tell of what has already happened. Ithārah is a noun form (the ifʿāl form) of the verb thāra (“stirring up”, as in thāra al-ghubār, “stirring up dust”), used for when something spreads out, sparkling.
Then We drive them to a dead land—meaning, land without growth. And [We] bring the land back to life after its death—meaning, “We cause herbage to grow where it was not before.” It refers to the earth coming back to life, and may be taken as literal or metaphorical—that is, either the actual plants, or else things such as food, nourishment, growth, birth, and other fundamental aspects of daily life.
For that reason, it resembles the resurrection; bringing the dead back to life is similar to bringing the dead earth back to life—that is, bringing plants back to life after shrivelling up in the summer heat. Such shall be the resurrection refers to the resurrecting and raising of the dead on the Day of Resurrection after their original lives, and taking them out from the graves.
Then We drive them to a dead land: Here, there is a shift from third-person (Allah sends the winds) to first-person (We drive them). Perhaps, the point here is that when Allah sends the winds, it is as if an invisible agent has sent forth the winds, and this happens before the clouds burgeon as evidence of Him sending the winds. Then, when the clouds appear, the pronoun switches to We; and, after that, the winds—which send the clouds aloft and unfurl them across the sky—becomes the subject of the next verb. The shift in pronoun also reflects His greatness.
We drive them to a dead land and bring it back to life after its death: We bring back to life (aḥyaynā) does not require the addition of a redundant pronoun [that is, it does not read aḥyaynāhu], nor is land repeated in after its death (baʿda mawtihā) because what has already been said makes the meaning clear, sufficient, and undoubtable.
مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ جَمِيعًا إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ وَالْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ يَرْفَعُهُ وَالَّذِينَ يَمْكُرُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَكْرُ أُوْلَئِكَ هُوَ يَبُورُ ١٠
(35:10) Whoever desires glory and power (ʿizzah)—[know that] all glory and power belong to Allah. To Him ascends the goodly word; He raises up the righteous deed. Those who plot nefariousness shall have a severe punishment, and their plot shall fall into ruin.
According to al-Rāghib in al-Mufradāt,
ʿIzzah is what prevents a person from being dominated or overcome. An ʿazāz land is one which is hard (ṣulbah).
Originally, ʿizzah meant “hard” or “firm”; then, the meaning of the word expanded to encompass the use of the word ʿazīz (“mighty”, “glorious”) to speak of a victor who is never vanquished, as in [the story of Joseph]: O mighty one (ʿazīz)! Distress has seized us… ().
[Other Qur’anic uses of ʿizzah:]
It is used to mean “superiority”, as in: He speaks disdainfully (ʿazzanī) to me ().
ʿIzzah is used for scarcity and rarity, as in: He has a mighty (ʿazīz) book ().
ʿAzīz is used in its root meaning of “hard” or “difficult”, as in: It is difficult for him (ʿazīzun ʿalayhi)… (8:182).
ʿIzzah is used to mean “pride” and “disdain”, as in: Those who deny [the truth] are in disdainful pride (ʿizzah) and separation. ()
Given that ʿizzah means “someone who always wins and never loses” or “someone who is dominant and never overcome”, there is only one being that can truly be called ʿazīz, and that is God, the Mighty, and Glorious. Any being other than Him is essentially poor, dependent, and lowly. He does not hold true ownership over any part of his own self, unless God has mercy upon him and gifts him some of his ʿizzah, as he did to the believers in: To Allah belongs glory (ʿizzah), and to His messenger, and to the believers ().
All glory and power belong to Allah is situated as the response to a conditional statement. It is structured in such a way that the cause is stated in place of the effect. That is, seeking glory and power from Him is through worship, and worship itself results in faith and good deeds.
To Him ascends the goodly word (kalim); He raises up the righteous deed: The word kalim has been said to be a collective noun indicating a type of thing which can be treated grammatically as either masculine or feminine. Majmaʿ al-Bayān says:
Kalim is the plural of kalimah (“word”, sing.). It takes both masculine and feminine adjectives. Every plural form of a noun which differs from its singular form only by [the removal of] -ah can take both masculine and feminine adjectives.
In any case, kalim is used for spoken word conveying a complete meaning [as opposed to, say, babble or random utterances]. The adjective good (ṭayyib) which describes kalim here reinforces this view, in that it involves both the speaker and the listener. That is, in order for speech to be “good”, it must issue forth, be pleasing, and come to an end while expressing truth and delighting and uplifting the soul.
For this reason, it is clear that good word does not refer to actual speech itself but rather to a “good meaning”. It refers to the true beliefs which uplift a person when he assents to them and uses them as a foundation for his deeds. The most certain of them is the “word of tawḥīd”, which all true beliefs stem from, and which is encompassed in this verse: Do you not see how Allah sets forth a parable, the goodly word is like a goodly tree, its root is firm and its branches stretch to the sky. It bears fruit continually with the permission of its Lord (). Theological beliefs (iʿtiqādāt) have often been referred to as qawl (lit. “speech”).
The “ascent of the good word to God” refers to it nearing Him and rising higher, for He is the Highest of the High, the Raiser of Ranks. And if that word is a belief embodied in the one who believes in it, then its nearness to God is the nearness of the believer in it to God. Exegetes have also explained that the “ascent of a good word to God” means His acceptance of it; this is one of the necessary corollaries.
If belief and faith are true, they will be expressed in concordant deeds, rather than belied. Actions branch forth from knowledge and are its indelible effects. Whenever an action is repeated, the underlying belief becomes more cemented and visible, and its effects are strengthened. So a good deed—and this is noble, accepted deed stamped with the humility of servitude and sincerity before the face of God—supports a true belief in leaving behind its effects. This is ascent towards God; He is the one who dignifies it by raising it up. Therefore, the good deed lifts up the good word.
This is clear in to Him (ilayhi) ascends the goodly word, and the righteous deed lifts it up. The pronoun Him (-hi in ilayhi) refers to God. The intended meaning of the goodly word is “true belief in the oneness of God”. “Ascending” refers to something coming closer to God. A righteous deed is one which is done in accordance with and which is befitting of a true belief. The subject of lifts it up (yarfaʿuhu) is the righteous deed, and the object of it [that is, -hu in yarfaʿuhu] is the goodly word.
Exegetes have also expressed other views on this verse:
Some say that the “ascent of the good word” refers to it being accepted and rewarded for.
Some say that “ascent of the good word” refers how the angels ascend to God with records of [a person’s] faith and obedience.
Some say that “ascent of the good word” refers to their [the angels’] ascending to the sky, and “ascending to the sky” is a metaphorical expression for “ascending to God”.
Some say that the subject of lifts (yarfaʿuhu) is the goodly word, and the object of lifts is the righteous deed, meaning that the goodly word lifts the righteous deed; in other words, a righteous deed is only of benefit if it issues forth from [belief in] the oneness of God.
Some say the subject of lifts (yarfaʿuhu) is God, and it means that God lifts up the righteous deeds.
However, these views are all unlikely; the interpretation we mentioned first is what first springs to mind.
Those who plot nefariousness (sayyiʾāt) shall have a severe punishment, and their plot shall fall into ruin: According to exegetes, nefariousness (sayyiʾāt) stands in the place of an omitted word or phrase, which is “plots”. A demonstrative pronoun is used in place of a personal pronoun in makr ulāʾika (lit. “the plot of those ones”) to show that they are specific, not mixed with others. It means that those who plot evil plots shall have a severe punishment, and the plot of those plotters shall fall into ruin and destruction, and shall not yield happiness or glory for them.
It is clear that nefariousness (sayyiʾāt) refers to the different types of plots and schemes that the polytheists employed in order to gain honor (ʿizzah), although the verse encompasses plotting and scheming in general. However, some exegetes say plots specifically refers to what the Quraysh did to the Prophet at Dār al-Nadwah and on similar occasions with respect to capturing, exiling, and attacking [him and his followers]. Therefore, God turned their plots back onto them, sent them to Badr, and caused some of them to be killed or captured. Thus, their attempts at capture, exile, and killing were turned back on them. This is a good view; but, still, the verse is general.
To Him ascend… is connected to the end of the verse via Whoever desires glory and power—[know that] all glory and power belong to Allah. That is, the polytheists took pride in their gods, as this verse says: And they have taken gods other than Allah so that they might be a source of power (). So, while they were seeking glory for themselves by remembering their own gods, God called them [to Himself] and [communicated] that all glory and honor belong to Himself. He made it clear that belief in His oneness ascends to Him, and righteous deeds uplift that belief. So when a person comes closer to God, he gains honor from its source. However, those who hatched evil plots to try to seek glory found naught but severe punishment, and their plots fell into pieces. They neither ascended anywhere nor did they bring them glory.
وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَكُم مِّن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا وَمَا تَحْمِلُ مِنْ أُنثَى وَلا تَضَعُ إِلاَّ بِعِلْمِهِ وَمَا يُعَمَّرُ مِن مُّعَمَّرٍ وَلا يُنقَصُ مِنْ عُمُرِهِ إِلاَّ فِي كِتَابٍ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ ١١
(35:11) Allah created you from dust, then from a drop, then He made you into pairs. And no female carries [a child] or gives birth without His knowledge. No one’s life is lengthened or shortened without it being in a book. This is easy for Allah.
This verse refers to the creation of the human being. Far back, human creation began with dust; then, much closer in time, from a drop.
Some exegetes say that when this verse refers to humanity being created from dust, it refers to the creation of their forefather Adam from dust, and then other human beings are appended to that. Others say that the intent is the creation of Adam specifically. Still others say that the intent is, overall, the creation of humans in general—that humans are created from dust, and this encompasses the creation of Adam from dust and then particular stages of creation, proceeding next to creation from a drop. The difference between this latter view and the first is that, in the first, creation from dust is figurative, whereas, in the second view, “creation from dust” is taken literally to mean the creation of Adam. In the third view, it refers to the creation of the human race, and therefore is neither figurative nor limited to Adam.
Each of these views can be supported by one of the following verses, respectively: He created the human being from dry clay like pottery. () He began the creation of the human with clay, then made his progeny from a quintessence of the nature of a fluid despised. () We created you and fashioned you; then we said to the angels, “Bow to Adam.” ()
Then He made you into pairs: This means that people were created male and female. Some say that this means that human beings were given the capacity to mate, and others say that it refers to the creation of different groups and tribes of humans. And this is as before.
And no female carries [a child] or gives birth without His knowledge (bi-ʿilmihi): The min in this sentence (wa mā taḥmil min unthā) puts an extra emphasis on “no”. The bi- in bi-ʿilmihi indicates that the two are together [that is, God is always aware of gestation]. As a clause, it is attached to both carries [a child] and gives birth, meaning that “no female carries a child or gives birth without His knowledge accompanying the pregnancy and birth.” Some exegetes say that it is an adverbial phrase describing the subject. They have said that it is in opposition to the apparent meaning and thus not feasible to say that it is an adverb for both pregnancy (taḥmil) and delivery (taḍaʿ) and their objects; that is, that which is carried and that which is delivered.
No one’s life is lengthened or shortened without it being in a book: Meaning, no one’s life becomes long or short unless it is in a book.
No one’s life is lengthened (wa mā yuʿammiru min muʿammarin) is similar in structure to, I see myself pressing wine (innī arānī aʿṣiru khamran, ). Muʿammarin [a grammatically accusative object of a preposition] takes on the role of an absent subject, such as “someone” or “no one” (aḥad), in order to show that the person reaches old age only after it is decreed that his lifespan shall be long; otherwise [if someone is already old], the concept of having one’s lifespan lengthened would be meaningless.
Or shortened (wa lā yanqaṣu min ʿumurihi): The pronoun -hi refers back to muʿammarin (the person whose life is lengthened), and, therefore, describes the omitted subject “someone” or “no one” (aḥad), indicating that for someone’s lifespan to be shortened, it must first be decreed to be long.
Without it being in a book: This is the inalterable Guarded Tablet (al-lawḥ al-maḥfūẓ) which is fixed in stone. On it, it is inscribed that so-and-so person will have a longer life for this-or-that reason, whereas so-and-so person will have a shorter life for this-or-that reason. However, the Book of Erasing and Recording (kitab al-maḥw wa al-ithbāt) may be changed; the verses imply that this is part of the recorded (thābit) knowledge. There are other views on this verse, but they are weak, and so there is no use presenting them.
This is easy for Allah: This confirms and justifies what is said previously in the verse regarding the description of the creation of the human—how he was originated, and how he endures. It means that this precise, firm, unrivalled management of created species, both as a whole as well as of each and every one of their individual members, is easy for God, for He is omniscient, omnipotent, encompassing all with His knowledge and power. He is the Lord of humanity just as He is Lord of all things.
وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْبَحْرَانِ هَذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ سَائِغٌ شَرَابُهُ وَهَذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَمِن كُلٍّ تَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا وَتَسْتَخْرِجُونَ حِلْيَةً تَلْبَسُونَهَا وَتَرَى الْفُلْكَ فِيهِ مَوَاخِرَ لِتَبْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ١٢
(35:12) And the two seas are not alike. One is sweet (ʿadhb), satisfying (furāt), and pleasant (sāʾigh) to drink. The other is salty and bitter (ujāj). But from both, you eat fresh flesh and extract ornaments which you wear. And you see ships plowing through them so that you may seek His bounty and so that you may give thanks.
Some exegetes say that ʿadhb (“sweet”) refers to good water, and furāt refers to water which slakes thirst. Majmaʿ says that it is cool water. Sāʾigh refers to water which is easy to drink due to its pleasantness. Ujāj is [water] which burns due to its saltiness or bitterness.
But from both, you eat fresh flesh and extract ornaments which you wear: Fresh flesh refers to meat which is tender and good; it refers either to fish, or to fish and seabirds. “Ornaments extracted from the sea” refers to pearls, coral, and shells, as also mentioned in: You extract from both of them pearls and coral ().
The two seas, one salty and one sweet, are also a metaphor for believers and disbelievers. It shows that the two are not the same in their inner perfection, even though both share in most human endeavours and legacies. However, the believer remains on his inner nature and thereby attains happiness in the eternal life, whereas the disbeliever becomes deviated, takes on things that are not good for his inner nature, and is hence punished for his deeds. Thus, they are like the two different seas, sweet and salty: one is like a water which retains its pristine, pure nature; and the others has left it and become salty. Still, some of the same benefits can be attained from both of them—just as [when it comes to the seas], you can eat fresh meat—meaning fish or hunted seabirds—or collect ornaments that you wear, like pearls, coral, and shells.
The surface level meaning of the verse is that ornaments are taken from both types of water, sweet and salty. However, a group of exegetes contests that, since pearls and coral are only found in saltwater. There have been various responses to this, such as:
The point of the verse is to show that the two seas are equal to each other in benefit, even though one benefit is only found in one ocean.
You benefit from both of them, just as you eat fresh flesh and gather ornaments that you wear from salt water, and you see ships plowing through them.
The believer and the disbeliever are like water sweet and salty. However, brackish water is superior to the disbeliever, for you derive some benefits from brackish water, whereas the disbeliever is not existentially beneficial. This verse resembles another verse: Then their hearts became hardened after that, and they are like stones, or harder than stones, for some stones are cloven asunder by rivers or split apart, gushing forth springs; and some fall out of fear of Allah ().
You extract ornaments which you wear continues the metaphor of the two seas, in that they both share certain benefits, varying in their essence, for the product of one is intertwined with the purity of its inner nature. Thus, even though the believer and the disbeliever may share some noble traits, such as bravery or generosity, they differ in that one has retained his original inner purity, whereas the other has not.
It is theoretically possible to gather pearls from fresh water, even though no one has done this before. Therefore, the objection that pearls only come from salt water is unfounded.
The verse (Nor are the two seas alike…) is not a metaphor for the believer and the disbeliever. Rather, it describes the many blessings bestowed by the divine to establish His lordship. It is similar to other verses such as Allah is the one who sends the winds () and He makes the night pass into the day (). Thus the verse proclaims the blessings of the sea and the variance between salt and fresh water and what they produce—both the benefits that are shared and are also unique to each.
This latter view is supported by a similar verse in Sūrah al-Naḥl which is to be taken literally in terms of describing the blessings of God: And He is the one who gave you mastery over the sea, so that you might eat fresh flesh from it and take from it ornaments that you wear. And you see the ships plowing through it so that you may seek His bounty, so that you might be grateful. ()
However, the objection [that pearls cannot be taken from fresh water] is baseless. That is, these ornaments are found in both fresh water and salt water, as is mentioned in research works on this subject.
And you [sing.] see ships plowing through them (mawākhir fīhi): The pronoun -hi in fīhi (lit. “in it”) refers to the sea. Mawākhir is the plural of mākhirah (“to cleave”, “to plow through”), from the root makhr. It refers to the way the prow of a ship cuts through the water as it plows forward.
Some exegetes say that you see (tarā) is in the second person singular, unlike the previous and succeeding parts of the verse [which are in the second person plural] because the other parts of the verse [such as extracting ornaments from the sea] are addressed to people [such as those who live on the coast] who actually derive benefit from the oceans, whereas this phrase—you see—is addressed to everyone with the capability of seeing.
So that you [pl.] may seek His bounty and so that you may give thanks: That is, for that way that it is possible to have mastery over the sea and plow through its waves in order to seek its gifts—namely, sustenance—in order that you might be grateful to God, Exalted be He. We have previously discussed how, in the Qur’an, laʿalla (“so that you might”, “so that this might happen”) is used in an objective or third-person manner to express hope. [That is, it is more along the lines of “it is hoped that…” or “the hope exists that…” rather than “God Himself hopes that…”].
Regarding these two verses: And you see ships plowing through them (fīhi mawākhir) so that you may seek (li-tabtaghū) His bounty (), and And you see ships plowing through them (mawākhir fīhi) so that you may seek (wa li-tabtaghū) His bounty () they differ in (a) the position of fīhi, and (b) whether or so that you may seek (li-tabtaghū) is linked to the previous verb with the conjunction wa (“and”, omitted in translation). Perhaps, this is because the verse in Sūrah al-Naḥl focuses on how God has granted human beings control over various aspects of the natural world (taskhīr). Therefore, it is more appropriate for fīhi to be delayed so that it refers to traversing the sea and clarifies what is meant by having control over the natural world. Since “control” (taskhīr) could refer to many ends, only one of which is seeking God’s bounty, it is more appropriate for so that you may seek His bounty to grammatically act as if it were appended to other things that are elided so as not to restrict it to seeking God’s bounty. However, here, the main point is to show that God is the provider and manager of creation in order to forestall the objections of those who denied the veracity of the Prophetic message (as has already been discussed); thus, in order to do this, it is sufficient just to speak of seeking God’s bounty, without adding anything else.
And God knows best.
Regarding the difference between the two verses, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī says:
What is apparent to me is that the verse in Sūrah al-Naḥl is situated in a discussion of the multiplicity of blessings, as the previous and succeeding verses hint at, particularly: If you [try to] count the blessings of Allah, you will not [be able to] number them (). Therefore, the priority here is to state the blessing first [that is, before fīhi], and that is how ships pass through water. This is in contrast to this verse [that is, ], which is either a rhetorical digression or a means of concluding the metaphor (as discussed before). Therefore, fīhi is brought forward, indicating that this is not the main point; otherwise, this verse would also have included a wa before the li-tabtaghū. However, that is not the case here, unlike in the other verse.
يُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِي لأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَالَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ مَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِن قِطْمِيرٍ ١٣
(35:13) He makes the night pass into the day and makes the day pass into the night, and He has put the sun and moon in your service, each running for a term appointed. That is Allah, your Lord. To him belongs all dominion. And those whom you call other than Him do not even possess the husk of a date.
“Making the night pass into the day” (īlāj al-layl fī al-nahār) refers to the shortening of the day and the lengthening of the night; and “making the day pass into the night” refers to shortening the night and lengthening the day. The intent of the two phrases is to describe the way nights and days alternate between being long and short in the seasons of the year as the days pass. For this reason, the expression yūlij (“enter”, “pass into”) is used to indicate the perpetuity of the change. This is unlike the paths of the sun and moon, for they are fixed. For that reason, the expression He has put the sun and moon in your service (sakhkhara al-shams wa al-qamar), each running for a term appointed is used instead; this is figurative imagery.
That is Allah, your Lord: This wraps up what came before; namely, that if the matter of your creation and administration on land and sea, on earth and in the sky, relate back to Him as the administrator [of the cosmos], then this is god is your Lord; He has true ownership over you and manages your affairs.
To Him belongs all dominion: This is deduced from what is said before it and paves the way for what comes next: And those whom you call other than Him do not even possess the husk of a date (qiṭmīr).
According to al-Rāghib, a qiṭmīr is what remains on the kernel [of a fruit, or date]. It is used as an expression for something insignificant. Majmaʿ says that a qiṭmīr is what covers the kernel but that some say that it is a small seed within the kernel. In any case, here, it is a rhetorical device used to disavow that beings other than God could have ownership (mulk) [over creation]. Those who you call other than Him refers to the gods—the idols and lords—that they used to pray to.
إِن تَدْعُوهُمْ لا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ وَلا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ ١٤
(35:14) If you call them, they hear not your call; and if did hear it, they would not respond. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will reject the way you made them partners with Allah, and none informs you like the one who is aware.
This emphasizes what was said before—namely, that those whom you call other than Him do not even possess the husk of a date. That is, it affirms that they do not have ownership over anything; if you call upon them, they will not hear your call, for they are earthen idols bereft of sense and perception. The lords of the idols, such as the angels and holy men, are engaged with their own duties, and do not have independent faculties of hearing; they will only hear if they are made to hear [by God].
And if did hear it, they would not respond: If this means that they have no power to respond in word or deed, this refers to the idols themselves. If it refers to the lords of the idols [as mentioned above], then it means that their power is from God, the Exalted, and that God will not allow any of them to respond to anyone who prays to them as if they were a lord. God says: The Messiah did not disdain being a servant of Allah, nor do the angels near [Him]. Whoever haughtily disdains to worship Allah shall [still] be gathered before Him. ()
On the Day of Resurrection, they will reject the way you made them partners with Allah: That is, they shall reject the way you worshipped them and disassociate themselves from you rather than interceding for you. When those who are followed disassociate themselves from those who are following them ().
The way that the verse denies that they will respond and says that they will reject being made partners of God on the Day of Resurrection is reiterated here: And who is more astray than the ones who call on ones other than Allah—ones who shall not respond to them until the Day of Resurrection, until which they will be have been heedless of their call. And when people are resurrected, they will be enemies to them and reject the way they were worshipped ().
And none informs you like the one who is aware: Meaning no one can tell you about the truth of the matter like one who is truly aware. While the previous sentences are in the second person plural, this sentence is addressed directly to the Prophet. Either this is because the verses were addressing people who did not comprehend the truth, or else this last sentence is addressing the masses in the guise of a sentiment addressed privately to the Prophet, similar to: And you [second person sing.] see ships ploughing through them (); And would have seen the sun when it rose…and you would have thought them awake when asleep ().
Examining Narrations
- Tafsīr al-Qummī relates regarding Such shall be the resurrection! ():
My father narrated to me from Ibn Abī ʿUmayr, from Jamīl ibn Darrāj, that Abū ʿAbdullāh [Imām al-Ṣādiq] said: “When God wills to raise the creation, He will cause it to rain from the sky onto the earth for forty mornings. Then the body’s joints will link up and the flesh will grow back like herbage.”
Author’s comment: Numerous narrations express this meaning.
- In al-Durr al-Manthūr, it is related from al-Ṭayālisī, Aḥmad, ʿAbd ibn Ḥamīd, Ibn Mundhir, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, Ibn Mardawayh, and al-Bayhaqī in al-Asmāʾ wa al-Ṣifāt:
Ibn Razīn al-ʿUqaylī said: “O Messenger of God, how will God raise the dead?”
He [the Prophet] said: “Have you not passed through a barren land, and then passed through it again when it is fertile, bursting forth in greenery?”
He said: “Yes.”
He [the Prophet] said: “Thus shall God revive the dead, and such shall be the Resurrection ().”
- In Tafsīr al-Qummī, it is related from Abū Jārūd from Abū Jaʿfar [Imām al-Bāqir] that the Prophet said:
Every word has a deed which confirms or betrays it. When the son of Adam utters something, and his actions are in line with his words, his words raise his deed to God. And when he speaks but acts against what he says, his words are negated by his ugly deed and is cast into the fire.
- In al-Tawḥīd, it is related via a chain of narration that Zayd ibn ʿAlī said that his father [Imām al-Sajjād] said:
There is a spot in the heavens belonging to God, the Blessed and Exalted; anyone who halts at that place is brought up to Him. Have you not heard God, the Mighty and Glorious, say: The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him (). And He says in the story of Jesus: Allah raised him to Himself (). And He says: To Him ascends the goodly word; the righteous deed lifts it up ().
Author’s comment: Something similar is related in al-Faqīh.
- Nahj al-Balāghah says:
Had they [the heavens] not confessed to His lordship and submitted to Him obediently, He would not have placed His Throne there, nor made them a habitat for the angels, nor a place for the good word and righteous act to ascend to from His creation.
- In Tafsīr al-Qummī, it is related from Abū Jārūd that Abū Jaʿfar [Imām al-Bāqir] said:
And the two seas are not alike. One is sweet, satisfying, and pleasant to drink. The other is salty and bitter (ujāj) ()—Ujāj means “salty” and “bitter”.
- In Tafsīr al-Qummī, regarding And those whom you call other than Him do not even possess the husk of a date (), it says:
This is the thin husk that enwraps the kernel [of a fruit].
Lit. “It is said hadha kalim and hadhihi kalim [“these words”, m. and “these words”, f., respectively]. [Trans.] ↩︎
The Yusufali Qur’anic translation of this verse reflects this latter view (namely, that God is the one who lifts up the deeds). However, the previous view (namely, that the deeds do the lifting up) is grammatically preferable. [Trans.] ↩︎
Dār al-Nadwah was a place where the noblemen of the Quraysh met to discuss important issues, such as treaties and war. Among the decisions issued there was the plot to murder the Prophet, which led to his migration to Medina. [Trans.] ↩︎
A footnote in the Arabic edition invites the reader to consult various encyclopaedias published in the author’s country and abroad which discuss freshwater pearls and their sources. [Trans.] ↩︎
ʿAllāmah may be calling attention to the fact that the verb used for the night passing into the day is in the present tense, indicating perpetuity, whereas the verb for the sun and moon being put into the service of humans is in the past tense, indicating that the orbits of the sun and moon have been decreed and are fixed. [Trans.] ↩︎