خَلَقۡنَا

21:17; 44:39.

14:3; 19:38; 51:61.

Commentary:

With this verse the Surah reverts to its original theme dealt with in the opening verses. It purports to say that the heavens and the earth and all that is between them have not been created in vain. They serve a mighty purpose and point to the existence of an Infallible mind, an Almighty Being Who has created them. Divine Prophets come into the world to call men to their Creator and when they come, those to whom they address their Message become divided into two groups—believers and disbelievers.

6:3; 15:29, 34; 55:15.

Important Words:

صلصال (dry ringing clay) is derived from صل or صلصل which both mean, it sounded; or it produced or emitted a sound; or it made a clashing, ringing or tinkling sound; or it made a long or repeated sound. صلصل الجرس means, the bell made a prolonged ringing or tinkling sound. صلصل فلانا means, he frightened, threatened or terrified such a one. تصلصل means, it (dry clay) made a crackling sound when trodden upon. تصلصل الغدیر means, the black mud of the pool became dry, because such dry mud makes a crackling sound when trodden upon. صلصال means a noisy ass; an ass or a horse sharp and shrill in voice; clay not made into pottery so-called because of its making a sound; or clay mixed with sand which, when it becomes dry makes a sound and which when baked is فخار; or dry clay that makes a sound by reason of its dryness (Lane & Aqrab).

حمأ (black mud) is the noun from حمأ (hama’a). They say حمئت البئر i.e. the well had in it black (fetid) mud in abundance. حمأالبئر means, he cleansed the well of its black (fetid) mud. حمأ الماء means, the water was or became mixed with black fetid mud, and so was rendered turbid and altered in odour. احمأ البئر means, he threw black fetid mud into the well. حمئی علیه means, he was angry with him. حمأ means, black mud; or black fetid mud (Lane & Aqrab).

مسنون (wrought into shape) is the passive participle from سن. They say سنه i.e. he bit him with his اسنان or teeth; or he formed or fashioned or shaped it; or he sharpened or whetted it. سننت لکم سنة means, I have instituted for you a custom or practice to be followed. They say سن الله سنة i.e. God manifested or made known for the people a right way of acting; سن الطینmeans, he plastered pottery with the clay; or he made the clay into pottery. سن (in the passive voice) means, it became altered for the worse or stinking. مسنون means, bitten with the teeth; sharpened or whetted or polished; made smooth; formed, fashioned or shaped; poured forth into moulds to become hardened and formed into a certain shape; or (mud) altered, for the worse in odour; made long and beautiful (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The creation of Adam has been mentioned at several places in the Quran and it is worthy of special note that wherever the Quran speaks of the creation of Adam, it prefaces the account with a reference to Resurrection, as may be seen from the following passages:

Reference to the creation of Adam. | Reference to Resurrection.

2:31. | 2:29.

7:12. | 7:9-10.

18:51. | 18:48-50.

20:117. | 20:102-105.

38:72. | 38:50-65.

A careful study of these passages leads one to the conclusion that this juxtaposition is not accidental. The Quran does not refer to Resurrection or facts relating to it when it speaks of other Prophets such as Moses or Abraham; but whenever it speaks of the creation of Adam, it invariably precedes this account with a reference to Resurrection. Evidently, there must be some deep connection between the two events which accounts for their simultaneous mention. The same is true of several other subjects mentioned in the Quran; thus indicating that they have been put together with a definite purpose. For instance, we find that whenever the Quran speaks of the universal spread of Islam, it couples this subject with a reference to the account of Jesus, thus indicating that it was through the Promised Messiah who was to appear in the latter days as the counterpart of Jesus that the complete propagation and the universal spread of Islam was to be brought about. See also vv. 9:30-33, 48:29, 30 & 61:7-10.

As for the reason why reference to the creation of Adam is always preceded by a reference to post-mortal Resurrection, it may be noted (1) that the creation of Adam or man being subject to the Law or Shari‘ah demands that there should be a general Resurrection and final Judgement for adjudging the goodness or badness of human actions and for awarding rewards and punishments; while, on the other hand, Resurrection and Judgement of mankind demands that there should be a Law or Shari‘ah, because without such a Law the awarding of rewards and punishments becomes meaningless; (2) that the creation of man constitutes a strong proof of Resurrection.

The following arguments may be given in support of this contention:

(a) Man is the crown and acme of all creation. His creation became complete after a long process of gradual development and evolution. This proves that there is indeed a Day of Reckoning, because if man had been given his present form at the very outset, it could legitimately be said that his creation in his present form was an accident and that, like other things which took their respective shapes as the result of natural changes, he too, received his present form. But the creation of man in his present perfect form, after a long process of gradual change and evolution, and then the stopping of its further development after his having attained his present form, shows that man’s creation was not an accident but the result of a predetermined plan and that he was meant to be the crown and object of the whole creation.

(b) The fact that there exist in nature two powers—one of good and the other of evil and that man possesses the power to do both good or bad deeds, and that these powers are subject to his volition and control, proves that he has been created to rule and dominate creation. The reward and recompense of his works should, therefore, be something more than the direct result of his actions. This presupposes post-mortal existence and a time of reckoning i.e. Resurrection and Judgement.

(c) All material progress of man depends upon the observance and obedience of the laws of nature and not upon moral and spiritual laws. In man’s life, however, moral and spiritual considerations play a much more important part. It, therefore, follows that material progress is not the end of human life and that there must be some other life where he should receive the full reward of his moral and spiritual endeavours.

Man having been created from صلصال (dry ringing clay) signifies that he has been created from matter in which the faculty and attribute of speech lay latent. This shows that he has been endowed with the power to respond to the voice of God. But as صلصال (dry ringing clay) emits a sound only when struck with something extraneous, the word is intended to hint that man’s power to respond is subject to his receiving the Divine Call. This faculty establishes his superiority over the whole creation.

The Quranic words that man has been created from حمأ مسنون (black mud wrought into shape) have been used to draw attention to the fact that man has been created from حمأ (black mud) i.e. earth and water; earth being the source of the body and water of the soul. Elsewhere, the Quran speaks of "earth" and "water" separately as the things of which man has been created (3:60, 21:31). By joining the word صلصال (dry ringing clay) with the word حمأ (black mud), the Quran means to point out that while other living things are created of حمأ (black mud) only, viz. of earth and water, for they too possess a certain kind of undeveloped soul, man is created of حمأ combined with صلصال i.e. the attribute of speech. He is also مسنون i.e. wrought into perfect shape. See also 95:5.

It should be remembered that the verse does not mean that clay became at once moulded into a living man by God having breathed life into it. The Quran repeatedly emphasizes the fact that the creation of the universe was gradual. The verse speaks here of only the first stage of man’s creation. Other stages of creation have been mentioned in other verses of the Quran e.g. 30:21, 35:12, 40:68, 22:6 and 23:15. These should be read in the order in which they are given here in order to understand how the different stages of development and evolution of man, omitted in one verse, are supplied in the others.

The statement of the Quran that man was created out of "earth" (which, incidentally, means that the long process of his creation started with it) also finds corroboration from the fact that even now man’s food is derived from the earth, certain parts being derived directly and others indirectly. This clearly shows that the matter contained in the earth forms the origin of man; for if such had not been the case, he could not have derived his nutrition from it, because only that thing of which a being is made can supply it with nutrition, a foreign element being unable to replenish wastage.

The verse also implies an effective answer to those who disbelieve and wonder at the possibility of God’s speaking to human beings. The verse points out that it is not the phenomenon of revelation that is to be wondered at. On the contrary, it would be a matter for wonder if there had been no such phenomenon, because even from the very beginning of his creation man had been endowed with the power and capacity to receive Divine revelation and respond to it.

3:192; 16:4; 38:28.

20:16; 40:60.

Important Words:

فاصفح (So turn away) is derived from صفح (safaha). صفح عنه means, he turned away from and left him. This expression also means, he turned away from his sins or faults i.e. he forgave him. صفح الناس means, he watched and looked into the affairs and conditions of the people. صفح (safhun) is the infinitive noun from it, meaning also the side of a thing. (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The word ساعة (Hour) is used to signify both the post-mortal Day of Judgement and the time fixed in this life for the punishment of the enemies of truth and the triumph of believers. The verse means to say that a careful study of the creation or the universe and its working leads to the conclusion that a great purpose underlies it. It not only proves that there is inevitably going to be a day of ultimate reckoning after death, but that even in this world truth ultimately triumphs and falsehood comes to grief. If human life were really confined to a short and temporary existence on this earth, then the vast organization of the illimitable universe would be much too extravagant a provision. The creation of the universe and the wonderful design and purpose that pervades it surely leads to the one inescapable inference that human life is much more than the limited, temporary and short existence on this earth. It is an insult to human intelligence to think that man has been created just to eat, drink and be merry for a while and then die an eternal death. The wonderful creation of the universe strongly repudiates such an idea. Human existence has a grand purpose to fulfil and the fulfilment of that purpose presupposes that it should extend to a time when man should attain to that high spiritual state for which he is created. Study of the human mechanism shows that machinery of such infinite complexity could not have for its object only the preservation of the finite physical life.

Similarly, a study of the creation of this universe and its mighty and wonderful working leads to the conclusion that in this life truth must ultimately prevail against untruth. The verse points out that just as it is impossible for the earth to subsist for one single day without the physical heavens, similarly, there could be no spiritual life divorced from the heaven of spiritual truths. Just as the earth can discharge its proper functions only so long as it forms a part of the whole universe, even so can man save himself from destruction only by forming a part of the spiritual system around him. The verse, therefore, purports to warn opponents of the Holy Prophet that, as they have cut themselves off from the heaven of spiritual truths, their wealth and possessions would not avail them in the least and the time has now come for their destruction and for the success and prosperity of those who have believed.

It may be noted here that the verse emphatically speaks of the impending destruction of disbelievers. History bears witness to the fact that after the promulgation of this prophecy, the condition of the Meccan idolaters changed quickly from bad to worse until their power was completely broken and Islam reigned supreme in the land.

It may further be noted that the verse under comment lends support to the view that this Surah was revealed towards the close of the Meccan period. At any rate the present verses must have belonged to that period, because they clearly speak of the imminent destruction of the Meccans. The first few verses of the next Surah also deal with the same topic.

The words, So turn away from them in a comely manner, signify that now when the time of the punishment of the Meccans has come, the Holy Prophet should cease to hold religious discussions with them.

Commentary:

The verse means to say that God has equally honoured all the children of Adam and has not favoured any particular nation or tribe. It seeks to demolish all foolish notions of superiority based on colour, creed, race or nationality. It further says that all avenues of progress and prosperity have been kept open, equally for all men and these avenues lie as much in travel by land as by sea. The laying of stress on travel by sea in the Quran seems strange. The fact that an Arab, and of all Arabs the Holy Prophet, who throughout his whole life never experienced a sea voyage, should have so much emphasized the importance of sea-voyaging does indeed show that the Quran could not be his composition. He did not and could not know the great benefits of sea-voyaging.

The words, and exalted them far above many, may seem to suggest that man is superior only to certain species of creation and not all creation. But a little deeper reflection over the expression makes such an inference appear quite unwarranted. The verse speaks of all mankind and it is true that all men are not superior to all other creatures. There are men morally so degraded as to be worse than animals and beasts. There are others who are superior even to the angels. There are others still who are so righteous as to occupy a higher spiritual position than even the most exalted angels. In short, all men are not superior to all other creatures, but some men do top the whole creation and man as such is superior to most of the creation, for the sun, the moon, the stars, and animals have been created for him and are engaged in his service. Hence, mankind as a class is superior to most of God’s creatures, while man in his perfect spiritual state is certainly superior to the whole creation.

15:86; 38:28; 44:39.

Commentary:

The verse means to say that when the universe has not been created as a mere pastime and sport and a little reflection over its creation reveals the great wisdom underlying it, the creation of man who is its axis and centre must also have been designed to serve a grand and sublime object. At another place the Quran says that man is God’s vicegerent on earth and he has been created to serve as a mirror to reflect the beautiful image of his Creator (2:31).

32:8-9.

Important Words:

سلالة (extract) is derived from سل (salla). They say سل الشیء i.e. he drew out the thing or he drew it out from another thing gently. سلالة means, what is or becomes drawn forth from a thing. سلالة الشیء means, an extract of a thing; the clear or pure part or the choice, the best or most excellent part of a thing; the sperma genitalis of a man; the water that is drawn from the back; progeny (Lane & Aqrab).

طین (clay) is derived from طان. They say طانه i.e. he plastered it with clay or mud. طانه اللّٰه علی الخیر means, God created him with a good natural disposition. طین means, clay, mud, earth, mould, soil (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

With this verse begins a description of the process of creation of the noblest handiwork of God—man, from the earliest stage when he lies dormant in the form of dust. The inorganic constituents of the earth through a subtle process of change become converted into the germ of life by way of food which a human being eats.

Important Words:

For علقة، نطفة and مضغة see 22:6.

Commentary:

نطفة i.e. the impregnated ovum on its arrival in the cavity of the womb chooses by mutual attraction a place for its abode in the inner wall of the womb, and there it becomes attached to it and does not flow out with discharges. After that it makes erosion into this spot, and produces bleeding, thus making its way into the layers of the decidua. Then it becomes increasingly covered up with maternal blood, forming within the ovum a connection with it. At this stage it looks like a mass of congealed blood and therefore the Quran calls it علقة which not only means congealed blood but also signifies an attachment or connection with something else. Thus a brief single word describes this stage of the ovum, i.e. its attractions, connections and the formation of the blood-vessels in it. In the next stage the ovum becomes a blastoderm, which is called مضغة in the Quran. This blastoderm has three layers from which all the organs of the foetus are developed. The Quran then describes the transformation of the layers of the blastoderm by the words, Then We fashioned bones out of this shapeless lump, which means that out of the مضغة (lump) God creates bones. After this God covers the bones with flesh and skin and other organs and then He perfects its creation internally. At this stage the body in the womb develops a soul from within itself. The Quran has described this remarkable change in the words, Then We developed it into another creation. These words show that the soul is not imported into the human body from outside, but grows in the body as it develops in the womb. It is an essence which is distilled from the body in the course of a long process, as beer is distilled from barley. It has at first no separate existence from the body but the processes through which the body passes during its development in the womb distils from the body a delicate essence which is called the soul. As soon as the relationship between the soul and the body becomes completely adjusted, the heart begins to function. The soul then has a distinct existence of its own apart from the body which henceforth serves it as a shell.

As referred to above there exists a remarkable parallelism between the spiritual development of man as described in the first ten verses of the Surah and the physical development of the embryo mentioned in this and the preceding verse.

The initial stage of spiritual advancement of man is described in the words, "who humble themselves in their Prayers" (v. 3 above), i.e. who assume an attitude of humility and submission while offering their prayers and supplications to God. The stage of physical development corresponding to this initial stage of spiritual progress is the stage of نطفة, or the impregnated ovum which is a seed that combines in itself, in a miniature form, all the different faculties, properties, external and internal organs, and all other features that become prominent in the later stages of physical development. The نطفة however, remains much more exposed to danger than the embryo in its later advanced stages. It is only like a seed which has just been cast into the ground and which has as yet formed no connection with its environments. The attraction of the womb has not yet given it a proper place of development. It is therefore liable to flow out and become destroyed in the passages of the organs of generation like a seed that falls on rocky ground.

What is true of نطفة which forms the first stage in the physical development of man is equally true of man in the first stage of his spiritual progress. This first stage is that condition of humility in which the believer prays to God. It is like a mere seed which is cast in the soul of man, and comprises in an undeveloped form all the faculties and features which reveal themselves in a most attractive form in the last stages of his spiritual advancement. But just as the نطفة continues to remain in a precarious state until it forms a connection with the womb, similarly humility in Prayers is exposed to constant risk until man forms some spiritual connection with his Creator. Without this connection humility in Prayers is but a slippery stage where the spiritual wayfarer is at every step liable to fall.

The next stage in the physical development of man is that of نطفة (a clot) when the sperm forms blood connection with the womb. It assumes the form of congealed blood and becomes safe from being destroyed.

Corresponding to this stage of علقة i.e. a clot, which is the second stage in the development of the foetus is that spiritual condition which has been described in the words, who shun all that which is vain. At this second stage the connection which man establishes with God is like the connection which the ovum establishes with the uterus on reaching the second stage. Just as it is not possible completely to get rid of vain desires and useless pursuits until one reaches the second stage of spiritual advancement,––mere humility and lowliness being liable to fail; similarly the ovum may come to nought before it becomes علقة.

But the connection which a person has formed with God in the second stage and which enables him to give up vain things and fruitless pursuits is at best a temporary and weak one, for his mind is not yet completely free from the love of material comforts and desires of the flesh. This stage is thus compared to which is still tainted with the impurity of blood.

The third stage in the physical development of man is described in the words, Then We fashioned the clot into a lump of flesh. At this stage the physical frame of man is very much freed from the taint of impurity and becomes purer and firmer in substance. Similarly, in the third stage of his spiritual advancement which is referred to in the words, And who are active in paying the Zakah, a true believer not only shuns vain things but in order to cleanse himself of the impurity of miserliness, spends a part of his property in the way of God. The stage of physical development that corresponds to this spiritual stage has been called مضغة (blastoderm) in the Quran.

The مضغة stage, like its corresponding spiritual stage is superior to the earlier two stages of نطفة and علقة because it is more advanced and is more strongly attached to the uterus and is marked by greater density and solidity. The third spiritual stage described in v. 5 is marked by three characteristics which correspond to the three characteristics of the مضغة stage. At this stage, a believer voluntarily spends a portion of his property in the way of God and gives to others what he has earned with the sweat of his brow and thus spiritually he is more advanced than one who merely keeps aloof from fruitless pursuits. Moreover, his connection with God becomes more firm inasmuch as it involves a greater sacrifice to part with his hard earned money than merely to abandon vain things. Lastly, a greater sacrifice is followed by greater firmness and solidity in faith.

The words, then We fashioned bones out of this shapeless lump, refer to the fourth stage of embryonic development. At this stage there is greater solidity in the bones than in the مضغة which is like a lump of flesh. The bones also become firmer and stronger. This fourth stage of physical growth of man corresponds to the fourth stage of spiritual advancement referred to in v.6 above. Just as the bone is the hardest and most lasting part of the body, similarly the faith which gives a believer the power to hold his own against the violent storm of carnal passions must be exceptionally strong and enduring.

The words, Then We clothed the bones with flesh, refer to the fifth stage in the embryonic development which corresponds to the fifth stage of spiritual advancement referred to in v. 9. Just as righteousness adds to the spiritual beauty of a person, similarly the covering of the bones with flesh makes the skeleton of bones look beautiful. There is a peculiar resemblance between these two stages. God speaks of righteousness as لباس (garment). Similarly the expression used in describing the corresponding stage of embryonic development is کسونا (We clothed). Thus the flesh which covers the bones is described as and serves the purpose of, a garment just as righteousness or piety is like a garment adding to the spiritual beauty of a person. But even this fifth stage of physical development is far from perfect because the body has not yet been endowed with the soul and a soulless or lifeless body is but a useless thing. Similarly, in the fifth stage of spiritual advancement, though the spiritual wayfarer has traversed a long distance towards his celestial goal he is yet far away from it. He tries faithfully to discharge his duties and obligations to God, yet he lacks something without which his spiritual development remains incomplete.

The sixth and last stage in the physical development of man in the womb is described in the words, then We developed it into another creation. At this stage the body is endowed with the soul. The words, "another creation" imply that this new creation is beyond human comprehension. Man has so far been quite at a loss to understand what soul is. According to the Quran the body itself is the mother of the soul. As mentioned above the soul does not come from anywhere outside the body but is a light that lies hidden in the seed itself and grows with the growth of the body. This last stage of embryonic development corresponds to the sixth and highest stage of spiritual development referred to in v.10 above. At this stage a heavenly light descends upon the heart of a believer and Divine love consumes his whole being, illuminating and animating it. At this stage prayer and remembrance of God becomes, as it were, part and parcel of his being without which he cannot live. He receives a new spiritual life and becomes wholly lost in God.

Such is the beautiful parallelism described by the Quran which exists between the physical and spiritual development of man. When one comes to have a complete comprehension and realization of it he spontaneously exclaims, "Blessed be Allah, the Best of creators." Thus God created man and perfected him in six stages and six stages also has He ordained for his spiritual development. For a fuller and more exhaustive treatment of this subject see Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah vol. 5, by Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement.

78:13.

Important Words:

طرائق (stages of heaven) is the plural of طریقة which means, a way, course, rule, mode or manner of acting or conduct; the way or course of an event; a line; streak or stripe in a thing; stage of heaven; a web; or a tall palm-tree. طرائق means, stages of heaven, so called because they lie one above another. طرائق الدھر means, the vicissitudes of times or fortune. According to Raghib اطباق السماء (stages of heaven) are called طرائق (Lane & Aqrab). See also 20:64.

Commentary:

The six stages of spiritual progress described in the first twelve verses of this Surah become seven if "Paradise" (v. 12) be counted as the last stage of spiritual development when man attains the object of his creation. Similarly, if the preparatory stage previous to the formation of the sperm (referred to in v. 13) be added to the six stages of the embryonic development, this number also becomes seven. Thus the seven stages to which reference has been made in this verse correspond to the seven stages of the physical development of man mentioned in vv. 13-15. It is through these seven stages that man has to pass in order to achieve the highest point of spiritual development. These seven spiritual stages are as follows:

1. The first stage may be called the stage of lack of spiritual perception or that of spiritual feelinglessness. At this stage, like inanimate things, a person is completely devoid of all capacity to distinguish between right or wrong or good or evil. He is devoid of any high aims and his whole life seems to consist in providing for and meeting his physical needs. This stage of spiritual lifelessness is described by the Quran in the words "Then your hearts became hardened after that till they were like stones or harder still" (2:75).

2. The second stage may be likened to vegetable life when, like vegetables, man comes to develop some capacity and power to grow and make spiritual progress, but spiritually he is yet too weak adequately to defend himself against the onslaughts of evil beings and spirits. This stage is described in the Quranic words:

"And if you invite them to guidance, they hear not. And thou seest them looking towards thee, but they see not" (7:199).

3. The third stage may be called the animal stage when spiritually a person is no better than animals, when on being called he hears the voice of the caller but does not understand the significance or meaning of the call. The Quran beautifully describes the spiritual condition of such people in the words: "They have hearts but they comprehend not therewith, and they have eyes but they see not therewith, and they have ears but they hear not therewith. They are like cattle; nay, they are even more astray" (7:180).

4. The fourth stage is reached when the believer happens to develop greater love for God and greater righteousness and comes to realize the significance of his actions and to distinguish between good and evil. At this stage he acquires the power to resist satanic promptings in large measure but occasionally he falters and falls but then speedily comes to his own. This stage is described in the Quranic words: "And those who are righteous, when a suggestion from Satan assails them, they remember God: and behold! They begin to see things rightly" (7:202).

5. The fifth is a still higher stage of spiritual progress when the God-fearing man attains such degree of Divine realization that submission to God’s commandments and resignation to His decrees becomes, as it were, a part of his being and like angels he carries out fully and completely all Divine commandments. This stage is portrayed in the words: "And they do what they are commanded" (16:51).

6. The sixth stage is a much higher stage. At this stage the spiritual way-farer drinks so deep at the fountain of God’s love that he entrusts all his affairs fully into God’s safe keeping and becomes, as it were, a lifeless instrument in God’s hands which He uses as He chooses, and all his actions and movements are in perfect unison with God’s will. The Quran gives a graphic description of the believers who have attained this high stage of spiritual progress in the words: "Nay, whoever submits himself completely to Allah, and he is the doer of good, shall have his reward with his Lord. No fear shall come upon such, neither shall they grieve" (2:113).

7. The final and most developed stage of spiritual perfection is described in the Quranic words: "Then we perfect it into another creation. So blessed is Allah, the Best of creators" (23:15). At this stage the God-intoxicated believer is a totally changed being, a quite new creation. In the sixth stage he had completely subordinated his will to the will of God so much so that God’s will had become his will; at this stage, however, his will becomes, as it were, the will of his Creator and Lord and he attains to such high degree of spiritual perfection that Divine attributes become increasingly reflected in the mirror of his heart and he becomes a manifestation of God’s beauty and majesty. His hands and feet become, so to say, God’s own hands and feet and he speaks with God’s own tongue. "He does not speak out of his own desire. It is nothing but pure revelation that has been revealed by God," says the Quran (53:4).

The words "We are not neglectful of the creation" signify that God has not neglected to make full provision for man’s both physical and spiritual developments. From the next verse the Surah proceeds to mention some of those things on which man’s physical as well as his spiritual life depends.

Commentary:

After mentioning the fact that the Holy Prophet has been raised to impart spiritual life to a dead people, the Surah proceeds to give in the present and next few verses the reasons for a new revelation. When God has provided, the verses purport to say, all necessary things to meet man’s physical needs and requirements, it does not stand to reason that He should have neglected to make similar provision for his moral and spiritual needs. These verses refer to some of the things which man needs and uses most in his daily life.

17:41; 37:151; 43:20; 52:40.

21:17; 38:28.

Commentary:

Human life has a grim purpose and a great mission. The faculties and inborn powers of man are an indication that life is real and earnest. It is to this great principle that the creation of the heavens and the earth emphatically draws our attention.

21:17; 38:28; 44:39.

Commentary:

The verse means to say that the creation of heavens and the earth is intended to serve an eternal purpose which is to serve man who is, God’s noblest handiwork, and the aim and object of whose life is to develop in himself Divine attributes. For the attainment by man of this grand and sublime object, God raised His Messengers in all times and among all peoples. To these Messengers He revealed Himself, and to them He gave His teaching. The greatest and noblest of these Divine Messengers was the Holy Prophet Muhammad, and the last and most complete and perfect code of Divine laws is the Quran.

The creation of the heavens and the earth also establishes the eternal truth that there is only One Designer, Creator and Controller of the universe. It constitutes an unassailable argument against idolatry.

The words "for an appointed time" signify that the universe had a beginning and will also have an end. It is to this great truth that the verses, "All that is on it will pass away. And there will remain only the Person of thy Lord, Master of Glory and Honour" (55:27-28), refer.

86:5.

Commentary:

Wonderful is God’s creation of the universe, but much more wonderful is the creation of man. The fact that man is master of his conduct and is responsible for his decisions is here put forward as another argument to support the inevitability of the Resurrection. In fact man’s life on Earth is "the seedbed of an eternal future".

7:55; 10:4; 11:8; 25:60.

50:16.

Important Words:

أیام (periods) is the plural of یوم which properly means, time absolutely (1:4) or indefinite period or stage in the development of a thing. It does not always denote the day as determined by the rising and setting of the sun. In the Quran یوم has been spoken of as equal to one or even fifty thousand years (22:48; 70:5). Elsewhere in the Quran the division of these six days has been described in this wise; the making of the earth took two days; it took two more days for mountains, rivers, etc., to be placed upon it, and another two days for the growth of vegetable and animal life on it. See also 10:4; 41:10-13.

لغوب (weariness) is infinitive noun from لغب which means, he was fatigued, tired or wearied to the utmost; he was languid in consequence of fatigue; he was wearied in spirit or mind (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

It is a characteristic of the Quran that not only does it exonerate God’s noble Prophets from all the vices and immoralities imputed to them in the Bible, but it also clears the Divine Being of the flaws and defects that are inconsistent with His Majesty and Holiness. The Bible depicts God as "having rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made" (Gen. 2:2) but according to the Quran no weariness can touch Him.

13:4; 36:37.

Commentary:

The verse implies a subtle allusion to the object of man’s creation, one of the main themes of the Surah. The verse, like several other Quranic verses states that God has created all things in pairs. There are pairs not only in animal life, but also in vegetables, and even in inanimate things. There are pairs also in spiritual things. Even heaven and earth make a pair. Unless water comes from heaven and the sun gives warmth and light to the earth there can be no vegetation. Similarly, the human soul, which has been compared to earth in the foregoing verses, can find no scope for the manifestation of its latent and inherent powers and attributes unless the light of revelation descends upon it.

18:38; 35:12; 36:78; 40:68; 80:20.

Commentary:

أمشاج is the plural of مشیج which means, a mixture. Man is created from a sperm drop which itself is a mixture of several things, the implication being that he has been endowed with various natural powers, faculties and attributes meant for his moral and spiritual advance. This process of the creation of man points only to a general rule of creation; not that in no case could it be otherwise. The fact that man is gifted with insight and understanding signifies that he is a free agent, enjoying discretion and volition; therefore he is responsible for his actions. The belief in man’s freedom of action and responsibility leads inevitably to the belief in the Hereafter.

84:7.

Important Words:

کبد (toil). کبده means, he smote his liver or stomach. کبد means, difficulty; distress; affliction; the middle of the sky. فی کبدmeans, in a state in which he has to work hard. It also means, in a right and just state; in just proportion; in an erect state (Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse purports to say that the prophecy made in the foregoing verses, viz. that the Holy Prophet will be expelled from Mecca but will come back to it as a conqueror and that Mecca will submit to him, and its inhabitants will enter his fold, will be fulfilled only after he and his followers had gone through great hardships, that is to say, great toil and incessant struggle will be demanded of them to achieve their great goal.

23:13-15.

Important Words:

تقویم (make, formation or build) is inf. noun from قوم . They say قوم الأمر i.e. he managed the affair well. قوم الشیء means, he set the thing right or made it straight or even (Aqrab & Lane).

Commentary:

The verse may mean:

1. Man has been endowed with the best natural powers and qualities, by making use of which he can make infinite progress.

2. God has endowed man with a creative power, i.e. he can be a good architect and builder in both the physical and spiritual senses.

The question naturally arises: When man has been endowed with such wonderful natural powers and capacities, why does he sin? Various schools have their own explanations for this baffling question. According to one school man is prone to evil, though he has also been endowed with the power to correct and reform himself. This is the Buddhist conception of evil. (ii) According to Christian belief man is by nature sinful, because Adam faltered and committed a sin, and his progeny inherited the taint of sin from their progenitor. (iii) The third school holds the view that man is not born with a good or bad nature. He comes into the world with some natural inclinations and instinctive impulses and it is the sort of education which he gets or the atmosphere in which he moves that make him good or bad. Some mystics hold the view that man is deprived of all freedom of will or action and is completely denied discretion or volition and that he is a helpless victim of predetermined set of conditions and circumstances which he cannot overcome. (iv) The protagonists of the theory of transmigration of souls are of the view that man is born to suffer for the evil deeds he does in a former existence and goes through various forms of rebirth to cleanse himself of his sins. All these views evidently contravene human reason and offend against his moral sense. According to Islam, however, man is born with a pure and unsullied nature, with a natural tendency to do good, but he has also been given a large measure of freedom of will and action to mould himself as he chooses. He has been endowed with great natural powers and qualities to make unlimited moral progress and to rise spiritually so high as to become the mirror in which Divine attributes are reflected. But if he misuses God-given powers and attributes, he sinks lower than even beasts and brutes and becomes the Devil incarnate as the next verse shows. Briefly, the verse signifies that man is blessed with great potentialities for good or evil.