Ar-Rahman

See ayat 6 for tafseer.

See ayat 6 for tafseer.

See ayat 6 for tafseer.

See ayat 6 for tafseer.

See ayat 6 for tafseer.

Since this surah sets forth the blessings bestowed by the Almighty God, it opens with His sacred name "al-Rahman" — the symbol of His all-encompassing mercy. Had He not possessed the attribute of rahmaniyyah, He would not have spread such a table of blessings indiscriminately for friend and foe alike. Hence He states: "the All-Merciful" (الرَّحْمٰنُ) — "taught the Quran" (عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ). (Explanatory Note: "Al-Rahman" is the mubtada' and "allama al-Qur'an" is its khabar, and "khalaqa al-insan" is a second khabar following the first. Other possibilities in the construction of this clause have also been indicated, but since they were not worthy of attention they have been passed over.) The Lord Almighty in this way first sets forth His most important blessing — the teaching of the Quran. This is a most captivating and profoundly meaningful expression. If we reason correctly we shall come to know that the Holy Quran is both the source of all blessings and the means of attaining every blessing — through it we can benefit from material and spiritual blessings. What is most noteworthy is that the Lord Almighty places the mention of the blessing of teaching the Quran before both the creation of the human being and the teaching of bayan — whereas according to natural order it should have been the creation of the human being first, then the teaching of bayan, and then the blessing of teaching the Quran. But the greatness of the Quran required that contrary to natural order, the teaching of the Quran be made the subject of discourse first. This verse is in response to the Arab polytheists — when the Prophet of Islam told the polytheists to prostrate before God the Rahman, they made the pretext: وَمَا الرَّحْمَٰنُ — "what is the Rahman?" (al-Furqan — 60). The Quran states: "the Rahman is He who taught the Quran, created the human being, and then taught him bayan." In any case, the name "Rahman" among all the names of the Lord Almighty — after "Allah" — is the most comprehensive in meaning. We know that God possesses two kinds of mercy: a general mercy and a special mercy. The name "Rahman" alludes to His general mercy extending over all creation without distinction, while "Rahim" refers to the special mercy that is over the people of faith and obedience and is specific to them alone. For this reason the name "Rahman" is never applied to other than God, except when it is with the word "'abd" — servant. But the attribute "Rahim" is used for others as well, since besides Him no one possesses the general mercy. As for the special mercy, it is found even if in weak form in human beings and other existents. There is a tradition from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq — peace be upon him: الرَّحْمَٰنُ اسمٌ خاصٌّ بصفةٍ عامةٍ وَالرَّحِيمُ اسمٌ عامٌّ بصفةٍ خاصةٍ — "al-Rahman is a specific name with a general attribute — meaning it is a name specific to God but His mercy encompasses all; al-Rahim is a general name with a specific attribute — meaning this attribute is used for both God and other than God" — as the Holy Quran has called the Prophet of Islam "ra'ufun rahim" (al-Tawbah — 128) — but this mercy is particular and defined. Regarding the question of to whom God taught the Quran, exegetes have offered various interpretations — sometimes making Gabriel and other angels its referent, sometimes the noble person of the Prophet of Islam, sometimes all human beings, and even the jinn. Since this surah sets forth God's blessings upon jinn and humankind, and after presenting their discussions thirty-one times asks both jinn and humankind: فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ — "which of your Lord's blessings do you deny?" — the most appropriate interpretation is that God through His great prophet Muhammad — peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family — taught the Quran to both jinn and humankind. (Explanatory Note: Whether the first object of "'allama" is elided or the second is a matter of disagreement among exegetes. The appropriate view is that the first object has been elided, the implied reading being: 'allama al-insa wa al-jinna al-Qur'an. The possibility proposed by some exegetes that "'allama" has no more than one object and means "to designate as a sign" is a very remote meaning.) After the mention of the incomparable blessing of the Quran, the most important blessing is presented: "He created the human being" (خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ). "Insan" here refers to the human species, not Adam — peace be upon him — since a separate discussion of him appears several verses later. Nor does it refer to the Prophet of Islam, though he is the finest and most excellent instance of it. The second blessing that follows — the blessing of bayan — is also a witness that "al-insan" means the human species. The other interpretations do not appear correct. The reality is that the human being is at once a remarkable compendium of the universe of existence and its quintessence — a microcosm in which the macrocosm is present. His creation is an incomparable and unparalleled blessing, for every part of his existence is in itself a very great blessing. Although at the outset of his existence he is a worthless drop of sperm — or more precisely a humble existence that swims within that sperm — yet under the shade of the Lord Almighty's nurturing care he traverses the stages of his completion in such a manner that he advances to the most noble position in the universe of creation. The mention of the human being's name after the Quran is also worthy of reflection — for the Quran in its recorded form is a compendium of the secrets of existence, and the human being in his formative reality is a summary of those secrets, and each of them is a copy of the "book" of this vast and great universe. The subsequent verse, alluding to one of the most important blessings after the blessing of the creation of the human being, further states: "God taught him bayan" (عَلَّمَهُ الْبَيَانَ). "Bayan" in its lexical meaning carries a broad sense and can be applied to everything that clarifies and makes another thing manifest and clear. Accordingly it means not only speech and discourse but also writing, script, and all kinds of rational and logical argumentation that clarify various complex matters — all of these are included within the meaning of bayan. Although the thing that points toward this collection of meanings is speech itself, we are accustomed to considering speaking a simple matter — but the reality is that speaking is one of the most complex and excellent of human actions. Indeed, it can be said that no act is based on such complexity and intelligence as "speaking" — for: On one hand, the components related to the voice cooperate with one another in producing various kinds of sounds. The lungs gather air within themselves and gradually expel it through the larynx, producing sound in the vocal cords. Though sounds are completely different from one another — some being a sign of satisfaction, some of rage and anger, some for ordinary conversation, some for seeking help, some as a symbol of love, and some of enmity — the lungs bring these sounds into existence, after which with the help of the tongue, lips, teeth, and cranial cavity these sounds produce letters and words with great rapidity. In other words, the long and uniform sound that emerges from the larynx is cut and shaped in different ways, from which letters are formed. On the other hand, the matter of the formation of languages arises — the human being, under the influence of intellectual development and in accordance with his material and spiritual needs, constructs various languages. There is no prescribed limit to this language formation. The number of existing languages in the world is so great that their accurate enumeration is itself difficult. Some researchers hold the number of languages in use in the world to be approximately three thousand, while others consider it even higher. (Reference: Da'irat al-Ma'arif Farid Wajdi, Vol. 8, p. 364, entry "lughah.") It appears that these scholars intended to count only the basic and principal languages — otherwise if local dialects are also considered, the number of languages appears far greater. Sometimes the inhabitants of two nearby villages converse with one another in two different local dialects. Third comes the matter of expressing feelings in accordance with reason and thought, and the organisation of argumentation and sentence formation — which is the very soul of bayan and speech. This is why speech is associated with the human being. It is true that various animals produce different sounds to convey their needs — but the number of these sounds is very limited and unclear, whereas the unlimited and expansive form of bayan is the prerogative of the human being alone, for God has bestowed the power of speech most abundantly upon him. Going further, if we keep in view the marks and effects of bayan, the gradual evolution of human life, and the creation of civilisations, we shall become convinced that had the blessing of bayan not existed, the human being could not have easily transferred his sciences and experiences from one generation to the next, and this would not have been the cause of advancement in knowledge and wisdom, civilisation, and morality. If this blessing were ever removed from the human being, human society would decline with great rapidity. If bayan is taken in its broad meaning encompassing writing, various arts, and skills, its effects in human life will be seen in a most important manner. This is the station where we can understand why in Surah al-Rahman — which is a collection of references to the Lord Almighty's blessings — the teaching of bayan is spoken of after the blessing of the creation of the human being. Then the Lord Almighty, making the fourth among His blessings the subject of discourse, states: "the sun and the moon move according to an organised reckoning" (الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ بِحُسْبَانٍ). (Explanatory Note: "Husban" — on the measure of "ghufran" — is a verbal noun in the sense of reckoning, order, and arrangement, and something is elided in the verse, the implied reading being: al-shamsu wa al-qamaru tajriyan bi-husbanin — the sun and moon proceed in their course according to reckoning.) The very existence of the sun is the greatest blessing for the human being — for without obtaining heat and light from it, life in the solar system is impossible. As stated previously, the original source of all movement and motion on the earth is the heat and light of the sun. The growth of grass, the growth of plants, food stores, rains, the blowing of winds — all of this is by the blessing of this gift. The moon too fulfils its duty in connection with human life — moreover, the moon is the lamp of the human being's dark nights. The gravitational force that is the source of the tides of the seas is a major cause of the survival of marine life and is responsible for irrigating many coasts where rivers pour into the sea in their vicinity. Over and above all this, it is established that the system of the movement of the moon and sun — in other words the moon's revolution around the earth and the earth's revolution around the sun — is the cause of the orderly creation of day and night, months and years, and various seasons, and is the source of order and discipline for human life and agricultural, industrial, and commercial affairs. Were this organised movement not present, the system of human life could never have been formed. Not only does the movement of these celestial spheres follow a most precise system, but their masses and gravitational forces, their distance from the earth and from one another — all of this is according to reckoning. It is evident that if these things were to collide with one another, great revolutions would break out in the solar system and with them human life would also be thrown into disarray. It is remarkable that when the constituent bodies of this system separated from the solar sphere, they appeared very scattered and disarranged — yet ultimately their present arrangement came into being. In this connection one expert in natural sciences states: "our solar system apparently came into existence from a mixed, disarranged material that separated from the sun with a heat of twelve thousand degrees and scattered at inconceivable speed into infinite space. But from this apparent disorder and aerial upheaval emerged such a precise arrangement that today we can predict to the minute and second the future events. The result of this system and arrangement is that our celestial configurations have remained in their current state even after a thousand million years have passed." (Reference: Raz-i Afarinish-i Insan, p. 28.) This point is also worthy of attention: the sun, although it appears to stand without movement at the centre of the solar system, must not be forgotten that it too — along with all its moons and planets — is moving toward a defined point within the same galaxy to which it belongs, and this movement also possesses a defined speed and organisation. Regarding the fifth great blessing, the Lord Almighty turns from the heavens toward the earth and states: "grass and trees prostrate to Him" (وَالنَّجْمُ وَالشَّجَرُ يَسْجُدَانِ). "Najm" sometimes comes in the meaning of a star and sometimes in the meaning of stemless grass, and here given the context of "shajar" the second meaning is intended — that is, the plant that has no trunk. (Reference: Raghib in al-Mufradat states: al-najmu ma la saqa lahu min al-nabat — najm is the plant that has no trunk.) In principle this word means rising and emergence — grass is called "najm" because it raises its head from the earth, and a star is called "najm" on the same basis since it rises. We know that all of the human being's nutritional material is derived from plants — with the distinction that some plants are used directly by the human being and some plants become the food of animals that are part of the human being's food supply. These meanings apply correctly in relation to marine animals as well, for they too obtain nutrition from many small plants that grow in their hundreds of millions in every corner of the sea in the glow of sunlight and move among the waves of the oceans. Thus "najm" refers to various kinds of small and creeping plants such as gourd and cucumber vines, and "shajar" refers to various kinds of stemmed plants such as grains and fruit-bearing trees. "Yasjudan" — "these two prostrate" — means both of them bowing without any condition before the laws of creation for the benefit of human beings — this is the path God has set for them and they proceed upon it without question. Incidentally, this also alludes to their bowing before the One — meaning that on every leaf and every grain of the plant, wondrous signs of the Lord Almighty's greatness and knowledge are present, and every leaf is an inexhaustible register of the knowledge of the Lord. (Explanatory Note: A detailed discussion of the prostration of various existents in the universe has been conducted in Vol. 7 under verse 18 of Surah al-Hajj, and similarly a detailed discussion in Vol. 6 under verse 44 of Surah al-Isra'.) The possibility has also been proposed by exegetes that "al-najm" in the above verse refers to the stars of the sky — but what we have stated above is more appropriate on the basis of the contextual indications present in the verse.

Under the above‑mentioned verses, there exist, within Islamic sources, such narrations that serve as illustrative instances of general interpretation, each clarifying a particular aspect of the meaning of the verses. There is a ḥadīth from Imām Jaʿfar al‑Ṣādiq (ʿalayhi al‑salām), in which he, in explaining “(عَلَّمَهُ الْبَيَانَ)”, stated: “البَيَانُ الِاسْمُ الأَعْظَمُ الَّذِي بِهِ عُلِمَ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ” “Bayān is the Supreme Name by means of which the knowledge of all things is attained.” (Reference: Tafsīr Majmaʿ al‑Bayān, vol. 9, p. 197) The discussion concerning the Supreme Name (ism al‑aʿẓam) and its interpretation has been presented earlier in volume 4, under the commentary on verse 180 of Sūrat al‑Aʿrāf. In another ḥadīth, it is reported from Imām ʿAlī ibn Mūsā al‑Riḍā (ʿalayhi al‑salām) that: “(الرَّحْمٰنُ عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ)” signifies that God taught the Prophet the Qur’ān; “خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ” refers to the creation of Amīr al‑Muʾminīn (ʿalayhi al‑salām); and “(عَلَّمَهُ الْبَيَانَ)” denotes the explanation of all matters upon which people are dependent. It is evident that these narrations do not restrict the generality of the meaning of these verses; rather, they serve to guide us toward their clearer understanding.

See ayat 13 for tafseer.

See ayat 13 for tafseer.

See ayat 13 for tafseer.

See ayat 13 for tafseer.

See ayat 13 for tafseer.

See ayat 13 for tafseer.

These verses continue the account of the verses previously set forth, and as stated, in these verses the Lord Almighty alludes to five great blessings that are the most important. Here in the first verse, alluding to the sixth blessing — which is the creation of the heavens — He states: "God raised the heavens" (وَالسَّمَاءَ رَفَعَهَا). Whatever is meant by "heaven" in this verse — whether the direction above, or the stars, or the earth's atmosphere (that great aerial envelope surrounding this earthly sphere that protects it like a shield against cosmic rays and celestial stones, and preserves within itself the heat of the sun and the moisture rising from the seas for the formation of clouds and the descent of rain) — it is in any case a great blessing of God, for without it human life is either deficient or impossible. Indeed, light and luminosity — which are the cause of warmth, the guidance of life, and movement — have come from the heavens; rain has come from the heavens; the descent of revelation is also from the heavens (in which case heaven carries one meaning both materially and spiritually). Apart from all of this, the elevated heaven in all its meanings and senses is a great sign of God and aids the human being most excellently on the path of His recognition. When persons of wisdom reflect upon it they involuntarily exclaim: رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا — "Our Lord, You have not created this great factory in vain" (Al 'Imran — 191). The Lord Almighty then, citing the seventh blessing, states: "God established the balance" (وَوَضَعَ الْمِيزَانَ). "Mizan" refers to every kind of instrument of measuring and weighing. The contrast of truth with falsehood, of justice with oppression and tyranny, the determination of values, and the determination of human rights in various social spheres — all of these are "mizan." Mizan also carries the meaning of providential law and legislative ordinance, since all of these are means of comparison and balance. It is true that lexically "mizan" means a scale for determining the weight of bodies — but it is an accepted reality that the mizan alluded to in this verse after the mention of the creation of the heavens carries a broad meaning encompassing every instrument of measuring and weighing and all legislative and providential laws. What is meant is not only the standard for determining the weight of goods but fundamentally the elevation of the heavens and that precise order and discipline governing hundreds of millions of celestial spheres — for all of this could not come into existence without fixed standards and laws. What we say — that in some expressions "mizan" has been used in the meanings of the Quran, justice, the shari'ah, or a scale — is in reality because each of these is a correct instance of this complete and broad meaning. In the subsequent verse the Lord Almighty, drawing a captivating and excellent conclusion from this subject, states: أَلَّا تَطْغَوْا فِي الْمِيزَانِ — "so that you do not transgress in the balance." The purpose of establishing mizan in the universe of existence is that you too observe the mizan and not rebel against it. You too are a part of this great universe and cannot live in this vast world like a mismatched fragment. The entire universe has a mizan and reckoning — you too must have a mizan and reckoning. If mizan and law were eliminated from this great universe it would all perish, and if you are deprived of order and mizan you too shall be bound for the station of annihilation. What a captivating and excellent expression this is — transferring from the whole universe of existence to the human being and harmonising the law governing the macrocosm with the laws governing the microcosm of human life. This is the reality of tawhid — that the principles governing all the universe are of a single kind. Again emphasising the matter of justice and weighing, it states: "establish the weighing with justice and do not diminish the balance" (وَأَقِيمُوا الْوَزْنَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَلَا تُخْسِرُوا الْمِيزَانَ). It is noteworthy that in these three verses "mizan" is mentioned three times, although in the second and third instance a pronoun could have sufficed. This makes clear that "mizan" in these three verses carries different meanings. Correct meanings could not have been conveyed through pronouns alone — nor does the proportion of the verses accept otherwise. For in the first stage the discourse concerns the mizan and the standards and laws that God has established throughout the entire universe of existence. In the second stage the discourse concerns not transgressing in all the individual and collective balances of human life, which naturally have a more limited scope. In the third stage, emphasising the specific meaning of "weighing," the command is issued: do not make any deficiency in measuring and weighing things and leave no shortcoming. It is evident that this stage is limited. In this way, in all three verses an extremely captivating and beautiful hierarchy is employed in the matter of mizan and weighing, moving from the larger circle to the smaller. (Explanatory Note: Fakhr al-Razi in his tafsir states that "mizan" in the first verse is a noun of instrument — in the sense of instruments of measuring and weighing; in the second verse it carries a verbal noun meaning — weighing; and in the third verse it carries an objective meaning — in the sense of the thing weighed.) The importance of mizan in human life in all its meanings is such that even if its most limited instance — the scale — were removed for a single day from the exchange of goods, we would become embroiled in what an enormous burden of disputes and conflicts. In this respect, if the unlimited meanings of this word "mizan" were no longer in their place, unlimited troubles would afflict us. From what we have stated it becomes clear that the reason why in certain traditions "mizan" has been taken to mean the "existence of the Imam" is that the blessed existence of the Imam is the standard for comparing and determining truth and falsehood and for identifying realities, and is an effective factor for guidance. (Reference: this tradition is transmitted in Tafsir 'Ali ibn Ibrahim from Imam 'Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha — peace be upon him. The tradition is detailed — only the content of one portion has been cited here. (Tafsir 'Ali ibn Ibrahim, Vol. 2, p. 343).) Similarly if "mizan" is taken to mean the Quran, that too alludes to these same meanings. In any case, bearing in mind that all these verses relate to the mention of God's blessings, it becomes clear that the existence of mizan — whether in the entire system of the universe, in the collective relations of human society, or in commercial transactions — is all among God's great blessings. The Lord Almighty then moves from the heavens to make the earth His subject and states: "God placed the earth for living beings" (وَالْأَرْضَ وَضَعَهَا لِلْأَنَامِ). "Anam" has been interpreted by some exegetes in the sense of human beings, by some as jinn and humans, and by some as every living creature. A group of lexicographers and exegetes takes it in the sense of "creation absolutely" — but the contextual indications in the surah and the address to jinn and humans both indicate that here "jinn and humans" is meant. Indeed, this earthly sphere — which in this verse is designated as a great divine blessing and in other verses is remembered as a "mihad" — a cradle — is a reassuring and comfortable abode. Most of us under ordinary circumstances cannot feel its importance — but when a small earthquake shakes everything on the earth, or a volcano buries a city under mounds of lava, smoke, and fire, the reality is revealed to us of what a great blessing of God this calm and restful earth is. Particularly when we reflect upon what experts have proposed regarding the speed of the earth's rotation on its own axis and its movement around the sun — not only the importance of its tranquillity and repose amid that swift and awe-inspiring movement, but amid various other kinds of movement as well, becomes more clearly apparent to us. (Reference: experts have stated the speed of the earth's movement around the sun as 35 kilometres per minute and its speed of rotation on its own axis at the equator as 1,600 kilometres per hour.) The word "wada'a" — placed — is used regarding the earth, and "rafa'a" — raised — is used regarding the heavens. In addition to the subtlety in this contrast, there is also a meaningful allusion — to the earth and its resources that are submissive before the human being, as stated in verse 15 of Surah al-Mulk: هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ ذَلُولًا فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا مِن رِّزْقِهِ — He it is who has made the earth submissive for you, so traverse its pathways and eat of what He has provided as sustenance. Thus the Lord establishes the eighth blessing in this series. The subsequent verse, alluding to the ninth and tenth blessings that constitute a part of the human being's nutritional materials, states: "in it are fruits and date palms with their sheaths" (فِيهَا فَاكِهَةٌ وَالنَّخْلُ ذَاتُ الْأَكْمَامِ). "Fakihah" is used for every kind of fruit as stated by Raghib in al-Mufradat — and what some have taken it to mean all fruits other than dates and fresh dates has no evidence except that "nakhl" appears separately in the verse, which may be due to repetition on account of the importance of the date palm. A detailed discussion of the life-giving nutritional benefits of the date palm has been conducted under verse 11 of Surah al-Nahl and verse 25 of Surah Maryam. (Reference: Tafsir-i Namunah, Vol. 7, p. 254 onwards and Vol. 6, p. 252 onwards.) "Akmam" is the plural of "kimm" — on the measure of "jinn" — meaning the sheath that conceals the fruit. "Kumm" — on the measure of "qumm" — means the sleeve that covers the hand, and "kummah" — on the measure of "qubbah" — is a skullcap that covers the head. (Reference: a detailed account has been given in Vol. 20 under verse 47 of Surah Ha Mim al-Sajdah.) The choice of this attribute for the date palm — that at first it is hidden in a sheath and then splitting the sheath brings forth the date cluster in a captivating manner — may be on account of its astonishing beauty, or on account of the benefits hidden in that sheath which contains an extract of this specific material that serves both as food and as medicine. Apart from all this, this sheath is like the mother's womb — nurturing the date's "children" within itself for a period and protecting them from calamities, and when they become capable of facing air and light the sheath draws aside. Beyond all this, this tree has a particular form and quality — first being in a sheath, then emerging as a cluster — which facilitates the picking and harvesting of the fruit. Had it been the case that despite the great height of the date palm its fruits were scattered in various directions like the fruits of an apple tree, their picking and harvesting would have been very difficult. Finally in the eleventh and twelfth blessings the discourse is: "and in the earth there are grains with stalks and leaves that emerge in the form of straw, and similarly fragrant herbs and plants" (وَالْحَبُّ ذُو الْعَصْفِ وَالرَّيْحَانُ). Nutritious grains are the food of human beings, and their dry and fresh leaves are the food of the animals assigned to serve the human being — from whose milk, meat, skin, and wool the human being benefits. Thus nothing is useless or fit to be discarded. On the other side, fragrant plants and flowers have also been created from the earth, perfuming the breath of life and granting the soul tranquillity, vigour, rest, and exhilaration — and in this way He has completed His blessings upon the human being. "Habb" refers to every kind of grain, and "'asf" — on the measure of "asp" — means the leaves and parts of grass that separate from it and sometimes scatter in every direction due to the winds. "Habb" is also said of cut grass. "Rayhan" has many meanings — among them fragrant grass and plants, and all kinds of sustenance are also called "rayhan" — but here the first meaning is appropriate. After the mention of these various material and spiritual blessings, in the final verse both jinn and humans are addressed: "so which of your Lord's blessings do you deny?" (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ). Those blessings each of which is more precious and valuable than the other, those blessings that have encompassed your entire life — each of them is a sign of your Lord's power, grace, and kindness. How is it possible to deny Him? This interrogation is a confirmatory interrogation brought to the tongue when acknowledgement is being sought. In a tradition presented at the opening of the surah, it is instructed that after this clause we should submit: لَا بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ آلَائِكَ رَبِّ أُكَذِّبُ — "O Lord, I deny none of Your blessings." Although in the preceding verses the discourse was about human beings with no mention of the group of jinn, the subsequent verse indicates that both are the addressees in the dual pronoun "kuma." In any case, with this clause God demands from both groups — jinn and humans — that they reflect on these matters and thereafter, without needing anyone else's instruction, ask themselves through their own reason: can any of God's blessings be denied? And if not, why should they not recognise their beneficent Lord? And why should they not make the gratitude of the true Bestower of Blessings the means of His recognition? And why should they not bow their heads in submission before His holy threshold? The expression "ayyi" alludes to the fact that each of these blessings individually is a proof of the Lord's station of lordship and His grace and generosity — let alone their totality.

A brief reflection on the aforementioned blessings—namely, the Qur’ān, the creation of the human being, the teaching of expression, the orderly reckoning of time, the growth of various trees and grasses, the creation of the heavens, the governance of laws, the creation of the earth with its particular properties, the production of fruits, the creation of the date‑palm, the creation of animals, and the formation of fragrant herbs and flowers—together with the details, characteristics, and hidden mysteries contained within each of them, is sufficient to generate in the human being a sense of gratitude and to lead him toward recognition of the source of these blessings. Accordingly, after enumerating these favors, God, the Exalted, seeks from His servants acknowledgment of each act of grace, and repeats this statement after the mention of further نعمتیں in the subsequent verses. This statement is repeated thirty‑one times. Such repetition does not detract from eloquence; rather, it is itself a mode of eloquence. This is analogous to a father addressing a son who is neglectful of his duties, saying: “Have you forgotten that you were once a weak and helpless child? Recall how I endured hardships in nurturing you. Have you forgotten that when you were ill, I provided you with the best physicians and endured every difficulty? Have you forgotten that when you reached maturity and required a spouse, I arranged for you a pure and suitable partner? Have you forgotten that when you were in need of a home, livelihood, and the means of living, I provided all of these for you? Then why this disobedience, ingratitude, and lack of fidelity?” In a similar manner, God, the Bestower of blessings, reminds His heedless servants of His manifold favors, and after mentioning each category of blessing, questions them: which of these blessings do you deny? Thus, upon what basis does this disobedience and rebellion arise, when obedience to Him is itself the guarantee of your gradual growth and development, while your Lord derives no benefit from it?

In the human body, more than twenty metals and metal‑like elements are employed, and even a slight alteration in their fixed quantity and quality places our well‑being at risk. For example, during the heat of summer, when a person perspires excessively, he may suffer severely from the intensity of heat, and even without the presence of any other illness, death may occur. Yet the cause of this condition is a very simple matter: a deficiency of water and salts in the blood. Its treatment consists of nothing more than increased water intake and the consumption of salts. This may be regarded as a simple illustration of order and calculation within the structure of the human body. At times, the conclusions drawn regarding the structure of created beings are extremely remarkable and compelling. For instance, cells or atoms are so minute that even a thousandth part—or sometimes a millionth part—of a millimeter or milligram constitutes their entirety. They are so subtle that specialists are compelled to employ electronic computation (computers) to determine their precise calculations. This pertains to the system of creation; however, in social conditions as well, deviation from the law of justice often leads to the destruction of entire communities. The Qur’ān, fourteen centuries ago, unveiled this reality in the concepts conveyed in the above‑mentioned verses and comprehensively expressed them in the statements: “وَالسَّمَاءَ رَفَعَهَا وَوَضَعَ الْمِيزَانَ، أَلَّا تَطْغَوْا فِي الْمِيزَانِ” It has equated disobedience to divine law and deviation from it with rebellion against the natural order (aḥkām-i takwīnī) that governs the heavens. In these verses, the Qur’ān presents a profound and noteworthy depiction of the universe and of human existence. It further makes clear that not only this world, but another world also exists, which is the Day of Reckoning—the day upon which the balances are set up. Indeed, the reckoning and the scales of that realm are far more subtle than those of this world. For this reason, Islamic traditions instruct that “حَاسِبُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُحَاسَبُوا وَوَزِنُوا قَبْلَ أَنْ تُوزَنُوا”—that one should take account of oneself before being called to account, and weigh oneself before being weighed.

See ayat 18 for tafseer.

See ayat 18 for tafseer.

See ayat 18 for tafseer.

See ayat 18 for tafseer.

After the mention of the preceding blessings — which also included the creation of the human being and had been presented in summary form — in the verses under discussion the Lord Almighty has first elaborated upon the creation of the human being and the jinn, an elaboration that is both indicative of His perfect power and a lesson of admonition for all. The Lord Almighty states: "He created the human being from dry clay like pottery" (خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِن صَلْصَالٍ كَالْفَخَّارِ). "Salsalah" is originally in the meaning of "sound passing through a dry body" — if that drying clay is struck and it produces a sound, it is called "salsalah." The remaining water in a vessel is also called "salsalah" because it produces a sound when moved from side to side. Some exegetes hold "salsalah" to mean "malodorous mud" — but the first meaning is more well-known. The root of "fakhkhar" is "fakhr" meaning one who boasts excessively — and since such individuals are hollow within and verbose, this word is applied to a pot and every kind of vessel from which a loud sound emerges. (Reference: Mufradat of Raghib.) From the various verses recorded in the Quran and the meanings connected with the subject of the beginning of the human being's creation, the following becomes clearly apparent: The human being was first dust (Surah al-Hajj — 5); then it was mixed with water and took the form of mud (Surah al-An'am — 2); then it became "lajan" — malodorous mud (Surah al-Hijr — 28); after that it took on an adhesive form (Surah al-Saffat — 11); then it became a solidified thing and turned into "salsalun kal-fakhkhar" — the verse under discussion. How long did these stages extend according to the requirements of time? How long did the human being pause at each stage? And through what causes and factors did these transitional states come into existence? These are matters concealed from our knowledge and wisdom — only God knows, and that is all. What is established is that these mentioned meanings set forth a reality that has a most important connection with the formative matters of the human being — namely, that the original material of the human being was most worthless and of the smallest quantity, made from the most lowly thing of the earth. Yet from such worthless material God created such a priceless creature that it became the choicest flower of the garden of creation. These expressions and meanings also allude incidentally to the fact that the human being's true value and worth is constituted by that divine spirit and divine melody that appears in other Quranic verses such as verse 25 of Surah al-Hijr — so that after recognising this reality the human being may properly find his path of ascent and understand which road to travel in the journey of life, so that he may become capable of attaining his true value and worth in the assembly of existence. The Lord Almighty then, presenting the creation of the jinn, states: "and He created the jann from a blended and moving flame of fire" (وَخَلَقَ الْجَانَّ مِن مَّارِجٍ مِّن نَّارٍ). "Marij" is originally from "marj" — on the measure of "marad" — meaning mixture and blending. Here it refers to the mixture and intermingling of the various flames of fire. When fire blazes with flames, sometimes they are red, sometimes yellow, sometimes blue, sometimes white. Some exegetes have said that in "marj" there are also the meanings of movement — "amarjtu al-dabba" means "I released the animal into the pasture" — since one of the meanings of "marj" is also pasture. Moreover, it is not clear to us how the creation of the jinn came about from this multicoloured fire, whereas their other characteristics have been established for us through the dawn of truth — the Holy Quran and divine revelation. The limitation of our knowledge before the unknown does not permit us to deny or overlook these realities after they have been established through divine revelation, whether our knowledge reaches them or not. (God willing, further detail about the creation of the jinn and its characteristics will be recorded in the tafsir of Surah al-Jinn.) In any case, the majority of the creations with which we have to do are water, earth, air, and fire — whether we consider them in the manner of the ancients as elements and simple substances, or in the view of contemporary experts as compounds of various constituent parts. In either case: the origin of the human being's creation is earth and water, and the origin of the jinn's creation is air and fire. This two-coloured nature of the origin of creation is the source of many differences between these two creatures. Then after these blessings that were included in the beginning of the creation of the human being, the clause is repeated: "so which of your Lord's blessings do you deny?" (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ). Then, presenting another blessing, it states: "He is the Lord of the two easts and the Lord of the two wests" (رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقَيْنِ وَرَبُّ الْمَغْرِبَيْنِ). It is true that the sun rises from a different point each day of the year and sets at another point — and by this arrangement there would be only one east and one west. But attending to the maximum northward and southward inclination of the earth in relation to the sun, it becomes clear that there are in fact two easts and two wests, and the rest are the portion between these two. (Explanatory Note: The clarification is as follows: since the earth's axis is inclined relative to its orbital plane and makes an angle of approximately 23 degrees, and the earth revolves around the sun in this condition, the sun's rise and setting always appears variable — ranging from 23 degrees at the maximum northern solstice, at the beginning of summer, to 23 degrees at the maximum southern solstice at the beginning of winter. The first of these orbits is called the Tropic of Cancer and the second the Tropic of Capricorn. These are the two easts and two wests of the sun — all the other orbits lie between these two.) This system — which is in reality the source of the creation of four most blessed seasons — is in fact the completion and confirmation of those verses that came previously: where the discourse concerns the revolution of the moon and sun, as well as the verses concerning the existence of mizan in the creation of the heavens. Collectively, those verses contain an account of the precise systems of the creation and movement of the earth, moon, and sun, and allude to the blessings and benefits that the human being derives from these means. Some exegetes have interpreted the two easts and two wests here in terms of the rising and setting of the sun and the rising and setting of the moon, taking it in accordance with the preceding verse "al-shamsu wa al-qamaru bi-husbanin" — but the first meaning appears more appropriate, particularly because certain Islamic traditions also allude to it. Among other traditions there is one from Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali — peace be upon him — in which he stated in interpretation of this verse: إِنَّ مَشْرِقَ الشِّتَاءِ عَلَى حِدَةٍ وَمَشْرِقَ الصَّيْفِ عَلَى حِدَةٍ أَمَا تَعْرِفُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ قُرْبِ الشَّمْسِ وَبُعْدِهَا — "the east of winter's beginning is separate and the east of summer's beginning is separate. Do you not see that the sun is near and far in these two seasons?" — alluding to the sun's rising higher in the sky in summer and descending lower in winter. (Reference: Tafsir Nur al-Thaqalayn, Vol. 5, p. 190.) From what has been stated, the point also becomes well clarified as to why in certain Quranic verses it states: فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ — "by the Lord of the easts and the wests" (al-Ma'arij — 40) — for that alludes to all the easts and wests of the entire year, whereas the verse under discussion alludes only to the extreme ascending and descending arcs. In any case, after the mention of this blessing, He again addresses jinn and humans saying: "so which of your Lord's blessings do you deny?" (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ).

See ayat 25 for tafseer.

See ayat 25 for tafseer.

See ayat 25 for tafseer.

See ayat 25 for tafseer.

See ayat 25 for tafseer.

See ayat 25 for tafseer.

The Lord Almighty, continuing His elaboration of the mention of His blessings, speaks of the seas — but not all the seas, rather a particular quality of certain seas that is a remarkable thing, a sign of His unlimited power, and a means through which certain beneficial things for humanity appear. He states: "He set the two different seas near one another, meeting each other" (مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ). "But between them is a barrier so that they do not transgress upon each other" (بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَّا يَبْغِيَانِ). "Marj" — on the measure of "falj" — is from a root meaning to mix and mingle, or to send and release, and here given the context of "baynahuma barzakhun la yabghiyan" it carries the meaning of placing and setting near one another. The two seas referred to — in accordance with the testimony of verse 53 of Surah al-Furqan — are the seas of sweet and salt water, where the Lord states: وَهُوَ الَّذِي مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ هَٰذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ وَهَٰذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخًا وَحِجْرًا مَّحْجُورًا — "He it is who set the two seas near one another, one of which is sweet and the other bitter and salt, and He placed between them a barzakh so that they do not intermingle." As for where these two seas of sweet and salt water are that do not overcome one another, and what this barzakh placed between them is — there is considerable disagreement among exegetes. Some allude to meanings from which it is clear that they were not well acquainted with the condition of the seas in that era. Among other things, these exegetes have said that by the two seas the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean are meant — whereas we now know well that the water of both these seas is salt and moreover there is no land barrier between them. Or they have said the intent is the sea of the sky and the sea of the earth, the first of which is sweet and the second bitter — whereas we know there is no sea in the sky apart from the clouds and vapours that rise from the earth's seas. Or they have said "sweet sea" refers to the water beneath the earth that mixes with the sea's water, the walls of the reservoirs between them being their barzakh — whereas everyone now knows that water in the form of an underground sea is very rarely found; rather, water droplets are hidden among moist soil and sand particles, and when a well is dug somewhere these moisture sources gradually collect and water emerges. Moreover, pearls and coral — to which the subsequent verses allude — are not obtained from underground water. The question therefore arises: what is meant by these two rivers? In Surah al-Furqan we have already alluded to the reality that when large rivers and streams of sweet water pour into the seas, generally near the shore a sea of sweet water is formed that pushes back the bitter water. What is astonishing is that these two — sweet and bitter — on account of their differing densities do not mix with one another. During air travel over regions where these rivers pour into the sea, the sight of these sweet and salt seas — adjacent to one another and yet separate from one another — is clearly visible from above. When the edges of these waters mix, fresh sweet water takes their place, and in this way the perpetual spectacle of these two seas that remain separate is always a sight to behold. It is noteworthy that during the ebb and flow of tides, when the lower water of the sea comes up, the sweet water is pushed aside without the salt water mixing into it — except during droughts and water shortages when it covers a considerable portion of the dry land. For this reason the people living near the shores in these regions, by controlling the sweet water, construct many channels in the coastal areas through which the lands are irrigated. These channels — which on account of the blessing of the coastal tides and their effect on the water of these channels empty and fill twice in twenty-four hours with sweet water — are a most effective means of irrigating those regions. Regarding these two seas, some scholars have proposed another interesting interpretation — that it is possible the reference is to the flow of the Gulf Stream. This detail shall be presented, God willing, in the section on points of interest under these same verses. The Lord Almighty once more addresses His servants and questions them regarding these blessings, stating: "which of your Lord's blessings do you deny?" (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ). Then continuing this discourse He further states: "from both of them come forth pearl and coral" (يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا اللُّؤْلُؤُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ). "Which of your Lord's blessings do you deny?" (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ). Pearl and coral are two means of captivating adornment — from a medical standpoint both can also be used in connection with the treatment of illnesses. Incidentally, they are also fine commodities and goods of trade from which much benefit is derived. It is for these reasons that they are referred to in the preceding verses as two blessings. As for pearl — called "morvarid" in Persian — it is a clear and lustrous precious gem that is nurtured in the belly of the oyster in the depths of rivers and seas. The larger it is, the more valuable it is. In medicine it has been used in various ways — the physicians of old used it in preparing medicines for strengthening the nerves, palpitations, fear and anxiety, fortifying the liver, mouth odour, kidney and bladder stones, and jaundice, and even benefited from it in eye diseases. (Reference: Tuhfah-i Hakim Mu'min, Da'irat al-Ma'arif, and other sources.) Some exegetes have interpreted "marjan" as small pearls, but the reality is otherwise. Marjan — coral — is a living organism resembling the small branches of a tree that grows like a tree in the depths of the seas. For a long period experts considered it a kind of grass, but it later became clear that it is a kind of animal. Although it adheres to the rocky crags of seas and sometimes encompasses vast areas, gradually growing and causing the formation of islands called "coral islands." Coral generally develops in still water and its hunters obtain it along the shores of the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, and certain other regions. The coral that serves for adornment is red in colour — the more intensely red it is, the more valuable it is. When poets use it as a simile it is on account of its redness. Its worst variety is "white coral" found in very large quantities. In addition to these two there is also black coral. Coral is used in addition to adornment also as medicine — physicians have set forth many of its properties, among them that medicines prepared from it are useful for strengthening the heart, removing the effect of snake venom, fortifying the nerves, stopping diarrhoea, and arresting uterine bleeding. It has also been said to be beneficial for epilepsy. (Reference: Da'irat al-Ma'arif Farid Wajdi and other works.) It is also necessary to mention that according to the view of some exegetes, pearl and coral grow only in salt water — hence they have become confused in interpreting the verse "yakhruyu minhuma al-lu'lu'u wa al-marjan" — "from both of them come forth pearl and coral." They have said that by "both" only one is meant — citing verse 31 of Surah al-Zukhruf. But we have no proof for these meanings. Some other exegetes have said that pearl and coral are found in both sweet and salt water. Continuing this portion of the discussion of blessings, alluding to ships — which in both former times and the present are the most important means of transportation for human beings — He states: "and His are the ships sailing in the sea like mountains" (وَلَهُ الْجَوَارِ الْمُنشَآتُ فِي الْبَحْرِ كَالْأَعْلَامِ). "Jawar" is the plural of "jariyah" — an attribute of "sufun" meaning ships — and this word has been elided for the sake of brevity, since what is more worthy of attention is not the ships but their sailing in the water. Hence reliance has been placed on this attribute alone. Reflect carefully. A female slave is called "jariyah" on account of her moving and striving in performing services, and if a young girl is called "jariyah" it is on account of the vigour and movement of youth in her existence. "Munsha'at" is the plural of "munsha'" — a passive participle in the meaning of "created and fashioned." It is noteworthy that at the very time when the expression "munsha'at" speaks of the human being's making of ships, it says "wa lahu" — "these are for God." This alludes to the fact that the makers of ships benefit from the various properties God has granted — which are necessary for benefiting from ships. In this way they benefit from the property of the liquid nature of rivers and seas and the power of the blowing of winds. It is God who has deposited these properties and effects in these things, in the sea and in the wind. For this reason in another place in the Quran the word "taskhir" — subjugation — appears: وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ الْفُلْكَ لِتَجْرِيَ فِي الْبَحْرِ بِأَمْرِهِ — "God made the ship obedient to you, that it might sail in the sea by His command" (Ibrahim — 32). Some exegetes have interpreted "munsha'" from the root "insha'" in the meaning of "raising" and by this mean sailing ships — the reason being that people would drive ships by raising sails and positioning them in the path of the wind. "A'lam" is the plural of "'alam" — on the measure of "qalam" — in the meaning of "mountains." Although its original meaning is "sign" — something that points to something. Since mountains are visible from afar they are called "'alam" — just as a flag is also called "'alam." In this manner the Quran has focused on large ships sailing in the seas. Some people suppose this is specific to the present era — but large ships and steamers are not exclusive to modern times. In the war narratives of the Greeks we find that they made use of very great and large ships. He then repeats the same profoundly meaningful question: "so which of your Lord's blessings do you deny?" (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ).

As observed, this section of the verses speaks of the sea and its importance in human life. It is also known that the sea encompasses three quarters of the earth's surface and is a great source of foodstuffs, medicines, and articles of adornment. It is an important means of transportation for human beings and their goods and possessions. And most important of all — the falling of rain, the moderation of winds, indeed the very blowing of winds — all of this is among the blessings of the seas. If the surface of the seas were somewhat less or more than it is now, or if the earth were inclined toward dryness or became more humid, the question of the survival of life would simply not arise. For this reason the Quran repeatedly draws human beings' attention toward this through various expressions and invites them to reflection. At one point it says: "God has made the sea subservient to you" (سَخَّرَ لَكُمُ الْبَحْرَ) (al-Jathiyah — 12); at another: "He has made the ships subservient to you" (سَخَّرَ لَكُمُ الْفُلْكَ) (Ibrahim — 32); at yet another: "He has made subservient to you whatever is in the earth" (سَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ) (al-Hajj — 65). Apart from all this, the seas are among the wonders of the world. The smallest grass visible only under a microscope and the very largest trees in the world grow in the seas. Similarly the smallest animal and the most enormous, giant creatures live in the seas. Life in the depths of the seas — where there is neither light nor food — is so astonishing and wondrous that the human being never tires of studying it. More astonishing still is that there the animals produce light from within themselves, and the things required by them as food are prepared on the surface of the water and sink to the bottom. Their bodies are so strong and firm and possess such capacity to withstand internal pressure that compared to the immense pressure of the water — if a human being in ordinary condition were placed there his bones would be reduced to powder — yet they live their lives.

You will be surprised to learn that very great rivers flow within the world's oceans, the most powerful of which is the Gulf Stream. This great river begins from the shores of Central America and, crossing the entire Atlantic Ocean, reaches the shores of Northern Europe. The waters that flow from the regions near the equator are warm — to the point that their colour is sometimes different from the waters flowing alongside them. What is astonishing is that the breadth of this great oceanic river, the Gulf Stream, is approximately 150 kilometres and its depth several hundred metres. Its speed and flow in some regions is such that it covers 160 kilometres in a single day. The difference in temperature of these waters from the waters flowing alongside is between ten to fifteen degrees — which is why its western edge is called the cold wall. Warm winds arise from the Gulf Stream and carry a considerable quantity of their heat to the northern countries of the continent of Europe, making the climate of those countries most pleasant. Were this water flow not present, life in those countries would be very arduous and debilitating. It is reiterated that the Gulf Stream is one of these rivers, and many examples of such rivers are found in the waters of the world's five continents. The greatest cause and factor of these rivers is the difference in heat between the equatorial and polar zones of the earth, which creates movement in the water of the seas. The import of this subject can be grasped through a simple experiment: if we have a very large vessel of water, place a piece of ice on one side and a piece of hot iron on the other, and scatter a little cut grass on the water's surface, we shall see that a movement will arise on the surface of this water and the water shall gradually begin to flow from the warm side toward the cold side. Precisely this same situation exists in all the world's waters and is the source of the formation of these oceanic rivers. What is astonishing is that these great oceanic rivers mix very little with the surrounding water and traverse thousands of kilometres in this same manner — becoming the instance of مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَّا يَبْغِيَانِ — "He set the two seas near one another, meeting each other, between them a barrier so that they do not transgress." More astonishing still is that at the site of the juxtaposition of these warm and cold waters flowing alongside one another, something comes into existence that is most beneficial for the human being. For at the point of contact between these warm and cold waters a condition of torpor and death-like suspension overtakes the microscopic creatures visible under a magnifying glass, causing them to become suspended in the water. In this way an enormous store of food accumulates and large congregations of fish gather here to feed upon it — which is why this region on the earth's surface is the finest location for fishing. (References: Da'irat al-Ma'arif — Farhang-namah, Vol. 12, p. 1228; Journal Bandar va Darya, No. 4, p. 100; and other sources.) Accordingly this is also one interpretation of the above-mentioned verses — and it does not conflict with the other interpretations. Their combination with one another is also possible.

In a tradition transmitted from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq — peace be upon him — it is reported that he stated in interpretation of "maraja al-bahrayni yaltaqiyan...": عَلِيٌّ وَفَاطِمَةُ بَحْرَانِ عَمِيقَانِ لَا يَبْغِي أَحَدُهُمَا عَلَىٰ صَاحِبِهِ يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا اللُّؤْلُؤُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ "'Ali — peace be upon him — and Fatimah — peace of God be upon her — are two deep seas, neither of which transgresses upon the other, and from these two rivers came forth the pearl and the coral — that is, Hasan — peace be upon him — and Husayn — peace be upon him." (Reference: Tafsir al-Qummi, Vol. 2, p. 244.) In Tafsir al-Durr al-Manthur the same meaning has been reported on the authority of certain companions of the Prophet. (Reference: al-Durr al-Manthur, Vol. 6, p. 142.) The late Tabrasi has also transmitted the same in Majma' al-Bayan with a slight difference. We know that the Holy Quran has multiple inner dimensions and it is possible that a single verse carries several meanings — and what has come in this tradition is from among the inner dimensions of the Quran, which does not conflict with its outward meaning.

See ayat 30 for tafseer.

See ayat 30 for tafseer.

See ayat 30 for tafseer.

See ayat 30 for tafseer.

Continuing the mention of His blessings, He further states in these verses: "all those who are upon the earth shall perish" (كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ). A question arises here: how can the matter of annihilation be counted among God's blessings? It may be from the standpoint that this annihilation does not mean absolute extinction — rather it serves as a window to the world of endurance. It is a vestibule and passageway that must necessarily be traversed in order to reach the abode. The world, despite all its blessings, is a prison for the believer and departing from it is tantamount to emerging from a narrow and dark prison. Or the mention of annihilation may be from the standpoint that the account of the preceding blessings might cause a group to become absorbed in matters of eating and drinking, pearl and coral, and conveyances — hence He reminds them that this world is transient and that they must not become attached to these things and thereby fail to benefit from them in the path of their Lord. This reminder is in itself a very great blessing. The pronoun in "alayha" returns to the earth alluded to in the preceding verses, and the contextual indications also make clear that "man alayha" means those upon the earth — that is, jinn and humans. Although some exegetes have strengthened the possibility that it is used for animals and other moving creatures as well, in view of the word "man" — which is always used for beings possessing reason — the first interpretation is appropriate. It is true that the matter of annihilation is not confined to jinn and humans alone — rather, as stated explicitly in the Quran, all the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth and indeed all the existents of the universe shall perish: كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ — "everything shall perish except His countenance" (al-Qasas — 88). But since the discourse was with the inhabitants of the earth, only they have been presented. The subsequent verse further states: "that is, only the essence of your Lord — Dhu al-Jalali wa al-Ikram — shall remain" (وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ). Lexically "wajh" means face — when we are face to face with a person and meet him we are before him. But when this word is used for God the intent is His holy essence. Exegetes have taken "wajhu rabbika" here in the sense of the Lord's attributes through which blessings and favours descend upon the human being — such as knowledge, power, mercy, and forgiveness. The possibility has also been proposed that it refers to the deeds performed for God — and on this basis everything shall perish, but the one thing that remains is the deeds performed with sincerity of intention for His pleasure. But the first meaning is most appropriate. As for "Dhu al-Jalali wa al-Ikram" — which is an attribute of "wajh" — it alludes to the attributes of divine majesty and beauty. "Dhu al-Jalal" conveys attributes from which God is supremely exalted and transcendent — the negative attributes — and "al-Ikram" alludes to the attributes that manifest the beauty and value of something, which are God's positive attributes such as His knowledge, power, and life. On this basis the collective meaning of this passage would be: only that holy essence of God which is characterised by the positive attributes and is free and purified from the negative attributes shall endure in this universe. Some exegetes take God's being "sahib-i ikram" — possessor of generosity — as an allusion to His being the possessor of bounties and blessings through which He honours and ennobles His awliya'. The combination of all these meanings in the above verses is possible. In a tradition it is reported that a person was occupied in prayer in the presence of the Prophet, after which he supplicated thus: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِأَنَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدَ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ الْمَنَّانُ بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ. The Prophet asked his companions: "do you know by what name he has called upon God?" They said: "God and His Messenger know best." He then stated: وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَقَدْ دَعَا اللَّهَ بِاسْمِهِ الْأَعْظَمِ الَّذِي إِذَا دُعِيَ بِهِ أَجَابَ وَإِذَا سُئِلَ بِهِ أَعْطَىٰ — "by the One in Whose hand is my soul, he has called upon God by His greatest name — when someone calls upon God by this name He answers his supplication, and when he makes a request through it He grants it." (Reference: Tafsir Ruh al-Ma'ani, Vol. 27, p. 95.) The Lord Almighty once more addresses His creation and states: "which of your Lord's blessings do you deny?" (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ). The very content of the subsequent verse is the consequence of the preceding verses — for He states: "all those in the heavens and the earth ask their needs of Him and make their requests to Him" (يَسْأَلُهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ). Why should this not be so, when all are perishable and God alone endures? It is not merely that at the end of this world the entire universe apart from the Lord's holy essence shall take the path of annihilation — rather, even now in relation to Him all are perishable and their survival is dependent upon His survival and will. If for even a moment He were to withdraw His grace and favour from the universe they would all perish. In these circumstances, who other than He can the inhabitants of the earth and the heavens ask? The expression "yas'aluhu" in the form of the imperfect tense is evidence that this asking and requesting is perpetual — all of them in the language of their very condition are always seeking beneficence from this All-Bestowing Origin, desiring life and requesting their needs. This is the requirement of the nature of the contingent existent — that not only in its coming into existence but in its very survival it is dependent upon the Necessarily Existent. Then He further states: "God is every day in a new affair" (اللَّهُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ). Indeed, His creation is constant and continuous — and answering those who ask and those who are in need of Him is the same. He sets a new design every day: On one day He grants power and might to certain peoples — on another day He makes them fall into decline. On one day He bestows health, soundness, and youth — on another, weakness and helplessness. On one day He removes grief and sorrow from the heart — on another He creates a cause for grief and sorrow. In summary, every day in accordance with wisdom and the most excellent order He brings into existence some new creation, new existent, and new event. If attention is paid to this reality it is sufficient to make clear to us: first, that our needs are permanently connected to His holy essence; second, that in this way our hearts are saved from falling into despair; third, this attention eliminates our heedlessness and pride. Indeed, He has a new affair every day and is occupied with a new work. Although each exegete has presented one facet of these broad meanings as the interpretation of the verse — some have made only the forgiveness of sins, the removal of grief, and the rise and fall of nations their subject; some only the matter of creation, sustenance, life, death, honour and disgrace; some only the creation and death of human beings — saying that God has three armies every day: one army departs from fathers' loins toward mothers' wombs, a second army steps from mothers' wombs into this world, and a third army departs from the world toward the grave. But as stated, the verse carries a broad meaning — every new creation, birth, and revolution in this world holds within itself transformation. A tradition is transmitted from Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali — peace be upon him — in which he stated in a sermon: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَا يَمُوتُ وَلَا تَنْقَضِي عَجَائِبُهُ لِأَنَّهُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ مِنْ إِحْدَاثِ بَدِيعٍ لَمْ يَكُنْ — "praise and glorification belong to God who never dies and Whose wonders of creation never cease, for every day He has a new affair and He creates something novel that never existed before." (Reference: Usul al-Kafi, as cited in Tafsir Nur al-Thaqalayn, Vol. 5, p. 193.) In another tradition transmitted from the Messenger of God — peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family — he stated in interpretation of this verse: مِنْ شَأْنِهِ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ ذَنْبًا وَيُفَرِّجَ كَرْبًا وَيَرْفَعَ قَوْمًا وَيَضَعَ آخَرِينَ — "among His affairs is that He forgives a sin, removes distress and hardship, raises one group, and brings another low." (Reference: Majma' al-Bayan, under the verses under discussion; this tradition is also transmitted in Ruh al-Ma'ani from Sahih al-Bukhari.) It is also worth noting that "yawm" here does not mean the day in contrast to night but encompasses a long era as well as hours and moments — its meaning being that God Most High has a new affair in every age and does a new work. Some exegetes have also cited a context of revelation for this verse — that it was revealed to refute the assertion of the Jews. The Jews hold the view that God does no work on Saturday, resting on that day and issuing no command or decree. (Reference: Majma' al-Bayan, Vol. 9, p. 202.) The Quran's view is that the programme of His creation and governance of affairs cannot sustain suspension even for a single moment. The Lord Almighty then, after this enduring blessing and response to the needs of all creation, states: "which of your Lord's blessings do you deny?" (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ).

We have read in the aforementioned verses that everything besides Allah shall perish. This does not signify absolute annihilation. It does not mean that the human soul will also be destroyed, nor that the dust obtained from the human body will cease to exist, because the verses of the Qur’an affirm the existence of عالمِ برزخ until the Day of Resurrection [reference: (Mu’minun: 100)]. On the other hand, the Qur’an repeatedly states that the dead will rise from their graves on the Day of Resurrection [reference: (Ya Sin: 51)], and that decayed bones will, by the command of Allah, once again be clothed with the garment of life upon their bodies [reference: (Ya Sin: 79)]. All these matters testify that, in this verse and in other similar verses, annihilation refers to the disintegration of the system of body and soul, the severance of relationships, and the disruption of the order and arrangement of the created world, such that it is replaced by a new world.

It has been stated that the verse "kullu yawmin huwa fi sha'n" is both a creator of hope and a breaker of pride, as well as a sign of the continuity and perpetuity of creation. For this reason the leaders of Islam have at times relied particularly upon this verse to instil hope in individuals. As found in the account of Abu Dharr's exile to Rabdhah — 'Ali — peace be upon him — bade farewell to Abu Dharr and consoled and comforted him with profoundly meaningful words. After this, Imam Hasan — peace be upon him, the noble son of Amir al-Mu'minin — addressed Abu Dharr with words calling him uncle. Then the Master of the Martyrs, Imam Husayn — peace be upon him — opened his lips and stated: يَا عَمَّاهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَىٰ قَادِرٌ أَنْ يُغَيِّرَ مَا قَدْ تَرَى، اللَّهُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ، وَقَدْ مَنَعَكَ الْقَوْمُ دُنْيَاهُمْ، وَمَنَعْتَهُمْ دِينَكَ... فَاسْأَلِ اللَّهَ الصَّبْرَ وَالنَّصْرَ "Dear uncle, God Most High is capable of changing the conditions you see — His is a new affair every day. They saw you as an obstacle in their worldly path and blocked you; you saw them interfering in your religion and stopped them. Pray to God for patience, forbearance, and victory." (Reference: al-Ghadir, Vol. 8, p. 301.) In history it is found that when Imam Husayn — peace be upon him — was on his way to Karbala and reached the station called Saffah, the poet Farazdaq met him. The Imam stated: بَيِّنْ لِي خَبَرَ النَّاسِ مِنْ خَلْفِكَ — "tell me what condition you left the people in" — alluding to the people of Iraq. Farazdaq submitted: الْخَبِيرَ سَأَلْتَ، قُلُوبُ النَّاسِ مَعَكَ، وَسُيُوفُهُمْ مَعَ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ، وَالْقَضَاءُ يَنْزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ، وَاللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ — "you have asked an informed person — the hearts of the people are with you but their swords are with the Banu Umayyah. The divine decree descends from the heavens and God does what is in accordance with His wisdom and will." Upon this Imam Husayn — peace be upon him — stated: صَدَقْتَ، لِلَّهِ الْأَمْرُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ، وَكُلَّ يَوْمٍ رَبُّنَا فِي شَأْنٍ — "you have spoken the truth — God does what He wills and our Lord has a new affair and a new work every day." (Reference: Kamil of Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 4, p. 40.) All these matters indicate that this is an encouraging verse for the people of faith. It is noteworthy that a certain ruler asked his minister for the interpretation of this verse, but the minister expressed ignorance and requested a day's respite. When the minister reached home in a state of perplexity, one of his slaves — who was possessed of knowledge and understanding — asked: "what is the matter?" The minister recounted the entire affair. The slave said: go to the ruler and if he gives permission I shall present it before him. In any case the ruler summoned this slave and questioned him, and he replied: يَا أَمِيرُ شَأْنُهُ يُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَيُعَافِي مُبْتَلىً وَيُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَالْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَيَشْفِي سَقِيمًا وَيُسْقِمُ سَلِيمًا وَيَبْتَلِي مُعَافىً وَيُعَافِي مُبْتَلىً وَيُعِزُّ ذَلِيلًا وَيُذِلُّ عَزِيزًا وَيُفْقِرُ غَنِيًّا وَيُغْنِي فَقِيرًا "O ruler, His affair is this: He brings night and day one after the other; He grants the afflicted person well-being and grants the sound person affliction; He cures the sick and makes the healthy ill; He ennobles the lowly and humiliates the eminent; He impoverishes the wealthy and enriches the poor." The ruler said: فَرَّجْتَ عَنِّي فَرَّجَ اللَّهُ عَنْكَ — "you have resolved my difficulty — may God resolve yours" — and thereafter rewarded and honoured that slave. (Reference: Tafsir al-Qurtubi, Vol. 9, p. 6337.)

Some proponents of “Harakat-e Jawhari” (Substantial Motion) have inferred this doctrine from certain verses of the Qur’an, or at least regarded them as allusions to their intended meaning. Among such verses is the following: “كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ”. Its explanation is as follows: the ancient philosophers held the view that motion is possible only in four accidental categories (maqūlah-yi ayn, kayf, and waḍ‘). In simpler and more accessible terms, this means that a body may undergo change with respect to place, or may grow in such a way that its quantity increases, or changes may occur in its color, smell, and taste (for example, an apple attached to a tree), or it may rotate around its own position (as in the rotational movement of the earth). However, they believed that no motion was possible in the substance and essence of a body itself, because in motion the essence of the moving entity must remain fixed and enduring, while only its accidents and attributes may vary; otherwise, motion would have no meaning. But the later philosophers rejected this theory and affirmed Harakat-e Jawhari. They argued that the very foundation and basis of motion lies within substance itself, while its effects become manifest in accidents. The first person to present this theory in a rational and systematic form was Mulla Sadra Shirazi. He stated that all particles of the universe and the material world constitute a totality of moving matter. In other words, the matter of bodies is a fluid existence whose essence is perpetually changing, and every moment it possesses a new existence distinct from that of the preceding moment. Yet because these changes are connected continuously with one another, they are regarded as one and the same thing. According to this theory, we ourselves become a new existence every day; however, these existences are continuous and connected, and they preserve a single form. In other words, matter possesses four dimensions: length, width, depth, and duration. This duration is what is called time, and this time is nothing other than substantial motion itself. Reflect carefully! It should not be misunderstood that Harakat-e Jawhari is related to the issue of the internal motion of atoms, because that motion occurs in space and is merely accidental motion. Harakat-e Jawhari possesses a far more profound and deeper meaning, one that encompasses the very essence and individuality of the body itself. Remarkably, in this doctrine the mover itself becomes identical with motion, and things themselves become the locus of their own becoming. Reflect carefully! They possess various arguments for proving this doctrine, the explanation of which cannot be accommodated here. However, it is appropriate to point out the result of this philosophical belief. Its consequence is that we come to perceive the question of divine knowledge more clearly with every passing moment, because creation and origination did not occur merely at the beginning of the world; rather, at every instant and every moment creation is continually renewed, and God is perpetually engaged in new acts of creation and origination. We remain constantly dependent upon Him and continuously receive from His grace. They have interpreted “كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ” in accordance with these meanings. Nevertheless, there is no impediment to considering this interpretation as merely one aspect of the broad and comprehensive meaning of the verse.

See ayat 36 for tafseer.

See ayat 36 for tafseer.

See ayat 36 for tafseer.

See ayat 36 for tafseer.

See ayat 36 for tafseer.

A statement of the Prophet of Islam (ṣallā Allāh ʿalayhi wa‑ālihi wa‑sallam) is reported as follows: “من قرءَ سورةَ مُحَمَّد كَانَ حَقّاً عَلَى اَللهِ اَنْ يَسْقِيَهُ مِنَ اَنْهَارِ اَلْجَنَّةِ۔” Whoever recites Sūrat Muḥammad, it becomes obligatory upon God to grant him drink from the rivers of Paradise (bihawāla: Tafsīr Majmaʿ al‑Bayān, vol. 9, beginning of Sūrat Muḥammad). In the book Thawāb al‑Aʿmāl, a narration is also reported from Imām Jaʿfar al‑Ṣādiq (ʿalayhi al‑salām), in which it is stated: “مَن قرءَ سورة الّذين كفروا (سورة محمد) لم يرتب ابدًا، ولم يدخله شكٍ فى دينه ابدًا، ولم يبتله الله بِفقرٍ ابدًا وَلا خوفٌ سلطان أبدًا ولم يزل محفوظا من الشّرك والكفر ابدًا حتى يموت فاذا مات وكله الله به فى قبره الف ملك يصلون فى قبره ويكون ثواب صلاتهم له ويشيعونه حتى يوقفوه موقف الامن عند الله عزّ وَجلّ ويكون فى أمان الله وأمان محمد।” Whoever recites Sūrat al‑ladʿīna kafarū (Sūrat Muḥammad) will never fall into doubt, nor will any uncertainty ever enter his religion. God will never afflict him with poverty in religion, nor will he suffer fear from authority, and he will remain protected from shirk and disbelief until death. When he dies, God appoints one thousand angels to perform prayer in his grave, the reward of which is granted to him; they accompany him until he is presented at the station of security before God, and he will remain under the protection of God and Muḥammad (bihawāla: Tafsīr Nūr al‑Thaqalayn, vol. 5, p. 35, citing Thawāb al‑Aʿmāl). It is evident that those who apply the contents of these verses to themselves and engage in struggle against harsh, unyielding, and anti‑rational opposition will neither experience doubt nor hesitation in resolve. The foundations of their faith will be strengthened, fear, humiliation, and hardship will be removed, and they will benefit from Divine mercy in the Hereafter. In another narration, the Imām (ʿalayhi al‑salām) states: “من أراد أن يعرف حالنا وحال أعدائنا فليقرء سورة محمد فإنه يراها آية فينا وَآية فيهم।” Whoever wishes to know our condition and the condition of our enemies should recite Sūrat Muḥammad, for he will find in it a verse concerning us and a verse concerning them (bihawāla: Majmaʿ al‑Bayān, vol. 9, beginning of the same sūrah). This narration has also been transmitted by Sunni exegetes: al‑Ālūsī in Rūḥ al‑Maʿānī (bihawāla: Tafsīr Rūḥ al‑Maʿānī, vol. 26, p. 33) and al‑Suyūṭī in al‑Durr al‑Manthūr (bihawāla: Tafsīr al‑Durr al‑Manthūr, vol. 6, p. 46). This ḥadīth indicates that the complete model of faith is embodied in the Ahl al‑Bayt of the Prophet (ʿalayhim al‑salām), and that the manifest example of disbelief and hypocrisy is represented by Banū Umayyah. Although the sūrah does not explicitly mention the Ahl al‑Bayt nor Banū Umayyah by name, it discusses the characteristics of believers and hypocrites; therefore, it first alludes to these two clear instances, though its application extends to all believers and all hypocrites without restriction.

See ayat 45 for tafseer.

See ayat 45 for tafseer.

See ayat 45 for tafseer.

See ayat 45 for tafseer.

See ayat 45 for tafseer.

See ayat 45 for tafseer.

See ayat 45 for tafseer.

See ayat 45 for tafseer.

In continuation of the preceding verses that described certain events of the Resurrection, these verses likewise continue this discussion and contain an account of certain characteristics of the scene of the Resurrection, the nature of the reckoning, and the description of punishment and chastisement. The Lord Almighty first states: "when the heavens split asunder and become rose-red like molten oil, terrifying events shall occur that none shall have the strength to endure" (فَإِذَا انشَقَّتِ السَّمَاءُ فَكَانَتْ وَرْدَةً كَالدِّهَانِ). (Explanatory Note: Whether "idha" in this clause is conditional, expressing suddenness, or adverbial — there are several possibilities. But the first possibility is preferable and the apodosis of the conditional is elided. The implied reading may be: fa-idha inshaqqa al-sama'u fa-kanat wardatan kal-dihani kana ahwalun la yutiquha al-bayan — when the heavens split and become like molten oil, there shall be such terrors as cannot be expressed in speech.) From all the verses relating to the Resurrection it appears that on that day the present order of the world shall be completely overthrown and most terrifying events shall occur in the world — stars, planets, earth, heavens shall all be overturned and matters whose conception is difficult for us today shall confront us. Among the matters mentioned in the above verses is that the celestial spheres shall split and take on a form like melted red oil. "Wardah" and "ward" mean flower — and since flowers are generally red, it denotes the colour red here. This word has also been used for red horses, and since such horses change their colour in different seasons — becoming yellowish in spring, red in winter, and black in extreme cold — it is used as a simile for the changes that shall occur in the heavens on the Day of Resurrection, when the sky shall sometimes be red and blazing like flames of fire and sometimes blackened with smoke. "Dihan" — on the measure of "kitab" — means molten oil, and sometimes refers to the sediment that settles at the bottom of oil, which generally has various colours. This simile may be because the colour of the sky shall emerge red in the form of molten oil, or it may allude to the melting of the celestial spheres or to their various colours. Some exegetes have interpreted "dihan" as red leather. In any case, all these similes can present only a vague outline of this terrifying scene, for that situation bears no true resemblance to any event in this world. These are scenes that cannot be understood until one witnesses them. Since informing the criminals and believers of the occurrence of these terrifying events in the arena of the Resurrection or before it is an admonition, it is one of the divine favours — hence the accompanying clause is repeated and the Lord Almighty states: "which of your Lord's blessings do you deny?" (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ). The subsequent verse, presenting the condition of the sinful human being on that day on account of the providential events of the Resurrection, further states: "on that day no human being or jinn shall be questioned about his sin" (فَيَوْمَئِذٍ لَّا يُسْأَلُ عَن ذَنبِهِ إِنسٌ وَلَا جَانٌّ). Why shall there be no questioning? Because on that day everything shall be clear and manifest — it is the "yawm al-buruz" — the Day of Manifestation. Every human being's deeds shall be apparent from his face. Someone might suppose that this verse conflicts with those verses that emphasise the questioning of servants at the Resurrection — such as verse 24 of Surah al-Saffat: وَقِفُوهُمْ إِنَّهُم مَّسْئُولُونَ — "stop them, for they shall be questioned" — and verses 92-93 of Surah al-Hijr: فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْأَلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ — "by your Lord, We shall question them all regarding what they used to do." But attention to one point resolves this difficulty — the Resurrection is an extremely long day and the human being must pass through multiple stations and passageways, pausing for a period at each scene and station. According to some traditions there shall be fifty stations. In some of them there shall be no questioning at all — rather the colour of the cheeks shall reveal the inward condition, as stated in the subsequent verse. In some stations a seal shall be placed upon the human being's mouth and his bodily members shall be readied to bear witness (Surah Ya Sin — 65). In some stations extremely meticulous questioning shall take place (such as the verse under discussion and the two verses alluded to above). In other stations human beings shall begin contending in their own defence (Surah al-Nahl — 111). In summary, each scene has its own requirements and each scene is more terrifying than the previous one. Then in continuation, addressing all, He states: "which of your Lord's blessings do you deny?" (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ). Indeed on that day there shall be no questioning — rather the criminals shall be recognised by their distinguishing marks (يُعْرَفُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ بِسِيمَاهُمْ). (Explanatory Note: "Sima'" is originally in the meaning of a sign and mark, and encompasses every kind of sign on their faces or other parts of their bodies. But since the signs of well-being and ill-being generally appear on the face, it is the face that comes to mind from this word's mention.) One group shall have luminous and radiant faces indicating their faith and righteous deeds. The other group shall have dark, gloomy, and repulsive faces — the signs of their unbelief and sin — as found in verses 38-41 of Surah 'Abasa: وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُّسْفِرَةٌ ضَاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌ وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ — on that day there shall be luminous and radiant faces, laughing and glad, and also faces upon which dust settles, covered by a particular kind of darkness. Then it states: "after which they shall be seized by the forelocks and the feet and cast into Hell" (فَيُؤْخَذُ بِالنَّوَاصِي وَالْأَقْدَامِ). "Nawasi" is the plural of "nasiyah" — as Raghib states in al-Mufradat, "nasiyah" is originally in the meaning of the hair at the front of the head. Its root is "nasa'" — on the measure of "nasara" — meaning connection and attachment, and "akhadha bil-nasiyah" means seizing the forelocks and sometimes comes as a metaphor for complete domination over something. "Aqdam" is the plural of "qadam" meaning feet. The seizing of the criminals' forelocks and feet may be in the literal sense — meaning that those appointed by God shall seize these two things and hurl them into Hell with utmost humiliation and degradation — or it means that the criminals shall be led to Hell in extreme humiliation, and what a painful and terrifying scene that shall be. Since the reminder of these matters in connection with the ma'ad is an admonition and consequently a favour for all, He further addresses all saying: "which of your Lord's blessings do you deny?" (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ). The subsequent verse states: "this is that very Hell that the criminals always denied" (هَٰذِهِ جَهَنَّمُ الَّتِي يُكَذِّبُ بِهَا الْمُجْرِمُونَ). Since the addressees shall be present in the gathering of the Resurrection and this shall be said to them there, or the addressee is the person of the Prophet and this was said to him in this world — exegetes have offered various interpretations. But the verse contains certain contextual indications that support the second meaning — since the use of the imperfect tense "yukadhdhibu" and the employment of the absent third-person construction with the title "criminals" indicates that God tells His Prophet: these are the attributes of that Hell which criminals always deny. Or the addressees are all jinn and humans being admonished that the Hell which criminals deny possesses such attributes as you are hearing — so beware, lest your end bring you there. Elaborating once more on Hell and its painful punishment, He further states: "the criminals move between it and boiling water" (يَطُوفُونَ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَ حَمِيمٍ آنٍ). "An" and "ani" here carry the meaning of water that is at the boiling point. It is originally from the root "ana" — on the measure of "rida" — in the sense of time, since the burning water has reached its ultimate extreme. Thus on one side they shall walk amid the burning flames of Hell and be thirsty and long for water — and on the other side boiling water shall be given to them or poured upon them — and this is a painful punishment and chastisement. From certain Quranic verses it appears that the burning spring called "hamim" is near Hell — the damned shall first be taken into it and then cast into Hell's fire: يُسْحَبُونَ فِي الْحَمِيمِ ثُمَّ فِي النَّارِ يُسْجَرُونَ (al-Mu'min — 71-72). The expression "yatufuna baynahha wa bayna hamin an" in the verse under discussion is consonant with these same meanings. Then, after setting forth this state of awakening from this severe danger and this admonition — which is in itself a divine favour — He states: "which of your Lord's blessings do you deny?" (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ).

See ayat 55 for tafseer.

See ayat 55 for tafseer.

See ayat 55 for tafseer.

See ayat 55 for tafseer.

See ayat 55 for tafseer.

See ayat 55 for tafseer.

See ayat 55 for tafseer.

See ayat 55 for tafseer.

See ayat 55 for tafseer.

In these verses, after leaving the inhabitants of Hell to their condition, the Lord of the Worlds turns the discourse toward the people of Paradise. In this manner, Allah enumerates the delightful and longing-inspiring blessings of Paradise so that, by comparing these blessings with the punishments and torments descending upon the people of Hell, the significance of each may become manifest. He says: “For the one who fears the مقام of his Lord, there are two gardens of Paradise” (وَ لِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ). By “fear of the مقام of the Lord” is meant fear of standing in the various stations of the Day of Resurrection, fear of appearing before the Divine Presence for reckoning, or fear of the knowledge and perpetual vigilance that God maintains over all human beings. [Explanatory Note: In the first interpretation, the word “مقام” is ism makan (noun of place), while in the second it is a verbal noun.] The second interpretation corresponds with what appears in Surah al-Ra‘d, verse 33, where God says: (أَفَمَنْ هُوَ قَائِمٌ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ). “Is He who stands over every soul and guards and watches all its deeds like one who possesses none of these attributes?” In a tradition narrated from Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiqؑ, he explained this verse by saying: “مَنْ عَلِمَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَاهُ وَ يَسْمَعُ مَا يَقُولُ وَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يَعْمَلُهُ مِنْ خَيْرٍ أَوْ شَرٍّ فَيَحْجُزُهُ ذَٰلِكَ عَنِ الْقَبِيحِ مِنَ الْأَعْمَالِ فَذَٰلِكَ الَّذِي خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ وَ نَهَى النَّفْسَ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ”. “Whoever knows that Allah sees him, hears what he says, and knows whatever good or evil he performs, and this awareness restrains him from vile deeds, then he is the one who fears the مقام of his Lord and restrains the soul from vain desire.” [Explanatory Note: According to Usul al-Kafi, as cited in Nur al-Thaqalayn, vol. 5, p. 197, the explanation of the tradition indicates that the Imam made this statement while interpreting Surah al-Nazi‘at, verse 40: (وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ وَنَهَى ٱلنَّفْسَ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰ). Although the meanings of both verses are identical.] There is also a third interpretation, namely that what is intended here is solely fear of God—not fear of the fire of Hell, nor fear motivated by desire for the blessings of Paradise, but only fear of the مقام of the Lord and His Majesty. A fourth interpretation is that “مقامِ پروردگار” refers to Divine justice, because His sacred essence itself is not a cause of fear; rather, if there is fear, it is fear of His justice. Fear of justice ultimately returns to a person’s own deeds, for one whose account is pure has nothing to fear from reckoning. Criminals tremble when they pass by a court or prison, whereas innocent people are unconcerned whether the place is a court or something else. There are different sources for fearing the Lord: • Sometimes fear of God arises because of impure deeds and erroneous thoughts. • Sometimes, for those brought near to the Divine Presence, even a slight ترک اولیٰ or a minor moment of heedlessness becomes the cause of fear of God because of their proximity to Him. • At other times, apart from all these, when one contemplates His infinite essence and limitless greatness, fear overwhelms the person through awareness of one’s own insignificance before Him. This is the fear attained through the highest degree of knowledge of the Lord, and it befalls the special gnostics and sincere servants of His court. These four interpretations are not mutually contradictory, and it is possible that all of them are encompassed within the meaning of the verse. As for the “two gardens” (the two paradisal gardens), it is possible that one is a material and bodily Paradise while the other is a spiritual and immaterial Paradise, just as Surah Al ‘Imran, verse 15 states: (لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَ أَزْوَاجٌ مُطَهَّرَةٌ وَ رِضْوَانٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ). In this verse, in addition to the bodily Paradise beneath whose trees rivers flow and wherein are purified spouses, the spiritual Paradise—which is the pleasure of God—is also mentioned. Or it may be that the first Paradise is granted as recompense for righteous deeds, while the second Paradise is bestowed purely as Divine grace, as stated in Surah al-Nur, verse 38: (لِيَجْزِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنَ مَا عَمِلُوا وَ يَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِ). The meaning is that God will reward them for their finest deeds and then increase that reward out of His bounty. Or perhaps one Paradise is given on account of obedience, and the other for refraining from sin. Or one may be granted because of faith and belief, and the other in recompense for righteous deeds and similar virtues. Or, since the audience consists of both jinn and humankind, each of the two gardens may pertain to a separate group. There is no decisive evidence in favor of any one of these interpretations in particular, while it remains possible that all of them are intended by the verse. What is certain and established is that God will place several gardens of Paradise at the disposal of His righteous servants, within which they shall move freely, while the people of Hell remain amidst blazing fire and scalding water. These, then, are the two gardens of Paradise. After mentioning this tremendous blessing, He addresses all, saying: “Which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?” (فَبِأَیِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّکُمَا تُکَذِّبَانِ). Thereafter, in further description and praise of these two gardens, He says that they possess branching trees filled with freshness and every variety of blessing (ذَوَاتَا أَفْنَانٍ). “ذواتا” is the dual form of “ذات”, meaning possessor or bearer. [Explanatory Note: According to some exegetes, the أصل of “ذات”, which is singular feminine, was originally “ذوات”. Its wāw was omitted for ease of pronunciation, leaving it in the form “ذات”. Since the dual form restores words to their original root, it becomes “ذواتان”, and because of annexation its nūn is omitted. Majma‘ al-Bahrayn states that “ذو” was originally on the pattern of “صدا”, and therefore it is unsurprising that its feminine form should be “ذوات”.] “أفنان” is the plural of “فنن” (on the pattern of qalam). It means fresh branches and twigs richly covered with leaves. At times the word is also used in the sense of “kind” or “type”, and in the present verse both meanings are possible. In the first sense, it refers to the fresh and verdant branches of the trees of Paradise, unlike the branches of worldly trees which contain both old and new growth. In the second sense, it refers to the diversity and variety of the blessings of Paradise. There is no impediment to adopting both meanings simultaneously. It is also possible that the trees of Paradise are of such a nature that a single tree possesses many branches, and each branch bears a different kind of fruit. After mentioning this blessing, the same question is repeated: “Which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?” (فَبِأَیِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّکُمَا تُکَذِّبَانِ). Since a flourishing, delightful, and verdant garden must also contain flowing springs in addition to trees, the following verse states: “Within those two gardens are two springs flowing continuously” (فِیهِمَا عَیْنَانِ تَجْرِیَانِ). Then, in relation to this blessing, He again asks: “Which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?” (فَبِأَیِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّکُمَا تُکَذِّبَانِ). Although the verse does not specify the exact nature of these two springs, the use of an indefinite expression in such contexts indicates grandeur and significance. Some exegetes, however, have interpreted these two springs as the springs named “Salsabil” and “Tasnīm”, mentioned respectively in Surah al-Dahr, verse 18, and Surah al-Mutaffifin, verse 27. Others have stated that one of the springs contains purified wine and the other pure honey, both of which are mentioned in Surah Muhammad, verse 15. If we interpret the “two gardens” in the earlier verses as referring to spiritual and material Paradise respectively, then naturally one of these springs would be spiritual—the spring of gnosis—and the other material, such as pure water, milk, purified wine, or honey. Yet we possess no conclusive evidence for any of these interpretations. Then, as the discourse turns toward the fruits of the paradisal gardens, the verse says: “Within them are two kinds of every fruit” (فِیهِمَا مِنْ كُلِّ فَاكِهَةٍ زَوْجَانِ). One kind resembles what they had seen in this world, while the other is of a kind the like of which has never been witnessed in the world. Some exegetes interpret the two kinds as fruits of summer and winter, dry and fresh fruits, or small and large fruits, yet none possesses any clear evidence. What is firmly established is that the fruits of Paradise are entirely diverse and varied, and each is more attractive and excellent than the other. Then once again the Lord says: “Which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?” (فَبِأَیِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّکُمَا تُکَذِّبَانِ). In the preceding verses, four characteristics of these two gardens of Paradise have been mentioned. Now attention is drawn to the fifth characteristic. The Lord of the Worlds says: “They shall recline upon couches whose linings are of silk and brocade” (مُتَّكِئِينَ عَلَى فُرُشٍ بَطَائِنُهَا مِنْ إِسْتَبْرَقٍ). [Explanatory Note: “مُتَّکِئینَ” is a circumstantial expression referring to the inhabitants of Paradise mentioned earlier in the verse (وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ).] Ordinarily, a person reclines only in an atmosphere of complete peace and comfort. This expression therefore indicates the total tranquility and repose of the souls of the people of Paradise. “فرش” (on the pattern of shutur) is the plural of “فراش”, meaning carpets or couches that are spread out. “بطائن” is the plural of “بطانة”, meaning lining, while “استبرق” refers to thick and heavy silk. A noteworthy and striking point is that here the most precious fabric conceivable in this world is described merely as the lining of those couches. This indicates that their outer covering must be something whose delicacy, beauty, and attractiveness lie beyond all description. In the world, linings are generally made from inexpensive material because they remain unseen, whereas in that world even what corresponds to the lowest material is made from the most precious substance. One may therefore imagine what the highest and most valuable things of that realm must be like. It is an established reality that none of the blessings of the Hereafter can truly be expressed in words, nor do we possess the capacity fully to conceive them. Only a distant imaginative outline becomes faintly manifest to our minds. It is also noteworthy that in other Qur’anic verses we find that the people of Paradise recline upon “ara’ik”—canopied thrones and couches without canopies—whereas here it says they recline upon carpets and couches. This may indicate the diversity of paradisal pleasures, such that at times they recline upon thrones and at other times upon luxurious carpets. It is also possible that these exceedingly precious carpets are spread over the thrones themselves. Or perhaps the verse points toward realities even higher, beyond the comprehension of those dwelling in this world. Finally, regarding the fifth blessing connected to these paradisal gardens, He says: “And the ripe fruits of the two gardens shall be near at hand” (وَجَنَی الْجَنَّتَیْنِ دَانٍ). Yes, the hardship and effort ordinarily required in this world to obtain fruit shall not exist there in any form. “جنی” (on the pattern of baqa) refers to fruit whose time for plucking has arrived, and “دان” is originally “دانی”, meaning near. Then once again He addresses all, saying: “Which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?” (فَبِأَیِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّکُمَا تُکَذِّبَانِ).

See ayat 61 for tafseer.

See ayat 61 for tafseer.

See ayat 61 for tafseer.

See ayat 61 for tafseer.

See ayat 61 for tafseer.

The Lord Almighty states: "in those gardens there are women who have never cast their gaze upon any man other than their husbands and have never loved anyone other than them" (فِيهِنَّ قَاصِرَاتُ الطَّرْفِ). (Explanatory Note: The plural pronoun in "fihinna" may return to the heavenly palaces, the various gardens of those two paradises, or their blessings.) "And no jinn or human being has been intimate with them before" (لَمْ يَطْمِثْهُنَّ إِنسٌ قَبْلَهُمْ وَلَا جَانٌّ). (Explanatory Note: The root of "lam yatmithunna" is "tamth" meaning menstrual blood, and it has also come in the meaning of the loss of virginity — alluding here to the fact that the maidens of Paradise have never had a husband.) They are therefore virgin, untouched by any hand, or they are pure and chaste in every respect. It is transmitted from Abu Dharr that the heavenly wife shall say to her husband: "by the honour of the Lord I swear that in Paradise I find nothing better than you. Praise and gratitude belong to God who made me your wife and you my husband." (Reference: Majma' al-Bayan, Vol. 9, p. 208.) "Tarf" — on the measure of "harf" — means eyelid — and since the eyelids move during the act of seeing, it serves as a metaphor for looking. On this basis the words "qasirat al-tarf" allude to women whose gaze is restrained — meaning they are attached only to their own husbands. And this is the greatest distinction of a wife — that she neither thinks of anyone other than her husband nor has any connection with anyone else. After this heavenly blessing the Lord Almighty again states: "which of your Lord's blessings do you deny?" (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ). Then further praising these heavenly women He states: "they are like rubies and coral" (كَأَنَّهُنَّ الْيَاقُوتُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ) — like rubies in their redness, purity, and lustre, and like coral in their beauty and whiteness. When these two colours — white and clear red — combine together, a most beautiful hue results. "Yaqut" is a mineral stone generally red in colour, and marjan is a marine creature resembling the branch of a tree — sometimes white, sometimes intensely red, or of various colours. What is apparently meant here is its white variety. (Explanatory Note: An elaboration on marjan has been given at the beginning of this surah under verse 22.) Once more after the description of this blessing of Paradise He states: "which of your Lord's blessings do you deny?" (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ). At the close of this discussion He states: "can the recompense of goodness be anything other than goodness?" (هَلْ جَزَاءُ الْإِحْسَانِ إِلَّا الْإِحْسَانُ). (Explanatory Note: "Hal" in this verse is interrogative in the rhetorical sense. In reality this verse is the argument for the preceding verses that mentioned six blessings of Paradise.) Those individuals who performed righteous deeds in the world — can anything other than a fine recompense from God be expected for them? Although in Islamic traditions or the exegetes' interpretations "ihsan" is taken to mean tawhid, or tawhid and recognition, or Islam — it is self-evident that each of these has made explicit that every kind of goodness — whether in belief, speech, or action — is encompassed by its meaning. In a tradition from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq — peace be upon him: آيَةٌ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ مُجْمَلَةٌ — "there is a verse in God's Book that is of complete generality." The narrator asked: "which verse is it?" He replied: "God's statement هَلْ جَزَاءُ الْإِحْسَانِ إِلَّا الْإِحْسَانُ — which applies to the unbeliever and the believer, the righteous and the wicked — meaning goodness should be reciprocated with goodness. Whoever has goodness done to them must repay it with goodness — and reciprocity does not mean responding with equal goodness, but with more. If the response is equal in amount, the one who initiated the goodness holds the greater virtue because he began it." (Reference: Tafsir 'Ayyashi, as cited in Nur al-Thaqalayn, Vol. 5, p. 199; and Tafsir Majma' al-Bayan, Vol. 9, p. 208.) For this reason what God shall do in exchange for the righteous deeds of the servant shall be even better — based on the argument the Imam set forth in the above tradition. Raghib in al-Mufradat states: "ihsan is something superior to justice — for justice is that a person gives what is obligated of him and takes what is his right over others. But ihsan is that a person gives more than what he is responsible for and takes less than what his right is." The Lord Almighty then again addresses His servants and states: "which of your Lord's blessings do you deny?" (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ). For this law — that goodness is repaid with goodness — is itself a great blessing from the Almighty, indicating that the treatment of His righteous servants shall be on the basis of His own generosity and not merely in accordance with their deeds. And if they obey and perform righteous deeds, that too is on the basis of the blessing of the tawfiq He has granted. God's blessings return to the servants themselves.

What was read in the above verse — هَلْ جَزَاءُ الْإِحْسَانِ إِلَّا الْإِحْسَانُ — is, according to Quranic logic, a universal law encompassing God, all creation, and all the servants of God. The universality of this law teaches all Muslims that whoever has goodness done to them must in return certainly do good. And according to the statement of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq — peace be upon him — its reciprocation is not that exactly the same goodness be done, but that a better and superior goodness be brought into practice — otherwise the precedence of the one who initiated the act of goodness remains unquestionable. The matter of our deeds before the divine court takes on another aspect — for God Himself is so generous that the waves of His mercy have encompassed the entire realm of contingent existence, and His reward and honour is what befits His essence, not that it should be commensurate with the servants' deeds. For this reason it is no wonder that we find repeatedly in the history of communities that sincere individuals were graced with great rewards as a result of performing a small deed. Moreover, some exegetes have written that a Muslim saw a disbelieving old woman in the cold season who was scattering grains for the birds. The Muslim said to her: "such an act from a person like you is not acceptable in the divine court." The old woman replied: "I shall certainly keep doing this, whether it is accepted or not." Time passed and after a period the same Muslim saw this old woman in the sanctuary of the Ka'bah, and she said: "O servant of God — the blessing of scattering a handful of grains for the birds has graced me with the blessing of Islam." (Reference: Ruh al-Bayan, Vol. 9, p. 310.)

See ayat 69 for tafseer.

See ayat 69 for tafseer.

See ayat 69 for tafseer.

See ayat 69 for tafseer.

See ayat 69 for tafseer.

See ayat 69 for tafseer.

See ayat 69 for tafseer.

Continuing the previous discussion regarding the lofty Paradise granted to those who possess fear of God, the Lord of the Worlds mentions in these verses two further gardens which are of a lower rank and are naturally intended for those believers who are at a lower level of faith and God-consciousness. In other words, there exist different gradations in faith and righteous action. He first says: “And below them are two other gardens” (وَمِنْ دُونِهِمَا جَنَّتَانِ). Exegetes have offered two interpretations of this expression. The first is the same understanding mentioned above. The second interpretation is that the phrase “مِنْ دُونِهِمَا” refers to two additional gardens beyond the first two, intended for believers who take delight in exploring new and varied experiences within Paradise. Human nature is inclined toward novelty and finds pleasure in it. However, from the linguistic style of the verses and in light of the traditions transmitted in this regard, the first interpretation appears more appropriate. A tradition from the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) states in explanation of this verse: “جنتان من فضة وآنيتهما وما فيهما، وجنتان من ذهب آنيتهما وما فيهما” “Two gardens whose structure, vessels, and everything within them are of silver, and two gardens whose structure, vessels, and everything within them are of gold.” The mention of gold and silver may indicate a distinction in the rank and value of these two types of blessings. [Reference: Majmaʿ al-Bayan under the discussion of these verses]. Another tradition is narrated from Imam Jaʿfar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), in which he states: “لا تقولن الجنة واحدة، إن الله يقول: 'ومن دونهما جنتان'، ولا تقولن درجة واحدة، إن الله يقول: 'درجات بعضها فوق بعض'، إنما تفاضل القوم بالأعمال” “Do not say that Paradise is one, for God says: ‘And besides these two are two other gardens.’ And do not say that there is only one rank, for God says: ‘There are ranks, some above others.’ Indeed, people are differentiated according to their deeds.” [Reference: Majmaʿ al-Bayan under the relevant verses]. Similarly, another tradition from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) states: “جنتان من ذهب للمقربين، وجنتان من ورق لأصحاب اليمين” “Two gardens of gold are for those who are brought near (the Divine presence), and two gardens of silver are for the companions of the right hand.” [Dur al-Manthur, vol. 6, p. 146]. As mentioned earlier, the expressions of gold and silver may indicate the difference in rank between these gardens. Thereafter, the Qur’an again states: “Which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?” (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ). It then proceeds to describe five characteristics of these two gardens, some of which resemble those mentioned for the earlier two gardens, while others differ from them. It says: “They are both dark green and intensely lush” (مُدْهَامَّتَانِ). The word “مُدْهَامَّتَانِ” is derived from “ادهيمام”, and the root “دُهْمَة” (on the pattern of “تُهْمَة”) originally conveys the meaning of darkness and deep night-like blackness. It is also applied to deep green coloration, and since this color is an indicator of extreme freshness and luxuriance in vegetation, the expression here emphasizes the intense greenness and vitality of these two gardens. Once again it adds: “Which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?” (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ). The following verse speaks about the springs of these two gardens: “In both of them are two gushing springs” (فِيهِمَا عَيْنَانِ نَضَّاخَتَانِ). The word “نَضَّاخَتَانِ” is derived from “نَضْخ”, meaning water that gushes forth and overflows with pressure. Again, in the form of a rhetorical question addressed to jinn and humankind, it asks: “Which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?” (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ). The next verse regarding the fruits of these two gardens states: “In them are abundant fruits, and date palms and pomegranates” (فِيهِمَا فَاكِهَةٌ وَنَخْلٌ وَرُمَّانٌ). There is no doubt that the term “فَاكِهَةٌ” carries a broad meaning encompassing all kinds of fruits. However, the special mention of date palms and pomegranates is due to their particular importance. Some exegetes have mistakenly assumed that these two fruits are not included in the meaning of “فَاكِهَةٌ”, but this view is incorrect, as linguists have not supported it. In principle, mentioning a specific instance after a general term (the inclusion of the specific within the general) is common when there is no need for distinct exclusion, as in Surah al-Baqarah, verse 98: “مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّلَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَجِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَالَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِّلْكَافِرِينَ” “Whoever is an enemy to Allah, His angels, His messengers, and Jibril and Mika’il—then indeed Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.” Here, Jibril and Mika’il, though included among the angels, are mentioned specifically due to their special rank. The verse then repeats the question: “Which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?” (فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ).

See ayat 78 for tafseer.

See ayat 78 for tafseer.

See ayat 78 for tafseer.

See ayat 78 for tafseer.

See ayat 78 for tafseer.

See ayat 78 for tafseer.

See ayat 78 for tafseer.

See ayat 78 for tafseer.

It is noteworthy that in the above verses, regarding the foods of Paradise, reliance has been placed only upon fruits — and from among all fruits, dates and pomegranates have been mentioned. What is remarkable is that the date palm is referred to as "nakhl" — the tree — whereas for the pomegranate the name of the fruit itself is used. Certainly there is a point concealed in each. The specific mention of fruits in connection with the foods of Paradise is on account of the importance that fruits hold in the matter of nutrition — to the point that human beings are called fruit-eating creatures. The impression and effect of fruits in connection with human joy and vitality is prominent not only from a scientific standpoint but also from the perspective of common experience. As for the mention of the date palm rather than its fruit — this may be because the date palm, apart from its fruit, is beneficial in several respects, whereas the pomegranate tree is not. From the date palm's leaves various kinds of goods are made — floor coverings, hats, various means of transportation, and even beds for sleeping. Its husks yield various benefits and certain of its parts are used as medicine. Its trunks are even used as pillars for some buildings or as bridges to cross small channels. As for why only two among the fruits of Paradise have been mentioned — it is on account of the diversity of these two. One generally grows in warm regions, the other in cold regions. One contains sweet and sugary material, the other is acidic. In terms of temperament one is warm, the other cold. One is a food and the other quenches thirst. The nutritional compounds and several vitamins present in dates — discovered in modern times — have been found to include more than thirteen nutritional substances and five kinds of vitamins, in addition to other properties, about which discussion has been conducted under verse 25 of Surah Maryam under the heading of an energy-giving food. (Reference: Tafsir-i Namunah, Vol. 7, p. 252.) As for the pomegranate — it has been presented in certain Islamic traditions as "sayyid al-fakihah" — the best of fruits. (Reference: this expression is transmitted in a tradition from the Prophet of Islam — peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family — in Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 66, p. 163.) Experts who are specially distinguished in the field of nutrition have said many things in this connection. Among other properties they have discovered the blood-purifying capacity of dates and reported that they contain a considerable amount of Vitamin C. Regarding the pomegranate as well, many benefits are found in the books: It strengthens the stomach; heals old wounds; eliminates jaundice and bilious fever; is useful for repelling skin itching; strengthens the sight; is fortifying for the gums; and stops diarrhoea. There is a tradition from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq — peace be upon him: أَطْعِمُوا صِبْيَانَكُمُ الرُّمَّانَ فَإِنَّهُ أَسْرَعُ لِشَبَابِهِمْ — "feed your children pomegranate, for it hastens their growth to youth." (Reference: Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 66, p. 164.) In another tradition: فَإِنَّهُ أَسْرَعُ لِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ — "eating pomegranate causes children to speak sooner." (Reference: Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 66, p. 165.) Another tradition is transmitted from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir and Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq — peace be upon them — in which it is stated: مَا عَلَىٰ وَجْهِ الْأَرْضِ ثَمَرَةٌ كَانَتْ أَحَبَّ إِلَىٰ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ مِنَ الرُّمَّانِ — "the Messenger of God — peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family — had no fruit on the face of the earth more beloved to him than the pomegranate." (Reference: al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 352.)