Tafsir of Surah Al-Anbiya' - Verse 30

The Signs of Allah in the Heavens and the Earth and in the Night and the Day

Here Allah tells of His perfect might and power in His creation and subjugation of all things.

أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ

(Have not those who disbelieve known) means, those who deny His Divine nature and worship others instead of Him, do they not realize that Allah is the One Who is Independent in His powers of creation and is running the affairs of all things with absolute power So how can it be appropriate to worship anything else beside Him or to associate others in worship with Him Do they not see that the heavens and the earth were joined together, i.e. in the beginning they were all one piece, attached to one another and piled up on top of one another, then He separated them from one another, and made the heavens seven and the earth seven, placing the air between the earth and the lowest heaven. Then He caused rain to fall from the sky and vegetation to grow from the earth. He says:

وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَآءِ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ حَىٍّ أَفَلاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ

(And We have made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe) meaning, they see with their own eyes how creation develops step by step. All of that is proof of the existence of the Creator Who is in control of all things and is able to do whatever He wills.

In everything there is a Sign of Him, showing that He is One

Sufyan Ath-Thawri narrated from his father from `Ikrimah that Ibn `Abbas was asked; "Did the night come first or the day" He said, "Do you think that when the heavens and the earth were joined together, there was anything between them except darkness Thus you may know that the night came before the day. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Umar said that a man came to him and questioned him about when the heavens and earth were joined together then they were parted. He said, "Go to that old man (Shaykh) and ask him, then come and tell me what he says to you." So he went to Ibn `Abbas and asked him. Ibn `Abbas said: "Yes, the heavens were joined together and it did not rain, and the earth was joined together and nothing grew. When living beings were created to populate the earth, rain came forth from the heavens and vegetation came forth from the earth." The man went back to Ibn `Umar and told him what had been said. Ibn `Umar said, "Now I know that Ibn `Abbas has been given knowledge of the Qur'an. He has spoken the truth, and this is how it was." Ibn `Umar said: "I did not like the daring attitude of Ibn `Abbas in his Tafsir of the Qur'an, but now I know that he has been given knowledge of the Qur'an." Sa`id bin Jubayr said: "The heavens and the earth were attached to one another, then when the heavens were raised up, the earth became separate from them, and this is their parting which was mentioned by Allah in His Book." Al-Hasan and Qatadah said, "They were joined together, then they were separated by this air."

وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَآءِ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ حَىٍّ

(And We have made from water every living thing. ) meaning, the origin of every living thing is in water. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said, "I said: O Messenger of Allah, when I see you I feel happy and content, tell me about everything." He said,

«كُلُّ شَيْءٍ خُلِقَ مِنْ مَاء»

(Everything was created from water.) "I said, tell me about something which, if I do it, I will enter Paradise." He said:

«أَفْشِ السَّلَامَ، وَأَطْعِمِ الطَّعَامَ، وَصِلِ الْأَرْحَامَ، وَقُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّاسُ نِيَامٌ، ثُمَّ ادْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ بِسَلَام»

(Spread (the greeting of) Salam, feed others, uphold the ties of kinship, and stand in prayer at night when people are sleeping. Then you will enter Paradise in peace.) This chain of narration fulfills the conditions of the Two Sahihs, apart from Abu Maymunah, who is one of the men of the Sunans, his first name was Salim; and At-Tirmidhi classed him as Sahih.

وَجَعَلْنَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ رَوَاسِىَ

(And We have placed on the earth firm mountains,) means, mountains which stabilize the earth and keep it steady and lend it weight, lest it should shake with the people, i.e., move and tremble so that they would not be able to stand firm on it -- because it is covered with water, apart from one-quarter of its surface. So the land is exposed to the air and sun, so that its people may see the sky with its dazzling signs and evidence. So Allah says,

أَن تَمِيدَ بِهِمْ

(lest it should shake with them, ) meaning, so that it will not shake with them.

وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا فِجَاجاً سُبُلاً

(and We placed therein broad highways for them to pass through,) means, mountain passes through which they may travel from region to region, country to country. As we can see, the mountains form barriers between one land and another, so Allah created gaps -- passes -- in the mountains so that people may travel from here to there. So He says:

لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ

(that they may be guided.)

وَجَعَلْنَا السَّمَآءَ سَقْفاً مَّحْفُوظاً

(And We have made the heaven a roof, safe and well-guarded.) means, covering the earth like a dome above it. This is like the Ayah,

وَالسَّمَآءَ بَنَيْنَـهَا بِأَيْدٍ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ

(With Hands We constructed the heaven. Verily, We are able to extend the vastness of space thereof.) 51:47

وَالسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَـهَا

(By the heaven and Him Who built it.) 91:5

أَفَلَمْ يَنظُرُواْ إِلَى السَّمَآءِ فَوْقَهُمْ كَيْفَ بَنَيْنَـهَا وَزَيَّنَّـهَا وَمَا لَهَا مِن فُرُوجٍ

(Have they not looked at the heaven above them, how We have made it and adorned it, and there are no rifts in it) 50:6. The building and making described here refers to the raising of the dome, as when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«بُنِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْس»

(Islam is built on five.) i.e., five pillars, which can only refer to a tent as familiar among the Arabs.

مَّحْفُوظاً

(safe and well-guarded.) means, high and protected from anything reaching it. Mujahid said, "Raised up."

وَهُمْ عَنْ ءَايَـتِهَا مُعْرِضُونَ

(Yet they turn away from its signs.) This is like the Ayah:

وَكَأَيِّن مِّن ءَايَةٍ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ يَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضُونَ

(And how many a sign in the heavens and the earth they pass by, while they are averse therefrom) 12:105. They do not think about how Allah has created it, so vast and high, and adorned it with heavenly bodies both stationary and moving by night and day, such as the sun which completes its circuit in one day and night, until it completes its allotted time, which no one knows except Allah, Who created it and subjugated it and directed its course. Then Allah says, drawing attention to some of His signs,

وَهُوَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ الَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَـرَ

(And He it is Who has created the night and the day,) meaning, the one with its darkness and stillness, and the other with its light and human interaction; sometimes the one is longer while the other is shorter, then they switch.

وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ

(and the sun and the moon,) the sun with its own light and its own path and orbit and allotted time, and the moon which shines with a different light and travels on a different path and has its own allotted time.

كُلٌّ فِى فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ

(each in an orbit floating.) means, revolving. Ibn `Abbas said, "They revolve like a spinning wheel, in a circle." This is like the Ayah:

فَالِقُ الإِصْبَاحِ وَجَعَلَ الَّيْلَ سَكَناً وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ حُسْبَاناً ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ

((He is the) Cleaver of the daybreak. He has appointed the night for resting, and the sun and the moon for reckoning. Such is the measuring of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.) 6:96

Commentary

أَوَلَمْ يَرَ‌ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُ‌وا (Have the disbelievers not seen. - 21:30) Here the word رُؤیَت (to see, to think) is used in its general sense i.e. knowledge, whether acquired by visual observation or by way of logical conclusion. The discussion which follows refers partly to actual observation and partly to logical inference.

أَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْ‌ضَ كَانَتَا رَ‌تْقًا فَفَتَقْنَاهُمَا (The heavens and the earth were closed, then We opened them. - 30) The word رَتَق (ratq) means to close and فَتَق (fatq) means to open. When used in combination the words mean full control in the management and execution of a job. The translation of the verse is that the earth and the sky were closed and Allah opened them up. Different exegesists have explained differently the sense of the words "closing" and "opening", but the meanings which the companions of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the majority of the exegesists have adopted are that closing of sky and earth means shutting off rainfall from the sky and vegetation from the earth, and opening means the opening of these two i.e. the rainfall and vegetation.

The following story about Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar ؓ has been related in Ibn Kathir's commentary on the authority of Ibn Abi Hatim. A man went to Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar ؓ and requested him to explain the meaning of this verse to him. He pointed out towards Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ and told him to go to him for an explanation of the verse. He also requested him to let him know the explanation that Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ gave to him. The man went to Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ and asked him what do the words رَتَقاً (ratqan) and فَتَقنَا (fataqna) mean in the verse. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ replied that originally the sky was closed and there was no rainfall, likewise the earth was closed and there was no growth on it. When Allah Ta'ala sent down man on earth to live here He opened up rainfall from the sky and the vegetation from the earth. After learning the explanation of the verse the man went back to Sayyidna Ibn ` Umar ؓ and repeated to him what he had learnt from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ . Then Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar ؓ remarked that he was then left in no doubt that Allah Ta'ala had graciously bestowed upon Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ a complete knowledge of Qur'an. He further said that previously he used to consider Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas's ؓ explanations of the Holy Qur'an as bold attempts, of which he did not approve. But now he was convinced that Allah Ta'ala had granted to him special insight into the meaning of Qur'an, and that the explanation he gave of the words رَتق و فَتق was absolutely correct.

This story of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ is also reported in Ruh ul-Ma` ani through Ibn Mundhir and Abu Nu'aim, and a group of the scholars of hadith including Hakim, the writer of Mustadark, who has accepted the tradition as correct.

After reporting this narration Ibn Ibn ` Atiyyah al-'Aufi says that this interpretation is hasan and comprehensive, and is compatible with the text of the Qur'an. It contains a lesson and argument against the infidels and also mentions about the Omnipotence and the special bounties of Allah Ta'ala, which is the basis of His Oneness and recognition of His attributes. The following sentence وَالسَّمَاءِ ذَاتِ الرَّ‌جْعِ ﴿11﴾ وَالْأَرْ‌ضِ ذَاتِ الصَّدْعِ ﴿12﴾ (and We created from water every living thing) also corroborates this interpretation. Al-Bahr ul-Muhit has also adopted the same interpretation. Qurtubi has declared this explanation to be that of ` Ikrimah as well and said that another verse also endorses this meaning.'

Tabari has also adopted this very interpretation.

وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ (And We created from water every living thing. - 21:30) Water is an essential element in the creation of all living things. According to the latest research it is not only the humans and animals which possess both life and soul but also plants and minerals. Water plays a very important role in the creation, growth and evolution of all living things.

1\. The author has explained the interpretation of this verse as adopted by many authorities. But the miraculous style of the Holy Qur’ an is that the words used by it may have different possibilities for interpretation. The words ratq and fatq used here have another meaning which is 'being compact' and 'being separated'. If these words are taken in this sense, the verse may also be translated as, "The heavens and the earth were compact, then We separated them." In this case the verse will refer to an event of the early creation, meaning thereby that the heavens and the earth were originally a single body. Thereafter Allah separated the earth from the heavens. The contemporary research about the Big Bang is close to this description. But it should always be kept in mind that the Qur'anic descriptions are independent of any scientific theory and the Qur'an should not be made subject to ever-changing theories. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

Ibn Kathir has quoted Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ on the authority of Imam Ahmad (رح) ، that he requested the Holy Prophet ﷺ to tell him how things were created. The Holy Prophet ﷺ replied that everything was created from water. Then Abu Hurairah ؓ asked about the acts that lead one to the Jannah. The Holy Prophet ﷺ replied:

اَفش السّلام واطعم و صل الارحام وقم بالّیل والناس نیام ثُمّ ادخل الجنّۃ بسلام (تفرد بہ احمد و حٰذا اسناد علی شرط الشیخین الخ)

"Make greeting with Salam common between you, and feed (others) and observe the rights of kinship, and stand (in prayers) at night when people are asleep. Then enter the Jannah with peace".

The solid mass which God ‘tore asunder’ probably refers to the earliest state of the earth and skies which, in this modern age is explained in terms of the ‘Big Bang’ theory. According to modern scientific calculations, the entire matter of the Universe was originally in the shape of a very big ball (a super atom). In obedience to known physical laws, all its parts were attracted towards its centre and were bound together very strongly. At some point, there was a huge explosion in this ball and its parts suddenly started hurtling outwards. In this way, finally the vast universe, which now extends before us, came into being. The question that remains is what caused the highly compact particles of the super-atom to explode. The Big Bang proves the existence of an intervenor. When the intervenor is proved, the existence of God is proven in itself. In this way, the history of the origin of the universe clearly establishes the existence of a Being Who has a separate permanent existence outside the universe and, Who by His own independent power, exerts His influence over the universe. In this world of ours the major component of every living thing is water. If there were no water there would be no life. Water is found in great abundance on the earth. In this extensive universe, the existence of so much water at one place clearly gives an indication of a ‘special creation’. How surprising it is that in spite of such clear signs, man does not find God and continues to remain spiritually deprived.