Proof of the Creator of the Universe and of Life after Death
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says:
وَءَايَةٌ لَّهُمُ
(And a sign for them) means, evidence for them of the existence of the Creator and His perfect power and ability to resurrect the dead,
الاٌّرْضُ الْمَيْتَةُ
(is the dead land.) means, when it is dead and arid, with no vegetation, then Allah sends water upon it, it is stirred (to life), and it swells and puts forth every lovely kind (of growth). Allah says:
أَحْيَيْنَـهَا وَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهَا حَبّاً فَمِنْهُ يَأْكُلُونَ
(We give it life, and We bring forth from it grains, so that they eat thereof.) meaning, `We have made it a provision for them and their cattle.'
وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا جَنَّـتٍ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَـبٍ وَفَجَّرْنَا فِيهَا مِنَ الْعُيُونِ
(And We have made therein gardens of date palms and grapes, and We have caused springs of water to gush forth therein.) means, `We have created therein rivers which flow to the places where they are needed, so that they may eat of their fruits.' When Allah reminds them of the blessing that He bestows upon His creation by creating crops and plants, He mentions the different types and kinds of fruits. Allah says:
وَمَا عَمِلَتْهُ أَيْدِيهِمْ
(and their hands made it not.) means, all of that could only come about by the mercy of Allah towards them, not by their own efforts and labor and strength. This was the view of Ibn `Abbas and Qatadah. Allah says:
أَفَلاَ يَشْكُرُونَ
(Will they not then give thanks) meaning, will they not then give thanks for the innumerable blessings that He has bestowed upon them. Ibn Jarir, however, understood the word Ma to mean Alladhi (i.e., a relative pronoun). In this case the meaning of the Ayah would be that they eat from the fruits provided by Allah's bounty and from what their own hands have done, i.e., by planting the seeds and tending the plants. Ibn Jarir mentioned other possible interpretations in his Tafsir, but this is the interpretation that he favored. This interpretation also fits with the recitation of Ibn Mas`ud: (لِيَأْكُلُوا مِنْ ثَمَرِهِ وَمِمَّا عَمِلَتْهُ أَيْدِيهِمْ أَفَلَا يَشْكُرُونَ) (So that they may eat of the fruit thereof -- and from what their own hands have done.) Then Allah says:
سُبْحَـنَ الَّذِى خَلَق الاٌّزْوَجَ كُلَّهَا مِمَّا تُنبِتُ الاٌّرْضُ
(Glory be to Him Who has created all the pairs of that which the earth produces,) meaning, of crops and fruits and plants.
وَمِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ
(as well as of their own (human) kind, ) means, He made them into male and female.
وَمِمَّا لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ
(and of that which they know not.) means, different kinds of creatures of which they know nothing. This is like the Ayah:
وَمِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
(And of everything We have created pairs, that you may remember.) (51:49)