Tafsir of Surah Az-Zumar - Verse 6

Evidence of the Power and Oneness of Allah

Allah tells us that He is the Creator of what is in the heavens and on earth, and what is between them. He is the Sovereign and Controller alternating the night and day.

يُكَوِّرُ الَّيْـلَ عَلَى النَّهَـارِ وَيُكَوِّرُ النَّـهَارَ عَلَى الَّيْلِ

(He makes the night to go in the day and makes the day to go in the night.) means, He has subjugated them and He causes them to alternate without ceasing, each seeking the other rapidly, as He says:

يُغْشِى الَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا

(He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly) (7:54). This is the meaning of that which was narrated from Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others.

وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِى لأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّـى

(And He has subjected the sun and the moon. Each running for an appointed term.) means, for a period of time that is known to Allah, then it will come to an end on the Day of Resurrection.

أَلا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفَّارُ

(Verily, He is the Almighty, the Oft-Forgiving.) means, beside His might, greatness and pride, He is Oft-Forgiving to those who disobey Him but then turn to Him in repentance.

خَلَقَكُمْ مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَحِدَةٍ

(He created you (all) from a single person;) means, He created you, with all your varied races, types, languages and colors, from a single soul, who was Adam, peace be upon him.

ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا

(then made from him his wife.) who was Hawwa', peace be upon her. This is like the Ayah:

يَـأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالاً كَثِيراً وَنِسَآءً

(O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord, Who created you from a single person, and from him He created his wife, and from them both He created many men and women) (4:1).

وَأَنزَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الاٌّنْعَـمِ ثَمَـنِيَةَ أَزْوَجٍ

(And He has sent down for you of cattle eight pairs.) means, He has created for you from among the cattles, eight pairs. These are the ones that are mentioned in Surat Al-An`am, eight kinds -- a pair of sheep, a pair of goats, a pair of camels and a pair of oxen.

يَخْلُقُكُمْ فِى بُطُونِ أُمَّهَـتِكُـمْ

(He creates you in the wombs of your mothers,) means, He forms you in your mothers' wombs.

خَلْقاً مِّن بَعْدِ خَلْقٍ

(creation after creation). Everyone of you is originally a Nutfah, then he becomes an `Alaqah, then he becomes a Mudghah, then he is created and becomes flesh and bones and nerves and veins, and the Ruh (soul) is breathed into him, and he becomes another type of creation.

فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَـلِقِينَ

(So Blessed is Allah, the Best of creators) (23:14).

فِى ظُلُمَـتٍ ثَلَـثٍ

(in three veils of darkness) means, in the darkness of the womb, the darkness of the placenta which blankets and protects the child, and the darkness of the belly. This was the view of Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Abu Malik, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd.

ذَلِكُـمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّـكُمْ

(Such is Allah your Lord.) means, the One Who created the heavens and the earth and everything in between, and created you and your forefathers, is the Lord. To Him belong sovereignty and control over all of that.

لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ

(La ilaha illa Huwa.) means, no one else should be worshipped except Him alone with no partner or associate.

فَأَنَّى تُصْرَفُونَ

(How then are you turned away) means, how can you worship anything besides Him What has happened to your minds

In verse 6, it was said: وَأَنزَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ الْأَنْعَامِ ثَمَانِيَةَ أَزْوَاجٍ (and sent down for you eight pairs of the cattle.). The creation of the cattle has been expressed in this verse by saying that they have been 'sent down from the skies' whereby an indication has been given that a major factor in their creation is water that is sent down from sky. Therefore, it can be said that these too were as if sent down from the skies. The noble Qur'an has used the same expression for human dress: أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا (We have sent down to you clothing - A1-A` raf, 7:26). Then, this word also appears in relation to some minerals, for instance, iron: وَأَنزَلْنَا الْحَدِيدَ j (and We sent down iron - Al-Hadid, 57:25). The purpose is to emphasize that these things were created through the intrinsic power of Allah Ta’ ala, and that they were given to human beings as His blessings. (Qurtubi)

Towards the later part of verse 6, it was said: خَلْقًا مِّن بَعْدِ خَلْقٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتٍ ثَلَاثٍ (He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation, in three layers of darkness.) Here, some clues to the mysteries of Divine power that work in the creation of man have been released. First of all, it was well within the power of Allah Ta’ ala that He could have made the infant come to be created whole and complete in the womb of the mother within a single instant. But, such was the dictate of wisdom and expedient consideration that it was not done. Instead, a process of gradualness was opted for as indicated by: خَلْقًا مِّن بَعْدِ خَلْقٍ (creation after creation). The purpose was to ensure that the woman in whose womb this 'mini universe' was taking shape should gradually become used to bearing its burden. Secondly, the creation of this matchless marvel of beauty and efficiency provided with hundreds of precision gadgets, hair-thin veins to carry life-blood and spiritual input was not to look like things created by common industrialists in spacious factories under glowing lights. Instead of that, this marvel of creation has reached its completion at a place shielded by three layers of darkness, a location so hidden from night that it beats all imagination. فَتَبَارَ‌كَ اللَّـهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ (glorious is Allah, the best of the Creators – Al-mu’ minun, 23:14).

God made man and created woman as his mate. In this way, through the first man and woman a generation of human beings came into existence. In addition, God made extensive provision to fulfil the needs of human beings. In the early days of civilization, sheep, goat, camel and cow (a couple from each totalling to eight) catered to economic and social requirements of man. As civilization entered the next stage, man harnessed nature’s potential and used it for his progress.