Tafsir of Surah Ar-Rahman - Verse 24

The Creation of Humans and Jinns

Allah mentions that He created mankind from clay, like that used in pottery, and created the Jinns from the tip of the flame of a smokeless fire. This was said by Ad-Dahhak from Ibn `Abbas. It was also said by `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan and Ibn Zayd. Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas, "From the best part of the fire, from its smokeless flame." Imam Ahmad recorded that `A'ishah said that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said,

«خُلِقَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ مِنْ نُورٍ، وَخُلِقَ الْجَانُّ مِنْ مَارِجٍ مِنْ نَارٍ، وَخُلِقَ آدَمُ مِمَّا وُصِفَ لَكُم»

(The angels were created from light, the Jinns from a smokeless flame of fire, and `Adam from what was described to you.) Muslim also collected this Hadith. Allah's statement:

فَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

(Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny) was explained above.

Allah is the Lord of the Two Easts and the Two Wests

Allah said,

رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقَيْنِ وَرَبُّ الْمَغْرِبَيْنِ

((He is) the Lord of the two easts and the Lord of the two wests.) meaning the sunrise of summer and winter and the sunset of summer and winter. Allah said in another Ayah,

فَلاَ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَـرِقِ وَالْمَغَـرِبِ

(So, I swear by the Lord of all the points of sunrise and sunset in the east and the west.)(70:40), referring to the different places from which the sun rises and then sets on people every day. Allah said in another Ayah,

رَّبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلاً

(The Lord of the east and the west; none has the right to be worshipped but He. So take Him alone as a trustee.)(73:9), referring to the different places of sunrise and sunset and the benefits that this variation brings to the created, mankind and Jinns,

فَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

(Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny)

Allah created Different Types of Water

Allah said,

مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ

(He has Maraja the two seas), or let them loose, according to Ibn `Abbas. Allah's statement,

يَلْتَقِيَانِ

(meeting together.) Ibn Zayd said, "He prevents them from meeting by the dividing barrier He placed between them to separate them." The two seas are the fresh and salty waters, the former coming from running rivers. We discussed this topic in Surat Al-Furqan when explaining Allah's statement;

وَهُوَ الَّذِى مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ هَـذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ وَهَـذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخاً وَحِجْراً مَّحْجُوراً

(And it is He Who has let free the two seas: one palatable and sweet, and the other salty and bitter; and He has set a barrier and a complete partition between them.)(25:53) Allah said,

بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لاَّ يَبْغِيَانِ

(Between them is a barrier which none of them can transgress.) meaning, He has placed a barrier of land between these two types of waters, so that they do not transgress upon each other, which would spoil the characteristics they were created with. Allah said,

يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا الُّلؤْلُؤُ وَالمَرْجَانُ

(Out of them both come out pearls and Al-Marjan. ) pearls are well-known. As for Marjan they say it means small pearls. Mujahid, Qatadah, Abu Ruzayn, Ad-Dahhak said it, and it has also been reported from `Ali. It was also said that it means large, precious pearls, this was mentioned by Ibn Jarir from some of the Salaf. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Ibn `Abbas who said, "When it rains, the oysters in the sea open their mouths. What falls in them, the drops, turns into pearls." Its chain of narrators is Sahih. Since this type of adornment is a favor from Allah to the people of earth, He reminded them of it,

فَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

(Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny) Allah said,

وَلَهُ الْجَوَارِ الْمُنشَئَاتُ

(And His are Al-Jawar Al-Munsha'at), meaning the ships that float,

فِى الْبَحْرِ

(in the seas), Mujahid said, "Whatever ship hoists a sail, it is from Munsha'at, if it does not hoist a sail, it is not from the Munsha'at." Qatadah said, "Al-Munsha'at means created." Others said that it is Al-Munshi'at meaning, "launched."

كَالاٌّعْلَـمِ

(like A`lam.) This means, they are like mountains with their great size, and it also refers to the trade and commercial services they make possible, transporting cargo from one area to another and from one province to another. Ships provide various benefits for people, including transporting different types of goods they need. Therefore,

فَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

(Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny)

كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ - وَيَبْقَى وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلْـلِ وَالإِكْرَامِ فَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

وَلَهُ الْجَوَارِ‌ الْمُنشَآتُ فِي الْبَحْرِ‌ كَالْأَعْلَامِ (And His are the sailing ships raised up in the sea like mountains...55:24). The word جَوَارِی۔ jawari is the plural of جَارِیَہ - jariyah. One of its meanings is ship and that is the sense in which it is used in the current verse. The word مُنشَآتُ munsha'at is derived from نَشَأ nasha'a which means 'to rise up or high, be lofty'. Al-munsha'at thus refers to 'sails of the ships that are lofty'. The verse describes the wisdom of making the ship and its running on the surface of the water.

A large part of this universe is filled with stars which consist entirely of fire. Jinn are also made of this fire. But human beings have been given special treatment by God in that they have been made of earth, or clay, which is an extremely rare thing in this extensive universe. In the whole universe the earth is a unique exception. Here, all the factors that are conducive to the existence, survival and cultural development of man have been provided in the most appropriate proportions and in the most balanced manner. One of these arrangements is the system of ‘two easts’ and ‘two wests’ on the earth. In winter, the places on the horizon where the sun rises and sets are different from those in summer. In this way, there is a range of ‘easts’ and ‘wests.’ This seasonal difference occurs due to the axial tilt of the earth in space. This tilt is a most unique feature, and man receives many natural advantages on account of this. The exceptional treatment of man and the earth in this universe is such a great manifestation of God’s grace and bounty that man is in no way capable of thanking his Creator sufficiently.