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Ayah
Word by Word
خَلَقَ
He created
ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ
the man
مِن
from
صَلۡصَٰلٖ
clay
كَٱلۡفَخَّارِ
like the pottery
خَلَقَ
He created
ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ
the man
مِن
from
صَلۡصَٰلٖ
clay
كَٱلۡفَخَّارِ
like the pottery
Translation
He created man from clay like [that of] pottery.
Tafsir
He created man, Adam, of dry clay (salsaal, a dry hollow mud producing an echo if tapped), resembling the potter's (fakhkhaar, clay that has been baked),
Mankind is surrounded by Allah's Favors
Allah said,
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny?
meaning, O mankind and Jinn, which of the favors that Allah has given to you do you deny
Mujahid and others said this, and it is apparent when one reads what comes after it. Meaning the favors that are obvious to you while you are surrounded by them, you cannot deny or reject them. So we say, just as the believers among the Jinns said, O Allah! None of Your favors do we deny. All praise is due to You.
Ibn Abbas used to say, Nay, our Lord! meaning, None of Your favors do we deny.
The Creation of Humans and Jinns
Allah mentions that:
خَلَقَ الاِْنسَانَ مِن صَلْصَالٍ كَالْفَخَّارِ
وَخَلَقَ الْجَانَّ مِن مَّارِجٍ مِّن نَّارٍ
He created man from sounding clay like the clay of pottery.
And the Jinn He created from a smokeless flame of fire.
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 said,
خُلِقَتِ الْمَلَيِكَةُ مِنْ نُورٍ وَخُلِقَ الْجَانُّ مِنْ مَارِجٍ مِنْ نَارٍ وَخُلِقَ ادَمُ 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:
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء 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,
فَلَ 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 لَا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلً
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,
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء 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 Surah 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.
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny.
Allah said,
يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا اللُّوْلُوُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ
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,
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny.
Allah said
وَلَهُ الْجَوَارِ الْمُنشَأتُ
And His are Al-Jawar Al-Munsha'at,
meaning the ships that float,
فِي 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.
كَالاْاَعْلَامِ
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,
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny.
Allah is the Ever Living, Free of all Need
Allah states that:
كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ
Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish.
Allah states that all the residents of earth will perish and die. The residents of the heavens will die, except whomever Allah wills. Only Allah's Honorable Face will remain, because our Lord, the Exalted, the Blessed, is the Ever Living Who never dies.
Qatadah said,
First, Allah mentioned His creatures and then He said that all of this will perish.
And in the reported supplication:
`O You the Ever Living Who sustains all that exists!
O You Who created the heavens and the earth without precedence.
O You, Who Owns the glory and the honor, none has the right to be worshipped except You. We seek refuge with Your mercy. Grant Us success in all of our matters. Please, do not abandon us to rely on ourselves even for an instant nor on any of Your creation.
Ash-Sha`bi said,
When you have recited,
كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ
(Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish), do not stop, continue reading,
وَيَبْقَى وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَلِ وَالاِْكْرَامِ
And the Face of your Lord Dhul-Jalal wal-Ikram will remain forever.
This Ayah is similar to Allah's statement,
كُلُّ شَىْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلاَّ وَجْهَهُ
Everything will perish save His Face. (28:88)
In this Ayah, Allah describes His Noble Face as being Dhul-Jalal wal-Ikram, indicating that He is Worthy of being revered, and thus, never defied; and obeyed, and thus, never disobeyed,
وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ
And keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking His Face. (18:28),
And as He said about those giving charity:
إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ
We feed you seeking Allah's Face only. (76:9)
Ibn Abbas commented on the meaning of Dhul-Jalal wal-Ikram, by saying,
Owner of greatness and pride.
After Allah stated that all of the inhabitants of the earth will die and end up in the Hereafter when He, Dhul-Jalal wal-Ikram, will judge them by His fair judgement, He said,
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny!
Allah said,
يَسْأَلُهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَْرْضِ
كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ
Whosoever is in the heavens and on the earth begs of Him. Every day He is (engaged) in some affair.
In this Ayah, Allah affirms that He is Rich, Free of all wants for anyone else and that all creatures stand in need of Him, in all conditions and situations. They all seek His help willingly or unwillingly. Everyday, He is engaged in some affair.
Al-A`mash reported from Mujahid, from `Ubayd bin `Umayr,
كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ
(Every day He is (engaged) in some affair), He said,
Of His affairs is that He answers the supplicant, or gives to the one requesting, or removing adversity, or cures the one seeking to be cured.
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny!
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