CHAPTER THREE

ORIGIN OF UNIVERSE AND LIFE: GENESIS ACCORDING TO THE QURAN

Everything that begins to exist must have a cause and if universe began to exist then the universe must have a cause. The
operation of the universe according to order and natural law implies a mind behind it and the design of the universe implies a
purpose or direction behind it. This traditional cosmological argument for existence of God was directed towards atheists and
agnostics contemporaries of Muhammad. The creation of the universe and origin of life represent overwhelming evidence of not
only of God’s existence but also his continuous creative abilities. Alternatively, a visible God would have been incompatible with
the concept of free-will. (The translation of the Quran is presented in bold letters and the explanation in parentheses.)
(16:3) He has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with [an inner] truth; [I.e., in accordance with a meaning and
a purpose known only to Him. See also 10:5.] sublimely exalted is He above anything to which men may ascribe a share in
His divinity!
(29:44) God has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with [an inner] truth: for, behold, in this [very creation]
there is a message indeed for all who believe [in Him]. [I.e., endowed with meaning and purpose. In other words, belief in the
existence of a meaning and a purpose underlying the creation of the universe is a logical corollary of ones belief in God.]
DEFINITION OF TERMS
THE SKY OR THE HEAVEN
The sky or the heaven in the Quran often has the connotation of “universe” or, in the plural “the heavens”, or “cosmic systems”.
The term “heaven” or “sky” is applied to anything that is spread like a canopy above any other thing. In a wider sense, it has the
connotation of cosmic system.
THE SEVEN HEAVENS
The “seven heavens”, in Arabic usage - and apparently in other Semitic languages as well - the number seven is often
synonymous with
several just as seventy or seven hundred often means many or very many. This, taken together with the accepted linguistic
definition, may explain the “seven heavens” as denoting the multiplicity of cosmic systems.
IMPORTANCE OF MATTER
In the Islamic conception the world did not emerge, as the Hindus believe, by some process of unconscious emanation from the
divine. It was created by a deliberate act of God’s will. This fact carries two important consequences. First, the world of matter is
completely real. It is dependent on God as its creator, but once originated it is as real thing there is. This was the basis of Muslim
science which during Europe’s Dark Age flourished in the Near East as nowhere else. Second, being the handiwork of a God who
is both great and good, the world of matter must likewise be basically good. Here we meet a confidence in the material aspects of
life and existence. (67:3-4) [Hallowed be] He who has created seven heavens in full harmony with one another: no fault will
you see in the creation of the Most Gracious. [Or: “conforming (with one another)”.] And turn your vision [upon it] once
more: can you see any flaw? Yea, turn your vision [upon it] again and yet again: [and every time] your vision will fall back
upon you, dazzled and truly defeated. [The fundamental idea is man’s inability ever to encompass the mysteries of the universe
with his earthbound knowledge, and, hence, his utter dependence on guidance through divine revelation.]
CREATION OF UNIVERSE
THE BIG BANG THEORY AND EXPANDING UNIVERSE
At the dawn of 20th century, most scientists believed that the universe is without beginning and is static and unchanging. The so-
called steady-state hypothesis supports the endless cycles taught by Hinduism. The ever-present notion of universe was a biased
concept to avoid dealing with the concept of God – the creator. The first evidence that the “universe without beginning” might be
a false concept came when Albert Einstein theory of relativity predicted that universe is in fact expanding. Later Edwin Hubble
discovered that almost every galaxy was rushing away from Earth and if universe is expanding then it must had a beginning. Not
every scientist was happy with the idea that universe was created in a Big Bang. To some, this suggested a creator as well as a
creation.
Approximately 13.7 billion years ago, just before creation when space and time did not exist. Then, an ineffable explosion,
trillions of degrees in temperature, created not only matter and energy, but also space and time. It was the moment of creation
when entire universe exploded from a single, unimaginably dense point referred to as single entity in the Quran. The universe
grew rapidly in the first trillionth of a second of time. Before the formation of galaxies and star, the universe comprised mostly of
hydrogen and helium gas, which physicists regard as the primal element from which all material particles of the universe have
evolved and still evolve. Later, stars and galaxies began to form and since then the evolution of the universe has continued,
resulting in expansion and becoming cooler, creating conditions conducive to life. There are sextillion – that is 7 followed by 22
zeroes – stars in the known universe. That means there are more stars in the sky than there are grains of sand in every beach and
desert on Earth.
The obvious question is what is the source of this tremendous energy, which created the Big Bang? If the beginning of time was
concurrent with that of universe, then the cause of the universe must be some entity operating completely independent to the time
dimension of the cosmos. It tells us that the creator is transcendent, operating beyond the dimensional limits of the universe and
therefore, God is not the universe itself, nor contained within the universe.
There are no Biblical references to big bang and the Quran has only one verse mentioning this epoch event: (21:30) Are, then,
they who are bent on denying the truth not aware that the heavens and the earth were [once] one single entity, which We
then parted asunder? We made out of water every living thing? Will they not, then, [begin to] believe? [This is an
unmistakable reference to the big bang and unitary origin of the universe – metonymically described in the Quran as “the heavens
and the earth” – strikingly anticipates the view of almost all modern astrophysicists that this universe has originated from one
entity. Just a few years ago, the above verse would have been incomprehensible and it is only through science that we now have a
better understanding of this verse. Science and religion can be complementary to each other as Einstein once said “Science
without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” Above verse form the basis of theistic evolution of universe and life on
earth, which was by no means an accident of nature, as some scientists have us believe.]
(51:47) And it is We who have built the universe with [Our creative] power and, verily, it is We who are steadily expanding
it. [This clearly foreshadows the modern notion of the “expanding universe” – that is, the fact that the cosmos, though finite in
extent, is continuously expanding in space because of the dark energy.]
(54:49-50) Behold, everything have We created in due measure and proportion; and Our ordaining [a thing and its coming
into being] is but one [act], like the twinkling of an eye. [For when He wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, ‘Be’ - and it is”
(2:117, 3:47, 16:40, 19:35, 36:82 and 40:68). The comparison with the twinkling of an eye is, of course, merely idiomatic, i.e.,
based on the human concept of something instantaneous.]
(65:12) God is He who has created seven heavens, and, like them, [the many aspects] of the earth. Through all of them
flows down from on high, unceasingly, His [creative] will, [Thus implying God’s unceasing creative activity.] so that you
might come to know that God has the power to will anything, and that God encompasses all things with His knowledge.
UNIVERSE HIDDEN FROM MAN
Only 4% of the universe is made up of ordinary visible matter; 23% is dark matter, unseen and unknown particles left over from
the big bang, and 73% is dark energy, a mysterious anti-gravity force that causes the universe to expand at an ever faster pace.
Luminous matter – stars, planets, and hot gases – accounts for only 0.4 percent of the universe. Non-luminous components, such
as black holes and intergalactic gases, make up 3.6 percent. The rest is dark matter and dark energy.
Dark matter: It is believed that after the Big Bang, invisible sub atomic particles were created and they have been traveling
through interstellar space, clumping together. That set up the gravitation processes, which led to the formation of stars, and
galaxies. Those stars, in turn, created the basic chemicals, such as carbon and iron that were fundamental to evolution of life.
Dark energy: The most dominating force of all in the universe is called dark energy. It is the force that is causing the universe to
expand at an accelerating rate. After the Big Bang, dark matter and dark energy engaged in a gravitational tug of war that,
eventually dark energy won. The exact form and nature of dark energy is not known. Theorists seeking to explain the mysterious
dark force have suggested that the end of the universe will be either in two ways: (1) the dark energy becomes stronger over time
thus tearing the universe apart in a violent event called “the big rip”; (2) the dark energy becomes weaker and gravity would again
predominate in the cosmos and universe would collapse on itself in a “the big crunch”.
(6:1) All praise is due to God, who has created the heavens and the earth, and brought into being deep darkness as well as
light: and yet, those who are bent on denying the truth regard other powers as their Sustainer’s equals!
(34:9) Are they, then, not aware of how little of the sky and the earth lies open before them, and how much is hidden from
them? [the above phrase stresses the insignificance of the knowledge attained to by man, or accessible to him; hence, so the
argument goes, how can anyone be so presumptuous as to deny the reality of resurrection and life after death, seeing that it is a
phenomenon beyond man’s experience, while, on the other hand, everything within the universe points to God’s unlimited
creative power?]
LIMITATIONS OF HUMAN UNDERSTANDING
(37:4-10) Verily, most surely, your God is One - the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and of all that is between them,
and the Sustainer of all the points of sunrise! [The stress on the various points of sunrise brings out the endless variety of all
created phenomena as contrasted with the oneness and uniqueness of their Creator.] Behold, We have adorned the skies nearest
to the earth with the beauty of stars, and have made them secure against every rebellious, satanic force, [For an explanation
of this passage, see 15:17.] [so that] they [who seek to learn the unknowable] should not be able to overhear the host on
high, [I.e., the angelic forces, whose speech is a metonym for God’s decrees.] but shall be repelled from all sides, cast out
[from all grace], with lasting suffering in store for them [in the life to come]; but if anyone does succeed in snatching a
glimpse [of such knowledge], he is [henceforth] pursued by a piercing flame. [For the meaning of this phrase, see 15:18. After
the stress on God’s oneness in verses 4-5, the passage comprising verses 6-10 points to the fact that human beings are precluded
from really grasping the variety and depth of the universe created by Him. We have here an echo of 34:9 - “Are they, then, not
aware of how little of the sky and the earth lies open before them, and how much is hidden from them?”]
MAN’S PROGRESSIVE INSIGHT
(41:53-54) In time We shall make them fully understand Our messages [through what they perceive] in the utmost
horizons [of the universe] and within themselves, [I.e., through a progressive deepening and widening of their insight into the
wonders of the universe as well as through a deeper understanding of man’s own psyche - all of which points to the existence of a
conscious Creator.] so that it will become clear unto them that this [revelation] is indeed the truth. [Still,] is it not enough
[for them to know] that thy Sustainer is witness unto everything? [I.e., that He is almighty and all-seeing: a fundamental truth
which, by itself, should be enough to remind man of his responsibility before Him.] Oh, verily, they are in doubt as to whether
they will meet their Sustainer [on Judgment Day]! Oh, verily, He encompasses everything!
MIRACLE OF CONTINUOUS CREATION
(16:8) He will yet create things of which [today] you have no knowledge. [This is a reference to God’s continuing creation.]
(35:1) [Unceasingly] He adds to His creation whatever He wills: for, verily, God has the power to will anything. [I.e., the
process of creation is continuous, constantly expanding in scope, range and variety.]
CONCEPT OF TIME
What men conceive of as “time” has no meaning with regard to God, because He is timeless, without beginning and without end,
so that in relation to Him, one day and a thousand years are alike. The well-authenticated saying of the Prophet, “God says, ‘I am
Time Absolute’.”
(10:5-6) He it is who has made the sun a [source of] radiant light and the moon a light [reflected], [The term diya is used to
describe “a light which subsists by itself, as that of the sun and fire”- that is, a source of light - while nur signifies “a light that
subsists by some other thing”: in other words, light due to an extraneous source or - as in the case of the moon - reflected light.]
and has determined for it phases so that you might know how to compute the years and to measure [time]. None of this has
God created without [an inner] truth. [Lit., “God has not created this otherwise than in accordance with truth” - i.e., to fulfill a
definite purpose in consonance with His planning wisdom: implying that everything in the universe - whether existent or
potential, concrete or abstract - is meaningful, and nothing is accidental.] Clearly does He spell out these messages unto people
of [innate] knowledge: for, verily, in the alternating of night and day, and in all that God has created in the heavens and on
earth there are messages indeed for people who are conscious of Him!
(22:47) Behold, in thy Sustainer’s sight a day is like a thousand years of your reckoning. [In other words, a day, or an eon, or
a thousand years, or fifty thousand years are alike to Him, having an apparent reality only within the created world and none with
the Creator.]
(70:4) All the angels and all the inspiration [ever granted to man] ascend unto Him [daily,] [The “ascent” of the angels and
of all inspiration may be understood in the same sense as the frequently-occurring Quranic phrase “all things go back to God (as
their source)”.] in a day the length whereof is [like] fifty thousand years. [The very concept of “time” is meaningless in
relation to God, who is timeless and infinite.]
CREATION OF UNIVERSE IN SIX EONS
The reference below (50:38) to God’s having created the universe “in six eons” is the oldest in the chronology of Quranic
revelation. The word yawm, commonly translated as “day” - but rendered as “eon” - is used in Arabic to denote any period,
whether extremely long (eon) or extremely short (moment): its application to an earthly day of twenty-four hours is only one of its
many connotations. In ancient Arabic usage the term yawm does not always denote the twenty-four hours of the earthly day, but is
also applied to any period of time, however long or short. In the cosmic sense in which it is used in the Quran, the plural ayyam is
best rendered as “eons”. The following are the verses where creation of universe in six eons is mentioned:
(7:54) Verily, your Sustainer is God, who has created the heavens and the earth in six eons, and is established on the throne
of His almightiness. He covers the day with the night in swift pursuit, with the sun and the moon and the stars subservient
to His command: oh, verily, His is all creation and all command. Hallowed is God, the Sustainer of all the worlds! [As
regards the term “throne” or “seat of power”, all Muslim commentators are unanimously of the opinion that its metaphorical use
in the Quran is meant to express God’s absolute sway over all His creation. It is noteworthy that in all the seven instances where
God is spoken of in the Quran as “established on the throne of His almightiness” (7:54, 10:3, 13:2, 20:5, 25:59, 32:4 and 57:4),
this expression is connected with a declaration of His having created the universe.]
(10:3) Verily, your Sustainer is God, who has created the heavens and the earth in six eons, and is established on the throne
of His almightiness, governing all that exists.
(25:59) He who has created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six eons, and is established on the
throne of His almightiness: the Most Gracious! Ask, then, about Him, [the] One who is [truly] aware. [Ask God Himself:
since He alone holds the keys to the mysteries of the universe, it is only by observing His creation and listening to His revealed
messages that man can obtain a glimpse, however distant, of God’s Own reality.]
(32:4, 6) It is God who has created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six eons, and is established on
the throne of His almightiness. Such is He who knows all that is beyond the reach of a created being’s perception, as well
as all that can be witnessed by a creature’s senses or mind.
(50:38) We have indeed created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six eons, and [that] no weariness
could ever touch Us. [This verse stresses God’s omnipotence and the impossibility of God’s ever being “wearied” by the process
of creation, alludes to God’s power to resurrect the dead. This statement is in contrast to biblical account, where “God rested on
the seventh day from all His work which he had made.” (Genesis, chapter 2, verse 2.)]
(57:4) He it is who has created the heavens and the earth in six eons, and is established on the throne of His almightiness.
He knows all that enters the earth, and all that comes out of it, as well as all that descends from the skies, and all that
ascends to them.
CREATION OF COSMOS (STARS, SUN AND MOON)
(2:29) He it is who has created for you all that is on earth, and has applied His design to the heavens and fashioned them
into seven heavens; and He alone has full knowledge of everything.
(25:60-61) Yet when they [who are bent on denying the truth! are told, “Prostrate yourselves before the Most Gracious.”
they are wont to ask, “And [who and] what is the Most Gracious? Are we to prostrate ourselves before whatever you bid
us [to worship]?” - and so [your call] but increases their aversion, Hallowed is He who has set up in the skies great
constellations, and has placed among them a [radiant] lamp and a light-giving moon.
(31:29-30) Are you not aware that it is God who makes the night grow longer by shortening the day, and makes the day
grow longer by shortening the night, and that He has made the sun and the moon subservient [to His laws], each running
its course for a term set [by Him] - and that God is fully aware of all that you do? Thus it is, because God alone is the
Ultimate Truth, so that all that men invoke instead of Him is sheer falsehood; and because God alone is exalted, truly
great!
(55:17-18) [He is] the Sustainer of the two farthest points of sunrise, and the Sustainer of the two farthest points of sunset.
Which, then, of your Sustainer’s powers can you disavow? [I.e., of the extreme points of sunrise and sunset in summer and in
winter]
(78:12-13) And We have built above you seven firmaments, and have placed [therein the sun,] a lamp full of blazing
splendor.
ORBITS OF PLANETS
Early in the seventeenth century, the German astronomer Johannes Kepler propounded laws that first described the orbits of the
planets around the sun. The physical causes of Kepler’s laws were later explained by the English physicist Isaac Newton.
(13:1-2) These are messages of revelation: and what has been bestowed upon you from on high by thy Sustainer is the
truth - yet most people will not believe [in it]. It is God who has raised the heavens without any supports that you could
see, and is established on the throne of His almightiness; [As regards the “raising of the heavens without any supports” visible
to man, the noun sama denotes, primarily, “something that is above another thing”, and is used - mostly in its plural form samawat
- to describe (a) the visible skies (as well as, occasionally, the clouds), (b) the cosmic space in which the stars, the solar systems
(including our own) and the galaxies pursue their course, and (c) the abstract concept of the forces emanating from God (since He
is, in the metonymical sense of this word, “above” all that exists). It is the second of these three meanings of samawat to which
the above verse refers: namely, to the spatial universe in which all aggregations of matter - be they planets, stars, nebulae or
galaxies - are, as it were, “suspended” in space within a system of unceasing motion determined by centrifugal forces and mutual,
gravitational attraction.] and He [it is who] has made the sun and the moon subservient [to His laws], each running its
course for a term set [by Him]. [This may refer either to the end of the world as we know it - thus indicating the finality of all
creation - or to the stages through which the sun and the moon, like all other celestial bodies, move in time as well as in space.]
He governs all that exists. Clearly does He spell out these messages, so that you might be certain in your innermost that
you are destined to meet your Sustainer [on Judgment Day]. [I.e., “so that you might realize that He who has created the
universe and governs all that exists is equally able to resurrect the dead and to judge you in the life to come in accordance with
what you did when you were alive on earth”.]
(23:17) Indeed, We have created above you seven [celestial] orbits: and never are We unmindful of [any aspect of Our]
creation. [The “seven paths”, which may signify the orbits of the visible planets or - as the classical commentators assume - the
“seven heavens” (i.e., cosmic systems) repeatedly spoken of in the Quran. In either case, the number “seven” is used
metonymically, indicating multiplicity.]
(36:38-40) And [they have a sign in] the sun: it runs in an orbit of its own [It runs on its course without having any rest, i.e.,
unceasingly.] - [and] that is laid down by the will of the Almighty, the All-Knowing; and [in] the moon, for which We have
determined phases [which it must traverse] till it becomes like an old date-stalk, dried-up and curved: [The raceme of the
date-palm, which, when old and dry, becomes slender and curves like a crescent.] [and] neither may the sun overtake the
moon, nor can the night usurp the time of day, [Nor does the night outrun or outstrip the day.] since all of them float through
space [in accordance with Our laws].
(39:5) He it is who has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with [an inner] truth. He causes the night to flow
into the day, and causes the day to flow into the night; and He has made the sun and the moon subservient [to His laws],
each running its course for a term set [by Him]. Is not He the Almighty, the All-Forgiving?
(79:1-5) Consider those [stars] that rise only to set, [This passage refers to the stars - including the sun and the moon - and their
movements in space and the harmony of those celestial bodies in their multiform orbits and graded speeds is cited as an evidence
of God’s planning and creativeness. The daily ascending or rising of the stars, while their subsequent setting is indicated by the
expression gharqan, which comprises the two concepts of “drowning” (i.e., disappearing) and, tropically, of the “completeness” of
this daily phenomenon.] and move [in their orbits] with steady motion, [I.e., passing from constellation to constellation] and
float [through space] with floating serene, and yet overtake [one another] with swift overtaking: and thus they fulfill the
[Creator’s] behest! [This is apparently an allusion to the different speeds of the orbiting stars, as well as to the extent of their
orbits in relation to one another.]
CREATION OF EARTH
About 4.6 billion years ago, halfway out on one spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy, our developing sun emerged from a
condensing molecular cloud, which is referred to as “smoke” in the Quran. The star-to-be was surrounded by a disk of dust and
ice, which clumped together. The ever-growing fragments collided, shattered, and then reassembled themselves into ever larger
bodies. The infant solar system was chaotic, but from the carnage nine planets emerged. Soon, the developing sun accumulated so
much mass it ignited, becoming a full-fledged star and the nine planets saw their first sunrise. Our Earth is an example of creation
through conscious planning. The size, location, temperature, physics and chemistry of the Earth are perfect for all the creatures,
great and small that live on the third rock from the Sun.
Earth’s temperature: The most important factor in Earth’s habitability is its place in space, orbiting at 93 millions miles from the
Sun. Unlike Venus and Mercury, Earth is not too close to the sun and hence too hot for life. Unlike Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,
Neptune and Pluto we are not too far away and hence too cold. Our planet’s moderate temperature lets water remain liquid, an
essential precondition for life. The presence of Moon stabilizes polarity of Earth and thus regulates temperature on earth. Mars is
too small and has too little gravity to hold on to its atmosphere. Earth’s stronger gravity makes it more difficult for oxygen to
escape. Earth’s magnetic fields: Unlike Mars and Venus, a strong magnet field is generated by the rotation of liquid iron core in
the Earth. The magnet field shield us from powerful solar winds that stripped away most of the surface water and oxygen on
Mars, which lost it magnetic field long time ago. Earth’s atmosphere: The nitrogen and oxygen gases in its atmosphere protect
Earth. These gases block ultraviolet and other short-wave radiation that otherwise will sterilize the planet. Size of the Earth:
Another key factor is earth’s size. Mars is only half the size of the Earth and therefore has a large surface area compared to its
volume. As a result, Mars lost its initial heat faster than earth. As red planet cooled, its surface congealed into a stagnant lid. But
Earth remains warm and active to this day. Continents drift about on a layer of molten rocks – a process known as plate tectonics
– thrusting up mountains and pushing huge plates back into the interior. The dynamic turnover of the crust recycles carbon and
keeps atmospheric carbon dioxide, the major cause of global warming, at moderate levels.
EVOLUTION OF EARTH IN TWO TO FOUR EONS
(41:9-12) Say: “Would you indeed deny Him who has created the earth in two eons? [The repeated mention of the “six eons”
during which the universe was created - “two” of which, according to the above verse, were taken by the evolution of the
inorganic universe, including the earth - has a purely allegorical import: in this case, an indication that the universe did not exist
eternally but had a definite beginning in time, and that it required a definite time-lapse to evolve to its present condition.] And do
you claim that there is any power that could rival Him, the Sustainer of all the worlds?” [Or do you give Him compeers?]
For He [it is who, after creating the earth,] placed firm mountains on it, [towering] above its surface, and bestowed [so
many] blessings on it, and equitably apportioned its means of subsistence to all who would seek it: [In accordance with
divine justice, and not with human concepts of “equity” or “need”.] [and all this He created] in four eons. [These “four eons
include the two mentioned in the preceding verse. Together with the two eons of verse 41:12, the entire allegorical number comes
to six.] And He [it is who] applied His design to the skies, which were [yet but] smoke; [I.e., a gas] and He [it is who] said to
them and to the earth, “Come [into being], both of you, willingly or unwillingly!” - to which both responded, “We do come
in obedience.” [The meaning of God’s command to the skies and the earth to ‘come’, and their submission (to His command) is
this: He willed their coming into being, and so they came to be as He willed them to be and this is the kind of metaphor which is
called ‘allegory’. Thus, the purport of this passage is but an illustration of the effect of His almighty power on all that is willed by
Him, and nothing else.” The oft-repeated Quranic statement, “When God wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, ‘Be’ - and it is.”]
And He [it is who] decreed that they become seven heavens in two eons, and imparted unto each heaven its function. And
We adorned the skies nearest to the earth with lights, and made them secure: such is the ordaining of the Almighty, the
All-Knowing. [Jupiter is 13 times greater than Earth and plays protective role by capturing passing comets, which otherwise may
smash into the Earth.]
EARTH AS A CRADLE OF LIFE
(51:48) And the earth have We spread out wide - and how well have We ordered it! [In accordance with the requirements of
the living organisms that were to - and did - develop on it.]
(52:5-6) Consider the vault [of heaven] raised high! [I.e., Consider the immensity and wonderful configuration of the visible
universe as an evidence of a conscious Creator.] Consider the surf-swollen sea!
(78:6) Have we not made the earth a resting-place [for you].
PROPER USE OF NATURAL PHENOMENA FOR MAN’S BENEFIT
(6:97) And He it is who has set up for you the stars so that you might be guided by them in the midst of the deep darkness
of land and sea: clearly, indeed, have We spelled out these messages unto people of [innate] knowledge!
(14:33) and has made the sun and the moon, both of them constant upon their courses, subservient [to His laws, so that
they be of use] to you; and has made the night and the day subservient [to His laws, so that they be of use] to you. [God’s
having made the natural phenomena “subservient” to man is a metaphor for His having enabled man to derive lasting benefit from
them. In the same sense, the night and the day are spoken of in 10:67, 27:86 or 40:61 as having been “made for you”.]
(16:12) And He has made the night and the day and the sun and the moon subservient [to His laws, so that they be of use]
to you; and all the stars are subservient to His command: in this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who use
their reason! (16:15-16) And he has placed firm mountains on earth, lest it sway with you, and rivers and paths, so that
you might find your way, as well as [various other] means of orientation: for [it is] by the stars that men find their way.
[The mountains owe their rise to the gradual balancing process to which the solid crust of the earth is subject - a process which, in
its turn, is the result of stresses and disturbances due to the cooling and hardening, progressing from the surface towards the
center, of the presumably molten or perhaps even gaseous matter of which the earth’s interior seems to be composed. It appears
that part of this interior is kept solid only by the enormous pressure of the overlaying material, of which the mountains are the
most vivid evidence: and this explains the Quranic reference (in 78:7) to mountains as pegs, i.e., symbols of the firmness and
relative equilibrium which the surface of the earth has gradually achieved in the course of its geological history. Notwithstanding
the fact that this equilibrium is not absolute (as is evidenced by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions), it is the solidity of the earth’s
crust - as contrasted with its possibly fluid but certainly very unstable interior - which makes life on earth possible: and this is the
meaning of the phrase “lest it sway with you” (or “with them”) occurring in the above verse as well as in 21:31 and 31:10]
SUPERSTITIONS RELATED TO HEAVENLY BODIES
ADORATION OF CELESTIAL BODIES
(41:37) Now among His signs are the night and the day, as well as the sun and the moon: [hence,] adore not the sun or the
moon, but prostrate yourselves in adoration before God, who has created them - if it is Him whom you [really] worship.
[God is the sole cause and source of all that exists; and whatever exists is but a wondrous sign of His creative power. Hence, it is a
blasphemy - apart from being unreasonable - to ascribe real power (which is the meaning of adoration in this context) to anything
created, whether it be a concrete phenomenon, or an abstract force of nature, or a set of circumstances, or even an idea.]
PREDICTING FUTURE THROUGH ASTROLOGY
(67:5-6) And, indeed, We have adorned the skies nearest to the earth with lights, [I.e., stars: 37:6, “We have adorned the skies
nearest to the earth with the beauty of stars”.] and have made them the object of futile guesses for the evil ones [from among
men]: [Shayatin - a term which in this context points specifically to “the satans from among mankind, that is, the astrologers. As
regards the term rajm, which denotes the throwing of something like a stone at random - it is often used in the sense of speaking
conjecturally or making something the object of guesswork - the latter connecting this metaphor explicitly with the above verse.]
and for them have We readied suffering through a blazing flame - for, suffering in hell awaits all who are [thus] bent on
blaspheming against their Sustainer: and how vile a journey’s end! [I.e., by presuming to know what will happen in the future
- a knowledge which rests with God alone. This connects with the statement in 67:4 that man can never truly unravel the
mysteries of cosmic space (“the heavens”), which in its turn implies that he should not presume to foretell terrestrial events from
the position and the aspects of the stars. Since only God knows “that which is beyond the reach of a created being’s perception”
(al-ghayb), any such attempt is a blasphemy (kufr).]
THEISTIC EVOLUTION OF LIFE ON EARTH
WHAT IS LIFE?
If you give all parts of a vehicle to an experienced mechanic, he will be able to assemble it correctly and make it work. If a
biologist is given all known components of life such as proteins, nucleic acid, sugars, lipids and other organic substances, he
would be unable to create or animate a living being.
HISTORY
Throughout history, philosophers, religious thinkers and scientists have attempted to explain the history of life on Earth. In 17 th
and 18th centuries, a predominant view held in Western Europe was that God created every organism on Earth more or less as it
exists now. In 1859, Charles Darwin described the evolution of life as a process of natural selection in his book “On the Origin of
Species by Means of Natural Selection.” His critics dubbed Darwin’s ideas as blasphemous and he could not fully explain the
mechanism that caused life forms to change from generation to generation. The continuing creation of God is compatible with
evolutionary theory.
ROLE OF GENETICS
As the 20th century unfolded, scientific advances in the field of genetics unveiled the structure of genes as well as how they are
duplicated, altered and passed from generation to generation. This provided insight into how populations remain adaptable to
changing environmental conditions. Comparison of the genetic structures of different species helped in understanding
evolutionary relationships between species. For example, humans and chimpanzees share about 98.7 percent of the same genes
but human brains have about five times more genetic activity. Studies of mitochondrial DNA showed that all humans can be
traced to ancient mitochondrial “Eve”.
FOSSIL RECORD
Advances in techniques used to determine the age of fossils provided clues about when extinct organisms existed and how they
became extinct. Today, evolution is recognized as the cornerstone of modern biology uniting such diverse scientific fields as cell
biology, genetics, paleontology, geology and statistics.
EVOLUTION OF LIFE FROM WATER
Many aspects of how life began on Earth remain a fundamental unsolved mystery but liquid water is essential for all life on Earth.
Water is made from the two most abundant chemically reactive elements (hydrogen and oxygen) in the universe, and it is the
necessary ingredient for Earth’s type life. Liquid water has played an intimate, if not fully understood, role in the origin and
development of life on earth. Habitable environments must provide extended regions of liquid water, condition favorable for the
assembly of complex organic molecules, and energy sources to sustain metabolism. Water maintains a strong polar-non-polar
dichotomy with certain organic substances, which allowed life on earth to form independent stable cellular structures. The earliest
evidence of life on earth is in the form of microscopic fossils of bacteria that lived as early as 3.5 billion years ago.
(11:7) And He it is who has created the heavens and the earth in six eons; and [ever since He has willed to create life,] the
throne of His almightiness has rested upon water. [The symbolic reference to “the throne of His almightiness resting upon
water” would seem to point to the God-willed evolution of all life out of water - a fact clearly brought out by the Quran (see
21:30) and in modern times confirmed by biological research.]
(21:30) We made out of water every living thing? Will they not, then, [begin to] believe? [The statement that God “made out
of water every living thing” expresses most concisely a truth that is nowadays universally accepted by science. It has a threefold
meaning: (1) Liquid water was the environment within which the prototype of all living matter originated; (2) among all the
innumerable - existing or conceivable - liquids, only water has the peculiar properties necessary for the emergence and
development of life; and (3) the protoplasm, which is the physical basis of every living cell - whether in plants or in animals - and
represents the only form of matter in which the phenomena of life are manifested, consists overwhelmingly of water and is, thus,
utterly dependent on it.]
ALL ANIMALS INCLUDING MAN EVOLVED FROM WATER
(24:45-46) And it is God who has created all animals out of water; [The term dabbah denotes every corporeal being endowed
with both life and spontaneous movement; hence, in its widest sense, it comprises the entire animal world, including man.] and
[He has willed that] among them are such as crawl on their bellies, and such as walk on two legs, and such as walk on four.
God creates what He will: for, verily, God has the power to will anything. Indeed, from on high have We bestowed
messages clearly showing the truth; but God guides onto a straight way [only] him that wills [to be guided]. [Or: “God
guides whomever He wills onto a straight way”. The rendering adopted in this instance seems preferable in view of the preceding,
intensive stress on the evidence, forthcoming from all nature, of God’s creative, planning activity and the appeal to “all who have
eyes to see” to let themselves be guided by this overwhelming evidence.]
HOW ALL ANIMALS INCLUDING MAN EVOLVED FROM WATER?
Unicellular or age of bacteria: Life arose from chemical constituents of atmosphere and ocean in pre-biotic soup, described in the
Quran as clay commingled with water, sounding clay, dark slime transmuted, etc. The prokaryotic cells (bacteria and
cyanophytes) and stromatolites (mats of sediment trapped and bound by these cells in shallow marine water) were found on the
oldest rock sediments dated to 3.5 billion years ago. From the simple prokaryotic cells without organelles to eukaryotic cells with
nuclei evolved about two billion years ago. Life remained almost exclusively unicellular for the first five-sixths of its history –
from the first recorded fossils at 3.5 billion years to the first documented multicellular animals less than 600 million years ago.
Multicellular age: With a relay of highest complexity among animals, passing from invertebrates to marine vertebrates and finally
to reptiles, mammals and human. This is the only rational explanation of how all animals including man were created from water.
Evolution provides an essential framework for studying the ongoing history of life on Earth. A central component of evolutionary
theory is that all living organisms, from microscopic bacteria to plants, insects, birds and mammals, share a common ancestor in
the past. Species that are closely related share a recent common ancestor, while distantly related species have a common ancestor
further in the past. For example, the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees (most closely related to man) is believed to
have lived 6-7 million years ago. On the other hand, an ancestor common to humans and reptiles lived some 300 million years
ago. Evolutionary biologists attempt to determine the history of lineages as they diverge and how differences in characteristics
developed over time. The concept of evolution is now widely accepted in the mainstream scientific community. Approximately
two million different species of organisms are now living, but it is estimated that at least 99.9 percent of the species that have ever
lived are now extinct and that some two billion species have evolved during the past 600 million years.
EVOLUTION OF MAN
Homo erectus - the species is said to bear the first recognizable human characteristics – emerged nearly two million years ago
from the plains of Africa and spread across several continents to serve as an ancestor to modern man, or Homo sapiens. Homo
erectus had a large brain and walked upright and they made stone tools and ate meat. They became extinct 400,000 years ago.
With all the advancements in our understanding, the origin of mankind still remains a great mystery. Wonderful as is God’s
material creation but his supreme accomplishment lies in the fact that He has created man. The most important thing to note about
the Muslim view of man is its appreciation, of both the ultimacy and value of individuality. In the religions of the Far East, the
indivisible, all-encompassing cosmic spirit is the primary fact and the fleeting expressions of individuality have no permanence or
value. But for Islam individuality is not only fully real but also good in principle. As expressed in the human soul it is also eternal,
for once created the soul lives forever. Value, virtue, goodness and spiritual fulfillment come by expressing one’s unique self by
virtue of which one is different from anyone or anything else.
EVOLUTION OF MAN FROM WATER (man created out of primordial soup)
(15:26) And, indeed, We have created man out of sounding clay, out of dark slime transmuted - [There are many references
in the Quran to man’s having been “created out of clay” or “out of dust”, both these terms signifying man’s lowly biological
origins as well as the fact that his body is composed of various organic and inorganic substances existing - in other combinations
or in their elementary forms - on or in the earth. The term salsal occurring in three verses of this surah as well as in 55:14, adds a
further dimension to this concept. According to most of the philological authorities, it denotes “dried clay that emits a sound” (i.e.,
when it is struck); and since it is used in the Quran exclusively with reference to the creation of man, it seems to contain an
allusion to the power of articulate speech which distinguishes man from all other animal species, as well as to the brittleness of his
existence (the expression “like pottery” in 55:14). As the construction of the sentence shows, this salsal is stated to have evolved
out of hama – which is the plural of hamah, signifying “dark, fetid mud” or “dark slime” - while the participial adjective masnun
which qualifies this noun denotes, both “altered” (i.e.. in its composition) and “brought into shape”: hence the rendering of this
expression as “transmuted”, which to some extent combines both of the above meanings. We have here a description of the
primeval biological environment out of which the “sounding clay” - the matrix, as it were - of man’s physical body has evolved in
accordance with God’s plan of creation.]
(25:54) And He it is who out of this [very] water has created man, [See of 21:30 where the creation of “every living thing out
of water” is spoken of, as well as 24:45, which mentions in this connection the entire animal world (including, of course, man).]
and has endowed him with [the consciousness of] descent and marriage-tie: [I.e., has enabled him to attribute spiritual value
to, and to derive strength from, his organic and social relationships.] for thy Sustainer is ever infinite in His power.
(35:11) And [remember:] God creates [every one of] you out of dust, then out of a drop of sperm; and then He fashions you
into either of the two sexes. And no female conceives or gives birth unless it is with His knowledge; and none that is long-
lived has his days lengthened - and neither is aught lessened of his days - unless it is thus laid down in [God’s] decree: for,
behold, all this is easy for God.
(37:11-15) And now ask those [who deny the truth] to enlighten you: Were they more difficult to create than all those
[untold marvels] that We have created? - for, behold, them have We created out of [mere] clay commingled with water!
[I.e., out of primitive substances existing in their elementary forms in and on the earth: substances which are as nothing when
compared with the complexity of “the heavens and the earth and all that is between them”: hence, man’s individual resurrection is
as nothing when compared with the creation of the multiform universe.] Nay, but whereas you do marvel, they [only] scoff;
[I.e., at God’s creative power as well as at the blind arrogance of those who deny it.] and when they are reminded [of the
truth], they refuse to take it to heart; and when they become aware of a [divine] message, they turn it to ridicule and say:
“This is clearly nothing but [a mortal’s] spellbinding eloquence!
HUMAN SOUL IS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD
(32:6-9) The Almighty, the Dispenser of Grace, who makes most excellent everything that He creates. [I.e., He fashions
every detail of His creation in accordance with the functions intended for it, irrespective of whether those functions can be
understood by us or are beyond the reach of our perception.] Thus, He begins the creation of man out of clay; [In view of the
next verse, this “beginning” of man’s creation seems to allude to the basic composition of the human body as such, as well as to
each individual’s pre-natal existence in the separate bodies of his parents.] then He causes him to be begotten [Lit., “He causes
his procreation out of…”, etc.] out of the essence of a humble fluid; and then He forms him in accordance with what he is
meant to be, and breathes into him of His spirit: [As in 15:29 and 38:72, God’s “breathing of His spirit into man” is a metaphor
for the divine gift of life and consciousness, or of a “soul” which one of the meanings of the term ruh. Consequently, “the soul of
every human being is of the spirit of God.] and [thus, O men,] He endows you with hearing, and sight, and feelings as well as
minds: [yet] how seldom are you grateful! [Lit., “hearts”, which in classical Arabic is a metonym for both feelings and minds]
ORIGIN OF HUMAN RACE OUT OF ONE LIVING ENTITY
(4:1) O mankind! Be conscious of your Sustainer, who has created you out of one living entity, and out of it created its
mate, and out of the two spread abroad a multitude of men and women. And remain conscious of God, in whose name you
demand [your rights] from one another, and of these ties of kinship. Verily, God is ever watchful over you! [Out of the many
meanings attributable to the term nafs - soul, spirit, mind, animate being, living entity, human being, person, self (in the sense of a
personal identity), humankind, life-essence, vital principle, and so forth - most of the classical commentators choose “human
being”, and assume that it refers here to Adam. Muhammad Abduh, however, rejects this interpretation and gives, instead, his
preference to “humankind” as this term stresses the common origin and brotherhood of the human race (which, undoubtedly, is
the purport of the above verse), without, at the same time, unwarrantably tying it to the Biblical account of the creation of Adam
and Eve. The rendering of nafs, in this context, as “living entity” follows the same reasoning - As regards the expression zawjaha
(its mate), it is to be noted that, with reference to animate beings, the term zawj (a pair, one of a pair or a mate) applies to the male
as well as to the female component of a pair or couple; hence, with reference to human beings, it signifies a woman’s mate
(husband) as well as a man’s mate (wife). Abu Muslim - as quoted by Razi - interprets the phrase “He created out of it its mate” as
meaning “He created its mate (i.e., its sexual counterpart) out of its own kind”, thus supporting the view of Muhammad Abduh
referred to above. The literal translation of minha as “out of it” clearly alludes, in conformity with the text, to the biological fact
that both sexes have originated from “one living entity”.]
(39:6) He has created you [all] out of one living entity, and out of it fashioned its mate; and he has bestowed upon you four
kinds of cattle of either sex; [i.e., the male and the female of four kinds of cattle (sheep, goats, camels and bovine cattle). The
mention of cattle in this context is meant to remind man that it is God who provides his sustenance and therefore, man is utterly
dependent on Him.] [and] He creates you in your mothers’ wombs, one act of creation after another, in threefold depths of
darkness. [An allusion to the successive stages of embryonic development, repeatedly spoken of in the Quran (22:5 and 23:12-
14), and to the darkness of the womb, the membrane enveloping the embryo, and its pre-natal blindness] Thus is God, your
Sustainer: unto Him belongs all dominion: there is no deity save Him: how, then, can you lose sight of the truth?
SUBSEQUENT DIVERGENCE
(2:213) All mankind were once one single community; [then they began to differ -] whereupon God raised up the prophets
as heralds of glad tidings and as warners, and through them bestowed revelation from on high, setting forth the truth, so
that it might decide between people with regard to all on which they had come to hold divergent views. [By using the
expression “one single community” to describe the original state of mankind, the Quran does not propound, as might appear at
first glance, the idea of a mythical “golden age” obtaining at the dawn of man’s history. What is alluded to in this verse is no more
than the relative homogeneity of instinctive perceptions and inclinations characteristic of man’s primitive mentality and the
primitive social order in which he lived in those early days. Since that homogeneity was based on a lack of intellectual and
emotional differentiation rather than on a conscious agreement among the members of human society, it was bound to disintegrate
in the measure of man’s subsequent development. As his thought - life became more and more complex, his emotional capacity
and his individual needs, too, became more differentiated, conflicts of views and interests came to the fore, and mankind ceased to
be “one single community” as regards their outlook on life and their moral valuations: and it was at this stage that divine guidance
became necessary. (It is to be borne in mind that the term al-kitab refers here - as in many other places in the Quran - not to any
particular scripture but to divine revelation as such.)] Yet none other than the self-same people who had been granted this
[revelation] began, out of mutual jealousy, to disagree about its meaning after all evidence of the truth had come unto
them. But God guided the believers unto the truth about which, by His leave, they had disagreed: [As is made clear in
2:253, man’s proneness to intellectual dissension is not an accident of history but an integral, God-willed aspect of human nature
as such: and it is this natural circumstance to which the words “by His leave” allude. For an explanation of the phrase “out of
mutual jealousy”, see 23:53.] for God guides onto a straight way him that wills [to be guided]. [Or: God guides whomever He
wills onto a straight way]
UNITY WITHIN DIVERSITY
(30:20-23) And among His wonders is this: He creates you out of dust – [See 3:59, and 23:12.] and then, lo! you become
human beings ranging far and wide! And among His wonders is this: He creates for you mates out of your own kind. [Or
from among yourselves] so that you might incline towards them, and He engenders love and tenderness between you: in
this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who think! And among his wonders is the creation of the heavens and
the earth, and the diversity of your tongues and colors: for in this, behold, there are messages indeed for all who are
possessed of [innate] knowledge! And among His wonders is your sleep, at night or in daytime, as well as your [ability to
go about in] quest of some of His bounties: in this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who [are willing to] listen!
(42:8) Now had God so willed, He could surely have made them all one single community: [The implication being, “but He
has not willed it”: see 5:48, 16: 93 and 10:19.] nonetheless, He admits unto His grace him that wills [to be admitted]. [Or: He
admits whomever He wills unto His grace - similar to the double meaning inherent in the oft-recurring phrase, which can be
understood either as God guides whomever He wills and lets go astray whomever He wills, or, alternatively, as God guides him
that wills [to be guided] and lets go astray him that wills to go astray.]
HUMBLE ORIGIN OF MAN TO CONSCIOUS BEING
(16:4) He creates man out of a [mere] drop of sperm: and lo! this same being shows himself endowed with the power to
think and to argue! [Lit., “he becomes an open contender in argument”. The above phrase is liable to two interpretations. One
interpretation is that after having been a mere drop of sperm, a particle of matter without consciousness, or motion, man becomes
highly articulate, able to argue on his own, for or against a proposition, courageously facing disputes, and clearly formulating his
arguments: and herein lies an indication of God’s creative power. The other interpretation is that man is prone to become a
contender in argument against his Sustainer, refusing to acknowledge his very Creator.” Razi, on his part, gives his unqualified
support to the first of these two interpretations, “because the above verses are meant to stress the evidence of the existence of a
wise Creator, and not the fact of men’s insolence and their proneness to blasphemy and ingratitude”. However, in view of 36:77-
78 (revealed at a considerably earlier period), the above two interpretations are not mutually exclusive but, rather, complementary,
as this passage is meant to bring out man’s unique quality as a rational being - a quality that may lead him to great heights of
achievement, but may equally well lead him utterly astray.]
(77:20-27) Did We not create you out of a humble fluid, which We then let remain in [the womb’s] firm keeping for a term
pre-ordained? Thus have We determined [the nature of man’s creation]: and excellent indeed is Our power to determine
[what is to be]! [The process of man’s coming into being (illustrated, for instance, in 23:12-14) clearly points to God’s creative
activity and, hence, to His existence. Consequently, lack of gratitude on man’s part amounts to what the Quran describes as
“giving the lie to the truth”.] Woe on that Day unto those who give the lie to the truth! Have We not caused the earth to hold
within itself the living and the dead? – [This refers not merely to the fact that the earth is an abode for living and dead human
beings and animals, but is also an allusion to the God-willed, cyclic recurrence of birth, growth, decay and death in all organic
creation - and thus an evidence of the existence of the Creator who “brings forth the living out of that which is dead, and brings
forth the dead out of that which is alive” (3:27, 6:95, 10:31 and 30:19).] and have We not set on it proud, firm mountains, and
given you sweet water to drink? [Parallel with the preceding, this verse refers to God’s creation of inanimate matter, and thus
rounds off the statement that He is the Maker of the universe in all its manifestations, both organic and inorganic.]
PURPOSE OF MAN’S LIFE
(67:1-2) Hallowed be He in whose hand all dominion rests, since He has the power to will anything: He who has created
death as well as life, so that He might put you to a test [and thus show] which of you is best in conduct, and [make you
realize that] He alone is almighty, truly forgiving. [Since what is termed “death” is stated here to have been created, it cannot
be identical with non-existence, but obviously must have a positive reality of its own. It connotes, firstly, the inanimate state of
existence preceding the emergence of life in plants or animated beings; and, secondly, the state of transition from life as we know
it in this world to the - as yet to us unimaginable - condition of existence referred to in the Quran as the hereafter or the life to
come.]
MAN’S POSITIVE QUALITIES
CONCEPTUAL THINKING
(55:1-4) The Most Gracious has imparted this Quran [unto man]. He has created man: He has imparted unto him
articulate thought and speech. [The term al-bayan - denoting “the means whereby a thing is [intellectually] circumscribed and
made clear” - applies to both thought and speech as it comprises the faculty of making a thing or an idea apparent to the mind and
conceptually distinct from other things or ideas, as well as the power to express this cognition clearly in spoken or written
language: hence, in the above context, “articulate thought and speech”, recalling the “knowledge of all the names” (i.e., the
faculty of conceptual thinking) with which man is endowed (see 2:31).]
CREATIVE ABILITIES (use of ships in the sea)
(36:41-44) And [it ought to be] a sign for them that We bear their offspring [over the seas] in laden ships, [The term
“offspring” denotes here the human race as a whole. i.e., the recurring expression of “children of Adam”.] and [that] We create
for them things of a similar kind, on which they may embark [in their travels]; [See 16:8. In both of these passages man’s
ingenuity is shown to be a direct manifestation of God’s creativeness.] and [that,] if such be Our will, We may cause them to
drown, with none to respond to their cry for help: and [then] they cannot be saved, unless it be by an act of mercy from Us
and a grant of life for a [further span of] time.
BUILDING SHELTERS
(16:78-83) And God has brought you forth from your mothers’ wombs knowing nothing - but He has endowed you with
hearing, and sight, and minds, so that you might have cause to be grateful. And God has given you [the ability to build]
your houses as places of rest, and has endowed you with [the skill to make] dwellings out of the skins of animals – [The
term “skins”, comprises here also the wool which grows on the skins of domesticated animals. In Arabian usage the “house”
signifies not only a solid building but also a “tent”- in brief, every kind of dwelling, whether permanent or temporary.] easy for
you to handle when you travel and when you camp - and [to make] furnishings and goods for temporary use of their
[rough] wool and their soft, furry wool and their hair. [The soft wool growing on the shoulders of camels (camel-hair), used in
the weaving of fine cloths and sometimes also of Bedouin tents.] And among the many objects of His creation, God has
appointed for you [various] means of protection: [Anything that “shades” one in the sense of protecting him.] thus, He has
given you in the mountains places of shelter, and has endowed you with [the ability to make] garments to protect you from
heat [and cold], [The mention of “heat” implies here its opposite as well, namely “cold”; hence the interpolation.] as well as
such garments as might protect you from your [mutual] violence. [The second incidence of the term “garments” in this verse
is to be understood as “coats of mail” or “armor”, in which case it would allude to wars and other instances of mutual violence.
The second mention of “garments” can also be understood in a much wider sense, denoting all manner of “coverings” (i.e.,
devices meant to protect the body) which man may be constrained to use in dangerous situations of his own making: hence the
stress on “your violence”.] In this way does He bestow the full measure of His blessings on you, so that you might surrender
yourselves unto Him. But if they turn away [from you, O Prophet, remember that] your only duty is a clear delivery of the
message [entrusted to you]. They [who turn away from it] are fully aware of God’s blessings, but nonetheless they refuse to
acknowledge them [as such], since most of them are given to denying the truth. [I.e., although they are aware of the many
blessings which man enjoys, they refuse to attribute them to God’s creative activity, thus implicitly denying the truth of His
existence. The rendering of al-kafirun as “such as are given to denying the truth” is conditioned by the definite article al which is
meant to stress the quality of deliberate intent.]
USE OF IRON
(57:25) We bestowed [upon you] from on high [the ability to make use of] iron, in which there is awesome power as well as
[a source of] benefits for man: [God has endowed man with the ability to convert to his use the natural resources of his earthly
environment. An outstanding symbol of this ability is man’s skill, unique among all animated beings, in making tools; and the
primary material for all tool-making - and, indeed, for all human technology - is iron: the one metal which is found abundantly on
earth, and which can be utilized for beneficial as well as destructive ends. The awesome power inherent in iron manifests itself
not merely in the manufacture of weapons of war but also, more subtly, in man’s ever-growing tendency to foster the development
of an increasingly complicated technology which places the machine in the foreground of all human existence and which, by its
inherent - almost irresistible - dynamism, gradually estranges man from all inner connection with nature. This process of growing
mechanization, so evident in our modern life, jeopardizes the very structure of human society and, thus, contributes to a gradual
dissolution of all moral and spiritual perceptions epitomized in the concept of “divine guidance”. It is to warn man of this danger
that the Quran stresses - symbolically and metonymically - the potential evil of “iron” if it is put to wrong use: in other words, the
danger of man’s allowing his technological ingenuity to run wild and thus to overwhelm his spiritual consciousness and,
ultimately, to destroy all possibility of individual and social happiness.] and [all this was given to you] so that God might mark
out those who would stand up for him and His Apostle, [The meaning is that only they who put God’s spiritual and material
gifts to right use can be described as “true believers”.] even though He [Himself] is beyond the reach of human perception.
Verily, God is powerful, almighty!
GAINING MASTERY OVER TRANSPORT
(43:12-14) And He [it is who] has provided for you all those ships and animals whereon you ride, in order that you might
gain mastery over them, [Lit., “over its backs”, of the animals and ships alike, the collective entity comprised in the concept of
“all whereon you ride”: In other words, “all that you use or may use by way of transport”.] and that, whenever you have
mastered them, you might remember your Sustainer’s blessings and say: “Limitless in His glory is He who has made [all]
this subservient to our use - since [but for Him,] we would not have been able to attain to it. Hence, verily, it is unto Him
that we must always turn.”
MAN’S NEGATIVE TENDENCIES
MAN BORN WITH RESTLESS DISPOSITION
(70:19-21) Verily, man is born with a restless disposition. [Or man has been created restless - that is, endowed with an inner
restlessness which may equally well drive him to fruitful achievement or to chronic discontent and frustration. It is the manner in
which man utilizes this God-willed endowment that determines whether it shall have a positive or a negative character. The
subsequent two verses allude to the latter.] [As a rule,] whenever misfortune touches him, he is filled with self-pity; [I.e.,
lacking patience and lamenting over one’s misfortune.] and whenever good fortune comes to him, he selfishly withholds it
[from others].
FAILURE TO USE INTELLECTUAL AND SPIRITUAL ENDOWMENT
(36:45-46) And [yet,] when they are told, “Beware of [God’s insight into] all that lies open before you and all that is hidden
from you, [Men’s conscious doings as well as their unconscious or half-conscious motivations.] so that you might be graced
with His mercy,” [most men choose to remain deaf;] and no message of their Sustainer’s messages ever reaches them
without their turning away from it.
(80:17-23) [But only too often] man destroys himself: how stubbornly does he deny the truth! [Does man ever consider]
out of what substance [God] creates him? Out of a drop of sperm He creates him, and thereupon determines his nature,
[I.e., in accordance with the organic functions which man’s body and mind are to fulfill, and the natural conditions to which he
will have to adapt himself.] and then makes it easy for him to go through life; [Man’s being endowed with the intellectual
capabilities enabling him to discern between good and evil and to make fruitful use of the opportunities offered to him by his
earthly environment.] and in the end He causes him to die and brings him to the grave; and then, if it be His will, He shall
raise him again to life. Nay, but [man] has never yet fulfilled what He has enjoined upon him! [In other words, man has
failed to make adequate use of the intellectual and spiritual endowment. From the time of Adam to this time, no human being has
ever been free of shortcomings. This is in tune with the Quranic doctrine that perfection is an attribute of God alone.]
SELF-CENTERED WORLD-VIEW (man’s insignificance in complex universe)
(40:57) Greater indeed than the creation of man is the creation of the heavens and the earth: yet most men do not
understand [what this implies]. [By stressing the fact that man is only a small, insignificant part of the universe, the Quran
points out the absurdity of the man-centered world-view.]
(76:1-3) Has there [not] been an endless span of time before man [appeared] - [Implying, there has indeed been an immensely
long or endless span of time.] [a time] when he was not yet a thing to be thought of? [I.e., non-existent even as a hypothetical
concept. In other words, the physical world existed long before man. The purport of this statement is a refutation of the
blasphemous anthropocentric world-view, which postulates man as he exists - and not any Supreme Being - as the center and
ultimate reality of all life.] Verily, it is We who have created man out of a drop of sperm intermingled, [With the female
ovum: 86: 6-7.] so that We might try him [in his later life]: and therefore We made him a being endowed with hearing and
sight. Verily, We have shown him the way: [I.e., God has not only endowed man with hearing and sight, i.e., with reason and
the instinctive ability to discern between right and wrong, good and evil (90:10), but He also actively guides him by means of the
revelation bestowed on the prophets.] [and it rests with him to prove himself] either grateful or ungrateful
(79:27-33) [O men!] Are you more difficult to create than the heaven which He has built? [The “heaven” is here, as in many
other places in the Quran, a metonym for “cosmic system”. The above verse refutes the “man-centered” view of the universe by
pointing out man’s insignificance as compared with the vastness and complexity of the whole God-created universe.] High has
He reared its vault and formed it in accordance with what it was meant to be; and He has made dark its night and brought
forth its light of day. And after that, the earth: wide has He spread its expanse, and has caused its waters to come out of it,
and its pastures, [The term “pasture” connotes here, all herbal produce suitable for consumption by man or animal.] and has
made the mountains firm: [all this] as a means of livelihood for you and your animals. [Implying that man ought to be
grateful to God, and should always be conscious of His being the Provider.]
TENDENCY TOWARD SINNING
(10:11-14) Now if God were to hasten for human beings the ill [which they deserve by their sinning] in the same manner as
they [themselves] would hasten [the coming to them of what they consider to be] good, their end would indeed come
forthwith! [The implication being, firstly, that man is weak (4:28) and therefore prone to sinning; secondly, that God “has willed
upon Himself the law of grace and mercy” (6:12) and, consequently, does not punish sinners without taking their circumstances
into consideration and giving them time to repent and to mend their ways.] But We leave them alone [for a while] - all those
who do not believe that they are destined to meet Us: [We leave them alone] in their overweening arrogance, blindly
stumbling to and fro. For [thus it is:] when affliction befalls man, he cries out unto Us, whether he be lying on his side or
sitting or standing; [These three metaphorical expressions are often used in the Quran to describe the various situations in which
man may find himself. The “calling unto God” under the stress of misfortune describes the instinctive reaction of many people
who consider themselves “agnostics” and in their conscious thinking refuse to believe in God. See also 6:40-41.] but as soon as
We have freed him of his affliction, he goes on as though he had never invoked Us to save him from the affliction that
befell him! Thus do their own doings seem goodly unto those who waste their own selves. [The expression “one who is given
to excesses”, has in the above context the meaning of one who wastes his own self - namely, destroys his spiritual potential by
following only his base impulses and failing to submit to any moral imperative. The phrase “goodly seem (to them) their own
doings” describes the unthinking complacency with which those who waste their own selves go through life.] And, indeed, We
destroyed before your time [whole] generations when they [persistently] did evil although the apostles sent unto them
brought them all evidence of the truth; for they refused to believe [them]. Thus do We requite people who are lost in sin.
And thereupon We made you their successors on earth, so that We might behold how you act.
MIRACLES OF GOD’S CREATIONS ARE ALL AROUND US
The pagans of Mecca repeatedly demanded Muhammad to perform some miracles with which to prove his prophethood. If
miraculous signs be sought, let them be not of Muhammad’s greatness, but of God’s, and for these one need only open one’s eyes.
The heavenly bodies holding their swift, silent course in the vault of heaven, the incredible order of the universe, the rain that falls
to relieve the parched earth, palms bending with golden fruit, ships that glide across the seas laden with goodness for man - can
these, be the handwork of gods of stone? In an age of credulity, Muhammad taught respect for the world’s incontrovertible order
which was to awaken Muslim science before Christian. Since, God established nature and the laws governing it, any intervention
by a miracle implied going against God’s law, and it is absurd to think that God would go against Himself. (See also under
demand for miracles in the chapter, “objections of pagan of Arabia to Islam”.)
EVER-RECURRING MIRACLE OF GOD’S CREATION
(6:37) And they say, “Why has no miraculous sign been bestowed on him from on high by his Sustainer?” [On Muhammad,
to demonstrate that he is really a bearer of God’s message.] Say: “Behold, God has the power to bestow any sign from on
high.” Yet most human beings are unaware of this [I.e., God manifests Himself always - as the next verse points out - through
the ever-recurring miracle of His creation.] - (6:38) although there is no beast that walks on earth and no bird that flies on its
two wings which is not [God’s] creature like yourselves: no single thing have We neglected in Our decree. [Thus, the
meaning of the above passage is this: Man can detect God’s signs or miracles in all the life-phenomena that surround him, and
should, therefore, try to observe them with a view to better understanding God’s way (sunnat Allah) - which is the Quranic term
for what we call laws of nature.]And once again: Unto their Sustainer shall they [all] be gathered. (6:39) And they who give
the lie to Our messages are deaf and dumb, in darkness deep. Whomever God wills, He lets go astray; and whomever He
wills, He places upon a straight way. [See 14:4.]
MIRACLES OF WATER
(14:32) [And remember that] it is God who has created the heavens and the earth, and who sends down water from the sky
and thereby brings forth [all manner] of fruits for your sustenance; and who has made ships subservient to you, so that
they may sail through the sea at His behest; and has made the rivers subservient [to His laws, so that they be of use] to
you.
(16:10-11) It is He who sends down water from the skies; you drink thereof, and thereof [drink] the plants upon which you
pasture your beasts; [and] by virtue thereof He causes crops to grow for you, and olive trees, and date-palms, and grapes,
and all [other] kinds of fruit: in this, behold, there is a message indeed for people who think! (16:14) And He it is who has
made the sea subservient [to His laws], so that you might eat fresh meat from it, and take from it gems which you may
wear. And on that [very sea] one sees ships ploughing through the waves, so that you might [be able to] go forth in quest of
some of His bounty, and thus have cause to be grateful [to Him].
(23:18-20) And We send down water from the skies in accordance with a measure [set by Us], and then We cause it to
lodge in the earth: but, behold, We are most certainly able to withdraw this [blessing]! And by means of this [water] We
bring forth for you gardens of date-palms and vines, wherein you have fruit abundant and whereof you eat, as well as a
tree that issues from [the lands adjoining] Mount Sinai, [I.e., the olive-tree, native to the lands around the eastern
Mediterranean, where so many pre-Quranic prophets (here symbolized - because of its sacred associations - by Mount Sinai) lived
and preached.] yielding oil and relish for all to eat.
(24:43) Are you not aware that it is God who causes the clouds to move onward, then joins them together, then piles them
up in masses, until you can see rain come forth from their midst? And He it is who sends down from the skies, by degrees,
mountainous masses [of clouds] charged with hail, striking therewith whomever He wills and averting it from whomever
He wills, [the while] the flash of His lightning well-nigh deprives [men of their] sight!
(25:53) And He it is who has given freedom of movement to the two great bodies of water – [The two great bodies or kinds of
water - the salty and the sweet - existing side by side on earth.] the one sweet and thirst-allaying, and the other salty and bitter
- and yet has wrought between them a barrier and a forbidding ban. [I.e., has caused them - as if by an invisible barrier - to
remain distinct in kind despite their continuous meeting and mingling in the oceans: an indirect reminder of God’s planning
creativeness inherent in the cyclic transformation of water - its evaporation from the salty seas, followed by a formation of clouds,
their condensation into rain and snow which feed springs and rivers, and its return to the seas. Some Muslim mystics see in this
stress on the two kinds of water an allegory of the gulf - and, at the same time, interaction - between man’s spiritual perceptions,
on the one hand, and his worldly needs and passions, on the other.]
(35:12) [Easy is it for Him to create likeness and variety:] thus, the two great bodies of water [on earth] are not alike - the
one sweet, thirst-allaying, pleasant to drink, and the other salty and bitter: and yet, from either of them do you eat fresh
meat, and [from either] you take gems which you may wear; and on either you can see ships ploughing through the waves,
so that you might [be able to] go forth in quest of some of His bounty, and thus have cause to be grateful.
(45:12-13) It is God who has made the sea subservient [to His laws, so that it be of use] to you - so that ships might sail
through it at His behest, and that you might seek to obtain [what you need] of His bounty, and that you might have cause
to be grateful. And He has made subservient to you, [as a gift] from Himself, all that is in the heavens and on earth: in this,
behold, there are messages indeed for people who think! [I.e., by endowing man, alone among all living beings, with a creative
mind and, thus, with the ability to make conscious use of the nature that surrounds him and is within him.]
(51:1-4) Consider the winds that scatter the dust far and wide, and those that carry the burden [of heavy clouds], and
those that speed along with gentle ease, and those that apportion [the gift of life] at [God’s] behest! [These symbolical
epithets relate to different phases or manifestations of the same phenomenon - namely, to the life-giving function of the
combination of wind, clouds and rain - pointing, symbolically, to the miraculous creation of life as such and, thus, to the existence
of a conscious, purposeful Creator.]
(55:19-25) He has given freedom to the two great bodies of water, so that they might meet: [yet] between them is a barrier
which they may not transgress. Which, then, of your Sustainer’s powers can you disavow? Out of these two [bodies of
water] come forth pearls, both great and small. Which, then, of your Sustainer’s powers can you disavow? And His are the
lofty ships that sail like [floating] mountains through the seas. Which, then, of your Sustainer’s powers can you disavow?
[The reference to ships as “belonging to God” is meant to stress the God-given nature of man’s intelligence and inventiveness - a
reflection of God’s creative powers - which expresses itself in all that man is able to produce.]
(78:14-16) And from the wind-driven clouds We send down waters pouring in abundance, so that We might bring forth
thereby grain, and herbs, and gardens dense with foliage. [Implying that the overwhelming evidence of purpose and plan in all
observable nature points to the existence of a conscious Creator who has “not created (anything of) this without meaning and
purpose” (3:191).]
WONDERS OF PLANT LIFE
TWO SEXES IN PLANTS
Sex in plants was discovered by a German botanist, Christian Sprengel Konrad (born 1750 and died 1816); his studies of sex in
plants led him to a general theory of fertilization which, is basically accepted today.
(13:3-4) And it is He who has spread the earth wide and placed on it firm mountains and running waters, and created
thereon two sexes of every [kind of] plant. Verily, in all this there are messages indeed for people who think! [The above
phrase states that there are two sexes to every kind of plant: a statement fully in accord with botanical science. (Usually, the male
and female organs of reproduction exist together in one and the same flower of a particular plant. e.g.. cotton; alternatively, they
are placed in separate flowers of one and the same plant, e.g., in most of the cucurbitaceae; and, in some rare cases, e.g.. the date-
palm, in entirely separate, unisexual plants of the same species.)] And there are on earth [many] tracts of land close by one
another [and yet widely differing from one another]; [I.e., regarding the nature of the soil, fertility and kind of vegetation. This
interpolation conveys the meaning of the above phrase, which becomes apparent from the subsequent clauses.] and [there are on
it] vineyards, and fields of grain, and date-palms growing in clusters from one root or standing alone, [I.e., each tree having
separate roots.] [all] watered with the same water: and yet, some of them have We favored above others by way of the food
[which they provide for man and beast]. [The multiformity of plants and their varying beneficence to man and animal as some
of the signs of God’s purposeful, creative activity] Verily, in all this there are messages indeed for people who use their
reason!
CONTINUED SUSTENANCE FOR GOD’S CREATIONS
(15:19-23) And the earth - We have spread it out wide, and placed on it mountains firm, and caused [life] of every kind to
grow on it in a balanced manner, and provided thereon means of livelihood for you [O men] as well as for all [living
beings] whose sustenance does not depend on you. [I.e., all living organisms - whether plants or animals - which are not tended
by man, but are nevertheless provided for. In its wider sense, this phrase stresses the notion that all living beings - man included -
are provided for by God, and by Him alone.] For, no single thing exists that does not have its source with Us and nought do
We bestow from on high unless it be in accordance with a measure well-defined. [That is, in accordance with the exigencies
of God’s plan as such and with the function which any particular thing or phenomenon is to have within that plan.] And We let
loose the winds to fertilize [plants] [I.e., by pollination as well as by bringing rain-clouds.] and We send down water from the
skies and let you drink thereof: and it is not you who dispose of its source - for, behold, it is We - We alone - who grant life
and deal death, and it is We alone who shall remain after all else will have passed away! [We shall be the inheritors: an
idiomatic metaphor in the sense of one who remains after his predecessor has passed away - in this case, after all creation has
perished.]
BOUNTIES OF EARTH
(6:95-96, 99) Verily, God is the One who cleaves the grain and the fruit-kernel asunder, bringing forth the living out of that
which is dead, and He is the One who brings forth the dead out of that which is alive. This, then, is God: and yet, how
perverted are your minds! [He is] the One who causes the dawn to break; and He have made the night to be [a source of]
stillness, and the sun and the moon to run their appointed courses: [Lit., “to be according to a definite reckoning”.] [All] this
is laid down by the will of the Almighty, the All-Knowing. And He it is who has caused waters to come down from the sky;
and by this means have We brought forth all living growth, and out of this have We brought forth verdure, [In contrast
with its sequence, which is governed by the present tense, the whole of the above sentence is expressed in the past tense - thus
indicating, obliquely, the original, basic aspect of God’s creating life “out of water” (21:30).] Out of this do We bring forth
close-growing grain; and out of the spathe of the palm tree, dates in thick clusters; and gardens of vines, and the olive tree,
and the pomegranate: [all] so alike, and yet so different! [I.e., all so alike in the basic principles of their life and growth, and
yet so different in physiology, appearance and taste] Behold their fruit when it comes to fruition and ripens! Verily, in all this
there are messages indeed for people who will believe!
(36:33-35) And [yet,] they have a sign [of Our power to create and to resurrect] in the lifeless earth which We make alive,
and out of which We bring forth grain, whereof they may eat; and [how] We make gardens of date-palms and vines [grow]
thereon, and cause springs to gush [forth] within it, so that they may eat of the fruit thereof, though it was not their hands
that made it. Will they not, then, be grateful?
(55:10-13) The earth has He spread out for all living beings, with fruit thereon, and palm trees with sheathed clusters [of
dates], and grain growing tall on its stalks, and sweet-smelling plants. Which, then, of your Sustainer’s powers can you
disavow? [The “powers”, signifies literally “blessings” or “bounties”, bears not only on the bounties which God bestows on His
creation but, more generally, on all manifestations of His creativeness and might.]
(80:24-31) Let man, then, consider [the sources of] his food: [how it is] that We pour down water, pouring it down
abundantly; and then We cleave the earth [with new growth], cleaving it asunder, and thereupon We cause grain to grow
out of it, and vines and edible plants, and olive trees and date-palms, and gardens dense with foliage, and fruits and
herbage, for you and for your animals to enjoy. [The implication is that man ought to be grateful for all this God-given bounty,
but as a rule is not.]

ANIMAL FOR MAN’S BENEFIT

DOMESTIC ANIMALS
The camel was always an object of admiration on account of its outstanding endurance, the many uses to which it could be put
(riding, load-bearing, and as a source of milk, flesh and fine wool) and its indispensability to people living amid deserts.
(16:5-8) And He creates cattle: you derive warmth from them, and [various other] uses; and from them you obtain food;
and you find beauty in them when you drive them home in the evenings and when you take them out to pasture in the
mornings. And they carry your loads to [many] a place, which [otherwise] you would be unable to reach without great
hardship to yourselves. Verily, your Sustainer is most compassionate, a dispenser of grace! And [it is He who creates]
horses and mules and asses for you to ride, as well as for [their] beauty: and He will yet create things of which [today] you
have no knowledge. [Since this reference to God’s continuing creation comes immediately after a mention of primitive means of
transport (i.e., of animals domesticated by man to this end), it obviously relates to other - as yet unknown - things of the same
category: that is to say, to new means of transport which God unceasingly creates through the instrumentality of the inventiveness
with which He has endowed man’s mind. Every successive stage of human development bears witness to new, previously
undreamt-of inventions in the realm of transport, the Quranic statement that “He will yet create things of which [today] you have
no knowledge” is valid for every period - past, present and future - of man’s history.]
(16:65-66) And God sends down water from the skies, giving life thereby to the earth after it had been lifeless: [As so often
in the Quran, a reference to the spiritual life engendered by divine revelation is followed here by a reference to the miracle of
organic life as another indication of God’s creative activity.] In this, behold, there is a message indeed for people who [are
willing to] listen, and, behold, in the cattle [too] there is indeed a lesson for you: We give you to drink of that [fluid] which
is [secreted from] within their bellies between that which is to be eliminated [from the animal’s body] and [its] life-blood:
milk pure and pleasant to those who drink it. [Milk - in itself a glandular secretion - is not necessary for the mother-animal’s
life (metonymically described, its “blood”); on the other hand, it is not just something that the body eliminates as being of no
further use to its metabolism: hence it is referred to as a substance “between that which is to be eliminated from the animal’s body
and (its) life-blood”.]
(23:21) And, behold, in the cattle [too] there is indeed a lesson for you: We give you to drink of that [milk] which is within
their bellies; and you derive many [other] uses from them: for, you eat of their flesh.
(40:79-81) It is God who [at all times works wonders for you: [I.e., by providing in a wondrous manner the means of man’s
subsistence, and by endowing him with the miracle of a creative intellect which enables him to make fruitful use of so many
natural phenomena.] thus, He] provides for you [all manner of] livestock, so that on some of them you may ride, and from
some derive your food, and find [yet other] benefits in them; [The “other benefits” are both concrete and abstract in their
nature: concrete benefits like wool, skins, etc., and abstract ones like beauty (16: 6-8, as well as Solomon’s reverence for the God-
created beauty of horses expressed in 38:31-33) or the all-time companionship of man and dog symbolized in the legend of the
Men of the Cave (18:18 and 22).] and that through them you may attain to the fulfillment of [many] a heartfelt need: [I.e., a
genuine need.] for on them, as on ships, you are borne [through life]. And [thus] He displays His wonders before you:
which, then, of God’s wonders can you still deny?
INSPIRATION FOR BEES
(16:68-70) And [consider how] thy Sustainer has inspired the bee: [The expression “He has inspired” is meant to bring out the
wonderful quality of the instinct which enables the lowly insect to construct the geometrical masterpiece of a honeycomb out of
perfectly proportioned hexagonal, prismatic wax cells - a structure which is most economical, and therefore most rational, as
regards space and material. Together with the subsequently mentioned transmutation, in the bee’s body, of plant juices into honey,
this provides a striking evidence of “God’s ways” manifested in all nature.] Prepare for yourself dwellings in mountains and in
trees, and in what [men] may build [for you by way of hives]; and then eat of all manner of fruit, and follow humbly the
paths ordained for you by thy Sustainer. [And lo!] there issues from within these [bees] a fluid of many hues, wherein there
is health for man. [Honey bees pollinate the crops we eat and provide honey, which contains the antioxidants – substances that
slow the oxidation of other substances and counter the toxic effects of free radicals, which can cause DNA damage that can lead
to age-related problems such as arthritis, strokes and cancer.] In all this, behold, there is a message indeed for people who
think! And God has created you, and in time will cause you to die; and many a one of you is reduced in old age to a most
abject state, ceasing to know anything of what he once knew so well. Verily, God is all knowing, infinite in His power! [Lit.,
“is reduced to a most abject age, so that he knows nothing after (having had) knowledge”: alluding to the organic curve of man’s
growth, his acquisition of bodily strength, intelligence and experience, followed by gradual decay and, in some cases, the utter
helplessness of senility, comparable to the helplessness of a newborn child.]
BEAUTY OF MANY HUES
(16:13) And all the [beauty of] many hues which He has created for you on earth: in this, behold, there is a message for
people who [are willing to] take it to heart! [The beauty of many hues is spoken of as an evidence of God’s creative power.]
(35:27-28) Are you not aware that God sends down water from the skies, whereby We bring forth fruits of many hues -
just as in the mountains there are streaks of white and red of various shades, as well as [others] raven-black, and [as] there
are in men, and in crawling beasts, and in cattle, too, many hues? Of all His servants, only such as are endowed with
[innate] knowledge stand [truly] in awe of God: [for they alone comprehend that,] verily, God is almighty, much-forgiving.
[I.e., spiritual knowledge, born of the realization that the phenomena which can be observed do not comprise the whole of reality,
as there is “a realm beyond the reach of a created being’s perception” (2:3)]
POLARITY IN CREATION
POLARITY IN ANIMATE AND INANIMATE OBJECTS
(36:36-37) Limitless in His glory is He who has created opposites in whatever the earth produces, and in men’s own selves,
and in that of which [as yet] they have no knowledge. And [of Our sway over all that exists] they have a sign in the night:
We withdraw from it the [light of] day - and lo! they are in darkness. [Who has created all the pairs out of whatever the earth
produces, and out of themselves, and out of that of which they have no knowledge: a reference to the polarity evident in all
creation, both animate and inanimate, which expresses itself in the existence of antithetic and yet complementary forces, like the
sexuality in human beings, animals and plants, light and darkness, heat and cold, positive and negative magnetism and electricity,
the positive and negative charges (protons and electrons) in the structure of the atom, and so forth. The mention of “that of which
they have no knowledge” evidently relates to things or phenomena not yet understood by man but potentially within the range of
his comprehension.]
(78:8-11) And We have created you in pairs; [I.e., “with the same creative power We have created the miraculous polarity of the
two sexes in you and in other animated beings”.] and We have made your sleep [a symbol of] death [I.e., analogue of death]
and made the night [its] cloak and made the day [a symbol of] life. [The term maash (that whereby one lives) is here
synonymous with “life”. In the polarity of sleep (or death) and wakefulness (or life) we see the allusion to bodily death.]
PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL POLARITY
The verses 91:1-10 stress the polarity - physical and spiritual - inherent in all creation and contrasting with the oneness and
uniqueness of the Creator. (91:1-10) Consider the sun and its radiant brightness, and the moon as it reflects the sun!
[According to the great philologist Al-Farra, who lived in the second century after the hijrah, “the meaning is that the moon
derives its light from the sun”.] Consider the day as it reveals the world, and the night as it veils it darkly! Consider the sky
and its wondrous make, [I.e., the wondrous qualities which are responsible for the harmony and coherence of the visible cosmos,
which is the meaning of the term sama in this context. Similarly, the subsequent reference to the earth which reads literally, “that
which has spread it out”, is apparently an allusion to the qualities responsible for the beauty and variety of its expanse.] and the
earth and all its expanse! Consider the human self, [The term nafs, which has a very wide range of meanings (see 4:1), denotes
here the human self or personality as a whole: that is, a being composed of a physical body and that inexplicable life-essence
loosely described as “soul”.] and how it is formed in accordance with what it is meant to be, [The reference to man and that
which constitutes the human personality, as well as the implied allusion to the extremely complex phenomenon of a life-entity in
which bodily needs and urges, emotions and intellectual activities are so closely intertwined as to be indissoluble, follows
organically upon a call to consider the inexplicable grandeur of the universe - so far as it is perceptible and comprehensible to
man - as a compelling evidence of God’s creative power.] and how it is imbued with moral failings as well as with
consciousness of God! To a happy state shall indeed attain he who causes this [self] to grow in purity, and truly lost is he
who buries it [in darkness]. [The fact that man is equally liable to rise to great spiritual heights as to fall into utter immorality is
an essential characteristic of human nature as such. In its deepest sense, man’s ability to act wrongly is a concomitant to his ability
to act rightly: in other words, it is this inherent polarity of tendencies which gives to every “right” choice a value and, thus,
endows man with moral free will (see 7:24-25).]
(92:1-4) Consider the night as it veils [the earth] in darkness, and the day as it rises bright! Consider the creation of the
male and the female! [I.e., the elements which are responsible for the differentiation between male and female. This, together
with the symbolism of night and day, darkness and light, is an allusion to the polarity evident in all nature and, hence, to the
dichotomy (spoken of in the next verse) which characterizes man’s aims and motives.] Verily, [O men,] you aim at most
divergent ends! [I.e., at good and bad ends and so the consequences of your doings are, of necessity, divergent.]
EXISTENCE OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE
Humans have pondered for millennia whether other inhabitable worlds exist. There may be ~1010 Earth-like planets that simple
statistical models predict to exist in our galaxy and ~1021 such planets expected to be in the universe. If terrestrial planets are
indeed as common as predicted then the presence of life in some of them is not implausible.
(42:29) And among His signs is the [very] creation of the heavens and the earth, and of all the living creatures which He
has caused to multiply throughout them: [Lit., “in both”: in the heavens and the earth.” This may imply to the fact that life does
exist on other planets.] and [since He has created them,] He has [also] the power to gather them [unto Himself] whenever
He wills.
(65:12) God is He who has created seven heavens, and of the earth a similar number. [He has also created several earths as
He has created several heavens.] Through all of them flows down from on high, unceasingly, His [creative] will, [The verbal
form yatanazzalu implies recurrence and continuity; its combination with the noun al-amr reflects the concept of God’s unceasing
creative activity.] so that you might come to know that God has the power to will anything, and that God encompasses all
things with His knowledge.
GOD’S CREATIVE ACTIVITIES
(64:1-4) All that is in the heavens and all that is on earth extol God’s limitless glory: His is all dominion, and to Him all
praise is due; and He has the power to will anything. He it is who has created you: and among you are such as deny this
truth, and among you are such as believe [in it]. And God sees all that you do. [The above construction points to man’s
acceptance or denial of the truth of God’s creative activity. Those who deny this truth are mentioned first because they are more
numerous and possess greater influence than those who consciously believe in God. A further implication appears to be this: Since
all human beings are endowed with the instinctive ability to perceive the existence of the Creator (see 7:172), one man’s denial of
this truth and another’s belief in it is, in the last resort, an outcome of free choice.] He has created the heavens and the earth in
accordance with [an inner] truth, [See 10: 5.] and has formed you - and formed you so well; and with Him is your
journey’s end. [I.e., in accordance with the exigencies of human life. See also 7:11.] He knows all that is in the heavens and on
earth; and He knows all that you keep secret as well as all that you bring into the open: for God has full knowledge of
what is in the hearts [of men].