15:21 Al-Hijr (The Rock)

أي: جميع الأرزاق وأصناف الأقدار لا يملكها أحد إلا الله، فخزائنها بيده يعطي من يشاء، ويمنع من يشاء، بحسب حكمته ورحمته الواسعة، { وَمَا نُنَزِّلُهُ } أي: المقدر من كل شيء من مطر وغيره، { إِلَّا بِقَدَرٍ مَعْلُومٍ } فلا يزيد على ما قدره الله ولا ينقص منه.

يخبر تعالى أنه مالك كل شيء وأن كل شيء سهل عليه يسير لديه وأن عنده خزائن الأشياء من جميع الصنوف " وما ننزله إلا بقدر معلوم " كما يشاء كما يريد ولما له فى ذلك من الحكمة البالغة والرحمة بعباده لا على جهة الوجوب بل هو كتب على نفسه الرحمة. قال يزيد بن أبي زياد عن أبي جحيفة عن عبد الله ما من عام بأمطر من عام ولكن الله يقسمه بينهم حيث شاء عاما ههنا وعاما ههنا ثم قرأ " وإن من شيء إلا عندنا خزائنه " الآية. رواه ابن جرير وقال أيضا حدثنا القاسم حدثنا هشيم أخبرنا إسماعيل بن سالم عن الحكم بن عيينة في قوله " وما ننزله إلا بقدر معلوم " قال ما عام بأكثر مطرا من عام ولا أقل ولكنه يمطر قوم ويحرم آخرون بما كان في البحر قال وبلغنا أنه ينزل مع المطر من الملائكة أكثر من عدد ولد إبليس وولد آدم يحصون كل قطرة حيث تقع وما تنبت وقال البزار حدثنا داود هو ابن بكير حدثنا حيان بن أغلب بن تميم حدثني أبي عن هشام عن محمد بن سيرين عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " خزائن الله الكلام فإذا أراد شيئا قال له كن فكان " ثم قال لا يرويه إلا أغلب وليس بالقوى وقد حدث عنه غير واحد من المقدمين ولم يروه عنه إلا ابنه.

The Supplies for All Things are with Allah

Allah tells us that He is the Owner of all things, and that everything is easy for Him. He has the supplies for all things with Him.

وَمَا نُنَزِّلُهُ إِلاَّ بِقَدَرٍ مَّعْلُومٍ

(and We do not send it down but in a known measure.) meaning, as He wills and as He wants. Doing so out of His great wisdom and mercy towards His servants, in a way that He is under no obligation to do. But He has decreed mercy for Himself. Yazid bin Abi Ziyad reported from Abu Juhayfah that `Abdullah said: "No year has more rain than another, but Allah divides the rain between them as He wills, it rains here a year and there a year. Then he recited:

وَإِن مِّن شَىْءٍ إِلاَّ عِندَنَا خَزَائِنُهُ

(And there is not a thing, but the supplies for it are with Us...) Reported by Ibn Jarir.

Benefits of the Winds

وَأَرْسَلْنَا الرِّيَاحَ لَوَاقِحَ

(And We send the winds fertilizing.) i.e., fertilizing the clouds so that they give rain, and fertilizing the trees so that they open their leaves and blossoms. These winds are mentioned here in the plural form because they give results, unlike the barren wind (Ar-Rih Al-'Aqim, see Adh-Dhariyat 51:41), which is mentioned in the singular and described as barren since it does not produce anything; because results can only be produced when there are two or more things.

وَأَرْسَلْنَا الرِّيَاحَ لَوَاقِحَ

(And We sent the winds fertilizing.) `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "The wind is sent bearing water from the sky, then it fertilizes the clouds until rain begins to generously fall, just as the milk of the pregnant camel flows generously." This was also the opinion of Ibn `Abbas, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i and Qatadah. Ad-Dahhak said: "Allah sends it to the clouds and it gets fertilized and becomes full of water." `Ubayd bin `Umayr Al-Laythi said: "Allah sends the wind which stirs up the earth, then Allah sends the wind which raises clouds, then Allah sends the wind which forms clouds, then Allah sends the fertilizing wind which pollinates the trees. Then he recited,

وَأَرْسَلْنَا الرِّيَاحَ لَوَاقِحَ

(And We sent the winds fertilizing,)

Fresh Water is a Blessing from Allah

فَأَسْقَيْنَاكُمُوهُ

(and We give it to you to drink,) This means, "and We send it down to you fresh and sweet, so that you can drink it; if We had wished, We could have made it salty (and undrinkable)", as Allah points out in another Ayah in Surat Al-Waqi`ah, where He says:

أَفَرَءَيْتُمُ الْمَآءَ الَّذِى تَشْرَبُونَ - أَءَنتُمْ أَنزَلْتُمُوهُ مِنَ الْمُزْنِ أَمْ نَحْنُ الْمُنزِلُونَ - لَوْ نَشَآءُ جَعَلْنَـهُ أُجَاجاً فَلَوْلاَ تَشْكُرُونَ

(Tell Me! The water that you drink, is it you who cause it to come down from the rain clouds, or are We the cause of it coming down If We willed, We verily could make it salty (and undrinkable), why then do you not give thanks (to Allah)) (56:68-70). And Allah says:

هُوَ الَّذِى أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَآءً لَّكُم مَّنْهُ شَرَابٌ وَمِنْهُ شَجَرٌ فِيهِ تُسِيمُونَ

(He it is Who sends water down from the sky; from it you drink and from it (grows) the vegetation on which you send your cattle to pasture.) (16:10)

وَمَآ أَنْتُمْ لَهُ بِخَـزِنِينَ

(and it is not you who are the owners of its supply.) The meaning is, "You are not taking care of it; rather We send it down and take care of it for you, making springs and wells flourish on the earth. " If Allah so willed, He could make it disappear, but by His mercy He sends it down and makes it fresh and sweet, maintaining the springs, wells, rivers and so on, so that they may drink from it all year long, water their livestock and irrigate their crops.

The Power of Allah to initiate and renew Creation

وَإنَّا لَنَحْنُ نُحْىِ وَنُمِيتُ

(And certainly We! We it is Who give life, and cause death,) Here Allah tells us of His power to initiate creation and renew it. He is the One Who brings life to creatures out of nothingness, then He causes them to die, then He will resurrect all of them on the Day when He will gather them together. He also tells us that He will inherit the earth and everyone on it, and then it is to Him that they will return. Then He tells us about His perfect knowledge of them, the first and the last of them. He says

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَقْدِمِينَ مِنكُمْ

(And indeed, We know the first generations of you who had passed away...). Ibn `Abbas said, "The first generations are all those who have passed away since the time of Adam. The present generations and those who will come afterward refer to those who are alive now and who are yet to come, until the Day of Resurrection." Something similar was narrated from `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Muhammad bin Ka`b, Ash-Sha`bi and others. Ibn Jarir reported from Muhammad bin Abi Ma`shar, from his father, that he heard `Awn bin `Abdullah discussing the following Ayah with Muhammad bin Ka`b:

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَقْدِمِينَ مِنكُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَـْخِرِينَ

(And indeed, We know the first generations of you who had passed away, and indeed, We know the present generations of you (mankind), and also those who will come afterwards), and it was stated that it refers to the rows for prayer. Muhammad bin Ka`b said, "This is not the case.

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا الْمُسْتَقْدِمِينَ مِنكُمْ

(And indeed, We know the first generations of you who had passed away) it refers to those who are dead or have been killed, and;

الْمُسْتَـْخِرِينَ

(and also those who will come afterwards) meaning those who have yet to be created.

وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ إِنَّهُ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ

(And verily your Lord will gather them together. Truly, He is Most Wise, (and) Knowing)." `Awn bin `Abdullah said, "May Allah help you and reward you with good."

And there is not a thing but that the stores thereof the keys to its stores are with Us and We do not send it down except in a known measure according to the benefits of all creatures.

Commentary

Divine Wisdom: Balanced Provision for Human Needs

One sense of the expression: مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مَّوْزُونٍ (everything in balance - 19) is what has been taken in the present translation of the text, that is, it was in His infinite wisdom that He caused everything that grows to grow in a determined measure, not less than that which would have made life difficult, and not too much which would have also brought difficulties of a different nature. If grains like wheat and rice and the best of fruits around were to grow in such excess that stockpiles of them remain behind even after their liberal consumption by human beings and animals, then, it is obvious that they would go bad, or their possible storage (in ideal natural state) will be difficult under varying conditions, and if they had to be dumped, then, not much space will be left for such mega dumpings.

This tells us that it was also within the power of Allah Ta’ ala that He would have caused grains and fruits on which human life depends to grow in such abundance that everyone would have them free everywhere so much so that, despite their care-free use, stores upon stores of them would have kept lying around. But, this situation could have turned into a punishment for human beings, therefore, these were provided in a particular measure and balance so that their worth and value remains actively recognized, and that they are not left over only to go to waste either.

And this expression: مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مَّوْزُونٍ (everything in balance) could also be taken in the sense that Allah Ta’ ala has created everything that grows in a suitable and proportionate manner which gives it beauty and attraction. Trees are different, so are their trunks, branches, leaves, flowers and fruits. Different are their sizes, shapes, colours and tastes. at one readily sees is their happy balance and delightful looks. Everyone enjoys having them around. But, a full comprehension of the wisdom which has gone into their making is not possible for any human being.

Naught is there but its storehouses are with Us. God's storehouses in the earth are the hearts of the recognizers. God has storehouses in the earth, and those storehouses are the hearts of the recognizers and the secret cores of the desirers. They have storehouses of night-brightening pearls and precious deposits and are adorned and decorated by them. Some are adorned by the subtleties of knowledge, and these are the hearts of the knowers. Some are decorated with the realities of intelligence, and these are the hearts of the worshipers. Some are polished with the marvels of the secret core, and these are the hearts of the recognizers. Then the seal of lordhood's love is placed upon them and they are put into the oyster shell of eternity, for “The hearts of the servants are between two fingers of the All-Merciful.” Someone may ask what the mark of this is. I would reply that its mark is the glitter of the rays of the pearl shining on the servant's bodily members such that he is always serving God. He stays up at night in worship and fasts during the daytime. His heart always inclines toward obedience, he hurries to the good, and he does not stoop to concessions. He stays pure of doubtful things, far from the forbidden, and renounces the permitted. He is pained about the past, thoughtful in the present moment, trembling about the rest of his life, and fleeing from hell. He is content with a morsel and a tattered cloak. He has put aside the world for the world's folk and busied himself with serving God. His body burns in yearning, his heart reaches for the Friend, and his spirit is laughing with the Friend. The Pir of the Tariqah said, “O God, everyone destitute has a portion of Your munificence, everyone in pain has a physician from Your generosity. Everyone has a portion from the all-em- bracingness of Your mercy and all the needy have the raindrops of Your kindness. On the head of everyone with faith is a crown from You, in the heart of every lover a lamp from You. Everyone entranced has business with You and everyone waiting will have wine and vision at day's end.”