16:73 An-Nahl (The Bee)

يخبر تعالى عن جهل المشركين وظلمهم أنهم يعبدون من دونه آلهة اتخذوها شركاء لله، والحال أنهم لا يملكون لهم رزقا من السماوات والأرض، فلا ينزلون مطرا، ولا رزقا ولا ينبتون من نبات الأرض شيئا، ولا يملكون مثقال ذرة في السماوات والأرض ولا يستطيعون لو أرادوا، فإن غير المالك للشيء ربما كان له قوة واقتدار على ما ينفع من يتصل به، وهؤلاء لا يملكون ولا يقدرون. فهذه صفة آلهتهم كيف جعلوها مع الله، وشبهوها بمالك الأرض والسماوات الذي له الملك كله والحمد كله والقوة كلها؟\"

يقول تعالى إخبارا عن المشركين الذين عبدوا معه غيره مع أنه هو المنعم المتفضل الخالق الرازق وحده لا شريك له ومع هذا يعبدون من دونه من الأصنام والأنداد والأوثان ما لا يملك لهم رزقا من السموات والأرض شيئا أي لا يقدر على إنزال مطر ولا إنبات زرع ولا شجر ولا يملكون ذلك لأنفسهم أي ليس لهم ذلك ولا يقدرون عليه لو أرادوه.

Denouncing the Worship of anything besides Allah

Allah tells us about the Mushrikin who worship others besides Him, even though He alone is the bountiful Provider, the Creator and Sustainer, without partners or associates, but they still worship idols and make rivals for Him. He says:

مَا لاَ يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ رِزْقًا مِّنَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ شَيْئًا

(such as do not have power to grant them any provision from the heavens or the earth) meaning, nobody can cause rain to fall, or make plants and trees grow. They cannot do these things for them- selves, even if they wanted to. Thus Allah says:

فَلاَ تَضْرِبُواْ لِلَّهِ الاٌّمْثَالَ

(So do not give examples on behalf of Allah.) meaning, do not set up rivals to Him or describe anything as being like Him.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ

(Truly, Allah knows and you know not.) meaning, He knows and bears witness that there is no god but Him, but you are ignorant and associate others in worship with Him.

And they worship besides God that is other than Him what has no power to give them any sort of provision from the heavens such as water and the earth such as plants shay’an ‘anything’ is a substitute for rizqan ‘provision’ nor do they have the capacity nor are they able to do anything — and these are the idols.

Commentary

In verse 72: جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا (Allah has created spouses from among you), a special blessing has been mentioned in that Allah Ta’ ala has created spouses from the same genus so that they remain mutually familiar and their distinction and nobility inherent in the human species also remains stable through generations.

Given here, there may be another hint towards the fact that spouses belong to each other's genus and, as such, their needs and feelings are common to both, therefore, mutual consideration is but necessary for them.

The next sentence of the verse: وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَزْوَاجِكُم بَنِينَ وَحَفَدَةً has been translated as: 'and created for you from your spouse’ s sons and grandsons.

'Though children are born to father and mother both, yet in this verse, their birth has been identified with mothers only. The indication given here is suggestive of the fact that the role of the mother in the birth and the creational formation of the child is more pronounced that that of the father. The father contributes only a lifeless drop. The locale where this drop goes through different kinds of stages from the transformation into human form and shape to becoming alive, and where all these inimitable achievements of nature take place, is a place no other than the womb of the mother. Therefore, in the Hadith, the right of the mother has been made to precede the right of the father.

There is yet another hint visible in this sentence which mentions grandsons along with sons, that is, the real purpose behind creating spouses is the procreation and survival of human race so that they have children, then, their children have their children. What else would this be, if not the survival of human species?

After that, by saying: وَرَ‌زَقَكُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ (and gave you provision from good things), mention was made of things which guarantee personal survival. In other words, once a human child is born, food is needed for its personal survival. That too was provided by Allah Ta’ ala. The real meaning of the word: حَفَدَةً - (hafadah) in this verse is that of one who helps and serves. That this word has been used for children suggests that children should always be at the service of their father and mother. (Qurtubi)