27:60 An-Naml (The Ant)

أي: أمن خلق السماوات وما فيها من الشمس والقمر والنجوم والملائكة والأرض وما فيها من جبال وبحار وأنهار وأشجار وغير ذلك.{ وَأَنْزَلَ لَكُمْ ْ} أي: لأجلكم { مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَنْبَتْنَا بِهِ حَدَائِقَ ْ} أي: بساتين { ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ } أي: حسن منظر من كثرة أشجارها وتنوعها وحسن ثمارها، { مَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تُنْبِتُوا شَجَرَهَا ْ} لولا منة الله عليكم بإنزال المطر. { أَإِلَهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ ْ} فعل هذه الأفعال حتى يعبد معه ويشرك به؟ { بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ يَعْدِلُونَ ْ} به غيره ويسوون به سواه مع علمهم أنه وحده خالق العالم العلوي والسفلي ومنزل الرزق.

"أمن خلق السموات" أي خلق تلك السموات في ارتفاعها وصفائها وما جعل فيها من الكواكب النيرة والنجوم الزاهرة والأفلاك الدائرة وخلق الأرض في استفالها وكثافتها وما جعل فيها من الجبال والأطواد والسهول والأوعار والفيافي والقفار والزروع والأشجار والثمار والبحار والحيوان على اختلاف الأصناف والأشكال والألوان وغير ذلك وقوله تعالى: "وأنزل لكم من السماء ماء" أي جعله رزقا للعباد "فأنبتنا به حدائق" أي بساتين "ذات بهجة" أي منظر حسن وشكل حسن وشكل بهي "ما كان لكم أن تنبتوا شجرها" أي لم تكونوا تقدرون على إنبات أشجارها وإنما يقدر على ذلك الخالق الرازق المستقل بذلك المتفرد به دون ما سواه من الأصنام والأنداد كما اعترف به هؤلاء المشركون كما قال تعالى في الآية الأخرى "ولئن سألتهم من خلقهم ليقولن الله" "ولئن سألتهم من نزل من السماء ماء فأحيا به الأرض من بعد موتها ليقولن الله" أي هم معترفون بأنه الفاعل لجميع ذلك وحده لا شريك له ثم هم يعبدون معه غيره مما يعترفون أنه لا يخلق ولا يرزق وإنما يستحق أن يفرد بالعبادة من هو المتفرد بالخلق والرزق ولهذا قال تعالى:"أإله مع الله"؟ أي أإله مع الله يعبد وقد تبين لكم ولكل ذي لب مما يعترفون به أيضا أنه الخالق الرازق ومن المفسرين من يقول معنى قوله: "أإله مع الله" فعل هذا وهو يرجع إلى معنى الأول لأن تقدير الجواب أنهم يقولون ليس ثم أحد فعل هذا معه بل هو المتفرد به فيقال فكيف تعبدون معه غيره وهو المستقل المتفرد بالخلق والرزق والتدبير؟ كما قال تعالى "أفمن يخلق كمن لا يخلق" الآية وقوله تعالى ههنا "أمن خلق السموات والأرض" "أمن" في هذه الآيات كلها تقديره أمن يفعل هذه الأشياء كمن لا يقدر على شيء منها؟ هذا معنى السياق وإن لم يذكر الآخر لأن في قوة الكلام ما يرشد إلى ذلك وقد قال الله تعالى "آلله خير أم ما يشركون" ثم قال في الآية الأخرى "بل هم قوم يعدلون" أى يجعلون لله عدلا ونظيرا وهكذا قال تعالى "أمن هو قانت آناء الليل ساجدا وقائما يحذر الآخرة ويرجو رحمة ربه" أي أمن هو هكذا كمن ليس كذلك؟ ولهذا قال تعالى: "قل هل يستوي الذين يعلمون والذين لا يعلمون إنما يتذكر أولوا الألباب" "أفمن شرح الله صدره للإسلام فهو على نور من ربه فويل للقاسية قلوبهم من ذكر الله أولئك في ضلال مبين" وقال تعالى "أمن هو قائم على كل نقس بما كسبت" أي أمن هو شهيد على أفعال الخلق حركاتهم وسكناتهم يعلم الغيب جليله وحقيره كمن هو لا يعلم ولا يسمع ولا يبصر من هذه الأصنام التي عبدوها من دون الله؟ ولهذا قال "وجعلوا لله شركاء قل سموهم" وهكذا هذه الآيات الكريمات كلها.

The Command to praise Allah and send Blessings on His Messengers

Allah commands His Messenger to say:

الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ

(Praise and thanks be to Allah,) meaning, for His innumerable blessings upon His servants and for His exalted Attributes and most beautiful Names. And He commands him to send peace upon the servants of Allah whom He chose and selected, i.e., His noble Messengers and Prophets, may the best of peace and blessings from Allah be upon them. This was the view of `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam and others; the meaning of the servants He has chose is the Prophets. He said, "This like He said in the Ayah;

سُبْحَـنَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ

وَسَلَـمٌ عَلَى الْمُرْسَلِينَ - وَالْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ

(Glorified be your Lord, the Lord of honor and power! (He is free) from what they attribute unto Him! And peace be on the Messengers! And all the praises and thanks be to Allah, Lord of all that exists.) (37:180-182)." Ath-Thawri and As-Suddi said, "This refers to the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ, may Allah be pleased with them all." Something similar was also narrated from Ibn `Abbas, and there is no contradiction between the two views, because they were also among the servants of Allah whom He had chosen, although the description is more befitting of the Prophets.

ءَآللَّهُ خَيْرٌ أَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

(Is Allah better, or what they ascribe as partners (to Him)) This is a question aimed at denouncing the idolators for their worship of other gods besides Allah. Some more Proofs of Tawhid Then Allah begins to explain that He is the Only One Who creates, provides and controls, as He says:

أَمَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَـوَتِ

(Is not He Who created the heavens) meaning, He created those heavens which are so high and serene, with their shining stars and revolving planets. And He created the earth, with its varying heights and densities, and He created everything in it, mountains, hills, plains, rugged terrain, wildernesses, crops, trees, fruits, seas and animals of all different kinds and colors and shapes, etc.

وَأَنزَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً

(and sends down for you water from the sky,) means, He sends it as a provision for His servants,

فَأَنبَتْنَا بِهِ حَدَآئِقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ

(whereby We cause to grow wonderful gardens full of beauty and delight) means, beautiful and delightful to behold.

مَّا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَن تُنبِتُواْ شَجَرَهَا

(It is not in your ability to cause the growth of their trees.) meaning, `you are not able to cause their trees to grow. The One Who is able to do that is the Creator and Provider, Who is doing all this Alone and Independent of any idol and other rival.' The idolators themselves admitted this, as Allah says in another Ayah:

وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ

(And if you ask them: "Who has created them" they will certainly say: "Allah.") (31:25)

وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَّن نَّزَّلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الاٌّرْضَ مِن بَعْدِ مَوْتِهَا لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ

(And if you were to ask them: "Who sends down water from the sky, and gives life therewith to the earth after its death" they will surely reply: "Allah.") (29:63) Meaning they will admit that He is the One Who does all these things, Alone, with no partner or associate, but then they worship others alongside Him, others who they admit cannot create or provide anything. But the Only One Who deserves to be worshipped is the Only One Who can create and provide, Allah says:

أَإِلَـهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ

(Is there any god with Allah) meaning, `is there any god that can be worshipped alongside Allah, when it is clear to you and anyone who with reason that He is the Creator and Provider, as you yourselves admit' Then Allah says:

بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ يَعْدِلُونَ

(Nay, but they are a people who ascribe equals (to Him)!) meaning, they describe others as being equal and comparable to Allah.

Or He Who created the heavens and the earth and sends down for you water from the heaven whereby We cause to grow there is a shift here from third person to that of the first person plural splendid gardens hadā’iq is the plural of hadīqa which is an enclosed garden whose trees you could never cause to grow? because of you do not have the ability for it. Is there a god a-ilāhun here and in the seven instances in which it occurs read by pronouncing both hamzas or by not pronouncing the second inserting an alif between the two in both cases with God? who has helped Him in all of this? In other words there is no god with Him. Nay but they are a people who ascribe equals to Him who associate with God others.

Commentary

This incident has been related at many places in the Qur'an, especially in Surah Al-A` raf, where its necessary details have been discussed and may be consulted if required.

قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ (Say,"Praise belongs to Allah - 27:59). After describing some events of the prophets and earlier people, and the episodes of torments they faced, this sentence is addressed to the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، that he should express his gratitude to Allah Ta’ ala, for his followers have been exempted from the punishment in this world. He is further asked to say salam to the earlier prophets and God-fearing persons. Majority of the commentators have adopted this explanation, but some feel that this sentence is also addressed to Sayyidna Lut (علیہ السلام) .

It appears that the expression الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَىٰ (His slaves whom He has chosen - 27:59) is used in this verse for the prophets, like in another verse salam has been addressed to the prophets, وَسَلَامٌ عَلَى الْمُرْ‌سَلِينَ ﴿181﴾ (And salam is on the messengers - 37:181). But Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ is of the opinion that it refers to the companions of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . This explanation is also adopted by Sufyan Ath-Thauri. (Ibn Jarir)

If the explanation of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ عنہما is adopted and the meaning of الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَىٰ - 27:59 is taken for the companions, then there will be a case for saying "Alaihis Salam" to non-prophets also. This subject will be discussed in detail Inshallah under Surah Al-Ahzab for the verse صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا (33:56).

Ruling

This verse also teaches the formalities of an address, a sermon or a lecture, that it should start with the praise of Allah and the salah (durood) and salam to the prophets. This had always been the practice of the Holy Prophet ﷺ in his addresses. His companions also adopted the same practice by commencing not only their addresses but also all the important jobs by praising Allah Ta’ ala and then salah and salam on the Holy Prophet ﷺ '. (Ruh).