35:28 Faatir (The Originator)

ومن ذلك: الناس والدواب، والأنعام، فيها من اختلاف الألوان والأوصاف والأصوات والهيئات، ما هو مرئي بالأبصار، مشهود للنظار، والكل من أصل واحد ومادة واحدة.فتفاوتها دليل عقلي على مشيئة اللّه تعالى، التي خصصت ما خصصت منها، بلونه، ووصفه، وقدرة اللّه تعالى حيث أوجدها كذلك، وحكمته ورحمته، حيث كان ذلك الاختلاف، وذلك التفاوت، فيه من المصالح والمنافع، ومعرفة الطرق، ومعرفة الناس بعضهم بعضا، ما هو معلوم.وذلك أيضا، دليل على سعة علم اللّه تعالى، وأنه يبعث من في القبور، ولكن الغافل ينظر في هذه الأشياء وغيرها نظر غفلة لا تحدث له التذكر، وإنما ينتفع بها من يخشى اللّه تعالى، ويعلم بفكره الصائب وجه الحكمة فيها.ولهذا قال: { إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ } فكل من كان باللّه أعلم، كان أكثر له خشية، وأوجبت له خشية اللّه، الانكفاف عن المعاصي، والاستعداد للقاء من يخشاه، وهذا دليل على فضيلة العلم، فإنه داع إلى خشية اللّه، وأهل خشيته هم أهل كرامته، كما قال تعالى: { رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِيَ رَبَّهُ } { إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ } كامل العزة، ومن عزته خلق هذه المخلوقات المتضادات.{ غَفُورٌ } لذنوب التائبين.

وقوله تعالى: "ومن الناس والدواب والأنعام مختلف ألوانه كذلك" أي كذلك الحيوانات من الناس والدواب وهو كل ما دب على القوائم والأنعام من باب عطف الخاص على العام كذلك هي مختلفة أيضا فالناس منهم بربر وحبوش وطماطم في غاية السواد وصقالبة وروم في غاية البياض والعرب بين ذلك والهنود دون ذلك ولهذا قال تعالى: في الآية الأخرى "واختلاف ألسنتكم وألوانكم إن في ذلك لآيات للعالمين" وكذلك الدواب والأنعام مختلفة الألوان حتى في الجنس الواحد بل النوع الواحد منهم مختلف الألوان بل الحيوان الواحد يكون أبلق فيه من هذا اللون وهذا اللون فتبارك الله أحسن الخالقين. وقد قال الحافظ أبو بكر البزار في مسنده حدثنا الفضل بن سهل حدثنا عبدالله بن عمر بن أبان بن صالح حدثنا زياد بن عبدالله عن عطاء بن السائب عن سعد بن جبير عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال: جاء رجل إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال أيصبغ ربك قال صلى الله عليه وسلم "نعم صبغا لا ينفض أحمر وأصفر وأبيض" وروي مرسلا وموقوفا والله أعلم. ولهذا قال تعالى: بعد هذا "إنما يخشى الله من عباده العلماء" أي إنما يخشاه حق خشيته العلماء العارفون به لأنه كلما كانت المعرفة للعظيم القدير العليم الموصوف بصفات الكمال المنعوت بالأسماء الحسنى كلما كانت المعرفة به أتم والعلم به أكمل كانت الخشية له أعظم وأكثر. قال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس في قوله تعالى: "إنما يخشى الله من عباده العلماء" قال الذين يعلمون أن الله على كل شيء قدير". وقال ابن لهيعة عن ابن أبي عمرة عن عكرمة عن ابن عباس قال:العالم بالرحمن من عباده من لم يشرك شيئا وأحل حلاله وحرم حرامه وحفظ وصيته وأيقن أنه ملاقيه ومحاسب بعمله وقال سعيد بن جبير الخشية هي التي تحول بينك وبين معصية الله عز وجل وقال الحسن البصري العالم من خشي الرحمن بالغيب ورغب فيما رغب الله فيه وزهد فيما سخط الله فيه ثم تلا الحسن "إنما يخشى الله من عباده العلماء إن الله عزيز غفور" وعن ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه أنه قال: ليس العلم عن كثرة الحديث ولكن العلم عن كثرة الخشية. وقال أحمد بن صالح المصري عن ابن وهب عن مالك قال: إن العلم ليس بكثرة الرواية وإنما العلم نور يجعله الله في القلب. قال أحمد بن صالح المصري معناه أن الخشية لا تدرك بكثرة الرواية وإنما العلم الذي فرض الله عز وجل أن يتبع فإنما هو الكتاب والسنة وما جاء عن الصحابة رضي الله عنهم ومن بعدهم من أئمة المسلمين فهذا لا يدرك إلا بالرواية ويكون تأويل قوله: نور يريد به فهم العلم ومعرفة معانيه. وقال سفيان الثوري عن أبي حيان التيمي عن رجل قال: كان يقال العلماء ثلاثة عالم بالله عالم بأمر الله وعالم بالله ليس بعالم بأمر الله وعالم بأمر الله ليس بعالم بالله; فالعالم بالله وبأمر الله الذي يخشى الله تعالى ويعلم الحدود والفرائض والعالم بالله ليس بعالم بأمر الله الذي يخشى الله ولا يعلم الحدود والفرئض والعالم بأمر الله ليس بعالم بالله الذي يعلم الحدود والفرائض ولا يخشى الله عز وجل.

The Perfect Power of Allah

Allah tells us of His complete and perfect power of creation. He tells us how He makes different kinds of things from one thing, which is the water that He sends down from the heaven. From water He brings forth fruits of various colors, yellow, red, green, white and other colors, as we can see in the immense variety of their colors, tastes and scents. This is like another Ayah where Allah says:

وَفِى الاٌّرْضِ قِطَعٌ مُّتَجَـوِرَتٌ وَجَنَّـتٌ مِّنْ أَعْنَـبٍ وَزَرْعٌ وَنَخِيلٌ صِنْوَنٌ وَغَيْرُ صِنْوَنٍ يُسْقَى بِمَآءٍ وَحِدٍ وَنُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَهَا عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِى الاٍّكُلِ إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لآيَـتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

(And in the earth are neighbouring tracts, and gardens of vines, and green crops, and date palms, growing into two or three from a single stem root, or otherwise, watered with the same water; yet some of them We make more excellent than others to eat. Verily, in these things there are Ayat for the people who understand.) (13:4)

وَمِنَ الْجِبَالِ جُدَدٌ بِيضٌ وَحُمْرٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَنُهَا

(and among the mountains are Judad, white and red, of varying colors) means, He created the mountains like this, with different colors, as we also see that there are indeed white and red mountains, and in some of them there are streaks which are also of varying colors. Ibn `Abbas said Al-Judad means pathways. This was also the view of Abu Malik, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and As-Suddi. And there are some mountains which are very black. `Ikrimah said, "Al-Gharabib means mountains which are high and black. This was also the view of Abu Malik, `Ata' Al-Khurasani and Qatadah. Ibn Jarir said, "When the Arabs describe something as being very black, they say Ghirbib.

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ وَالدَّوَآبِّ وَالاٌّنْعَـمِ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَنُهُ كَذَلِكَ

(And likewise, men and moving creatures and cattle are of various colors.) means, the same is true of living creatures too, humans and animals, all creatures which walk on their feet, and cattle. Here something general is followed by something specific. These are all different too, for among mankind there are Berbers, Ethiopians and some non-Arabs who are very black, and Slavs and Romans who are very white, and the Arabs who are in between, and the Indians. Allah says in another Ayah:

وَاخْتِلَـفُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَنِكُمْ إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لأَيَـتٍ لِّلْعَـلَمِينَ

(and the difference of your languages and colors. Verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge) (30:22). Similarly, animals and cattle vary in their colors, even within one species, and a single animal may have patches of different colors. Blessed be Allah, the Best of creators. Allah then says:

إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ

(It is only those who have knowledge among His servants that fear Allah.) meaning, only those who have knowledge truly fear Him as He should be feared, because the more they know about the Almighty, All-Powerful, All-Knowing Who has the most perfect attributes and is described with the most beautiful Names, the more they will fear Him. `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah:

إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ

(It is only those who have knowledge among His servants that fear Allah.) those who know that Allah is able to do all things. Ibn `Abbas said, "The one among His servants who knows about Ar-Rahman, is the one who does not associate anything in worship with Him; the one who accepts as lawful that which He has permitted and accepts as unlawful that which He has prohibited. He obeys His commands and is certain that he will meet Him and be brought to account for his deeds. Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "Fear is what stands between you and disobeying Allah, may He be glorified." Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "The knowledgeable person is the one who fears Ar-Rahman with regard to the Unseen, who likes that which Allah wants him to like, and who shuns that which angers Allah." Then Al-Hasan recited:

إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ

(It is only those among His servants who have knowledge that fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Almighty, Oft-Forgiving.) Sufyan Ath-Thawri narrated from Abu Hayyan At-Taymi from a man who said, "It used to be said that the knowledgeable are of three types: (first) one who knows Allah and the command of Allah, (second) one who knows Allah but does not know the command of Allah, and (third) one who knows the command of Allah but does not know Allah. The one who knows Allah and the command of Allah is the one who fears Allah and knows the limits (Hudud) and the obligatory duties (Fara'id). The one who knows Allah but does not know the command of Allah is the one who fears Allah but does not know the limits (Hudud) and the obligatory duties (Fara'id). The one who knows the command of Allah but does not know Allah is the one who knows the limits (Hudud) and the obligatory duties (Fara'id) but does not fear Allah."

And of humans and beasts and cattle there are diverse hues likewise like the diversity of the hues of fruits and mountains. Indeed only those of God’s servants who have knowledge fear Him in contrast to the ignorant such as the disbelievers of Mecca. Truly God is Mighty in His kingdom Forgiving of the sins of His faithful servants.

The place where the word: كَذَٰلِكَ (kadhalik: translated above by the words, 'as well' ) appears in verse 28 just before: كَذَٰلِكَ إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّـهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ (Only those of His slaves fear Allah who are knowledgeable), but in the translation above it has been separated from the next verse by a full stop, because this is the place of a stop (waqf) according to the consensus of the majority of commentators and scholars. As such, it is a sign denoting that this word is related to the previous subject, that is, the creation of all that exists in categories and kinds and different colors is a very special sign of the power and wisdom of Allah Ta’ ala.

Then there are narrations that suggest that this word is related to the next sentence. If this interpretation is adopted, the full stop would be appropriate after the words, 'having different colors, and the word 'kadhalika' should be translated as 'similarly' in which case, it would mean that 'the way fruits, mountains, human beings and other life forms are marked out by different colors, similarly, there are different degrees among people who have the awe or fear of Allah in their hearts. Someone may have achieved its highest degree. Others may have arrived at what is less than that. Then, the whole thing depends on knowledge. Whoever has a certain degree of knowledge will have a corresponding degree of the awe or fear of Allah. (Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani)

In previous verses, it was said: إِنَّمَا تُنذِرُ‌ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَ‌بَّهُم بِالْغَيْبِ (18) This is to give solace to the Holy Prophet ﷺ which means, 'when you warn people and convey the message of Allah to them, only those who have the awe of Allah without having seen Him get the maximum benefit out of it.' In symmetry with this, the present verse: إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّـهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ (Only those of His slaves fear Allah who are knowledgeable - 35:28) has mentioned people about whom it can be said that they have the awe of Allah and fear Him as is His due. Then, there is another parallelism here. Mentioned earlier were disbelievers and deniers along with the different states they were submerged in. In the present verse, what has been put forth is the opposite of it. The verse talks about the men of Allah (the auliya' of Allah) particularly. The word:إِنَّمَا (innama) is used in the Arabic language to describe hasr or exclusiveness. Therefore, this sentence obviously means that only the ` Ulama' (the knowing, the learned, the initiated) fear Allah or have the genuine awe of Allah. But Tafsir authority, Ibn ` Atiyyah and others said that the wayإِنَّمَا (innama) is employed to show exclusiveness, it is also used to describe the singularity of something, and the later is what is meant here - that fearing Allah and remaining in awe of Him is a specially incumbent attribute of the ` Ulama'. It does not necessarily imply that those other than them have no such fear and awe in them. (Al-Bahr ul-Muhit, Abu Hayyan)

And the word: عُلَمَاءُ (Ulama' ) in the verse means people who have due knowledge of the being and attributes of Allah Ta’ ala and who have the fact of His power and control, and His favors and blessings, on what He has created, always in sight. In the terminology of the Qur'an, no one is considered to be an ` alim simply by virtue of knowing the Arabic language, grammar and rhetoric unless he has acquired the knowledge and understanding of the attributes of Allah Ta’ ala in the manner stated above.

Explaining this verse, Hasan al-Basri (رح) said: ` Alim is a person who fears Allah in private and in public, and likes what Allah likes him to do, and hates what is detestable in the sight of Allah.

And Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ said:

لیَسَ العِلمُ الحدِیثِ و لٰکِنّ العِلمَ عَن کَثرَۃِ الخَدیَۃِ

Memorizing many ahadith (or, talking a lot) is no 'Um (knowledge). Instead, (real) knowledge comes when one has the awe and fear of Allah with it.

In short, the degree of the fear of Allah one has shall go on to make him an ` Alim of that very degree. And Ahmad Ibn Salih al-Misri said: Fear of Allah cannot be recognized on the basis of someone's prolific reporting of events or abundance of knowledge, in fact, it is identified through one's adherence to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet. (Ibn Kathir)

Shaykh Shahabuddin as-Suhrawardi (رح)) said: This verse clearly indicates that a person who has no fear of Allah is no ` alim. (Mazhari) This is confirmed by the sayings of the early forbears of Islam (Salaf).

Sayyidna Rabi' Ibn Anas ؓ said:

مَن لَّم یَخش فَلَیسَ بِعَالِمِ

One who does not fear Allah is not an Vim.

And early commentator, Mujahid said:

انَّما العَالِمُ مَن خَشِیَ اللہَ

Only he who fears Allah is the (real) Vim.

Someone asked Sa'd Ibn Ibrahim: Who knows Divine Law at its best in the city of Madinah? He said: a;J r mti (He who is the most fearing of his Lord).

And Sayyidna ` Ali al-Murtada ؓ defined a Faqih (master of Islamic jurisprudence) by saying:

اِنَّ الفَقِیہِ حَقَّ الفَقِیہِ مَن لَّم یَقنط النَّاسَ مِن رَّحمَۃِ اللہِ وَ لَم یرخص لَھُم فِی مَعَاصِی اللہِ تَعَالٰی ، وَلم یُؤمِنھُم مَّن عَذَابِ اللہِ تَعَالٰی وَ لَم یَدَعُ القُرآنَ رَغبَہُ عَنہُ الٰی غَیرِہٖ اَنَّہ لَاخَیرَ فِی عِبَادَۃِ لَّاعِلمَ فِیھَا وَلَا عِلمِ لَّا فِقہ فِیہِ ولَاقِرَاَء لَّاتَدَبُّرَ فِیہِ (قرطبی)

A Faqih, perfect as he must be, is he who would not make people lose hope in the mercy of Allah, nor leave them free to indulge in acts of disobedience to Him, nor give them the guarantee of remaining safe from the punishment of Allah, nor forsake the Qur'an by indulging in pursuits other than it. (And he said): Verily, there is no good in an act of worship that is without knowledge, and there is no good in a knowledge that is without understanding, and there is no recitation (Qira'ah of the Qur'an) without deliberation in it. (Qurtubi)

The clarifications appearing above also help remove the doubt about many ` Ulama' who do not seem to have the kind of awe and fear of Allah required of them. These clarifications tell us that, in the sight of Allah, the bland knowledge of Arabic is not what 'ilm is, and certainly, the one who is proficient in it is not an ` Alim. Anyone who does not have the fear of Allah in his heart is simply not an ` Alim in the terminology of the Qur'an.

However, at times, awe and fear of Allah are rooted in one's creed and reason because of which one adheres to the injunctions of the Shari’ ah as a matter of obligation. Then, there are occasions when this awe and fear of Allah become the very state of one's existence and rise to the degree of a firmly ingrained asset whereby the readiness to follow the Shari’ ah becomes a natural reflex. The first degree of the awe and fear of Allah is mandatory and, for an ` Alim necessary. The second degree is certainly superior and sublime, but not necessary. (Bayan ul-Qur an)