45:5 Al-Jaathiya (Crouching)

وما بث فيهما من الدواب وما أودع فيهما من المنافع وما أنزل الله من الماء الذي يحيي به الله البلاد والعباد.

واختلاف الليل والنهار في تعاقبهما دائبين لا يفتران هذا بظلامه وهذا بضيائه وما أنزل الله تبارك وتعالى من السحاب من المطر في وقت الحاجة إليه وسماه رزقا لأن به يحصل الرزق فأحيا به الأرض بعد موتها أي بعدما كانت هامدة لا نبات فيها ولا شيء. وقوله عز وجل وتصريف الرياح أي جنوبا وشمالا ودبورا وصبا برية وبحرية ليلية ونهارية ومنها ما هو للمطر ومنها ما هو للقاح ومنها ما هو غذاء للأرواح ومنها ما هو عقيم لا ينتج وقال سبحانه وتعالى أولا لآيات للمؤمنين ثم يوقنون ثم يعقلون وهو ترق من حال شريف إلى ما هو أشرف منه وأعلى هذه الآيات شبيهة بآية البقرة وهي قوله تعالى إن في خلق السموات الأرض واختلاف الليل والنهار والفلك التي تجري في البحر بما ينفع الناس وما أنزل الله من السماء من ماء فأحيا به الأرض بعد موتها وبث فيها من كل دابة وتصريف الرياح والسحاب المسخر بين السماء والأرض لآيات لقوم يعقلون وقد أورد ابن أبي حاتم ههنا عن وهب بن منبه أثرا طويلا غريبا في خلق الإنسان من الأخلاط الأربعة والله أعلم.

Which was revealed in Makkah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

A Directive to contemplate over Allah's Ayat

Allah directs His servants to contemplate His favors and gifts, as well as His great power that is demonstrated by His creating the heavens and the earth and the various types and categories of creatures in them. There are the angels, Jinns, humans, animals, birds, beasts, carnivores, insects and various kinds of sea creatures. The night and day alternate, each follows the other in succession, never ceasing to come, as decreed. One brings darkness and one brings light. Allah the Exalted also sends down the rain from the clouds when it is most needed. He is calling the rain, `provision', because it is the resource that produces various provisions,

فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الاٌّرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا

(and revives therewith the earth after its death,) after it was dry and had no vegetation or life of any kind. Allah said next,

وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَـحِ

(and in the turning about of the winds,) sometimes towards the south and sometimes towards the north. Some are easterly winds and some are westerly winds, some bringing sea breezes and some blow from the land, some coming at night and some by day. Some winds bring rain, some cause pollination and some winds just revive the soul, while some others bear no benefit. Allah said first.

لاّيَـتٍ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(are signs for the believers), then

يُوقِنُونَ

(who have faith with certainty), then

يَعْقِلُونَ

(who understand), thus ascending from one honorable stage to what is more honorable and higher in grade. These Ayat are similar to an Ayah in Surat Al-Baqarah

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَاخْتِلَـفِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَّتِى تَجْرِى فِى الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مِن مَّآءٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الاٌّرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَـحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَآءِ وَالأَرْضِ لآيَـتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

(Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, and the ships which sail through the sea with that which is of use to mankind, and the water which Allah sends down from the sky and makes the earth alive therewith after its death, and the moving creatures of all kinds that He has spread therein, and in the veering of winds and clouds which are held between the sky and the earth, are indeed signs for people of understanding.) (2:164)

and in the alternation of night and day their passing and their arrival and what God sends down from the heaven in the way of provision rain for it constitutes a means of provision with which He revives the earth after it is dead and the circulation of the winds its alternation between southerly and northerly hot and cold there are signs for a people who understand proofs and therefore have faith.

إِنَّ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْ‌ضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ("Surely in the heavens and the earth, there are signs for those who have faith.. ..45:3) " The purpose of this verse, and similar other verses, is to affirm the Oneness of Allah. Similar verses are available in [ 2:164] إِنَّ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْ‌ضِ ("Surely, in the creation of heavens and earth..." ) where their detailed commentary will be found. How the two verses prove the Oneness of Allah is also explained on that occasion. In the two places, there is a slight difference in the argumentation: Scholars interested might find the finer points of the difference discussed by Imam Razi in his Tafsir Kabir rather interesting. It is worth noting that in all these verses reference is made to the various signs in nature and a concluding statement is made on each occasion: Here it concludes: ` there are signs for those who have faith', in another place it concludes: ` there are signs for those who believe' and in a third place it concludes: ` there are signs for those who understand'. In all these cases, there are stylistic variations, but in addition the current verse points to the fact that only those people will be able to benefit who have faith. In the second case, it will be beneficial to those people who might not immediately embrace the Faith, but they do develop certainty in their hearts, in that these signs do point to the Oneness of Allah. Possibly this certainty one day or the other will turn into ` Faith'. In the third case, it could benefit those who may not be immediate believers or firm in belief, but they do have sound heart to understand. If they search into the signs with deep insight, they will inevitably end up with faith and firm belief. However, people devoid of sound intellect or unwilling to use it will remain unconvinced, even if thousands of evidence or arguments are put forward to them.

And the difference of night and day, and the provision that God sends down from heaven whereby He brings the earth to life after its death, and the turning about of the winds, are signs for a people who use intelligence. He reminds the creatures of His blessings in creating water, wind, and rain and thereby making ready their daily provision. Then He says, “are signs for a people who use intelligence.” An in- telligent person is someone who ponders and reflects upon the signs. From the first sign [45:3], he will understand His power, and the requisite of power is fear, so he will fear His harshness and forcefulness. From the second sign [45:4], he will understand His gentleness, and the requisite of gentleness is hope, so his heart will attach itself to His generosity. From the third sign he will recognize His blessings, so he will undertake to give gratitude for them. First is the station of the fearful, second the station of the hopeful, and third the station of the grateful. In the station of gratitude, much unveiling and veiling occurs. When the Exalted Lord says, “the difference of night and day,” He is alluding to unveiling and veiling. Bright day is the likeness of unveiling, and dark night is the mark of the veil. The servant passes back and forth between these two states. In the state of unveiling he sees only the Beneficent. He does not become happy in blessings, nor does he become sorrowful in tribulation. He is so busy contemplating the Be- neficent that he does not attend to the blessings nor to the grief and tribulation. In this meaning they have sung, “If I distinguish between Your doing good or bad, I will be busy with the distinction, not You.” In the time of the veil, the contemplation of the Beneficent conceals itself from him. He turns all of his attention to blessings and tribulation. Hence in blessings he beats the drum of happiness, and in tribulation he carries the burden of grief. The Pir of the Tariqah said, “Pain and remedy, grief and happiness, poverty and wealth-these are all attributes of the wayfarers in the way stations of the road. When a man reaches the goal, he has no station or way station, no moment or state, no spirit or heart.” Make not your home in body or spirit, for that is low and this is high. Take a step outside of both-be not here and be not there. [DS 51] O God, sometimes I take joy in pain and make do with its increase, hoping that when I melt in this pain, I will overthrow both pain and comfort.