7:189 Al-A'raaf (The Heights)

: هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ أيها الرجال والنساء، المنتشرون في الأرض على كثرتكم وتفرقكم. مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وهو آدم أبو البشر صلى الله عليه وسلم. وَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا أي: خلق من آدم زوجته حواء لأجل أن يسكن إليها لأنها إذا كانت منه حصل بينهما من المناسبة والموافقة ما يقتضي سكون أحدهما إلى الآخر، فانقاد كل منهما إلى صاحبه بزمام الشهوة. فَلَمَّا تَغَشَّاهَا أي: تجللها مجامعا لها قدَّر الباري أن يوجد من تلك الشهوة وذلك الجماع النسل، [وحينئذ] حَمَلَتْ حَمْلا خَفِيفًا، وذلك في ابتداء الحمل، لا تحس به الأنثى، ولا يثقلها. فَلَمَّا استمرت به و أَثْقَلَتْ به حين كبر في بطنها، فحينئذ صار في قلوبهما الشفقة على الولد، وعلى خروجه حيا، صحيحا، سالما لا آفة فيه [كذلك] فدعوا اللَّهَ رَبَّهُمَا لَئِنْ آتَيْتَنَا ولدا صَالِحًا أي: صالح الخلقة تامها، لا نقص فيه لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ .

ينبه تعالى على أنه خلق جميع الناس من آدم عليه السلام وأنه خلق منه زوجته حواء ثم انتشر الناس منهما. كما قال تعالى "يا أيها الناس إنا خلقناكم من ذكر وأنثى وجعلناكم شعوبا وقبائل لتعارفوا إن أكرمكم عند الله أتقاكم" وقال تعالى "يا أيها الناس اتقوا ربكم الذي خلقكم من نفس واحدة وخلق منها زوجها" الآية وقال في هذه الآية الكريمة "وجعل منها زوجها ليسكن إليها" أي ليألفها ويسكن بها كقوله تعالى "ومن آياته أن خلق لكم من أنفسكم أزواجا لتسكنوا إليها وجعل بينكم مودة ورحمة" فلا ألفة بين روحين أعظم مما بين الزوجين ولهذا ذكر تعالى أن الساحر ربما توصل بكيده إلى التفرقة بين المرء وزوجه "فلما تغشاها" أي وطئها "حملت حملا خفيفا" وذلك أول الحمل لا تجد المرأة له ألما إنما هي النطفة ثم العلقة ثم المضغة وقوله "فمرت به" قال مجاهد استمرت بحمله وروي عن الحسن وإبراهيم النخعي والسدي نحوه وقال ميمون بن مهران عن أبيه استخفته وقال أيوب: سألت الحسن عن قوله "فمرت به" قال: لو كنت رجلا عربيا لعرفت ما هي إنما هي فاستمرت به وقال قتادة "فمرت به" استبان حملها وقال ابن جرير: معناه استمرت بالماء قامت به وقعدت وقال العوفي عن ابن عباس: استمرت به فشكت أحملت أم لا "فلما أثقلت" أي صارت ذات ثقل بحملها وقال السدي: كبر الولد في بطنها "دعوا الله ربهما لئن آتيتنا صالحا" أي بشرا سويا. كما قال الضحاك عن ابن عباس أشفقا أن يكون بهيمة وكذلك قال أبو البختري وأبو مالك: أشفقا أن لا يكون إنسانا. وقال الحسن البصري لئن آتيتنا غلاما "لنكونن من الشاكرين فلما آتاهما صالحا جعلا له شركاء فيما آتاهما فتعالى الله عما يشركون" يذكر المفسرون ههنا آثارا وأحاديث سأوردها وأبين ما فيها ثم نتبع ذلك بيان الصحيح في ذلك إن شاء الله وبه الثقة. قال الإمام أحمد في مسنده: حدثنا عبدالصمد حدثنا عمر بن إبراهيم حدثنا قتادة عن الحسن عن سمرة عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال "لما ولدت حواء طاف بها إبليس وكان لا يعيش لها ولد فقال سميه عبدالحارث فإنه يعيش فسمته عبدالحارث فعاش وكان ذلك من وحي الشيطان وأمره" وهكذا رواه ابن جرير عن محمد بن بشار عن بندار عن عبدالصمد بن عبدالوارث به ورواه الترمذي في تفسيره هذه الآية عن محمد بن المثنى عن عبدالصمد به وقال هذا حديث حسن غريب لا نعرفه إلا من حديث عمر بن إبراهيم ورواه بعضهم عن عبدالصمد ولم يرفعه ورواه الحاكم في مستدركه من حديث عبدالصمد مرفوعا ثم قال هذا حديث صحيح الإسناد ولم يخرجاه ورواه الإمام أبو محمد بن أبي حاتم في تفسيره عن أبي زرعة الرازي عن هلال بن فياض عن عمر بن إبراهيم به مرفوعا وكذا رواه الحافظ أبو بكر بن مردويه في تفسيره من حديث شاذ بن فياض عن عمر بن إبراهيم مرفوعا: قلت وشاذ هو هلال وشاذ لقبه والغرض أن هذا الحديث معلول من ثلاثة أوجه "أحدها" أن عمر بن إبراهيم هذا هو البصري وقد وثقه ابن معين ولكن قال أبو حاتم الرازي لا يحتج به ولكن رواه ابن مردويه من حديث المعتمر عن أبيه عن الحسن عن سمرة مرفوعا فالله أعلم. "الثاني" أنه قد روي من قول سمرة نفسه ليس مرفوعا كما قال ابن جرير: حدثنا ابن عبدالأعلى حدثنا المعتمر عن أبيه حدثنا بكر بن عبدالله بن سليمان التيمي عن أبي العلاء بن الشخير عن سمرة بن جندب قال: سمى آدم ابنه عبدالحارث. "الثالث" أن الحسن نفسه فسر الآية بغير هذا فلو كان هذا عنده عن سمرة مرفوعا لما عدل عنه. قال ابن جرير: حدثنا ابن وكيع حدثنا سهل بن يوسف عن عمرو عن الحسن "جعلا له شركاء فيما آتاهما" قال كان هذا في بعض أهل الملل ولم يكن بآدم وحدثنا محمد بن عبدالأعلى حدثنا محمد بن ثور عن معمر قال: قال الحسن عنى بها ذرية آدم ومن أشرك منهم بعده يعني "جعلا له شركاء فيما آتاهما" وحدثنا بشر حدثنا يزيد حدثنا سعيد عن قتادة قال: كان الحسن يقول هم اليهود والنصارى رزقهم الله أولادا فهودوا ونصروا وهذه أسانيد صحيحة عن الحسن رضي الله عنه أنه فسر الآية بذلك وهو من أحسن التفاسير وأولى ما حملت عليه الآية ولو كان هذا الحديث عنده محفوظا عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لما عدل عنه هو ولا غيره ولا سيما مع تقواه لله وورعه فهذا يدلك على أنه موقوف على الصحابي ويحتمل أنه تلقاه من بعض أهل الكتاب من آمن منهم مثل كعب أو وهب بن منبه وغيرهما كما سيأتي بيانه إن شاء الله إلا أننا برئنا من عهدة المرفوع والله أعلم. فأما الآثار فقال محمد بن إسحق بن يسار عن داود بن الحصين عن عكرمة عن ابن عباس قال: كانت حواء تلد لآدم عليه السلام أولادا فيعبدهم لله ويسميهم عبدالله وعبيد الله ونحو ذلك فيصيبهم الموت فأتاهما إبليس فقال إنكما لو سميتماه بغير الذي تسميانه به لعاش قال فولدت له رجلا فسماه عبدالحارث ففيه أنزل الله يقول "هو الذي خلقكم من نفس واحدة - إلى قوله - جعلا له شركاء فيما آتاهما" إلى آخر الآية وقال العوفي عن ابن عباس قوله في آدم "هو الذي خلقكم من نفس واحدة - إلى قوله - فمرت به" شكت حملت أم لا؟ "فلما أثقلت دعوا الله ربهما لئن آتيتنا صالحا لنكونن من الشاكرين" فأتاهما الشيطان فقال هل تدريان ما يولد لكما؟ أم هل تدريان ما يكون أبهيمة أم لا؟ وزين لهما الباطل إنه غوي مبين وقد كانت قبل ذلك ولدت ولدين فماتا فقال لهما الشيطان إنكما إن لم تسمياه بي لم يخرج سويا ومات كما مات الأول فسميا ولدهما عبدالحارث.

All Mankind are the Offspring of Adam

Allah states that He has created all mankind from Adam, peace be upon him, and from Adam, He created his wife, Hawwa' and from them, people started to spread. Allah said in another Ayah,

يأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَى وَجَعَلْنَـكُمْ شُعُوباً وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَـرَفُواْ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عَندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَـكُمْ

(O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has Taqwa) 49:13, and,

يَـأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا

(O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord, Who created you from a single person, and from him He created his wife.)4:1 In this honorable Ayah, Allah said;

وَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا

(And (then) He has created from him his wife, in order that he might enjoy the pleasure of living with her.) so that he is intimate and compassionate with her. Allah said in another Ayah,

وَمِنْ ءايَـتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَجاً لِّتَسْكُنُواْ إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً

(And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives (spouses) from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy.) 30:21 Indeed, there is no intimacy between two souls like that between the spouses. This is why Allah mentioned that the sorcerer might be able with his trick to separate between a man and his wife thus indicating the difficulty of separating them in normal circumstances. Allah said next,

فَلَمَّا تَغَشَّاهَا

(When he covered her) meaning had sexual intercourses with her.

حَمَلَتْ حَمْلاً خَفِيفًا

(she became pregnant and she carried it about lightly) in reference to the first stage of pregnancy when the woman does not feel pain, for at that time, the fetus will be just a Nutfah (the mixture of the male and female discharge), then becomes an `Alaqah (a piece of thick coagulated blood) and then a Mudghah (a small lump of flesh). Allah said next,

فَمَرَّتْ بِهِ

(and she carried it about), she continued the pregnancy, according to Mujahid. It was reported that Al-Hasan, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i and As-Suddi said similarly. Maymun bin Mahran reported that his father said, "She found the pregnancy unnoticeable." Ayyub said, "I asked Al-Hasan about the Ayah,

فَمَرَّتْ بِهِ

(and she carried it about) and he said, `Had you been an Arab, you would know what it means! It means that she continued the pregnancy through its various stages."' Qatadah said,

فَمَرَّتْ بِهِ

(and she carried it about (lightly).), means, it became clear that she was pregnant. Ibn Jarir commented, "This Ayah means that the liquid remained, whether she stood up or sat down." Al-`Awfi recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "The semen remained in, but she was unsure if she became pregnant or not,

فَلَمَّآ أَثْقَلَت

(Then when it became heavy), she became heavier with the fetus", As-Suddi said, "The fetus grew in her womb."

دَّعَوَا اللَّهَ رَبَّهُمَا لَئِنْ ءَاتَيْتَنَا صَـلِحاً

(they both invoked Allah, their Lord (saying): "If You give us a Salih child,) if he is born human in every respect. Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas commented, "They feared that their child might be born in the shape of an animal!" while Abu Al-Bakhtri and Abu Malik commented, "They feared that their newborn might not be human." Al-Hasan Al-Basri also commented, "If You (Allah) give us a boy."

لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّـكِرِينَ

فَلَمَّآ ءَاتَـهُمَا صَـلِحاً جَعَلاَ لَهُ شُرَكَآءَ فِيمَآ ءَاتَـهُمَا فَتَعَـلَى اللَّهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

(we shall indeed be among the grateful. But when He gave them a Salih child, they ascribed partners to Him (Allah) in that which He has given to them. High be Allah, Exalted above all that they ascribe as partners to Him.) 7:189-190 Ibn Jarir recorded that Al-Hasan commented on this part of the Ayah,

جَعَلاَ لَهُ شُرَكَآءَ فِيمَآ ءَاتَـهُمَا

(they ascribed partners to Him (Allah) in that which He has given to them) "This occurred by followers of some religion, not from Adam or Hawwa'." Al-Hasan also said, "This Ayah refers to those among the offspring of Adam who fell into Shirk,

جَعَلاَ لَهُ شُرَكَآءَ فِيمَآ ءَاتَـهُمَا

(they ascribed partners to Him (Allah) in that which He has given to them.)" Qatadah said, "Al-Hasan used to say that it refers to the Jews and Christians. Allah gave them children, and they turned them into Jews and Christians." The explanations from Al-Hasan have authentic chains of narration leading to him, and certainly, it is one of the best interpretations. This Ayah should therefore be understood this way, for it is apparent that it does not refer to Adam and Hawa', but about the idolators among their offspring. Allah mentioned the person first Adam and Hawwa' and then continued to mention the species mankind, many of whom committed Shirk. There are similar cases in the Qur'an. For cases, Allah said

وَلَقَدْ زَيَّنَّا السَّمَآءَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَصَـبِيحَ

(And indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps) It is well-known that the stars that were made as lamps in the sky are not the same as the shooting missiles that are thrown at the devils mentioned later in the Ayah. There are similar instances in the Qur'an. Allah knows best.

He that is God it is Who created you from a single soul namely Adam and made created from him his spouse Eve that he might take rest in her and become intimate with her. Then when he covered her when he had sexual intercourse with her she bore a light burden namely the sperm-drop and moved to and fro with it that is she came and went easily on account of its lightness; but when she became heavy because of the child growing inside her and they became anxious that it should be a dumb child they cried to God their Lord ‘If You give us one a child that is sound unimpaired we indeed shall be of the thankful’ to You for it.

The next verse 189 speaks of the most basic belief of Islam that is Tauhid and, at the same time, brings out the falsity of believing in more than one god. In the beginning of the verse Allah سُبحَانہ و تعالیٰ has mentioned the creation of Sayyidna 'Adam and Sayyidah Hawwa' (علیہما السلام) which was a manifestation of His perfect power. The verse said:

هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا

"He is the One who has created you from a single soul and from him created his wife, so that he may find comfort in her."

This manifestation of Allah's great Power should have made mankind more grateful to Allah and they must have abstained from associating partners with Allah, but negligent as they were, they acted differently. Their neglectful attitude has been referred to in this verse and in the next, in these words:

فَلَمَّا تَغَشَّاهَا حَمَلَتْ حَمْلًا خَفِيفًا فَمَرَّ‌تْ بِهِ ۖ فَلَمَّا أَثْقَلَت دَّعَوَا اللَّـهَ رَ‌بَّهُمَا لَئِنْ آتَيْتَنَا صَالِحًا لَّنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِ‌ينَ ﴿189﴾ فَلَمَّا آتَاهُمَا صَالِحًا جَعَلَا لَهُ شُرَ‌كَاءَ فِيمَا آتَاهُمَا ۚ فَتَعَالَى اللَّـهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِ‌كُونَ ﴿190﴾

"So when he covered her with himself, she carried a light burden and moved about with it. Thereafter, when she grew heavy, they both prayed to Allah, their Lord, "If you bless us with a perfect child, we shall be among the grateful." So, when Allah blessed them with a perfect one, they ascribed partners with Him."

That is to say, at the initial stage of pregnancy the woman feels free to move about, but later when fetus grows heavy in her womb, the parents are anxious about their unborn. They are not sure if they would get a perfect child, because there are occasions when new born is not a normal child or is deaf dumb or blind etc. Having such apprehensions, they start praying for a perfect child and make promises with Allah to be grateful to Him if He favours them with a perfect child. Now, when Allah grants their prayers by giving them a normal and healthy baby, they ascribe partners with Allah, and thus their children, themselves, become the source of their misguidance.

It happens in a variety of ways. Sometimes they are misled by their false belief that their new born is a gift of some holy or godly person. Sometimes, they devote it to some living or dead person and start making offerings in their names. Some people take their children to them and bow their forehead before them. Sometimes, they involve themselves in Shirk شِرک by naming their children like ` Abdullat عبدَاللات ` Abd ul ` Uzza عبد العُزٰی ` Abdul Shams عَبد الشمس or Bandah ` Ali بَندہِ علی etc., assigning their children to false gods, indicating that these children have been created or gifted by these gods or personalities.

He it is who created you from one soul and made of it its spouse so that it may rest in her. Great and magnificent is the lovingly kind Lord, the beautiful in name, the keeper of the servants, the creator of the world's folk, the caretaker of all! He is pure and faultless in name and mark, pure of offspring and Himself unborn, pure of partner and helper, pure of spouse and of similar. When He created the creatures, He created them as pairs linked to each other. He made male and female together, He bound similar to similar and genus to genus, as He says, " and made of it its spouse, so that it may rest in her. " It is God who is one, who is peerless in attributes and separate from faults, the creator, the keeper, and the nurturer. When He wants to show power in creation, He brings forth a hundred thousand subtleties and wonders from one drop of feeble water. First some dust, then some water, then a clot, then tissue, then bones and skin, then an animal. When it becomes four months old, it comes to life in that firm settledness [77:21] in three-fold darknesses [39:6]. In this individual He creates three pools: one the brain, one the liver, and one the heart. From the brain the streams of the nerves open out to the whole body so that the strength of sensation and movement will go there. From the liver the veins open out to the whole body so that nourishment will go there. From the heart the arteries open out to the whole body so that the spirit will go there. He created the brain in three strata. In the first He placed understanding, in the second He placed intellect, and in the third memory. He created the eye in seven strata and placed brightness and sight therein. What is more wondrous is the pupil, its measure that of a single lentil, but within it appears the form of heaven and earth with all this vastness. More surprising is the forehead, which He created stiff and hard so that it would not grow hair and take away beauty. In the midst He created the skin of the eyebrow, so that a bit of hair would come up and not become too long.