16:11 An-Nahl (The Bee)

يُخرج لكم من الأرض بهذا الماء الواحد الزروع المختلفة، ويُخرج به الزيتون والنخيل والأعناب، ويُخرج به كل أنواع الثمار والفواكه. إن في ذلك الإخراج لدلالةً واضحة لقوم يتأملون، فيعتبرون.

تفسير الآيتين 10 و11:ـ بذلك على كمال قدرة الله الذي أنزل هذا الماء من السحاب الرقيق اللطيف ورحمته حيث جعل فيه ماء غزيرا منه يشربون وتشرب مواشيهم ويسقون منه حروثهم فتخرج لهم الثمرات الكثيرة والنعم الغزيرة.

وقوله "ينبت لكم به الزرع والزيتون والنخيل والأعناب ومن كل الثمرات" أي يخرجها من الأرض بهذا الماء الواحد على اختلاف صنوفها وطعومها وألوانها وروائحها وأشكالها ولهذا قال "إن في ذلك لآية لقوم يتفكرون" أي دلالة وحجة على أنه لا إله إلا الله كما قال تعالى "أمن خلق السموات والأرض وأنزل لكم من السماء ماء فأنبتنا به حدائق ذات بهجة ما كان لكم أن تنبتوا شجرها أإله مع الله بل هم قوم يعدلون".

With it He makes the crops grow for you and olives and date-palms and vines and all kinds of fruit. Surely in that which is mentioned there is a sign indicating His Oneness exalted He be for people who reflect upon His handiwork and therefore believe.

It will be noticed that all verses cited above point out to Divine blessings and mention the creation of the universe with unprecedented wisdom. In them, those who ponder find significant indicators and proofs which lead them to perceive the truth of Tauhid, the truth that Allah Ta` ala is One. Therefore, while these blessings are being mentioned, they are tied up with a notice to pay attention, think, understand and accept advice. Consequently, at the end of verse 11, it was said: إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُ‌ونَ (Indeed, in that, there is a sign for a people who ponder). The reason is that the linkage of pastures, crops, trees and their flowers and fruits with the creativity and wisdom of Allah Ta` ala needs some reflection. If one ponders over a grain or pit, he will come to realize that simply putting it inside the land and watering it cannot automatically cause it to grow into a huge big tree with flowers of many colours opening up all over it. No tiller or farmer or land owner has made this happen. Their role in this process is nil. All this is linked with and tied to the creativity and wisdom of the Absolute Master.

After that, when came the description of the night and day, the sun, the moon and the stars which have been made subservient by His command, it was said in the concluding sentence of verse 12: إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ (Indeed, in that, there are signs for a people who understand). Given here is the hint that these things are of course subservient to the command of Allah, an open fact which does not need a lot of thinking. Anyone having some reason in him would understand, because there was obviously some human input in the growth of vegetation and trees, but, in this case, there is none.

He it is who sends down water from heaven.... Surely in that is a sign for a people who reflect... signs for a people who use intellect... a sign for a people who remember. He is an allusion to the Essence, who is an intimation of the attributes, and sends down reports about the acts. Thus you will know that God has Essence, attributes, and acts. He is eternal in Essence, noble in attributes, wise in acts; without associate in Essence, without ambiguity in attri- butes, and without cause in acts. The servants gazes upon His artisanry, then flee from the artisanry to gaze upon the attributes, then flee from the attributes to gaze upon the Essence. These are the stations of the wayfarers' traveling and the degrees of the recognizers' recognition. One must have reflection in gazing upon the artisanry, knowledge in gazing on the attributes, and remembrance in gazing on the Essence. This is why the Lord of the Worlds says, “Surely in that is a sign for a people who reflect.” Then, after that, He says, “signs for a people who use intel- lect.” Then, after that, He says “a sign for a people who remember.” In other words, recognition will be gained in this order: first reflection, then knowledge, then, at that point, he will remember through the continuity of knowledge. First he reflects, putting his gaze in its place. If no defect falls into his gaze, then inevitably he gains knowledge; and in reality there is no difference between intellect and knowledge. Then, after that, the gaze becomes continuous, and the continuity of the gaze is the remembering of which He speaks. It has been said that He says “signs for a people who use intellect” in the plural only because someone gains many knowledges in order to become a recognizer, and every part of knowledge is gained through a different sign and indicator. The knower has signs and indicators before he becomes a recognizer of his Lord, because the indicator for one question is different from the in- dicator for another question. With one indicator he knows the necessity of gazing on Him, with many indicators he becomes a recognizer of his Lord, and with one indicator he knows that it is necessary to remember the various sorts of his knowledge.