In order to give a further explanation concerning thunder and lightning, the Qur'an alludes to thunderbolts, where it declares:
"...and He sends the thunderbolts so as to smite with them whomever He pleases, ..."
Despite all these and in spite of observing all signs of Allah's magnitude, comparing them to the inferiority of man with respect to catastrophes, even in the case of a celestial spark, there are some ignorant groups who go on disputing about Allah. The verse says:
"... while they dispute about Allah, ..."
They dispute while Allah's powers know no limits and His punishment would be painful and He punishes severely. The verse concludes:
"... and He is mighty in wrath. "
Explanations:
In the Qur'anic literature, the totality of existence is ever engaged in praising the glory of Allah; that kind of praising which is based on knowledge and cognition and free will. What is interesting in this respect is that the Qur'an explains this subject in such a way that it attracts the attention of all, and obliterates all matters which give rise to disbelief and loss of faith, among which one may point to the following:
1- The application of such noble words as/ sabbah a/ or/ yusabbih u/ which explicitly express the meaning of praise and glorification.
2- The repetition of this subject in the various Suras of the Qur'an.
3- The raising of the issue of the glorification of Allah by all beings at the beginning of the Sura, and immediately after the holy phrase/ bismillah/.
4- The use of such words as the humility of the entire domain of existence " ...all are obedient to him"(1) . The prostration of the stars and the plants "And the herbs and the trees do adore (Him) ."(2) The obedience of the skies and the earth " they both said: 'We come willingly. "(3) The awareness that all beings are in a state of prayer and gratitude: " He knows the prayer of each and its glorification, "(4)
5- Addressing of man as to his lack of understanding of the expression of gratitude of other beings " but you do not understand their glorification, "(5)
The Arabic term/ mih al/ is derived from/ h ilah/ which means every kind of hidden and covert way of seeking a remedy, and since this process is interconnected with and interdependent on knowledge and power, therefore, commentators have interpreted the Qur'anic holy phrase/ adidulmih al/ as 'mighty in power and punishment'.
In some Qur'anic verses, the acts of gratitude to Allah and glorifying Him have been mentioned with together: "The thunder glorifies Him with His praise, ..."(6) and there is not a single thing but glorifies Him with His praise, "(7)
(1) Sura Al- Baqarah, No. 2, verse 116
(2) Ar- Rahman, No. 55, verse 6
(3) Fus s ilat, No. 41, verse 11
(4) An- Nour, No. 24, verse 41
(5) Sura 'Isra', No. 17, verse 44
(6) The verse under discussion
(7) Sura 'Isra', No. 17, verse 44
It is just like the bowing and prostration within which we say "Glorified is my Lord, the Exalted, and with His praise" "Glorified is my Lord, the greatest, and with His praise".
It has been recorded in various Sunni traditions that the sublime Prophet (p.b.u.h.) used to interrupt his speech and start praying as soon as he heard the sound of thunderbolts and he would encourage others to do the same. (Durr- ul- Manthour, the Commentary)
6- Thunderbolts and being thunder- stricken is not an accidental matter. On the contrary, it is in accordance with Allah's will and the laws of the Divine nature. Thunderbolts are the Divine punishment which are inflicted on the sinful nations like the people of Thamoud: " So there seized them the thunderbolt of a disgracing chastisement for what they used to earn. " (Sura Fus s ilat, No. 41, verse 71)
* * * *
(14) لَهُ دَعْوَةُ الْحَقِّ وَ الَّذينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ لا يَسْتَجيبُونَ لَهُمْ بِشَيْ ءٍ إِلاَّ كَباسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ إِلَى الْماءِ لِيَبْلُغَ فاهُ وَ ما هُوَ بِبالِغِهِ وَ ما دُعاءُ الْكافِرينَ إِلاَّ في ضَلالٍ
14. " To Him (alone) is the call of Truth; and those to whom they call, besides Him, will answer them nothing, but like one who stretches his two hands towards the water so that it may reach his mouth, while it does not reach it. And the prayer of disbelievers is only in error"
Commentary:
This holy verse refers to two points. The first is that: Allah's call belongs to Him alone. That is, He will accept us whenever we call Him. He is both well aware of the prayers of His servants and He also has the authority to fulfill their wishes. The verse says:
" To Him (alone) is the call of Truth; ..."
Another point raised here is that calling the idols and requesting them is absurd and erroneous, for those whom the pagans call, other than Allah, and seek refuge in them for fulfilling their wishes, their call and their prayers will be left unanswered. The verse continues saying:
"... and those to whom they call, besides Him, will answer them nothing, ..."
Then, as it is the case with the Qur'anic method, in order to visualize this rational subject, including the feeling of beauty and explicitness, the Qur'an brings a sensible and expressive similitude by declaring that: Those who call on other than Allah are like the ones who stretch their hand- palms towards
water so as to fetch water and take it to their mouth, but such a thing will never happen. The verse says:
"... but like one who stretches his two hands towards the water so that it may reach his mouth, while it does not reach it. ..."
Can one sit next to a well and stretch his hands and send it to his mouth instantly and just by pointing to it Can one expect such a thing to happen by any other one than he who is foolish or lunatic To stress the issue further, the Qur'an at the end of the verse indicates that: the prayers of the pagans from their idols is nothing more than taking steps in the dark, and being misled. The verse says:
"... And the prayer of disbelievers is only in error"
What a course of being misled can be worse than that man does his utmost to go astray which may lead him nowhere!
Explanations:
1- Calling on people to worship the sole Allah and alienating oneself from the attention of others, and regarding Him as the only effective factor has been frequently referred to in the Qur'an, among which one may name the followings: " I answer the prayer of every supplicant when he calls on Me, " (Sura Al- Baqqarah, No. 2, verse 186)
However, if he goes to others and calls on them for the fulfillment of his needs, he must beware that they do not hear and if they hear, they will not accept. The Qur'an says: "If you call on them they will not listen to your call, and even if they were to listen, they cannot answer you " (Sura Fat er, No. 35, verse 14)
2- The confined man naturally requires a safe haven in the adventurous life of the world. The divine prophets introduce Allah as the safe haven: "To Him (alone) is the call of Truth ". However, other people's help, such as the despots, are either for fooling him or for his exploitation or propagation and for their own protection of positions, etc. What is not worth consideration to them, is the 'man' himself.
3- Man is inherently truth seeking and thirsty for the Truth but he often loses his way to obtain it. Except for his faith in Allah and love of Him and that his prayers be directed to Him, nothing else will quench the thirst of man who infinitely aspires. " so that it may reach his mouth, while it does not reach it " For, anything inferior to Allah is a mirage and calling on others is of no avail.
Therefore, he who sincerely calls Allah will return not empty- handed. Returning empty- handed is because of focusing towards other than Him.
* * * *
(15) وَ لِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَنْ فِي السَّماواتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ طَوْعاً وَ كَرْهاً وَ ظِلالُهُمْ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَ الْآصالِ
15. " And whoever is in the skies and on the earth prostrates for Allah willingly or unwillingly, and (so do) their shadows in the mornings and the evenings. "
Commentary:
In order to explain how the idol- worshippers have become separated from the mainstream of the world of existence and have been led stray one by one, this verse proclaims that all those who are in the heavens and on the earth willingly or reluctantly obey and submit themselves and prostrate before Allah every morning and evening. The verse says:
" And whoever is in the skies and on the earth prostrates for Allah willingly or unwillingly, and (so do) their shadows in the mornings and the evenings. "
What is the objective of prostration by the beings In such cases, prostration signifies utmost modesty, humbleness, and submission. Nevertheless, the humility and prostration of some groups of creatures is done in the genetic form. That is, they are only submissive in face of the laws of the world of existence and creation. However, some others do have religious prostration in addition to the genetic prostration, which means that they prostrate before Allah willingly and with their own free will.
The Arabic expression:/ t au'an wa karhan/ (willingly and unwillingly) might point out to the fact that the believers willingly prostrate before Allah and exhibit their modesty, while the unbelievers, who are not ready to perform such a
ritual, all the particles of their entity are submissive to Allah's commandments in accordance with the laws of creation, whether they want it or not.
Explanations:
1- Perhaps the objective in mind as regards the prostration of the shadows is their manner in which they are being cast on the floor, which implies that the entire universe is obedient to and prostrates before Allah, and that this mode of existential prostration of all beings is a continuous process.
2- The Arabic term/ 'as al/ is the plural form of/ 'us ul/, which itself is the plural of/ 'as il/, and is derived from/ 'as l/ which means 'the end of the day'.
* * * *
(16) قُلْ مَنْ رَبُّ السَّماواتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ قُلِ اللَّهُ قُلْ أَ فَاتَّخَذْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِياءَ لا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ نَفْعاً وَ لا ضَرًّا قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمى وَ الْبَصيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِي الظُّلُماتُ وَ النُّورُ أَمْ جَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ شُرَكاءَ خَلَقُوا كَخَلْقِهِ فَتَشابَهَ الْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ قُلِ اللَّهُ خالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْ ءٍ وَ هُوَ الْواحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ
16. " Say: 'Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth ' Say: 'Allah'. (Then) say: 'Why is it that you have taken guardians other than Him who own no profit and loss for themselves ' Say: 'Are the blind and the eyed equal Or are the darknesses and light identical Or have they set up partners for Allah who have created (something) like His creation, so that creation is all alike to them ' Say: 'Allah is the Creator of everything, and He is the One, the All- Dominant'. "
Commentary:
As there were numerous discussions as to the cognition of Allah's Existence in the previous holy verses, the Qur'an has devoted the discussion in this verse to the mistakes of the pagans and the worshippers of the idols. It follows this discussion on several fronts.
At first, the Qur'an addresses the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and tells him to ask them about the creator and administrator of the heavens and the earth. It declares:
" Say: 'Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth ' ..."
Then, before that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) waits for any answer from them, it immediately issues the decree to him
(p.b.u.h.) that he provides the best answer to this query, proclaiming that:
"... Say: 'Allah'. ..."
Then blaming them and reproaching them with this sentence the Qur'an issues another query for the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) to ask them, saying whether they have designated any one other than Allah as their worshipping center and their supporting person, without considering the fact that these idols can be of no profit or loss even for themselves. The verse says:
" (Then) say: 'Why is it that you have taken guardians other than Him who own no profit and loss for themselves?' ..."
Then, by providing two explicit and clear examples, the Qur'an differentiates between the position of the individuals who are 'monotheist' and that of 'pagans', stating:
" Say: 'Are the blind and the eyed equal? ..."
As the blind and the eyed people are not similar, therefore, the pagan and the faithful are not alike either, and one cannot designate the position of the idols alongside Allah. The other point the verse remarks is that:
"... Or are the darknesses and light identical? ... "
How would it be possible to align the idols, which are utter darkness, alongside Allah (s.w.t.) Who is the absolute light of existence
Then, the Qur'an stresses further the rejection of the ideas of the pagans, asking whether they have aligned counterparts for Allah for the sake that they are engaged in the process of creation like Allah, and hence, such a creation has brought about for them a state of confusion. The verse says:
" Or have they set up partners for Allah who have created (something) like His creation, so that creation is all alike to them ?' "
However, even the idol worshippers are not of the same opinion about idols. They, too, regard Allah as the Creator of everything and consider the world of creation as a whole package in His Authority.
Therefore, the verse instantly adds:
"... Say: 'Allah is the Creator of everything, and He is the One, the All- Dominant'. "
One can infer from the above verse that the process of creation is a continuous matter and Allah (s. w. t.) is continuously shedding rays of existence, in which case, every being is benefiting existence from His Pure Essence from moment to moment.
Therefore, the process of creation and administration of the world of existence are both in His Own Power, just like the onset of creation.
Explanations:
1- Discussing issues in the form of 'question- and- answer' is one of the methods of propagation, and dissemination of information, and is an educational means, which has been notably used by the Qur'an. "Say: 'Who is the Lord of heavens and the earth ' "
2- Some pagans only accepted the creative nature of Allah and considered others as administrators. Therefore, in Sura 'Ankabout, No. 92, verse 16, the Qur'an proclaims: "And if you ask them (these pagans) who created the heavens and the earth and made the sun and the moon subservient, they will certainly say 'Allah'. " Then how is it that they hasten to paganism, 'Deism', and ignorance after making such a confession ?
3- Paganism in all its forms, according to some Islamic quotations, is more hidden and covert than the movement of an ant over a dark stone by night. An example of this is that one might say that this task was done under Allah's blessings and with the help of such a person.
* * * *
(17) أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّماءِ ماءً فَسالَتْ أَوْدِيَةٌ بِقَدَرِها فَاحْتَمَلَ السَّيْلُ زَبَداً رابِياً وَ مِمَّا يُوقِدُونَ عَلَيْهِ فِي النَّارِ ابْتِغاءَ حِلْيَةٍ أَوْ مَتاعٍ زَبَدٌ مِثْلُهُ كَذلِكَ يَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْحَقَّ وَ الْباطِلَ فَأَمَّا الزَّبَدُ فَيَذْهَبُ جُفاءً وَ أَمَّا ما يَنْفَعُ النَّاسَ فَيَمْكُثُ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَذلِكَ يَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثالَ
17. " He sent down water from the sky, then rivers flew according to their capacity and the floodwater carried along a swelling foam, and from metals, which they melt with fire so as to make an ornament or goods, arises a foam similar to it. Thus does Allah illustrate the Truth and falsehood; then as for the foam passes away as a worthless thing, and what is beneficial for people remains on the earth. Thus Allah sets forth the parables. "
Commentary:
As the method of the Qur'an relies heavily on objective issues as an educational book, in order to explain the complicated concepts, it points to the tangible examples which are interesting and beautiful in everyday life of the people. It explains an explicit example for visualization of the facts referred to in the previous verses regarding monotheism, paganism, faith and blasphemy, the truth and the untruth. At first the Qur'an says:
" He sent down water from the sky, ..."
It is the kind of water which is life- giving and creating, and it is also the source of development and movement. There are floodwaters which flow from every valley and every river,
measured according to their capacity. The holy verse continues saying:
" then rivers flew according to their capacity ..."
Small streams join one another, stream- lining into canals that join together to form huge torrents which flow down the mountains. Waters piling up carry whatever stand in their way, which strike over them. At this moment, foams emerge from between the layers of the wares. As the Qur'an says:
"... and the floodwater carried along a swelling foam, ..."
The emergence of the foams is not confined to the coming of rain. There arises a foam out of what is being melted in the furnaces for obtaining jewelry or home appliances, upon which they light fire to melt, so there are also foams appearing which are like the ones on water surface. The Qur'an says: " and from metals, which they melt with fire so as to make an ornament or goods, arises a foam similar to it. " After giving this example, the Holy Qur'an concludes by pointing out that Allah provides you with an example in this manner for the truth and the untruth. The verse says:
"... Thus does Allah illustrate the Truth and falsehood; ..."
Afterwards, discussing it in detail, it declares, however, the seeming high foams, which are void in the process of flow of water, go away and the water, which is useful for people, stays on the earth. The verse says:
"... then as for the foam passes away as a worthless thing, and what is beneficial for people remains on the earth. ..."
The truth is also always useful, just like pure water which is the source of life. However, the wrong and the untruth is useless and absurd, while the truth must always be flourishing and alive so as to expel the 'untruth'.
At the end of the verse, to stress further the point and to call all to study in depth and in a more exact way over this example, as well as other examples of the Qur'an, it says:
"... Thus Allah sets forth the parables. "
Examples usually universalize cases. There are many scientific discussions which are only understandable for a selected few persons and the masses of people do not benefit from them very much. However, once they are accompanied with examples, they tend to become better understandable for the people of all echelons and all levels of knowledge.
Therefore, examples are best as a means of generalization of knowledge and culture, and they have some undeniable and numerous applications.
There are two examples introducing the falsehood in this verse. One is the foam which appears on the surface of water. The second is the foam which covers metals once they are in the melting pot.
1- The falsehood is like the foam for:
1- It is transient.
2- It appears as the shadow of the truth and under it.
3- It covers up the truth.
4- It has got looks but is worthless. It does neither quench the thirst of anyone, nor does any plant grow as a result of it.
5- It disappears once the conditions are normal.
6- It places itself on top though it is void and without any substance.
