This Ramadan, MuslimMatters is pleased to host the Institute Of Knowledge‘s daily Ramadan series: Keys to the Divine Compass. Through this series, each day we will spend time connecting with the Qur’an on a deeper, more spiritual, uplifting level.

Previous in the series: Juz 1 Juz 2 Juz 3 Juz 4 Juz 5 Juz 6

Juzʾ 7: Allāh’s Perfect Design and Wondrous Creation

Juzʾ 7 Contains: Sūrah al-Māʾidah – al-Anʿām (#5-6)

Al-Anʿām (6): 95-99

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ فَالِقُ ٱلۡحَبِّ وَٱلنَّوَىٰۖ یُخۡرِجُ ٱلۡحَیَّ مِنَ ٱلۡمَیِّتِ وَمُخۡرِجُ ٱلۡمَیِّتِ مِنَ ٱلۡحَیِّۚ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكُمُ ٱللَّهُۖ فَأَنَّىٰ تُؤۡفَكُونَ ۝٩٥ فَالِقُ ٱلۡإِصۡبَاحِ وَجَعَلَ ٱلَّیۡلَ سَكَنࣰا وَٱلشَّمۡسَ وَٱلۡقَمَرَ حُسۡبَانࣰاۚ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ تَقۡدِیرُ ٱلۡعَزِیزِ ٱلۡعَلِیمِ ۝٩٦ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِی جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلنُّجُومَ لِتَهۡتَدُوا۟ بِهَا فِی ظُلُمَـٰتِ ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِۗ قَدۡ فَصَّلۡنَا ٱلۡـَٔایَـٰتِ لِقَوۡمࣲ یَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٩ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِیۤ أَنشَأَكُم مِّن نَّفۡسࣲ وَ ٰ⁠حِدَةࣲ فَمُسۡتَقَرࣱّ وَمُسۡتَوۡدَعࣱۗ قَدۡ فَصَّلۡنَا ٱلۡـَٔایَـٰتِ لِقَوۡمࣲ یَفۡقَهُونَ ۝٩٨ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِیۤ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَاۤءِ مَاۤءࣰ فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا بِهِۦ نَبَاتَ كُلِّ شَیۡءࣲ فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا مِنۡهُ خَضِرࣰا نُّخۡرِجُ مِنۡهُ حَبࣰّا مُّتَرَاكِبࣰا وَمِنَ ٱلنَّخۡلِ مِن طَلۡعِهَا قِنۡوَانࣱ دَانِیَةࣱ وَجَنَّـٰتࣲ مِّنۡ أَعۡنَابࣲ وَٱلزَّیۡتُونَ وَٱلرُّمَّانَ مُشۡتَبِهࣰا وَغَیۡرَ مُتَشَـٰبِهٍۗ ٱنظُرُوۤا۟ إِلَىٰ ثَمَرِهِۦۤ إِذَاۤ أَثۡمَرَ وَیَنۡعِهِۦۤۚ إِنَّ فِی ذَ ٰ⁠لِكُمۡ لَـَٔایَـٰتࣲ لِّقَوۡمࣲ یُؤۡمِنُونَ ۝٩٩

“Without a doubt, Allāh breaks open the seeds of grains and trees. He brings living things out of dead things, and is the one who brings dead things out of living things. That is Allāh! So on what basis can you reject this? He is the one who breaks open the night with the first morning rays of light. And He made night time a time of rest. And He also made the sun and the moon as tools for time keeping. All of that is the calculation and decree of The All Powerful and Authoritative. And He is the one who made and placed celestial bodies (stars and planets) so that you can use them to navigate through the darkness of land and see. We have given Our signs in full detail for people who know. And He is the one who brought you into existence from one human soul (Ādam): and all of you are now staying somewhere or resting somewhere (see explanation below). We have given Our signs in full detail for people who understand. And He (Allāh) is the one who sent rain down from the sky. And We (Allāh) used that water to produce vegetation for living beings. And from that vegetation we produced lush greenery. And from that lush greenery we produced clustered grains. And from that water we produced date palm trees from whose spades come low hanging clusters of dates. And from that rain/vegetation we produced gardens of grapes and vineyards, olives, and pomegranates – similar but different (see explanation below). So go look at the fruits/produce when it starts to bear fruit and ripen! Without a doubt, there are absolutely so many signs and indicators in all of that for people who believe.”

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ فَالِقُ ٱلۡحَبِّ وَٱلنَّوَىٰ

This section goes over the amazing physical power and creative design that Allāh ﷻ has. He does falq – splits open – seeds. Ḥabb are seeds from grain, and nawā are seeds from trees. He splits them open for the first little green stem to arise.

 یُخۡرِجُ ٱلۡحَیَّ مِنَ ٱلۡمَیِّتِ

He brings living things out of dead things. That even the most dead seemingly useless thing can be turned into life. We all were not existent: nothingness and deadness, and He made us come alive. He takes the dead barren dry earth and brings it to life and brings out lush greenery. He can turn a dead disbelieving heart into a living illuminating believing heart.

 وَمُخۡرِجُ ٱلۡمَیِّتِ مِنَ ٱلۡحَیِّ

He is the one who brings dead things out of living things. Even things that seem alive so powerful and full of life can be dead in a second. He can destroy it and remove all traces of life having ever been there. He can turn a living illuminating believing heart into a dead disbelieving heart.

ذَ ٰ⁠لِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ

That is Allāh! The doer of all of that is none other than Allāh!

فَأَنَّىٰ تُؤۡفَكُونَ

How can you reject this? On what basis can you deny the ability of Allāh? Is there any proof you have to ignore His Oneness? There is no proof one has to deny this. This is an address to call out the absurd falseness of paganism and equating anything with Allāh.

فَالِقُ ٱلۡإِصۡبَاحِ

Just like He split seeds open, He ﷻ makes the morning sunlight (al-iṣbāḥ) break out of the darkness of the night. The light we depend on to survive, for plants to photosynthesize, for the world to spring into action – is all a result of His power and favor.

وَجَعَلَ ٱلَّیۡلَ سَكَنࣰا

And He ﷻ made the night as a time of ease, comfort, and rest (sakan). To pause from the rushing hussle (ḥarakah) of the day.

 وَٱلشَّمۡسَ وَٱلۡقَمَرَ حُسۡبَانࣰا

And He ﷻ also made the sun and moon as a means for date keeping (husbān). We use them to keep track of every passing day and month.

 ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ تَقۡدِیرُ ٱلۡعَزِیزِ ٱلۡعَلِیمِ

That is the planning, ordering, decree, and calculation (taqdīr) setup by Allāh. He is Al-ʿAzīz: the one with full control, respect, and authority. He is Al-ʿAlīm: all and forever knowledgeable. Allāh is the only one capable – is anyone else capable of such wondrous design and execution?

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِی جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلنُّجُومَ لِتَهۡتَدُوا۟ بِهَا فِی ظُلُمَـٰتِ ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِ

And He ﷻ also made and placed stars and planets (celestials bodies – nujūm). He placed them into the night sky as little lights. Lights so well placed and organized that you can use them to consistently navigate and traverse the earth – land or sea – at night. The same north star that people used 1000 years ago is still used by us for the very same reason. Even in literal and physical darkness, He ﷻ did not leave us without guidance – physical and spiritual.

قَدۡ فَصَّلۡنَا ٱلۡـَٔایَـٰتِ لِقَوۡمࣲ یَعۡلَمُونَ

We have given the signs/miracles – aka Our signs – in full complete detail. An āyah is a sign, pointer, indicator. Imagine a “stop sign” or an “open” neon sign, it gives you information. Or a “freeway next right” sign, it gives you direction and guidance. All of these signs are for any group that knows. If they already knew this about the world, they should come to know that Allāh is One and deserves worship. And if they already knew Allāh, now they know more about HIM via His beautiful creation.

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِیۤ أَنشَأَكُم مِّن نَّفۡسࣲ وَ ٰ⁠حِدَةࣲ

And He ﷻ is the one who created all of you from nothing. He brought you into existence from nonexistence from one human soul: our father, prophet Ādam (alayh asl-salām – may Allāh preserve his legacy). How can I be arrogant, when we all have the same father? How can I deny the objective truth my father and the rest of humanity knew – that there is only one God, Allāh, who deserves to be singled out for enslavement?

فَمُسۡتَقَرࣱّ وَمُسۡتَوۡدَعࣱ

Some of you are still residing/staying (مُسۡتَقَرࣱّ); some in the wombs of your mothers, some on earth. And others are at rest or put to rest  (مُسۡتَوۡدَعࣱ); some into your graves, the loins of your fathers, or the pious souls that are resting with Allāh. All of these explanations (found in Tafsīr Al-Ṭabarī) are possible and apply. Some people are still sperm and egg cells inside their parents. Others are a fetus in their mother’s womb. Some are alive on earth. Some are buried in their graves. And the pious believing souls are with Allāh

قَدۡ فَصَّلۡنَا ٱلۡـَٔایَـٰتِ لِقَوۡمࣲ یَفۡقَهُونَ

We have given our signs/miracles in full complete detail for any group that understands. Anyone that takes a moment to really understand and think deeply will see the truth of everything being said here: there is only One God, Allāh!

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِیۤ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَاۤءِ مَاۤءࣰ

He is the one who sends rain down from the sky. The water that we need to survive. It is His ﷻ choice every day whether He wants to give us rain and water or not.

فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا بِهِۦ نَبَاتَ كُلِّ شَیۡءࣲ

There’s a change in person. Allāh went from “He” to “We”. And We use that rain water to bring out food/greenery (nabāt) for living things (kull shayʾ). The grass and plants for animals and humans. It could also mean all kinds of plants, greenery, and vegetation. Then Allāh gives us specifics.

فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا مِنۡهُ خَضِرࣰا

And from that rain water We bring out greenery and fresh ripe crops.

نُّخۡرِجُ مِنۡهُ حَبࣰّا مُّتَرَاكِبࣰا

And from that rain or green vegetation (khaḍir) We bring out stacked/clustered grains like wheat, barely, corn, and rice.

وَمِنَ ٱلنَّخۡلِ مِن طَلۡعِهَا قِنۡوَانࣱ دَانِیَةࣱ

We use that water to grow date palm trees. And from the fresh branches (spadix/inflorescence) of palm trees come clusters of dates that are hanging down.

وَجَنَّـٰتࣲ مِّنۡ أَعۡنَابࣲ وَٱلزَّیۡتُونَ وَٱلرُّمَّانَ

And We use that rain water or green vegetation (khaḍir) to bring out gardens: grape vines and vineyards (أَعۡنَابࣲ), olives (وَٱلزَّیۡتُونَ), and pomegranates (وَٱلرُّمَّانَ).

مُشۡتَبِهࣰا وَغَیۡرَ مُتَشَـٰبِهٍ

Similar in some ways and different in other ways. This can refer to everything above, or just grapes, olives, and pomegranates. Maybe it is that they have similar leaves (long slender ovals)or similar shapes (round spheres) yet taste totally different! And there are so many other ways they have similarities and differences. If you’re a botanist or plant expert, please share your reflections!

ٱنظُرُوۤا۟ إِلَىٰ ثَمَرِهِۦۤ إِذَاۤ أَثۡمَرَ وَیَنۡعِهِۦۤ

People! Go look at the fruits when these plants bear fruits and as the fruits ripen! See the process! Go compare and contrast and be amazed. Think about how wonderfully Allāh made all of this.

إِنَّ فِی ذَ ٰ⁠لِكُمۡ لَـَٔایَـٰتࣲ لِّقَوۡمࣲ یُؤۡمِنُونَ

Without a doubt, there are so many signs, proofs, and evidences in all of that – everything just mentioned – for people that believe. So think about it. Just like He ﷻ can take sunlight, water, dirt, and a seemingly dead seed, think how you can come to life if He chooses.

Imagine: you are a seed, you have the earth to reflect over, the revelation that came down from the sky, the sunnah/way of Allāh’s Prophet ﷺ to guide you – what more do you need to find truth and come to life?