The Prophets — Verse 31

The Signs of Allah in the Heavens and the Earth and in the Night and the Day Here Allah tells of His perfect might and power in His creation and subjugation of all things. أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ (Have not those who disbelieve known) means, those who deny His Divine nature and worship others instead of Him, do they not realize that Allah is the One Who is Independent in His powers of creation and is running the affairs of all things with absolute power So how can it be appropriate to worship anything else beside Him or to associate others in worship with Him Do they not see that the heavens and the earth were joined together, i.e. in the beginning they were all one piece, attached to one another and piled up on top of one another, then He separated them from one another, and made the heavens seven and the earth seven, placing the air between the earth and the lowest heaven. Then He caused rain to fall from the sky and vegetation to grow from the earth. He says: وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَآءِ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ حَىٍّ أَفَلاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ (And We have made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe) meaning, they see with their own eyes how creation develops step by step. All of that is proof of the existence of the Creator Who is in control of all things and is able to do whatever He wills. In everything there is a Sign of Him, showing that He is One Sufyan Ath-Thawri narrated from his father from `Ikrimah that Ibn `Abbas was asked; "Did the night come first or the day" He said, "Do you think that when the heavens and the earth were joined together, there was anything between them except darkness Thus you may know that the night came before the day. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Umar said that a man came to him and questioned him about when the heavens and earth were joined together then they were parted. He said, "Go to that old man (Shaykh) and ask him, then come and tell me what he says to you." So he went to Ibn `Abbas and asked him. Ibn `Abbas said: "Yes, the heavens were joined together and it did not rain, and the earth was joined together and nothing grew. When living beings were created to populate the earth, rain came forth from the heavens and vegetation came forth from the earth." The man went back to Ibn `Umar and told him what had been said. Ibn `Umar said, "Now I know that Ibn `Abbas has been given knowledge of the Qur'an. He has spoken the truth, and this is how it was." Ibn `Umar said: "I did not like the daring attitude of Ibn `Abbas in his Tafsir of the Qur'an, but now I know that he has been given knowledge of the Qur'an." Sa`id bin Jubayr said: "The heavens and the earth were attached to one another, then when the heavens were raised up, the earth became separate from them, and this is their parting which was mentioned by Allah in His Book." Al-Hasan and Qatadah said, "They were joined together, then they were separated by this air." وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَآءِ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ حَىٍّ (And We have made from water every living thing. ) meaning, the origin of every living thing is in water. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said, "I said: O Messenger of Allah, when I see you I feel happy and content, tell me about everything." He said, «كُلُّ شَيْءٍ خُلِقَ مِنْ مَاء» (Everything was created from water.) "I said, tell me about something which, if I do it, I will enter Paradise." He said: «أَفْشِ السَّلَامَ، وَأَطْعِمِ الطَّعَامَ، وَصِلِ الْأَرْحَامَ، وَقُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّاسُ نِيَامٌ، ثُمَّ ادْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ بِسَلَام» (Spread (the greeting of) Salam, feed others, uphold the ties of kinship, and stand in prayer at night when people are sleeping. Then you will enter Paradise in peace.) This chain of narration fulfills the conditions of the Two Sahihs, apart from Abu Maymunah, who is one of the men of the Sunans, his first name was Salim; and At-Tirmidhi classed him as Sahih. وَجَعَلْنَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ رَوَاسِىَ (And We have placed on the earth firm mountains,) means, mountains which stabilize the earth and keep it steady and lend it weight, lest it should shake with the people, i.e., move and tremble so that they would not be able to stand firm on it -- because it is covered with water, apart from one-quarter of its surface. So the land is exposed to the air and sun, so that its people may see the sky with its dazzling signs and evidence. So Allah says, أَن تَمِيدَ بِهِمْ (lest it should shake with them, ) meaning, so that it will not shake with them. وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا فِجَاجاً سُبُلاً (and We placed therein broad highways for them to pass through,) means, mountain passes through which they may travel from region to region, country to country. As we can see, the mountains form barriers between one land and another, so Allah created gaps -- passes -- in the mountains so that people may travel from here to there. So He says: لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ (that they may be guided.) وَجَعَلْنَا السَّمَآءَ سَقْفاً مَّحْفُوظاً (And We have made the heaven a roof, safe and well-guarded.) means, covering the earth like a dome above it. This is like the Ayah, وَالسَّمَآءَ بَنَيْنَـهَا بِأَيْدٍ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ (With Hands We constructed the heaven. Verily, We are able to extend the vastness of space thereof.) 51:47 وَالسَّمَآءِ وَمَا بَنَـهَا (By the heaven and Him Who built it.) 91:5 أَفَلَمْ يَنظُرُواْ إِلَى السَّمَآءِ فَوْقَهُمْ كَيْفَ بَنَيْنَـهَا وَزَيَّنَّـهَا وَمَا لَهَا مِن فُرُوجٍ (Have they not looked at the heaven above them, how We have made it and adorned it, and there are no rifts in it) 50:6. The building and making described here refers to the raising of the dome, as when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «بُنِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْس» (Islam is built on five.) i.e., five pillars, which can only refer to a tent as familiar among the Arabs. مَّحْفُوظاً (safe and well-guarded.) means, high and protected from anything reaching it. Mujahid said, "Raised up." وَهُمْ عَنْ ءَايَـتِهَا مُعْرِضُونَ (Yet they turn away from its signs.) This is like the Ayah: وَكَأَيِّن مِّن ءَايَةٍ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ يَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضُونَ (And how many a sign in the heavens and the earth they pass by, while they are averse therefrom) 12:105. They do not think about how Allah has created it, so vast and high, and adorned it with heavenly bodies both stationary and moving by night and day, such as the sun which completes its circuit in one day and night, until it completes its allotted time, which no one knows except Allah, Who created it and subjugated it and directed its course. Then Allah says, drawing attention to some of His signs, وَهُوَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ الَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَـرَ (And He it is Who has created the night and the day,) meaning, the one with its darkness and stillness, and the other with its light and human interaction; sometimes the one is longer while the other is shorter, then they switch. وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ (and the sun and the moon,) the sun with its own light and its own path and orbit and allotted time, and the moon which shines with a different light and travels on a different path and has its own allotted time. كُلٌّ فِى فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ (each in an orbit floating.) means, revolving. Ibn `Abbas said, "They revolve like a spinning wheel, in a circle." This is like the Ayah: فَالِقُ الإِصْبَاحِ وَجَعَلَ الَّيْلَ سَكَناً وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ حُسْبَاناً ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ ((He is the) Cleaver of the daybreak. He has appointed the night for resting, and the sun and the moon for reckoning. Such is the measuring of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.) 6:96

And We set in the earth firm mountains lest it should shake with them and We set in them in the firm mountains ravines as roads subulan substitutes for fijājan ‘ravines’ which are wide through-routes that perhaps they may be guided to their destinations during travel.

وخلقنا في الأرض جبالا تثبتها حتى لا تضطرب، وجعلنا فيها طرقًا واسعة؛ رجاء اهتداء الخلق إلى معايشهم، وتوحيد خالقهم.

وقوله " وجعلنا في الأرض رواسي " أي جبالا أرسى الأرض بها وقررها وثقلها لئلا تميد بالناس أي تضطرب وتتحرك فلا يحصل لهم قرار عليها لأنها غامرة في الماء إلا مقدار الربع فإنه باد للهواء والشمس ليشاهد أهلها السماء وما فيها من الآيات الباهرات والحكم والدلالات. ولهذا قال " أن تميد بهم " أي لئلا تميد بهم وقوله وجعلنا فيها فجاجا سبلا " أي ثغرا في الجبال يسلكون فيها طرقا من قطر إلى قطر وإقليم إلى إقليم كما هو المشاهد في الأرض يكون الجبل حائلا بين هذه البلاد وهذه البلاد فيجعل الله فيه فجوة ثغرة ليسلك الناس فيها من ههنا إلى ههنا ولهذا قال " لعلهم يهتدون ".

ثم ساق - سبحانه - أدلة أخرى على وحدانيته وقدرته فقال : ( وَجَعَلْنَا فِي الأرض رَوَاسِيَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِهِمْ . . . ) .الوراسى : جمع راسية ، من رسا الشىء إذا ثبت ورسخ ، والمراد بها الجبال الثابتة الراسخة فى الأرض .أى : وجعلنا فى الأرض جبالا ثوابت ، كراهة أن ( تَمِيدَ بِهِمْ ) أى : أن تضطرب وتتحرك بهم الأرض . يقال : ماد الشىء يميد ميدا - من باب باع - إذا تحرك واهتز .( وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا فِجَاجاً سُبُلاً لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ ) ، والفجاج .جمع فج وهو الطريق الواسع .والسبل : جمع سبيل وهو الطريق . وهو بدل من ( فِجَاجاً ) .أى : وجعلنا فى الأرض طرقا واسعة ، ومنافذ متعددة ، لعلهم بذلك يهتدون ويتوصلون إلى الأماكن التى يريدون الوصول إليها . ويعلمون أن الذى وهبهم كل هذه النعم ، هو الله - تعالى - الذى يجب أن يخلصوا له العبادة والطاعة .

يقول تعالى ذكره: أو لم ير هؤلاء الكفار أيضا من حججنا عليهم وعلى جميع خلقنا، أنا جعلنا في الأرض جبالا راسية؟ والرواسي: جمع راسية، وهي الثابتة.كما حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قَتادة، قوله ( وَجَعَلْنَا فِي الأرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ ) أي جبالا.وقوله ( أَنْ تَمِيدَ بِهِمْ ) يقول: أن لا تتكفأ بهم، يقول جلّ ثناؤه: فجعلنا في هذه الأرض هذه الرواسي من الجبال، فثبتناها لئلا تتكفأ بالناس، وليقدروا بالثبات على ظهرها.كما حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قال: كانوا على الأرض تمور بهم لا تستقرّ، فأصبحوا وقد جعل الله الجبال وهي الرواسي أوتادا للأرض، وجعلنا فيها فجاجا سبلا يعني مسالك، واحدها فجّ.كما حدثنا بِشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة، قوله ( وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا فِجَاجًا ) أي أعلاما. وقوله (سُبُلا) أي طرقا، وهي جمع السبيل.وكان ابن عباس فيما ذُكر عنه يقول: إنما عنى بقوله ( وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا فِجَاجًا ) وجعلنا في الرواسي، فالهاء والألف في قوله ( وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا ) من ذكر الرواسي.حدثنا بذلك القاسم، قال: ثنا الحسين، قال: ثني حجاج، عن ابن جُرَيج، قال: قال ابن عباس، قوله ( وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا فِجَاجًا ) سبلا قال: بين الجبال.وإنما اخترنا القول الآخر في ذلك وجعلنا الهاء والألف من ذكر الأرض، لأنها إذا كانت من ذكرها داخل في ذلك السهل والجبل؛ وذلك أن ذلك كله من الأرض، وقد جعل الله لخلقه في ذلك كله فجاجا سبلا ولا دلالة تدلّ على أنه عنى بذلك فجاج بعض الأرض التي جعلها لهم سبلا دون بعض، فالعموم بها أولى.وقوله ( لَعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: جعلنا هذه الفجاج في الأرض ليهتدوا إلى السير فيها.

( وجعلنا في الأرض رواسي ) جبالا ثوابت ، ( أن تميد بهم ) ; [ يعني كي لا تميد بهم ] ( وجعلنا فيها ) في الرواسي : ( فجاجا ) طرقا ومسالك ، والفج : الطريق الواسع بين الجبلين ، أي : جعلنا بين الجبال طرقا حتى يهتدوا إلى مقاصدهم ، ( سبلا ) تفسير للفجاج ، ( لعلهم يهتدون )

وَجَعَلْنَا فِي الْأَرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَنْ تَمِيدَ بِهِمْ وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا فِجَاجًا سُبُلًا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ (31)هذا من آثار فتق الأرض في حد ذاتها إذْ أخرج الله منها الجبال وذلك فتق تكوين ، وجعل فيها الطّرق ، أي الأرضين السهلة التي يتمكن الإنسان من المشي فيها عكس الجبال .والرواسي : الجبال ، لأنها رست في الأرض ، أي رسخت فيها .والميْد : الاضطراب . وقد تقدم في أول سورة النحل .وتقدم في أول سورة النحل أن معنى { أن تَميد } أن لا تميد ، أو لكراهة أن تميد . والمعنى : وجعلنا في الأرض فجاجاً . ولما كان { فجاجاً } معناه واسعة كان في المعنى وصفاً للسبيل ، فلما قُدم على موصوفه انتصب على الحال . والمقصود إتمام المنة بتسخير سطح الأرض ليسلكوا منها طرقاً واسعة ولو شاء لجعل مسالك ضيقة بين الجبال كأنها الأودية .والفجاج : جمع فَجّ . والفج : الطريق الواسع .والسُبُل : جمع سبيل ، وهو : الطريق مطلقاً .وجملة { لعلهم يهتدون } مستأنفة إنشاء رجاءِ اهتداء المشركين إلى وحدانية الله فإن هذه الدلائل مشاهدة لهم واضحة الدلالة . ويجوز أن يراد بالاهتداء الاهتداء في السير ، أي جعلنا سبلاً واضحة غير محجوبة بالضيق إرادة اهتدائهم في سيرهم ، فتكون هذه منة أخرى وهو تدبير الله الأشياء على نحو ما يلائم الإنسان ويصلح أحواله .فقوله تعالى { لعلهم يهتدون } من الكلام الموجه .

قوله تعالى : وجعلنا في الأرض رواسي أي جبالا ثوابت . أن تميد بهم أي لئلا تميد بهم ، ولا تتحرك ليتم القرار عليها ؛ قاله الكوفيون . وقال البصريون : المعنى كراهية أن تميد . والميد التحرك والدوران . يقال : ماد رأسه ؛ أي دار . ومضى في ( النحل ) مستوفى . وجعلنا فيها فجاجا يعني في الرواسي ؛ عن ابن عباس . والفجاج المسالك . والفج الطريق الواسع بين الجبلين . وقيل : وجعلنا في الأرض فجاجا أي مسالك ؛ وهو اختيار الطبري ؛ لقوله : سبلا تفسير الفجاج ؛ لأن الفج قد يكون طريقا نافذا مسلوكا وقد لا يكون . وقيل : ليهتدوا بالاعتبار بها إلى دينهم .

Here some prominent features of the earth have been mentioned which remind man of God in order to make him a grateful servant of God. One of these is the mountain ranges that have risen up on the surface of the earth in order to keep the dense matter beneath the seas well-balanced. Probably this refers to what is known as ‘isostasy’ in modern science. Similarly, it is also a sign of God that the earth is so made that man is able to make roadways sometimes on level plains, and sometimes as passages between mountains and rivers. The roof of the sky, which is our upper atmosphere, is composed in such a way as to prevent certain harmful rays of the sun from affecting us in the form of the ozone layer. The atmosphere also prevents the majority of the continuous shower of meteorites from reaching us. In the same way, there are signs in the moving of the sun and the moon in their orbits without clashing with each other, resulting in the regular occurrence of day and night on the earth. Innumerable such signs are found on the earth. If man examines them in depth, he will be overwhelmed by the realisation of God’s blessings and His powers. But he ignores them. Even after seeing clear events and signs, he continues to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to them.

وَجَعَلْنَا فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ رَ‌وَاسِيَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِهِمْ (And We created mountains on the earth, lest it should shake with them. 21:31) The word مَید (mayd) in Arabic language means to be convulsed. Therefore, the meaning of this verse is that Allah Ta` ala has planted mountains on the earth to hold it in place because any violent movement of the earth would be catastrophic to those who live on it.

(And We have placed in the earth firm hills) the mountains as pillars for it (lest it quake with them) lest the earth trembles with them on it, (and We have placed therein) in the earth (ravines) valleys (as roads) as spacious roads (that haply they may find their way) in their goings and comings.