Surah Ar-Ra'd (13) — Ayah 3

(Ayah 3) ➊ The meaning of {وَ هُوَ الَّذِيْ مَدَّ الْاَرْضَ …: ’’ مَدَّ ‘‘ } is to spread. It is the plural of { ’’ رَوَاسِيَ ‘‘ ’’رَاسِيَةٌ‘‘}, and the meaning of {’’رَسَا يَرْسُوْ‘‘} is to be embedded in the earth; the literal meaning is "those embedded in the earth," referring to mountains. First, the upper world was mentioned, then the earth, sky, sun, moon, etc. Now, some of Allah Almighty's powers in the lower world are mentioned: despite the earth being a sphere, He made it so vast that a person's sight cannot reach its end in length or width; humans and animals walk upon it without any difficulty, and humans build magnificent structures upon it. To maintain the balance of the earth and to keep it safe from a constant state of earthquake, He made mountains deeply embedded in it and raised high above it, and for the survival of your life, He made rivers and streams. The mention of streams is made alongside mountains because rivers generally originate from mountains.

➋ In { وَ مِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرٰتِ … :}, a reality is stated in this sentence that has only been fully revealed some time ago. Previously, people only knew about the pairing of a few trees, i.e., the existence of male and female, where the male and female trees are separate, such as date and papaya, etc. Then it was proven that the fruit of every tree comes into existence by the union of male and female flowers, meaning every fruit contains a pair. Sometimes, both male and female flowers are present in the same plant, and sometimes, both male and female parts are found in a single flower of a tree. How great is the power of the One whose single creation's single reality, which He Himself stated hundreds of years ago, is only now being understood by humans to some extent. Generally, the ancient commentators interpreted this as meaning two types in every fruit, such as sweet and sour, hot and cold, small and large, black and white, etc. This meaning is also correct.

➌ { يُغْشِي الَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ:} This is another example of His power and a sign of His mercy upon His servants. The meaning of { ’’غَشِيَ يَغْشٰي‘‘} (ع) is to cover. {’’ يُغْشِي ‘‘} is from the verb form {’’ أَغْشَي يُغْشِيْ‘‘}, meaning to make something as a covering for another thing. He spreads the night over the day, so darkness prevails; the next point is self-evident, so it is omitted, i.e., He spreads the day over the night, so there is light; both keep taking each other's place. For details of the benefits of both, see Surah Al-Qasas (71 to 73).

➍ {اِنَّ فِيْ ذٰلِكَ لَاٰيٰتٍ … :} That is, for those who reflect, there are many signs in these things that every movement and stillness, and every change of time and place, is completely in Allah's control; He can also recreate man. It is stated in "Mowdih": "Creating things of various colors is a sign that He created them by His own will; if everything was by its own property, it would all be the same." Imam Razi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that wherever in the Quran the signs of the lower world, i.e., the earth, are mentioned, at the end of it: «{ اِنَّ فِيْ ذٰلِكَ لَاٰيٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَّتَفَكَّرُوْنَ۠ }» or a similar sentence is brought, indicating that reflecting on these things leads to the conclusion that this diversity is not under natural causes (i.e., it is not happening by itself, but there is a Doer who is doing everything).

3. 1. Estimating the length and breadth of the earth is also difficult for common people, and through the lofty mountains, it is as if stakes have been driven into the earth; such a system of rivers, streams, and springs has been established that humans themselves are quenched and also irrigate their fields, from which various types of grains and fruits are produced, whose shapes differ from one another and whose tastes are also distinct.

3. 2. One meaning of this is that He created both male and female, as current research has also confirmed this. The second meaning of (in pairs) is sweet and sour, cold and hot, black and white, and taste; in this way, He created types that are different and opposite from each other.

3. He is the One who spread out the earth and placed on it mountains [7] and rivers, and created every kind of fruit in pairs. He covers the day with night. Surely, in these things are many signs for people who reflect.

[7] In the previous verse, evidence for the Hereafter was presented from the system of the universe. Now, proofs for Tawheed and the Hereafter are being given from the signs on the earth. That is, Allah spread out the earth and created mountains at certain specific places on it. Then, from these mountains, He caused rivers and streams to flow. Then, from this water, He produced all kinds of vegetation. And in all kinds of fruits, He created male and female. Then, for these fruits and plants to become fruitful, both sunlight and coolness were needed. Therefore, Allah created day and night. In all these matters, a special kind of order, balance, and wisdom is found, from which it becomes clearly evident that the Creator and Manager of all these things can only be one Being. If the god of rain and water were someone else, and the god of mountains, fruits, and vegetation were another, then such harmony and coordination among all these things would have been impossible.