Surah Al-Hijr (15) — Ayah 21

(Ayah21){وَ اِنْ مِّنْ شَيْءٍ اِلَّا عِنْدَنَا … :} That is, anything, whether it is the most precious or the most ordinary, We have many treasures of it, but We reveal it only according to a known measure. For example, wood was used for burning and lighting; when the population increased, coal appeared; when it increased further, petroleum was granted; when it increased even more, gas emerged, and electric ovens were invented. For energy and transportation, animals were used; then the wheel was invented; then coal began to be used; then petroleum, gas, electricity, and atomic energy. In short! Inventions also came about according to need at their respective times. From this, it becomes clearly evident that the statement of those atheist people, especially the rulers, is wrong, who say that the population is increasing too much, while our resources are few, we cannot arrange food for everyone, therefore reduce the population, practice birth control, allow only one or two children to be born. In reality, these people do not believe in Allah, Who has said that We have countless treasures of everything, but We send it down only with a fixed measure. These rulers, how can they provide food to anyone, when they themselves live off the earnings of the public? Look at Allah’s grace: the land that used to produce ten maunds of grain now produces a hundred maunds; the comforts that are available to the common man today through electricity and other inventions were not available even to the greatest kings a few hundred years ago, nor did they even imagine them, unless he was like Sulaiman (peace be upon him). Instead of traveling on foot and using camels and horses, there are now cars and airplanes, and instead of vast deserts, there are settlements and very clean and wide roads and railways. Instead of wool and cotton, there are petroleum-based fabrics. In short! Which new blessing and treasure should be mentioned? As for the ratio of population and resources, who knows it better than Allah? If there is a need to reduce the population, He Himself reduces it through His unseen planning—sometimes through storms, sometimes through wars, sometimes through earthquakes, sometimes through epidemics. In short, the sustenance of every living being is the responsibility of Allah, and Allah sends every person into the world with one mouth to eat and two hands to earn, and one person provides for the needs of many others. In reality, these rulers want to spread immorality and indecency under this pretext, and the punishment for those who desire to spread indecency has been stated by Allah in Surah An-Nur (19). The command of Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) to us is that increase the population as much as possible; this is also a strong means of dominance in the world, and on the Day of Judgment, it will be a cause of happiness and pride for our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) over the other prophets due to the greater number of his Ummah, as Ma’qil bin Yasar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): [ تَزَوَّجُوا الْوَدُوْدَ الْوَلُوْدَ فَإِنِّيْ مُكَاثِرٌ بِكُمُ الْأُمَمَ ] [ أبوداوٗد، النکاح، باب النھي عن تزویج من لم یلد من النسآء : ۲۰۵۰۔ نسائی :۳۲۲۹، و صححہ الألباني ] “Marry such a woman who is very loving (to her husband) and very fertile, because I will boast of your numbers before the other nations.”

21. 1. Some have taken "khazain" to mean rain because rain is the source of produce, but the more Sahih opinion is that it refers to all the treasures of the universe, which Allah brings into existence from non-existence according to His will and intention.

21. There is not a thing whose treasures are not with Us. And We do not send it down except in a known measure [12].

[12]
Provision of Life’s Necessities in Appropriate Measure:

Allah possesses the treasures of everything, so if He willed, He could grant all humans abundant sustenance and wealth. But His wisdom does not require this, because, firstly, abundance of sustenance generally becomes a cause for forgetting Allah and going astray, except for whom Allah wills. Secondly, if everyone were wealthy and there were no needy, the current system of the world could not function. It can only function in such a way that one is in need of another; the rich need the poor and the poor need the rich. Then, in this is also a test for humans. Therefore, the entire matter of the increase and decrease of sustenance is kept in Allah’s hands. Furthermore, this matter is not limited to sustenance alone, but includes all necessities of life. For example, air, water, light, heat, warmth, cold—if any of these things exceed or fall short of their prescribed limits, human life becomes impossible. In other words, Allah has the treasures of everything, but He provides them according to His wisdom and determined measure. For example, if there is an excess of water in the form of a flood, it also becomes a cause of human destruction, and if there is a deficiency, that too is harmful. The same is the case with other necessities of life.