Surah Qaaf (50) — Ayah 6

(Ayah 6) ➊ {اَفَلَمْ يَنْظُرُوْۤا اِلَى السَّمَآءِ:} One of the important things denied by the disbelievers was resurrection, so from here some further arguments for it are presented. In {’’ اَفَلَمْ يَنْظُرُوْۤا ‘‘}, although the meaning of "nazr" is also contemplation, its primary meaning is to see, and there is greater emphasis that just seeing these creations with one's eyes is enough to indicate resurrection. That is, the creation of the heavens, their adornment with stars, and the creation of the earth are evidence that the One who made them is also capable of recreating man. Elsewhere, this same point is stated in more explicit words: «اَوَ لَمْ يَرَوْا اَنَّ اللّٰهَ الَّذِيْ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضَ وَ لَمْ يَعْيَ بِخَلْقِهِنَّ بِقٰدِرٍ عَلٰۤى اَنْ يُّحْيَِۧ الْمَوْتٰى بَلٰۤى اِنَّهٗ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ » [ الأحقاف : ۳۳ ] "And have they not seen that Allah, who created the heavens and the earth and was not wearied by their creation, is able to give life to the dead? Yes, indeed! Surely He is powerful over everything."

➋ { فَوْقَهُمْ:} This is the state of {’’ السَّمَآءِ ‘‘}, meaning that it is not difficult for them to see the sky, nor does it require any journey, nor a telescope or any instrument; just raise your head and see this great creation of Allah with your own eyes.

➌ By { كَيْفَ بَنَيْنٰهَا وَ زَيَّنّٰهَا: ’’ السَّمَآءِ ‘‘} is meant the entire upper world, which includes the atmosphere, the moon, stars, the sun, and the blue sky surrounding the earth from all sides like a tent. With {’’ كَيْفَ ‘‘}, attention is drawn to the manner of their creation and adornment. Their height, their grandeur, their strength, beauty, and their being free from any defect or flaw are all such things that astonish a person and make him certain that the One who made them is capable of everything, He can do whatever He wills. Then, in observing and contemplating the system of the sky, sun, moon, and stars, people are at different levels according to their intellect and knowledge; in the verse, there is guidance for all classes.

In Tafheem-ul-Quran it is stated: "If a person sees this system with his naked eye, he is filled with wonder, but if he uses a telescope, such a vast universe appears before him that it is boundless. Planets many times larger than our earth are revolving within it like balls. Stars thousands of times brighter than our sun are shining in it. Our entire solar system lies in just one corner of a single galaxy. In this one galaxy alone, there are at least three billion other stars (fixed stars) like our sun, and human observation so far has revealed about a million such galaxies. Of these millions of galaxies, our nearest neighboring galaxy is at such a distance that its light, traveling at 186,000 miles per second, takes a million years to reach the earth. This is only the extent of that part of the universe which has so far come within human knowledge and observation; we cannot estimate how vast God's dominion is. It may be that the known universe to man does not even bear the relation to it that a drop does to the ocean. If this great workshop of existence and being, which God has brought into existence, is judged by this small crawling rational animal on earth, called man, that He cannot recreate him after death, then this is only the narrowness of his own intellect; how can the power of the Creator of the universe be limited by this?"

➍ {وَ مَا لَهَا مِنْ فُرُوْجٍ: ’’ فُرُوْجٍ ‘‘ ’’فَرْجٌ‘‘} is the plural, meaning crack, fissure, crevice. For details, see the commentary of Surah Mulk (3, 4). In Tafheem-ul-Quran it is stated: "That is, despite its astonishing vastness, this magnificent system of the universe is so continuous and stable, and its structure is so tight, that there is no crack or fissure anywhere in it, and its continuity is not broken at any point. This can be well understood by an example. Modern radio astronomers have observed a galactic system which they refer to as 'Source 3C 295.' According to their estimate, the rays from it that are now reaching us must have been emitted more than four billion years ago. How could it be possible for these rays to reach the earth from such a distant point if the continuity of the universe had been broken anywhere between the earth and that galaxy, or if there had been a crack in its structure? By pointing to this reality, Allah actually presents this question before man: when you cannot even identify a single flaw in the system of My universe, then how did the idea of such weakness in My power enter your mind that, after your period of trial is over, if I wish to resurrect you and bring you before Me for reckoning, I would not be able to do so? This is not only proof of the possibility of the Hereafter, but also proof of Tawheed (Oneness of God)."

6. 1 That is, without pillars, which could support it.
6. 2 That is, adorned with stars.
6. 3 In the same way, there is no difference or inconsistency either. As stated at another place (الَّذِيْ خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمٰوٰتٍ طِبَاقًا ۭ مَا تَرٰى فِيْ خَلْقِ الرَّحْمٰنِ مِنْ تَفٰوُتٍ ۭ فَارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ ۙ هَلْ تَرٰى مِنْ فُطُوْرٍ ۝ ثُمَّ ارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ كَرَّتَيْنِ يَنْقَلِبْ اِلَيْكَ الْبَصَرُ خَاسِئًا وَّهُوَ حَسِيْرٌ ۝) 67. Al-Mulk: 3-4)

Have they not looked at the sky above them, how We built [7] it and adorned it, and there are no cracks in it?

[7]
Proofs of Tawheed and Life After Death:

With this verse begins the presentation of the proofs of Tawheed and the explanation of Allah Almighty’s perfect power. By “sky” is meant that blue canopy which, when seen with the naked eye, appears to be spread over every person in a spherical shape, and in which the sun, moon, and beautiful tiny stars shine and are arranged like jewels. And if one looks upward toward the sky with the help of a powerful telescope, one falls into the unfathomable depths of wonder. One cannot comprehend where the beginning of this universe is and where its end lies, and what is known is that everything in the universe is moving toward its appointed destination with complete order and discipline. Nowhere is there any pause, gap, or fissure visible, and from this, the argument is presented that the Being who is running such massive celestial bodies and this entire universe with such order and discipline—can He not also gather the particles of your body that have mingled with the earth, reconstruct your body, and then, by placing your soul in it, resurrect you once again?