Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 30

(Ayah 30) ➊ The meaning of {اَوَ لَمْ يَرَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْۤا … : ’’ رَتْقًا ‘‘} is two or more things being tightly joined and stuck together, whether naturally (like stone) or by someone’s making. (Raghib) This is a verbal noun with the meaning of an intensive active participle, i.e., completely closed. The meaning of {’’ فَتْقٌ ‘‘} is to separate such joined things. The meaning of {’’ اَوَ لَمْ يَرَ ‘‘} is “And did (they) not see,” and where the thing is not visible, it means “And did (they) not know.” (See Surah Al-Fil) This verse has two meanings, and both are correct. Tabari has narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) with a sound chain: [ كَانَتَا مُلْتَزِقَتَيْنِ ] “All the heavens and the earth were tightly joined together.” That is, do these people who deny the oneness of Allah and associate powerless beings with Him not know that all the heavens and the earth were a solid mass, then Allah, with His immense power and perfect might, separated them and created a gap of air and space between them, and made the heavens into seven heavens and the earth into seven earths. See Surah At-Talaq (12). Is there anyone else who can do this? Today, science also acknowledges that the universe was initially in the form of a mass, then separated with a great explosion, but the poor scientists remained unaware of the One who caused the explosion. (Except whom Allah wills)

The second meaning is that have the deniers of Allah’s oneness not seen that the sky was closed, not a drop fell from it, and the earth was closed, not a leaf grew from it? With Our perfect power, for the benefit of Our creation, We opened the gates of the sky with rain and, along with it, opened the pores of the earth and produced various kinds of vegetation.

➋ { وَ جَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَآءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ :} This includes humans, animals, plants, and trees—all are included. For details on the creation of living things from water, see Surah An-Nur (45), and for the creation of plants, see Surah Al-An’am (99).

➌ Our teacher Muhammad Abduh (may Allah have mercy on him), quoting from Imam Razi, writes: “That is, those things which have life, such as animals and plants, all are created from water, but angels and jinn or any other thing for which it is established that water is not involved in its substance, they will be considered exceptions.” (Kabir) In fact, this is the answer to the question that angels and jinn are not created from water but from light and fire, so how can their creation from water be accepted? The basis of this answer is that {’’ كُلٌّ ‘‘} does not mean everything in the universe, but the meaning of {’’كُلٌّ‘‘} is determined according to the context, as the hoopoe said about the Queen of Sheba: «{ وَ اُوْتِيَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ }» [ النمل : ۲۳ ] “And she has been given a share of everything.” And about the wind sent upon the people of ‘Ad, Allah said: «{ تُدَمِّرُ كُلَّ شَيْءٍۭ بِاَمْرِ رَبِّهَا }» [ الأحقاف : ۲۵ ] “Which will destroy everything by the command of its Lord.” The explanation of Razi is reasonable. However, if it is accepted that the existence of every living thing is from water, including humans, jinn, and angels, then it is not far-fetched, for when the origin of man, who is made from clay, is water, then the origin of jinn and angels, who are made from fire and light, can also be water. Today, when it has been observed that matter can be converted into energy by splitting the atom, which has given man immense constructive and destructive power, and on the Day of Resurrection the waters of the seas will take the form of fire (see Surah At-Takwir: 6), then by Allah’s command, water can also take the form of light besides fire. (And Allah knows best)

➍ { اَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُوْنَ :} That is, We are the ones who have established the amazing system in the earth and the heavens, no one else; do these people still not adopt the path of oneness, but instead consider others as Our partners?

➎ Razi says: “In these four verses, from verse (30) to verse (33), six types of arguments are mentioned for the existence of the Creator of the universe and for His being only One.” (Kabir)