Surah Al-Muminoon (23) — Ayah 18

(Ayah 18) ➊ {وَ اَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءًۢ بِقَدَرٍ:} After mentioning the creation of the sky, He mentioned His further blessings. Water itself is a very great blessing, as He said: «{ وَ جَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَآءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ }» [ الأنبیاء : ۳۰ ] “And We made from water every living thing.” In this verse, after mentioning the great blessing of sending down water, He mentioned three things about it. Thus, He said that We sent down water from the sky in a measured amount, so that humans, animals, fields, and trees could be watered. Life could remain in plains, deserts, and mountains, and the needs of seas and rivers could be fulfilled, because if more rain than this specific amount fell, the seas would overflow onto the land and destroy the cycle of life, and if less fell, humans, animals, trees, and fields could not survive. Elsewhere He said that not only water, but Allah sends down everything in a specific measure, neither more than needed nor less, as He said: «{ وَ اِنْ مِّنْ شَيْءٍ اِلَّا عِنْدَنَا خَزَآىِٕنُهٗ وَ مَا نُنَزِّلُهٗۤ اِلَّا بِقَدَرٍ مَّعْلُوْمٍ }» [ الحجر : ۲۱ ] “And there is nothing but that with Us are its treasures, and We do not send it down except in a known measure.”

In Mustadrak Hakim, there is a hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): [ مَا مِنْ عَامٍ أَمْطَرَ مِنْ عَامٍ وَلٰكِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُصَرِّفُهُ حَيْثُ يَشَاءُ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ : «{ وَ لَقَدْ صَرَّفْنٰهُ بَيْنَهُمْ لِيَذَّكَّرُوْا }» الفرقان : ۵۰ ] [ مستدرک حاکم : 403/2، ح : ۳۵۲۰۔ سلسلۃ الأحادیث الصحیحۃ : 460/5، ح : ۲۴۶۱ ] “There is no year in which the rain is more than in another year, but Allah increases or decreases the rain wherever He wills.” Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited this verse: “And indeed, We have circulated it among them so that they may take heed.”

➋ { فَاَسْكَنّٰهُ فِي الْاَرْضِ :} The second thing is that the water that descends from the sky, by Allah’s command, stays on the earth in different forms. Some of it appears in the form of springs, some is preserved underground, which people extract and use in the form of wells, as He said: «{ اَلَمْ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ اَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَسَلَكَهٗ يَنَابِيْعَ فِي الْاَرْضِ }» [الزمر : ۲۱ ] “Did you not see that Allah sent down water from the sky, then made it flow as springs in the earth?” And some water takes the form of streams and rivers, from which people fulfill their needs, drink themselves, bathe, wash clothes, give to animals to drink, irrigate fields and gardens, as He said: «{ اَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَسَالَتْ اَوْدِيَةٌۢ بِقَدَرِهَا }» [ الرعد : ۱۷] “He sent down water from the sky, so many streams flowed according to their capacity.” And some of the rainwater is stored in the form of seas, which again becomes a source for rain and countless benefits and advantages for humans.

➌ {وَ اِنَّا عَلٰى ذَهَابٍۭ بِهٖ لَقٰدِرُوْنَ :} The third thing is that just as We sent down the water, We can also take it away, then who is there who can bring it back? Due to the generality of the indefinite noun in {’’ ذَهَابٍ‘‘}, it is translated as “We are able to take it away in any way.” For example, We may stop the rain, or make the water that falls dirty so that it is not fit for drinking or use, or as it is a compound of oxygen and hydrogen, by saying {’’كُنْ‘‘}, We may turn it back into gas, or take it so deep into the earth that you cannot extract it, as He said: « قُلْ اَرَءَيْتُمْ اِنْ اَصْبَحَ مَآؤُكُمْ غَوْرًا فَمَنْ يَّاْتِيْكُمْ بِمَآءٍ مَّعِيْنٍ » [ الملک : ۳۰ ] “Say, have you considered: if your water were to sink deep into the earth, then who could bring you flowing water?” Or We may make it so salty that it cannot be drunk, as He said: « اَفَرَءَيْتُمُ الْمَآءَ الَّذِيْ تَشْرَبُوْنَ (68) ءَاَنْتُمْ اَنْزَلْتُمُوْهُ مِنَ الْمُزْنِ اَمْ نَحْنُ الْمُنْزِلُوْنَ (69) لَوْ نَشَآءُ جَعَلْنٰهُ اُجَاجًا فَلَوْ لَا تَشْكُرُوْنَ » [ الواقعۃ : ۶۸ تا ۷۰ ] “Then have you considered the water that you drink? Did you bring it down from the clouds, or are We the ones who bring it down? If We willed, We could make it bitterly salty, so why are you not grateful?” Or We may remove from it the blessing that is granted to those whom We wish to grant. This verse is broader in scope than the verse (30) of Surah Al-Mulk: « قُلْ اَرَءَيْتُمْ اِنْ اَصْبَحَ مَآؤُكُمْ غَوْرًا ». The author of Ruh al-Ma’ani, after quoting eighteen reasons from “Al-Taqreeb li Tafseer al-Tahreer wal-Tanweer” of Tahir Ibn Ashur for the verse under commentary being more eloquent than the verse of Surah Al-Mulk, mentioned twelve more reasons, making them thirty in total. Those with taste may refer to it there.