Surah Ar-Room (30) — Ayah 8

(Ayah 8) ➊ { اَوَ لَمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوْا فِيْۤ اَنْفُسِهِمْ … :} There can be two possibilities in this: one is that {’’ اَوَ لَمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوْا فِيْۤ اَنْفُسِهِمْ ‘‘} is an independent sentence and {’’ مَا خَلَقَ اللّٰهُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضَ وَ مَا بَيْنَهُمَاۤ اِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَ اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ‘‘} is another sentence. That is, have those people who deny Allah’s messengers and His meeting not reflected within themselves, because there are many signs within their own souls, by which they can know that the One who brought them into existence from non-existence is also able to bring them to life again after this, and that the One who transferred them from one state to another—thus, from a drop of fluid to a clot, then to a lump of flesh, then to a living human, then in the form of a child, then a youth, then an old man, then a decrepit old man. Is it befitting for such a Being to leave them unrestrained, without giving them any command, nor forbidding them from anything, nor granting them any reward or punishment? No, rather, in every state, as they pass through different conditions, they are destined to meet their Lord for the reckoning of their deeds. (See Surah Inshiqaq: 6 and 16–19) (Abdur Rahman Sa'di)

The second possibility is that {’’ فِيْۤ اَنْفُسِهِمْ ‘‘ ’’ اَوَ لَمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوْا ‘‘} is a circumstantial adverb and the sentence is completed at {’’ بِالْحَقِّ وَ اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ‘‘}. That is, have these people not reflected within their own souls, that is, in their hearts, that Allah Almighty did not create the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in vain and without purpose, nor did He make them to last forever, but rather, He created them with the truth, according to His perfect wisdom, that is, for a real purpose (trial), as He said: «{ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ اَيُّكُمْ اَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا }» [ھود : ۷ ] “That He may test you as to which of you is best in deed.” And He created them for a fixed term, upon reaching which this entire process must come to an end, and that appointed term is the Day of Resurrection, the time of reckoning, reward, and punishment. This is what is stated in this verse: «{ اَفَحَسِبْتُمْ اَنَّمَا خَلَقْنٰكُمْ عَبَثًا وَّ اَنَّكُمْ اِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُوْنَ }» [ المؤمنون : ۱۱۵ ] “Did you think that We created you in vain and that you would not be returned to Us?” See here how Allah Almighty has clearly stated that if He were to create the creation and then leave them as they are, without resurrecting them and bringing them to account, then creating mankind would be in vain. (Shanqiti) The first possibility of the verse’s exegesis is also Sahih, but the second is clearer, so the translation has been done according to this possibility. Both these points—that the creation of the heavens and the earth is not purposeless but with truth, and that the Resurrection will certainly take place—are mentioned together at many places in the Qur’an. See Surah Dukhan (38–40) and Surah Hijr (85).

➋ {وَ اِنَّ كَثِيْرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ بِلِقَآئِ رَبِّهِمْ لَكٰفِرُوْنَ :} And many people deny the Hereafter, and being resurrected to meet their Lord, and the reckoning, because they have not reflected in their hearts. If they had reflected in their hearts upon the heavens and the earth and the countless wondrous things between them (see Baqarah: 164), they would have attained certainty in meeting their Lord.