Surah Luqman (31) — Ayah 20

(Ayah 20) ➊ The meaning of {اَلَمْ تَرَوْا اَنَّ اللّٰهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُمْ مَّا فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِي الْاَرْضِ: ’’ اَلَمْ تَرَوْا ‘‘} is {’’اَلَمْ تَعْلَمُوْا‘‘} (Did you know?), because man has not seen with his own eyes every single thing in the heavens and the earth made subservient for him, but the word “see” is used here because this matter is so clear as if it were seen with the eyes. (Biqā‘ī) In {’’ سَخَّرَ لَكُمْ ‘‘}, the “lām” is for benefit, so it is translated as “made subservient for your sake,” because some things are to some extent under man’s control, like cattle, from which man can benefit as he wishes, but countless things are such over which man has no control. To make them subservient for man means that Allah has bound them to work for his benefit and service, like the sun, moon, stars, and even the angels who protect him. Even harmful animals are, in the end, in some way for man’s benefit, even Iblis, for if he did not exist, there would be no trial, and by succeeding in it, man could not become the inheritor of eternal Paradise. Those people speak far beyond their status who say that man can subjugate the universe with science. The universe is a far-off matter; let these gentlemen just subjugate the beating of their own hearts, or make the stages from childhood to youth and then old age subservient, or at least subjugate death itself. Allah said: «{ كَبُرَتْ كَلِمَةً تَخْرُجُ مِنْ اَفْوَاهِهِمْ اِنْ يَّقُوْلُوْنَ اِلَّا كَذِبًا }» [ الکہف : ۵ ] “(This) is a grave word that comes out of their mouths; they speak nothing but a lie.” Before this, Allah had presented His oneness as proof in {’’ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوْنَهَا …‘‘}, and now He presents the subjugation of everything in the heavens and the earth for man’s benefit as proof of His oneness, saying: Think! Do any of your deities have even the slightest share in this creation or subjugation?

➋ By manifest blessings are meant those blessings which man observes with his senses, or knows through reason, or learns from someone else; and by hidden blessings are meant those blessings which, inside or outside man’s body, are working for his benefit, of which he is not even aware, that his Lord has provided so many means for his sustenance, growth, and protection. For example, man eats food and is done, but he has no idea how many mechanisms inside him become fully active to digest it, make it part of his body, and expel its waste. As research advances in various branches of science, countless blessings of Allah are being unveiled before man. These are worldly and material blessings; religious and spiritual blessings, both manifest and hidden, are in addition to these and far greater, such as Islam, the Qur’an, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him), and Allah’s boundless mercy, etc. Razi has given a simple and delightful explanation of {’’ ظَاهِرَةً وَّ بَاطِنَةً ‘‘}; he says: “By manifest blessings are meant the soundness of human limbs, and by hidden blessings are meant the faculties placed within those limbs. See, the eye, ear, nose, and tongue are all made of fat, flesh, bone, and muscle, which are clearly visible, but the faculties of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and speaking within them are hidden blessings. Sometimes a hidden blessing, such as sight or hearing, is lost, while the manifest limb, such as the eye or ear, remains intact. This is the case with every limb.”

➌ {وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يُّجَادِلُ فِي اللّٰهِ … :} means that there are some people who, despite the proofs of Allah’s oneness being established through creation, subjugation, and countless other manifest and hidden blessings, still dispute and argue about Allah’s oneness and His attributes, for example: Does Allah even exist or not? And if He does, is He one or are there others sharing in divinity with Him? And what are His attributes?

➍ {بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَّ لَا هُدًى وَّ لَا كِتٰبٍ مُّنِيْرٍ:} There are three levels of acquiring knowledge: first, to know through one’s own effort and reflection; second, to obtain guidance from someone knowledgeable; and third, to acquire knowledge by studying an authentic book. The state of the polytheists is that they have neither any knowledge or understanding themselves by which they could comprehend the truth, nor have they obtained guidance from any true guide, nor do they possess any book sent by Allah from which they have derived this belief. Rather, after being deprived of all three sources of knowledge, their entire world is the imitation of their forefathers, and they blindly follow them.

➎ Huffaz, remember that {’’ اَلَمْ تَرَوْا ‘‘} appears in the Qur’an only in two places: once in this verse and once in Surah Nuh: «{ اَلَمْ تَرَوْا كَيْفَ خَلَقَ اللّٰهُ سَبْعَ سَمٰوٰتٍ طِبَاقًا } » [ نوح : ۱۵ ]. In all other places, only {’’ اَلَمْ تَرَ‘‘} appears in the singular form.