Surah Luqman (31) — Ayah 27

(Ayah 27) ➊ {وَ لَوْ اَنَّ مَا فِي الْاَرْضِ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ اَقْلَامٌ … : ’’ كَلِمٰتُ ‘‘ ’’كَلِمَةٌ‘‘} is the plural of 'كَلِمَةٌ', which means speech, as He said: «{ اِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَآىِٕلُهَا }» [ المؤمنون : ۱۰۰ ] “This is just a word that he is uttering.” The meaning is that along with the other words of Allah, the word {’’كُنْ‘‘} is also included. This refutes the thought that may arise in the mind that although Allah is the Owner of the heavens and the earth and He is Self-Sufficient, yet all this could come to an end, and the One who is Self-Sufficient could become needy. In refutation of this thought, it is said that there can never be any decrease in Allah’s ownership, nor can He ever become needy, because when He intends something, it happens by His word “Kun” (Be). Besides this, He can do whatever He wills and does so. Just as His Being has neither a beginning nor an end, likewise His words have neither a beginning nor an end, nor can they be counted. Then, can the ownership of such a Master ever perish, who can annihilate the entire universe with one word {’’كُنْ‘‘}, and with one word {’’كُنْ‘‘} can create worlds like this, or even far greater and superior, in the millions, and whose words have no end and can never be exhausted? Or can He ever become needy? No, He has always been Self-Sufficient and Praiseworthy, and Mighty and Wise, and will always remain so.

➋ The commentator Ibn Kathir writes: “Allah, while informing about His greatness, majesty, glory, His beautiful names and attributes, and His perfect words, says that no one can encompass them, nor does any human have knowledge of their reality or their count, as the leader of mankind and the seal of the messengers, peace and blessings be upon him, said: [ لَا أُحْصِيْ ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ، أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلٰی نَفْسِكَ ] [ مسلم، الصلاۃ، باب ما یقال في الرکوع و السجود؟ : ۴۸۶ ] ‘I cannot enumerate Your praise; You are as You have praised Yourself.’ Thus, He said: «{ وَ لَوْ اَنَّ مَا فِي الْاَرْضِ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ اَقْلَامٌ … }» that if all the trees on earth were made into pens and the sea were ink, and with it seven more seas were added, and with them Allah’s words were written, which indicate His greatness, majesty, and His attributes, the pens would break, the water of the seas would be exhausted, no matter how many more like them were brought. The mention of ‘seven seas’ is only for emphasis, not for limitation, nor is it that there are seven seas surrounding the world, as some people have said who narrate Isra’iliyat, which can neither be confirmed nor denied. Rather, the reality is what Allah has stated in another verse: «{ قُلْ لَّوْ كَانَ الْبَحْرُ مِدَادًا لِّكَلِمٰتِ رَبِّيْ لَنَفِدَ الْبَحْرُ قَبْلَ اَنْ تَنْفَدَ كَلِمٰتُ رَبِّيْ وَ لَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِهٖ مَدَدًا }» [ الکہف : ۱۰۹ ] ‘Say, if the sea were ink for the words of my Lord, the sea would be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even if We brought the like of it as a supplement.’ Thus, by ‘the like of it’ is not meant just one more sea like it, but like it, then like it, then like it, and so on. No matter how many seas are brought, Allah’s words will not be exhausted, because Allah’s verses and His words cannot be counted. Hasan al-Basri said: ‘If all the trees on earth were made into pens and the sea were ink, and Allah said, “This is My command and this is My command,” the water of the sea would be exhausted and the pens would break.’” (Ibn Kathir)

➌ { اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَزِيْزٌ حَكِيْمٌ :} means that Allah is dominant and mighty over everything; whatever He wills, no one can prevent Him, nor can anyone question Him, and He is Perfect in Wisdom; His dominance is not like the blind man’s stick, rather every act of His is based entirely on wisdom.