سُوْرَةُ الذَّارِياتِ
Surah Adh-Dhaariyat (51) — Ayah 47
وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بَنَيْنَـٰهَا بِأَيْي۟دٍ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ ﴿47﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
With power did We construct the heaven. Verily, We are Able to extend the vastness of space thereof.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱلسَّمَآءَ
wal-samāa
And the heaven
بَنَيْنَـٰهَا
banaynāhā
We constructed it
بِأَيْي۟دٍۢ
bi-aydin
with strength
وَإِنَّا
wa-innā
and indeed, We
لَمُوسِعُونَ
lamūsiʿūna
(are) surely (its) Expanders
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 47) ➊ { وَ السَّمَآءَ بَنَيْنٰهَا بِاَيْىدٍ:} From the beginning of the Surah, the reality of the Day of Judgment and reward and punishment has been discussed. For this, Allah Almighty has sworn several oaths and presented many proofs of His power to resurrect, among which the heavens and the earth are especially mentioned. In between, for the consolation of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and to warn the disbelievers, the Day of Judgment and the evil end of the nations who denied the messengers are mentioned. The greatest doubt of the deniers of the Day of Judgment is how life after death and decay is possible. Therefore, to refute this doubt, Allah Almighty especially mentions the heavens and the earth, because among the visible creations to man, these are the greatest, as He said: « لَخَلْقُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ اَكْبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ وَ لٰكِنَّ اَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ » [ المؤمن : ۵۷ ] "Surely, the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of mankind, but most people do not know." Here, after mentioning historical proofs in favor of the Hereafter, again universal proofs are being presented for its evidence. The Noble Qur’an thus presents the matter in various ways, so that it may be well established in the mind.
➋ {’’ أَيْدٍ ‘‘ ’’يَدٌ‘‘} also comes as the plural of {يَدٌ}, which means "hand," and if this meaning is taken that "We created the sky with hands," then there is no harm in it, because it is proven from the Qur’an and Hadith that Allah Almighty has hands, and they are as befits His majesty; we do not know nor can we know how they are. Allah Almighty said to Iblis: « مَا مَنَعَكَ اَنْ تَسْجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَّ » [ صٓ : ۷۵ ] "What prevented you from prostrating to that which I created with My two hands?" But here {’’ بِاَيْىدٍ ‘‘ ’’آدَ يَئِيْدُ‘‘} (to be strong) is a verbal noun and its meaning is "strength," and the tanween in it is for magnification, and « وَ اَيَّدْنٰهُ بِرُوْحِ الْقُدُسِ » [ البقرۃ : ۲۵۳ ] (and We strengthened him with the Holy Spirit) is also derived from this. At this place, this meaning of {’’ بِاَيْىدٍ ‘‘} has been narrated by Tabari with an authentic chain from the interpreter of the Qur’an, Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both). Allah Almighty said: «وَ اذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوٗدَ ذَا الْاَيْدِ » [ صٓ : ۱۷ ] "And remember Our servant Dawud, the possessor of strength." That is, creating such a great sky is not a trivial matter; it is only Our strength with which We created it when there was nothing, so why can We not create you again? For the sky, instead of {’’خَلَقْنَاهَا‘‘}, the word {’’ بَنَيْنٰهَا ‘‘} is used, because it appears like a tent, for which the word {’’ بِنَاءٌ‘‘} is used. Then in the word {’’ بِنَاءٌ‘‘}, there is also an invitation to ponder over the construction, that regarding the One who created such a great sky without pillars, you have assumed that He will not be able to create weakly built man again. Then, instead of saying {’’وَ بَنَيْنَا السَّمَاءَ‘‘} (and We created the sky), it is said: « وَ السَّمَآءَ بَنَيْنٰهَا» (and the sky, We created it), thus mentioning the sky twice in just a few words: once with the word {’’ السَّمَآءَ ‘‘} and the second time with its pronoun {’’هَا‘‘}, the purpose being to draw full attention to the sky and its construction.
➌ { وَ اِنَّا لَمُوْسِعُوْنَ:’’مُوْسِعٌ ‘‘ ’’ أَوْسَعَ يُوْسِعُ‘‘} is an active participle from (the af'ala form), when someone is vast, as He said: «عَلَى الْمُوْسِعِ قَدَرُهٗ وَ عَلَى الْمُقْتِرِ قَدَرُهٗ » [ البقرۃ : ۲۳۶ ] "For the one of means, according to his means, and for the one of limited means, according to his means." The word "vastness" is used for both power and abundance. Among the names of Allah Almighty is {’’وَاسِعٌ‘‘}, He said: « اِنَّ اللّٰهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيْمٌ» [ البقرۃ : ۱۱۵ ] "Indeed, Allah is Vast, All-Knowing." There is no limit to the vastness of Allah Almighty’s essence and attributes; His existence, life, knowledge, power, wisdom, etc., are all unlimited. {’’ اِنَّا لَمُوْسِعُوْنَ ‘‘ ’’إِنَّ‘‘} and "lam" (two letters of emphasis) are used because the denier of the Day of Judgment is, in fact, a denier of Allah Almighty’s power and vastness, and the rule of eloquence is that the more the addressee denies something, the more emphatically it is stated.
➍ One meaning of { ’’أَوْسَعَ يُوْسِعُ‘‘} is also "to expand." In this case, the meaning will be: "The sky, We created it, and surely We are expanders." Mufassir Kilani writes: "There are countless things in the universe in which the process of creation and expansion continues to this day and will continue in the future (in fact, this is the case with everything). First of all, take man himself; his progeny is increasing, the numbers are growing, and this is the masterpiece of the universe. Then the produce of the earth is also being increased by Allah Almighty in proportion. In this verse, the sky is especially mentioned, so the creation of the sky is also like this; the countless constellations and galaxies in the sky are astonishing astronomers and constantly challenging their knowledge. What is even more astonishing is that as astronomers invent more powerful and modern telescopes, it is being revealed that the universe is expanding every moment. The distances between planets are increasing, and new celestial bodies are being observed."
➋ {’’ أَيْدٍ ‘‘ ’’يَدٌ‘‘} also comes as the plural of {يَدٌ}, which means "hand," and if this meaning is taken that "We created the sky with hands," then there is no harm in it, because it is proven from the Qur’an and Hadith that Allah Almighty has hands, and they are as befits His majesty; we do not know nor can we know how they are. Allah Almighty said to Iblis: « مَا مَنَعَكَ اَنْ تَسْجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَّ » [ صٓ : ۷۵ ] "What prevented you from prostrating to that which I created with My two hands?" But here {’’ بِاَيْىدٍ ‘‘ ’’آدَ يَئِيْدُ‘‘} (to be strong) is a verbal noun and its meaning is "strength," and the tanween in it is for magnification, and « وَ اَيَّدْنٰهُ بِرُوْحِ الْقُدُسِ » [ البقرۃ : ۲۵۳ ] (and We strengthened him with the Holy Spirit) is also derived from this. At this place, this meaning of {’’ بِاَيْىدٍ ‘‘} has been narrated by Tabari with an authentic chain from the interpreter of the Qur’an, Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both). Allah Almighty said: «وَ اذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوٗدَ ذَا الْاَيْدِ » [ صٓ : ۱۷ ] "And remember Our servant Dawud, the possessor of strength." That is, creating such a great sky is not a trivial matter; it is only Our strength with which We created it when there was nothing, so why can We not create you again? For the sky, instead of {’’خَلَقْنَاهَا‘‘}, the word {’’ بَنَيْنٰهَا ‘‘} is used, because it appears like a tent, for which the word {’’ بِنَاءٌ‘‘} is used. Then in the word {’’ بِنَاءٌ‘‘}, there is also an invitation to ponder over the construction, that regarding the One who created such a great sky without pillars, you have assumed that He will not be able to create weakly built man again. Then, instead of saying {’’وَ بَنَيْنَا السَّمَاءَ‘‘} (and We created the sky), it is said: « وَ السَّمَآءَ بَنَيْنٰهَا» (and the sky, We created it), thus mentioning the sky twice in just a few words: once with the word {’’ السَّمَآءَ ‘‘} and the second time with its pronoun {’’هَا‘‘}, the purpose being to draw full attention to the sky and its construction.
➌ { وَ اِنَّا لَمُوْسِعُوْنَ:’’مُوْسِعٌ ‘‘ ’’ أَوْسَعَ يُوْسِعُ‘‘} is an active participle from (the af'ala form), when someone is vast, as He said: «عَلَى الْمُوْسِعِ قَدَرُهٗ وَ عَلَى الْمُقْتِرِ قَدَرُهٗ » [ البقرۃ : ۲۳۶ ] "For the one of means, according to his means, and for the one of limited means, according to his means." The word "vastness" is used for both power and abundance. Among the names of Allah Almighty is {’’وَاسِعٌ‘‘}, He said: « اِنَّ اللّٰهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيْمٌ» [ البقرۃ : ۱۱۵ ] "Indeed, Allah is Vast, All-Knowing." There is no limit to the vastness of Allah Almighty’s essence and attributes; His existence, life, knowledge, power, wisdom, etc., are all unlimited. {’’ اِنَّا لَمُوْسِعُوْنَ ‘‘ ’’إِنَّ‘‘} and "lam" (two letters of emphasis) are used because the denier of the Day of Judgment is, in fact, a denier of Allah Almighty’s power and vastness, and the rule of eloquence is that the more the addressee denies something, the more emphatically it is stated.
➍ One meaning of { ’’أَوْسَعَ يُوْسِعُ‘‘} is also "to expand." In this case, the meaning will be: "The sky, We created it, and surely We are expanders." Mufassir Kilani writes: "There are countless things in the universe in which the process of creation and expansion continues to this day and will continue in the future (in fact, this is the case with everything). First of all, take man himself; his progeny is increasing, the numbers are growing, and this is the masterpiece of the universe. Then the produce of the earth is also being increased by Allah Almighty in proportion. In this verse, the sky is especially mentioned, so the creation of the sky is also like this; the countless constellations and galaxies in the sky are astonishing astronomers and constantly challenging their knowledge. What is even more astonishing is that as astronomers invent more powerful and modern telescopes, it is being revealed that the universe is expanding every moment. The distances between planets are increasing, and new celestial bodies are being observed."
