سُوْرَةُ النَّازِعَاتِ
Surah An-Naazi'aat (79) — Ayah 30
وَٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَىٰهَآ ﴿30﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And after that He spread the earth,
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱلْأَرْضَ
wal-arḍa
And the earth
بَعْدَ
baʿda
after
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that
دَحَىٰهَآ
daḥāhā
He spread it
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 30 to 33) {وَ الْاَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ دَحٰىهَا … :} Here, there is a question that in this place, after mentioning the making of the sky, the spreading of the earth is mentioned, whereas from Surah Al-Baqarah, verse (29), and the verses (9 to 12) of Ha-Meem Sajdah, it is understood that the earth was created first, then the sky. What will be the reconciliation between these two? The scholars have mentioned several answers to this:
(1) Some commentators say that the earth was made first, then the sky; however, the spreading of the earth, the bringing forth of its water and pasture, and the embedding of mountains in it happened later. That is, the creation of the earth is before the sky, but {’’دَحْوٌ‘‘} (spreading) is after. Tabari has narrated this explanation from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) with an authentic chain through Ali bin Abi Talhah and has given it preference. The words of the narration are: [ قَوْلُهُ حَيْثُ ذَكَرَ خَلْقَ الْأَرْضِ قَبْلَ السَّمَاءِ، ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ السَّمَاءِ قَبْلَ الْأَرْضِ، وَذٰلِكَ أَنَّ اللّٰهَ خَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ بِأَقْوَاتِهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَدْحُوَهَا قَبْلَ السَّمَاءِ، ثُمَّ اسْتَوٰی إِلَی السَّمَاءِ فَسَوَّاهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمٰوَاتٍ، ثُمَّ دَحَا الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ ، فَذٰلِكَ قَوْلُهُ: «وَ الْاَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ دَحٰىهَا » ] [ طبري : ۲۴ /۹۲، ح : ۳۶۶۳۲ ] "That is, Allah Almighty created the earth with all its sustenance in it, without spreading it, before the sky, then He turned to the sky and perfected them, making them seven skies, then after that, He spread the earth. This is the meaning of Allah Almighty's statement: « وَ الْاَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ دَحٰىهَا» [ النازعات : ۳۰ ] 'And after that, He spread the earth.'" Ibn Kathir said that Allah Almighty has explained the meaning of {’’ وَ الْاَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ دَحٰىهَا ‘‘} with the following verses: « اَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا مَآءَهَا وَ مَرْعٰىهَا …», that is, Allah Almighty had already created all these things in the earth, but after creating the heavens, He brought them out from the earth.
(2) Some commentators, by combining the verses under discussion in Surah An-Nazi'at and the verses (9 to 12) of Ha-Meem Sajdah, have summarized as follows: "Allah Almighty first created the sky, in a state that it was like smoke, then Allah Almighty created the earth, then placed mountains upon it, then determined the measure for the growth of vegetation and trees, etc., in the earth. Then Allah Almighty transformed the sky, which was still in the form of smoke, into seven heavens and raised the roof of the sky, then spread the earth, brought forth water and pasture from it, and firmly embedded the mountains in the earth." (Tafsir Qur'an Aziz, Surah An-Nazi'at)
(3) The third reconciliation is that here in Surah An-Nazi'at, the chronological order of the creation of the earth and sky is not intended at all; that is as mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah Ha-Meem Sajdah. Rather, here, as evidence of Allah Almighty's power to resurrect mankind, the sky is mentioned first, then the earth. It should be clear that the word "after" is not always for chronological order, but sometimes it is for the order of mention, meaning that according to the context, the more important thing is mentioned first and the other later, as He said: «عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ زَنِيْمٍ » [ القلم : ۱۳] "Harsh-tempered, after that, infamous." In such a case, whatever the chronological order may be, the meaning of "after" is that after the first thing, its information is being given, it is being mentioned. In such cases, the meaning of "after" is generally "with," that is, along with being harsh-tempered, he is also infamous. Similarly, see the explanation of the verses (11 to 17) of Surah Al-Balad, in which after {’’ فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ …‘‘}, it is said: « ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا …» Here too, {’’ ثُمَّ ‘‘} is not for chronological order, but the meaning is that along with freeing the neck and feeding, having faith is also necessary. Almost all commentators have mentioned this reconciliation, and it is the best, because in the first two reconciliations, the detail and order of the creation of the earth and sky in six days is not fully clarified, nor is the original problem resolved.
(1) Some commentators say that the earth was made first, then the sky; however, the spreading of the earth, the bringing forth of its water and pasture, and the embedding of mountains in it happened later. That is, the creation of the earth is before the sky, but {’’دَحْوٌ‘‘} (spreading) is after. Tabari has narrated this explanation from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) with an authentic chain through Ali bin Abi Talhah and has given it preference. The words of the narration are: [ قَوْلُهُ حَيْثُ ذَكَرَ خَلْقَ الْأَرْضِ قَبْلَ السَّمَاءِ، ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ السَّمَاءِ قَبْلَ الْأَرْضِ، وَذٰلِكَ أَنَّ اللّٰهَ خَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ بِأَقْوَاتِهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَدْحُوَهَا قَبْلَ السَّمَاءِ، ثُمَّ اسْتَوٰی إِلَی السَّمَاءِ فَسَوَّاهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمٰوَاتٍ، ثُمَّ دَحَا الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ ، فَذٰلِكَ قَوْلُهُ: «وَ الْاَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ دَحٰىهَا » ] [ طبري : ۲۴ /۹۲، ح : ۳۶۶۳۲ ] "That is, Allah Almighty created the earth with all its sustenance in it, without spreading it, before the sky, then He turned to the sky and perfected them, making them seven skies, then after that, He spread the earth. This is the meaning of Allah Almighty's statement: « وَ الْاَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ دَحٰىهَا» [ النازعات : ۳۰ ] 'And after that, He spread the earth.'" Ibn Kathir said that Allah Almighty has explained the meaning of {’’ وَ الْاَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ دَحٰىهَا ‘‘} with the following verses: « اَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا مَآءَهَا وَ مَرْعٰىهَا …», that is, Allah Almighty had already created all these things in the earth, but after creating the heavens, He brought them out from the earth.
(2) Some commentators, by combining the verses under discussion in Surah An-Nazi'at and the verses (9 to 12) of Ha-Meem Sajdah, have summarized as follows: "Allah Almighty first created the sky, in a state that it was like smoke, then Allah Almighty created the earth, then placed mountains upon it, then determined the measure for the growth of vegetation and trees, etc., in the earth. Then Allah Almighty transformed the sky, which was still in the form of smoke, into seven heavens and raised the roof of the sky, then spread the earth, brought forth water and pasture from it, and firmly embedded the mountains in the earth." (Tafsir Qur'an Aziz, Surah An-Nazi'at)
(3) The third reconciliation is that here in Surah An-Nazi'at, the chronological order of the creation of the earth and sky is not intended at all; that is as mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah Ha-Meem Sajdah. Rather, here, as evidence of Allah Almighty's power to resurrect mankind, the sky is mentioned first, then the earth. It should be clear that the word "after" is not always for chronological order, but sometimes it is for the order of mention, meaning that according to the context, the more important thing is mentioned first and the other later, as He said: «عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ زَنِيْمٍ » [ القلم : ۱۳] "Harsh-tempered, after that, infamous." In such a case, whatever the chronological order may be, the meaning of "after" is that after the first thing, its information is being given, it is being mentioned. In such cases, the meaning of "after" is generally "with," that is, along with being harsh-tempered, he is also infamous. Similarly, see the explanation of the verses (11 to 17) of Surah Al-Balad, in which after {’’ فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ …‘‘}, it is said: « ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا …» Here too, {’’ ثُمَّ ‘‘} is not for chronological order, but the meaning is that along with freeing the neck and feeding, having faith is also necessary. Almost all commentators have mentioned this reconciliation, and it is the best, because in the first two reconciliations, the detail and order of the creation of the earth and sky in six days is not fully clarified, nor is the original problem resolved.
