The Light of the Holy Qur'an Interpretation of Sura Al-fatir

Section 4 : the Inheritors of the Qur’an Commentary: Verse 27

Servants of Allah endued with knowledge – Qur’a-n inherited by the Chosen Ones of Allah – The grievous punishment to the disbelievers and the Great Reward which awaits the believers

(27) أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ ثَمَرَاتٍ مُخْتَلِفاً أَلْوَانُهَا وَمِنَ الْجِبَالِ جُدَدٌ بِيضٌ وَحُمْرٌ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهَا وَغَرَابِيبُ سُودٌ

27.“Have you not seen that Allah sends down water from the sky, then We bring forth with it fruits of various colours, and in the mountains are streaks, white and red, of divers hues and (others) intensely black?”

Commentary:

By means of the colourless water and from the earth of one colour, Allah creates fruits of different colours.

In these verses, the Qur’a-n returns again to the subject of Monotheism, and shows a new section of the book of creation to human beings. This is a severe answer to the obstinate polytheists and the headstrong rejecters of Monotheism.

In this beautiful section from this large and great book of creation, the variety of soulless beings, and the different beautiful features of life in the world of plants, animals and human beings have been regarded to, that how He has brought hundred thousands of colours into being from the colourless water, and He has created some completely diverse beings from some defined and limited elements each of which is fairly more beautiful than the other.

This skilful painter, by a single pen and ink, has produced kinds of pictures which attract the attention of their visitors and charm them. At first, it says:

“Have you not seen that Allah sends down water from the sky, then We bring forth with it fruits of various colours, …”

This verse begins with a confessional interrogation and, besides moving the curiosity sense of men, points to this fact that this matter is so clear and vivid that whoever looks at it he seas that from the same water and land, one of which is colourless and the other has only one colour, there have been created these abundant different colours in various fruits, beautiful flowers, leaves and blossoms with diverse features.

The Qur’a-nic word /’alwa-n/ (colours) may refer to the apparent colours of fruits that even in a single fruit, like an apple, there exist different colours, let alone the diverse fruits. And it may refer to the differences in their different tastes, constructions, and properties, so much so that even in one kind of fruit you can find various sorts. For example, there are, perhaps, fifty kinds of grapes and more than seventy kinds of date.

In the continuation of the verse, the Qur’a-n has referred to the variety of roads which exist in the mountains and these mountains cause the ways to be recognized from each other. It says:

“… and in the mountains are streaks, white and red, of divers hues and (others) intensely black?”

From one side, this difference of colours gives a special beauty to the mountains and, on the other side, it is a cause for finding ways not being lost in the crooked roads of the mountains, and, ultimately, it is a proof upon the Power of Allah over everything.

The Arabic word /judad/ is the plural form of /juddah/ in the sense of ‘road and way’.

The Arabic word /bayd?/ is the plural form of /’abyad?/ which means ‘white’; and /h?umur/ is the plural form of /’ah?mar/ in the sense of ‘red’.

The Qur’a-nic term /qara-bi-b/ is the plural form of /qirbi-b/ which means ‘black in full’, and that in Arabic ‘crow’ is called /qura-b/ is also from this quality. Therefore, the mention of the word /su-d/, which is also the plural form of /’aswad/, next to it is for an emphasis upon the ‘intensely black’ colour seen in some mountain roads.

However, the construction of the mountains with diverse and completely different colours, from one side, and the mountain roads with various colours, on the other side, are some other signs for the Greatness, Power, and Wisdom of Allah which every moment appear in a form and every time decorate themselves in another clothing.

Commentary: Verse 28

(28) وَمِنَ النَّاسِ وَالدَّوَآبّ‌ِ وَالأَنْعَامِ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ كَذَلِكَ إِنَّمَا يَخْشَي اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَآءُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ

28.“And of the people and beasts and cattle are of various colours likewise; verily only those of His servants fear Allah who have knowledge, verily Allah is Mighty, Forgiving.”

Commentary:

The difference of the colours of human beings and animals is one of the signs of the Power and Greatness of Allah.

Having some knowledge and awareness over the secrets of existence is a preparation for reaching the position of fearing Allah.

This verse refers to the variety of colours in men and in other living animals. It says:

“And of the people and beasts and cattle are of various colours likewise; …”

Yes, although human beings are all from the same parents, they have diverse races and colours completely different. Some of them are as white as snow while some others are as black as ink. Even in one race, there is also difference of colours. If we look carefully of the twin children who have passed the different stages of foetus with together and have been in the bosom of each other from the beginning, they are not sometimes completely in the same form from the point of colour, though they are from one father and one mother and their life-germ has combined in a single moment, and they have fed from one kind of food.

Besides the outward features, their innate colours, their characters, their attributes and qualities, their talents and tastes may be completely different so that they all with together form a single unit with the whole needs.

In the world of moving creatures, there are many thousands kinds of insects, birds, creepers, sea-animals, different desert wild animals that, with all their specialties and wonders of creations, each of them is a sign of the Power and Greatness and Knowledge of the Creator.

After stating these signs of Unity, finally, as a conclusion, it implies that the matter is like that.

And, since enjoying from these great verses of creation is for the wise and knowledgeable servants more than others, at the end of the verse, it says:

“… verily only those of His servants fear Allah who have knowledge, …”

Yes, from among all of Allah servants only scholars are those who gain the high rank of ‘fear’, that is, the fear of responsibility accompanied with perception of the greatness of the position of their Lord. This state of ‘Fear’ is the result of contemplation on the extroversive and introversive verses of the Qur’a-n, and knowing the Knowledge and Power of Allah and the aim of His creation.

Ra-qib in Mufrada-t says: “The word /xas(yat/ means a ‘fear’ mixed with veneration, and it is often used in some instances which originate from knowledge and awareness of something.” Therefore, in the Qur’a-n, this rank is counted specialized to the learned ones.

We have repeatedly said that this is a fear because of the responsibilities that one has in front of Allah: a fear that he may not fulfil his own duties well. Furthermore, in principle, perceiving the greatness, that greatness which is unlimited and infinite, for a being that is limited, such as man, causes fear. Upon the commentary of this verse, Imam S?a-diq (a.s.) in a tradition said: “The purpose is that there are some scholars whose deeds are consistent with their words. The one whose saying and deed are not consistent is not knowledgeable.” [^1]

Another tradition announces: “The most learned one of you is the one whose fear to Allah is the most.” [^2]

Shortly speaking, from the view and logic of the Qur’a-n, the ‘learned ones’ are those scholars and authorities that the light of knowledge has made their whole selves enlightened with the light of Allah, faith, and piety, and they intensively feel responsibility unto their duties and they fulfil them more than the others.

At the end of the above verse, as a short reasoning upon what was said, the Qur’a-n says:

“… verily Allah is Mighty, Forgiving.”

His Veneration and endless Power is the origin of the fear of the learned ones; and His Forgiveness, which is the sign of His unlimited Mercy, is the cause of their ‘hope’. Thus, these two holy names keep the servants of Allah between ‘fear’ and ‘hope’. And we know that the constant movement toward development is not possible without being qualified with these two characters.

[^1] Majma'-ul-Baya-n, following the verse.

[^2] Ibid