Luqman: (16) "O my son, indeed it..."

(O my son...) and what follows is a return to the narrative by mentioning the remainder of what was intended to be recounted of Luqman’s advice, after establishing what was at its beginning regarding the prohibition of polytheism and emphasizing it by the parenthetical clause: (Indeed it...) meaning the matter of evil and good, for it is understood from the context. It has been said: It is as you see it; (indeed it) refers to what you have asked about. For it has been narrated that Luqman’s son asked him: "Do you see that if a mustard seed were to fall into the deepest part of the ocean, would Allah, the Exalted, know it?" He replied: "O my son, indeed it—that which you asked about—(if it were the weight of a mustard seed) meaning, if it were—for example—as small as a mustard seed. The mithqal (weight) is that by which another thing is measured to equate its heaviness, and it is known by convention."

Nafi’, al-A’raj, and Abu Ja’far read (mithqalun) in the nominative case, on the basis that the pronoun refers to the matter, and taku is the imperfect tense of the complete verb kana (to be). The feminine form is used because the agent is attributed to a feminine noun, as in the saying of al-A’sha: "And the top of the lance bled with blood just as the قول (statement) which I spread bled." Or it is due to interpreting it as zinah (weight), hasanah (good deed), or sayyi’ah (evil deed). (And it were within a rock or within the heavens or within the earth) meaning: and if it were, despite its extreme minuteness and insignificance, in the most hidden and protected of places, such as the hollow of a rock, or wherever it might be in the higher or lower world. It has been said: in the most hidden and protected place, like the interior of a rock, or at the highest point, like the convex part of the heavens, or the lowest, like the concave part of the earth. It is not hidden that the structure does not provide evidence for the specification of the convex or the concave, though perhaps the context necessitates it, as the intended meaning is hyperbole.

Regarding the saying of the Almighty: (within the heavens), this does not negate that, for it is mentioned according to the concept of location, or as a linguistic assimilation, or it is in the sense of "upon" (’ala), expressed as such to signify established presence. Despite this, the apparent meaning is what preceded. In al-Bahr, it is mentioned that he began with what the listener first perceives, which is the existence of a thing within a rock—that which is solid stone, from which it is difficult to extract anything. Then he followed it with the higher world, which is more strange to the listener, and then he followed it with what is the seat of things for the witness, which is the earth. It has been said: The concealment of a thing and the difficulty of reaching it occur due to its extreme smallness, its distance from the viewer, its being in darkness, and its being guarded. Thus, "a mustard seed" is a sign of extreme smallness; "in a rock" is a sign of the barrier; "in the heavens" is a sign of distance; and "in the earth" is a sign of darkness, for the hollow of the earth is the darkest of places. Thus, "a rock" does not refer to a specific rock. From Ibn Abbas and al-Suddi, it is said that this rock is the one upon which the earth rests. Ibn Marduwayh narrated from Ibn Abbas that the earth is upon a Nun (a great fish), the Nun is upon a sea, the sea is upon a green rock—the greenness of the water comes from it—and the rock is upon the horn of an ox, and that ox is upon the Thara (moist earth). No one knows what is beneath the Thara except Allah, the Exalted.

Some have interpreted "the rock" as this specific rock. It has been said: It is a rock in the wind. Ibn Atiyyah said: All of that is weak; its chain of narration is not established. The meaning of the speech is merely hyperbole and reaching the limit in explanation, meaning: His power, the Exalted, reaches what is in the folds of a rock, what is in the heaven, and what is in the earth. The strongest view in my opinion is the setting aside of these narrations and their like, for the earth is but in the lap of water, and the water is but in the hollow of the air, and the matter ends at the Throne of the Rahman, the Great and Exalted, and all is in the palm of the power of Allah, the Great and Exalted.

’Abd al-Rahim al-Jazari read (fatakunn) with a kasra on the kaf, a doubled nun, and a fatha on the nun. Muhammad ibn Abi Fajjah al-Ba’labakki read (fatakunn) with a damma on the ta, a fatha on the kaf, and a doubled nun. Qatadah read (fatakunn) with a fatha on the ta, a kasra on the kaf, and a silent nun. This reading was also narrated from al-Jazari. The verb in all that has been mentioned is from wakana (the bird settled in its nest, waknah). Thus, there is a metaphor or a loose metonymy in the speech, as in the word mishfar (lip). The pronoun refers to what was previously spoken of. It is also permissible that it refers to the son, and the meaning is: If you hide or are hidden at the time of reckoning, Allah, the Exalted, will bring you forth. It is not hidden that this is not appropriate for the answer, meaning the saying of the Almighty: (Allah will bring it forth) meaning He will produce it so it can be reckoned for. This is either according to its apparent meaning, or it signifies that He makes it as though it were present and witnessed, because of mentioning it and admitting it. (Indeed, Allah is Subtle) His knowledge, the Exalted, reaches every hidden thing, (All-Aware) Knowing its essence.

From Qatadah: "Subtle in extracting it, All-Aware of its resting place." It has been said: "Possessor of kindness toward His servants, so He is subtle in bringing it forth for one of the two litigants, and All-Aware, knowing the secrets of things." This is as you see it, and the sentence is a clause justifying the bringing forth. Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Ali ibn Rabah al-Lakhmi that when Luqman admonished his son and said: "Indeed it, if it were..." [the verse], he took a mustard seed and brought it to the Yarmouk, which is a valley in the Levant, and cast it into its expanse. He then remained as long as Allah willed, then he recalled it and opened his hand, and a fly came until it placed it in his palm. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best. After He commanded him with monotheism, which is the first thing incumbent upon the legally responsible person, within the context of the prohibition of polytheism, He alerted him to the perfection of His knowledge, the Exalted, and His power, the Great and Exalted.