Tafsir of Al-An'am 6:98

A group, including Al-Hakim (who authenticated it), narrated through various chains from Ibn Abbas—may Allah be pleased with them both—that the mustaqarr is the womb and the mustawda’ is the loins. It came in a report that the Rabbi of Tayma wrote to him asking about this, and he replied with what was mentioned. The interpretation of mustaqarr as the womb is supported by the saying of the Almighty: {And We settle in the wombs what We will}. As for interpreting the mustawda’ as the loins, the Sheikh al-Islam said: "It is not clear." This is not as he said, for the Imam, after distinguishing between mustaqarr and mustawda’, stated that the mustaqarr is closer to permanence than the mustawda’. Among the evidences for the strength of this view—meaning that which is narrated from Ibn Abbas—is that a single drop of semen does not remain in the father’s loin for a long time, whereas the fetus remains in the womb for a long time. Since the duration in the womb is greater than in the father’s loin, attributing the mustaqarr (stability) to the duration in the womb is more appropriate; consequently, it follows that attributing the mustawda’ (deposit) to the duration in the loin is more appropriate.

I say: Perhaps attributing the mustawda’ to the loin is based on the fact that when Allah—Ta’ala—brought forth from the children of Adam—peace be upon him—from their backs their progeny on the Day of the Covenant and made them testify against themselves, and what happened happened, He returned them to what He brought them out from; so it is as if they are a deposit there, to be brought forth when Allah—Ta’ala—wills it. Ibn Abbas—may Allah be pleased with them both—explicitly used the term "deposit" for what is in the loin. Abd al-Razzaq narrated from Sa'id ibn Jubayr who said: Ibn Abbas—may Allah be pleased with them both—asked me, "Have you married?" I said, "No, and that is not in my mind today." He said, "If there is a deposit in your loin, it will come forth."

The interpretation of mustawda’ as the world and mustaqarr as the grave is narrated from Al-Hasan. He used to say, "O son of Adam, you are a deposit among your family, and soon you will join your companion," and he would recite the verse of Labid: And wealth and kinsfolk are but a deposit, and the deposits must inevitably be returned one day. Sulayman ibn Zayd al-Adawi said regarding this meaning: Bereaved are the loved ones by the loved ones before us; some are mourned, and some are mourner. A deposit or a place of stability is introduced, so the place of stability visits the place of deposit.

According to Abu Muslim al-Isfahani, the mustaqarr is the male, because the drop of semen originates in his loin, and the mustawda’ is the female, because her womb is like a repository for that drop. It is as if it were said: "It is He who created you from a single soul, so from you is the male and from you is the female."

Ibn Kathir and Abu ‘Amr read famu-staqirrun with a kasra on the qaf, in which case it is an active participle meaning mustaqirrun (dwelling), and mustawda’ is a passive participle. The intended meaning is "from you are those who dwell and from you are those who are deposited." The reason the first is active and the second is passive is that stability here is contrary to being deposited. According to the first reading, the two linked terms are nouns of place or masdars. It is not permissible for the first to be a passive participle because istaqarra is intransitive, and similarly for the second, so that it may be like the first.

Ibn al-Munir mentioned another aspect for assigning "knowledge" to the first and "understanding" to the second: that since the intent was to allude to those who do not ponder the signs of Allah—Ta’ala—nor take heed of His creations, and the signs mentioned first (the stars) are external to the observer, the consideration of them and the knowledge of divine wisdom in managing them is a matter outside the observer's self. This is not the case for consideration of their own creation from a single soul and their turning through different stages and varied states; for that is a consideration that does not go beyond the observer's self. Once this is established, a person’s ignorance of himself and his states, and the lack of consideration and reflection upon them, is uglier than his ignorance of external matters like stars, celestial spheres, and the measures of their motion and turning. Since fiqh is the lower degree of knowledge—as it is the understanding—the negation [of the ability] to understand was used by way of allusion against the uglier of the two groups, those who do not gain insight into themselves; and negating the lower is uglier than negating the higher, so it was assigned to the worst of the two groups.

Yafqahun here is the present tense of faqiha the thing, with a kasra on the qaf, when one understands it, even if it is a minimal understanding. It is not from faqaha with a damma, because that is a high degree, meaning "he became a faqih." Then he mentioned that if it is said "so-and-so does not yafqah (understand) anything," it is more disparaging in common usage than saying "so-and-so does not ya’lam (know) anything." The meaning of "he does not yafqah anything" is that he lacks the capacity for understanding, even if he were to be taught. As for "he does not ya’lam anything," its limit is the absence of knowledge being attained by him, though he might possess the capacity for understanding and knowledge had he been taught. He supported the idea that the one who leaves off reflection on himself is more ignorant and in a worse state than the one who leaves off reflection on others by His saying—the Almighty: {And on the earth are signs for the certain [in faith], And in your own selves. Then will you not see?}. He singled out insight into the self after it had been included in the signs on the earth, and reproached those who do not gain insight into themselves with a renewed reproach. Allah—Ta’ala—knows best the secrets of His speech.