| Hūd: (6) And there is no moving creature...

It is known that after Allah (Exalted is He) mentioned in the first verse that He {knows what they conceal and what they reveal}, He followed it with what indicates that He is the Knower of all things. Thus, it is established that the provision (rizq) of every living creature reaches it only from Allah (Exalted is He). If He were not the Knower of all things, these necessities would not be fulfilled. In this verse, there are several issues:

Issue 1:

Al-Zajjaj said: Dābbah (moving creature) is a name for every animal, because the word is derived from dabeeb (crawling/moving). This word is constructed with the feminine marker (tā’ marbūṭah), and it is applied to every living creature, male or female. However, according to the custom of the Arabs, it became specific to the horse. The intended meaning of this word in this verse is its original linguistic meaning, which includes all animals. This is agreed upon by the commentators. There is no doubt that the divisions and types of animals are numerous, encompassing the species found on land, in the sea, and in the mountains. Allah enumerates them, and none other can. Furthermore, Allah (Exalted is He) knows the nature of their temperaments, their organs, their conditions, their nourishment, their poisons, their habitats, what suits them, and what opposes them. How could the Designer who ordered the structure of the heavens and the earths, and the natures of animals and plants, not know their conditions?

It is narrated that when revelation descended upon Moses (peace be upon him), his heart became attached to the condition of his family. Allah commanded him to strike a rock with his staff. The rock split open, and a second rock emerged. He struck it again with his staff, and it split open, and a third rock emerged. He struck it a third time, and it split open, revealing a worm the size of an ant, with something in its mouth serving as nourishment for it. The veil was lifted from Moses' hearing, and he heard the worm saying: "Glory be to the One Who sees me, hears my speech, knows my location, remembers me, and does not forget me."

Issue 2:

Some scholars based an argument on this verse to assert that certain things are obligatory upon Allah. They argued that the word {على} ('alā - upon/for) implies obligation, indicating that delivering provision to the creature is obligatory upon Allah.

The response: This obligation is according to His promise, grace, and benevolence.

Issue 3:

Our companions used this verse to establish that provision (rizq) can sometimes be unlawful (ḥarām). They argued: It is established that delivering provision to every creature is obligatory upon Allah according to His promise and according to what is deserved. Allah does not fail in what is obligatory. Yet, we see a person who never consumes what is lawful throughout his life. If the unlawful were not provision, then Allah would not have delivered his provision to him, meaning Allah would have failed in what is obligatory, which is impossible. Therefore, we know that the unlawful can be provision.

As for the statement: {and He knows its resting place and its deposit}:

• Its resting place (mustaqarr) is its location on earth.
• *Its deposit (mustawda')* is where it was deposited before settling in a loins, womb, or egg.
• Al-Farra’ said: Its resting place is where it takes shelter day or night, and its deposit is the place where it dies. We have already detailed the explanation of al-mustaqarr and al-mustawda' in Surah Al-An'am.

Then He said: {All is in a clear Book}: Al-Zajjaj said: The meaning is that this is established in the knowledge of Allah (Exalted is He). Others said it is in the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ), which we have mentioned previously in the context of His saying: {And there is no thing green or dry but is in a clear Book} (Al-An'am: 59).

| 7 < { And it is He Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and His Throne was upon water, that He might test you as to which of you is best in deed. And if you say, "Indeed, you are resurrected after death," those who disbelieve will surely say, "This is not but obvious magic." } > 7 !