Surah Ash-Shu'ara: (5 - 9) And there does not come to them...

First Issue:

Regarding His saying: {And there does not come to them any reminder from the Most Merciful that is newly brought forth, except that they turn away from it} (26:5).

This verse completes the preceding one: {If We willed, We could send down upon them from the sky a sign, and their necks would submit to it submissively} (26:4). Thus, the Almighty informs us that despite His power to compel them to believe, He is merciful to them by sending the Qur'an—which is the Reminder—to them time after time. Yet, they remain consistently turning away, denying, and mocking.

Because of this persistence, He issues a stern warning and threat. When a person persists in their disbelief, nothing benefits them except severe admonishment. Therefore, He says: {They have certainly denied [the truth]}, meaning they have reached the limit in rejecting the signs of the Almighty. {So there will come to them the news of what they used to ridicule.} This news will come either when the punishment descends upon them in this world, or upon direct observation (of the truth), or in the Hereafter. This is like His saying: {And you will surely know its news after a while} (38:88). It is customary when someone acts wickedly to be told, "You will see your situation later," as a form of threat.

Then, the Almighty clarifies that even while sending down the Qur'an repeatedly, He has manifested signs that are renewed moment by moment, saying: {Have they not seen the earth? How many noble pairs of every kind We have caused to grow therein?}

• Zawj (pair/kind) refers to the species (of plants).
• Karīm (noble/generous) is a description for anything pleasing and praiseworthy in its category. A noble face is one that is pleasing in its beauty. A noble Book is one that is pleasing in its benefits and meanings. Noble vegetation is that which is pleasing in the benefits derived from it.

There are two interpretations regarding the description of the zawj (kind) as karīm:

1. That vegetation is of two types: beneficial and harmful. The Almighty mentioned the abundance of beneficial plants He caused to grow, omitting the harmful ones.
2. That He encompassed all vegetation, both beneficial and harmful, and described them all as noble, indicating that whatever He causes to grow has a benefit, even if the heedless overlook it.

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Regarding His saying: {Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to believe}: This is like His saying: {a guidance for the righteous} (2:2). The meaning is that in that [creation] is a proof for those who reflect and ponder. {But most of them were not to believe} means that despite all this, the majority persist in their disbelief.

As for His saying: {And indeed, your Lord—He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful}: He mentioned the Exalted in Might (Al-'Aziz) before the Merciful (Ar-Rahim) because if He had not mentioned the former first, it might be assumed that He showed them mercy out of inability to punish them. He removed this misconception by mentioning the Exalted in Might, the Overpowering and Dominant One. Despite this, He is Merciful to His servants. When mercy stems from complete power, its impact is greater. The meaning is that despite their disbelief and God's power to hasten their punishment, He does not withhold His mercy from them, as evidenced by the creation of every noble kind of plant, and by granting health, intellect, and guidance.

Second Issue:

The Almighty first described the disbelievers with turning away, then with denial, and thirdly with mockery. These are stages of progression in wretchedness. A person first turns away, then explicitly denies and rejects, until finally, they mock.

Third Issue:

If you ask: What is the meaning of combining kam (how many) and kull (every), when He could have said: "How many noble kinds We have caused to grow therein?"

The answer is: Kull indicates the comprehensive encompassment of all species of plants in detail, while kam indicates that this encompassment is extremely numerous. This is the meaning of combining them, arranged to demonstrate His perfect power.

If you ask: Since He mentioned the species and indicated their multiplicity and comprehensiveness—such that only the Knower of the Unseen can count them—why did He say: {Indeed in that is a sign} (singular), and not "signs" (plural)?

There are two interpretations for this:

1. It refers back to the verbal noun Anbātunā (Our causing to grow), as if He meant: "Indeed, in that act of causing to grow is a sign."
2. It means that in every single one of those species, there is a sign.

Fourth Issue:

The Mu'tazilah used the verse {And there does not come to them any reminder from the Most Merciful that is newly brought forth} to argue for the createdness of the Qur'an. They argued:

1. The Reminder (dhikr) here is the Qur'an, based on His saying: {And this is a reminder, blessed} (21:50).
2. This verse states that the Reminder is muhdath (newly brought forth/created).
3. Therefore, the Qur'an is created, based on these two verses, and also supported by verses like {Allah has sent down the best of speech, a Book consistent} (39:23) and {Then in what speech after this will they believe?} (77:50).
4. If it is established that it is created, it must have a Creator, and thus it is necessarily created.

The response is: All these arguments relate to these specific letters/words. We concede the createdness of these letters. However, we claim the eternality of something else beyond these letters. The verse provides no evidence for that claim.

*7 < {And [mention] when your Lord called to Moses, "Go to the wrongdoing people— The people of Pharaoh. Will they not fear?} > 7 !