An-Naml: (63) Or who is it that guides you...

Know that the Almighty has drawn attention to two matters in this verse:

The First: His saying: {Or who is it that guides you} (أمن يهديكم). This refers to guiding you by the stars in the sky and the signs on the earth when the night covers you while you are traveling on land and sea.

The Second: His saying: {And who sends the winds} (ومن يرسل الرياح). For He, the Sublime, is the One who moves the winds, causing them to stir up the clouds, and then drives them wherever He wills.

If it is argued: We do not accept that He is the One who moves the winds, for the philosophers have said that winds are only generated from smoke. And not all smoke is the black body rising from what has been burned by fire; rather, every earthly body that rises due to the ascent caused by heat—whether the heat is from fire or from the sun—is smoke. They say that the generation of winds from these smokes occurs in two ways: one is majority (more common), and the other is minority (less common).

As for the majority case: When many smokes ascend upwards, upon reaching the cold layer, their heat is either broken by the coldness of that air, or it is not broken. If it is broken, it inevitably becomes heavy and descends, and the descent causes a turbulence in the air, thus creating the wind. If its heat is not broken by the coldness of that air, it must continue to ascend until it reaches the sphere of fire, which is moved by the motion of the celestial sphere. At that point, it cannot ascend further due to the motion of the fire, so those smokes return and become wind.

One might object: If the propulsion of these smokes were due to the motion of the upper air, their motion would not be downwards, but rather in the direction of the motion of the upper air. We reply with two points:

1. It is possible that the configuration of the ascent of those smokes and the configuration of the matter adhering to them caused them to move contrary to the direction of the impeding mover. This is like an arrow striking a moving body, sometimes deflecting it towards the direction of the striker if the stopper is capable of diverting the mover from its intended path, and sometimes deflecting it away from that direction if the separator is capable of stopping but not diverting.
2. It is possible that the ascent of some smokes from below acts as an impediment to the smokes descending from above, preventing them from descending straight down. For this reason, they move in various directions.

Know that the adherents of Islam have two positions here:

The First Position: To establish proof against the corruption of this alleged cause, demonstrated in two ways:

1. The smoky particles are earthly, and thus heavier than the watery vapor particles. Since vapor, when cooled, descends in a straight line as rain, why does smoke, when cooled, not descend in a straight line, but rather go to the right and left?
2. The motion of those particles downwards is natural, while their motion to the right and left is accidental. The natural motion is stronger than the accidental motion, or at least equal to it. Furthermore, when the wind moves to the right and left, it is sometimes strong enough to uproot trees, throw down walls, and even mountains. If those smoky particles, when moving with their natural motion (which is downwards), were to possess such force, they should have demolished the roof. However, we see much dust descending from the air and settling on the roof without its descent being felt, let alone demolishing it. Thus, the corruption of what they mentioned is established.

The Second Position: Suppose the matter is as they claim. However, the effective and receptive causes themselves are created by God, the Sublime. For if it were not for the sun and its effect in raising vapors and smokes, and if it were not for the layers of air, these matters would not have occurred. It is known that the One who established causes that lead to marvelous benefits and profound wisdom is the One who brought about those benefits. Therefore, in all cases, these phenomena must testify to a Wise Governor, necessary in Himself, cutting off the chain of dependency.

The Fifth Type: Matters Related to Resurrection and Reinstatement

{Or who is it that originates creation, then repeats it, and who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? Is there any god with Allah? Say, "Bring forth your proof, if you are truthful."}