Tafsir of Ar-Rum 30:21

Surah Ar-Rum (The Romans): Verse 21

And among His signs is that He created for you spouses from among yourselves that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed, in that are signs for a people who give thought.

After Allah mentioned the creation of man, He clarified that since man was not created for things that last for long years, He preserved his species through successive individuals (progeny). He made it so that when the father dies, the son takes his place, lest the loss of one individual create an irreparable gap in civilization.

There are several issues concerning this verse:

Issue 1: The phrase "He created for you" (خلق لكم)

This phrase indicates that women were created for benefits, similar to how animals, plants, and other beneficial things were created, as stated in the verse: "He created for you whatever is in the earth" (Al-Baqarah: 29).

This might suggest that women were not created for worship (ibādah) or religious obligation (taklīf).

Response: The creation of women is a favor bestowed upon us, and their creation for us (as spouses) and their being subjected to religious obligations (taklīf) is to complete that favor upon us. The obligation is not directed towards them in the same way it is directed towards men. This is supported by:

1. Narration (Naql): This verse and others support this view.
2. Legal Ruling (Hukm): Women are not burdened with as many religious obligations as men are.
3. Meaning (Ma'nā): Woman is weaker in creation and disposition (sakhīfah), resembling a child. A child is not obligated, so it might seem fitting that a woman should not be obligated either. However, the favor upon us would not be complete unless they were obligated, so that each one fears punishment, submits to her husband, and refrains from the forbidden. Otherwise, corruption would spread.

Issue 2: The phrase "from among yourselves" (min anfusikum)

Some commentators suggest this means Eve was created from Adam's physical body.

The correct view is that it means "from your own kind/species" (min jinsikum), just as Allah says: "A Messenger has come to you from among yourselves" (At-Tawbah: 128).

This is supported by the subsequent phrase: "that you may find tranquility in them" (li-taskunū ilayhā). This implies that two different living sexes cannot find tranquility with one another; one's self does not settle with the other, nor does the heart incline toward the other.

Issue 3: The usage of prepositions

It is said:

• "Tranquility to Him" (sakan ilayhi) refers to tranquility of the heart (sukūn al-qalbī).
• "Tranquility near Him" (sakan 'indahu) refers to physical repose (sukūn al-jismānī).

This is because the preposition ilā (إلى) refers to the ultimate goal (which applies to the heart), whereas ʿinda (عند) refers to a location (which applies to bodies).

Issue 4: The phrase "And He placed between you affection and mercy" (wa ja'ala baynakum mawaddatan wa rahmah)

There are several opinions on this:

1. Some say: Affection (mawaddah) is for sexual intercourse (mujāma'ah), and Mercy (rahmah) is for offspring, citing the verse: "The remembrance of your Lord's mercy to His servant Zakariyya" (Maryam: 2).
2. Others say: Affection is the love felt when one needs the other (self-need), and Mercy is when one needs the other's companion (altruistic need). For example, a person loves their child, but if they see an enemy suffering from severe hunger or pain, they might take from their own child's sustenance to help that enemy. This action is not due to love (maḥabbah) but due to mercy (raḥmah).

A possible interpretation: Allah first mentioned two things:

1. The fact that the spouse is of the same species (jinsiyyah).
2. The result of this species connection, which is tranquility (sukūn).

The species connection necessitates tranquility. Here, Allah mentions two things where one leads to the other: Affection (mawaddah) comes first, and then it leads to Mercy (raḥmah). This is why a wife might cease to be an object of desire due to old age or illness, yet the husband continues to care for her, and vice versa.

The phrase "Indeed, in that are signs" (Inna fī dhālika la-āyāt) can be interpreted in two ways:

1. The signs are in the creation of spouses: Reflecting on the creation of offspring from the parents demonstrates the perfection of Divine Power, the execution of Will, and the comprehensiveness of Knowledge for those who ponder—even just considering the exit of the child from the mother's womb. If this process were not from Allah, it would lead to the destruction of both mother and child, as the child could not survive a narrow exit without God's aid.
2. The signs are in the placement of affection between them: A person finds more mutual compassion between spouses than among blood relatives. This is not merely due to lust (shahwah), as lust may disappear while mercy remains—and this mercy must be from Allah. If their bond were only lust, anger (which often extinguishes lust) would frequently cause separation and divorce. The mercy that causes a person to defend their family against harm must be from Allah, and this is only known through contemplation.

And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Indeed, in that are signs for those who have knowledge.