Tafsir of Luqman 31:27-28

Surah Luqman: Verses 27-28

Context: After stating that "To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth" (implying the totality of existence), which might suggest the finitude of His dominion, Allah clarifies that His power and knowledge contain endless wonders.

Verse 27:

{ ولو أن ما في الأرض من شجرة أقلام والبحر يمده من بعده سبعة أبحر ما نفدت كلمات الله إن الله عزيز حكيم }

If all the trees on earth were pens, and the sea, with seven more seas like it, were ink, the Words of Allah would not be exhausted. Indeed, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.

Exegesis (Tafsir):

1. The Meaning of "Words of Allah" (كلمات الله):
   • The verse is interpreted to mean the wonders of Allah's creation. The analogy of infinite pens and ink illustrates that the wonders of Allah's making are limitless.
   • The term "Word" (كلمة) can be interpreted as "wonder" (عجيبة). This is permissible because the command "Be!" (كن) is a Word, and it is permissible to use the name of the cause (the Word/Command) for the effect (the wondrous creation), just as a brave warrior might say, "I am your death," or medicine might be called, "This is your healing."
   • This interpretation is supported by the fact that Jesus (المسيح) was called the "Word" (كلمة) because his existence without a father was a strange and wondrous creation.

2. Occasions of Revelation (Asbāb al-Nuzūl):
   • Opinion 1 (Regarding the Torah): It was revealed in response to the Jews who claimed that Allah had mentioned everything in the Torah, leaving nothing unsaid. The response is that what is in the Torah is but a drop compared to the oceans of Allah's speech.
   • Opinion 2 (Regarding Knowledge): It was revealed concerning someone who questioned the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) about reconciling the verse, "And you have not been given of knowledge except a little" (17:85), with "And whoever is given wisdom, he has certainly been given much good" (2:269). The answer is that the "much good" given to people is still little compared to the infinite knowledge of Allah.
   • Opinion 3 (Regarding the Qur'an's Endurance): It was revealed in response to the disbelievers who claimed that what Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) brought would eventually cease. The reply is that it is the Word of Allah, which is inexhaustible.

3. Reconciling Interpretations:
   • The apparent contradiction between interpreting the "Words" as creation/wonders versus divine speech is resolved by noting that the variety of opinions suggests the meaning is comprehensive.
   • If the verse serves as a valid response to all these diverse issues (creation, limited human knowledge, and the endurance of the Qur'an), it must be general.
   • Furthermore, the speech of Allah is itself wondrous and inimitable. If we affirm that Allah's wonders are infinite, His speech is included. We are not claiming the speech itself is created; rather, the letters and composition (الحرف والتركيب) are created wonders, while the Words (الكلمات) themselves are attributes of Allah.

4. Subtleties (لطائف) in the Verse:

• Subtlety 1 (Trees and Pens): Allah said, "If every tree on earth were pens" (من شجرة أقلام), using the singular noun for tree (شجرة) and the plural for pens (أقلام). This indicates multiplication: for every single tree, there would be multiple pens.

• Subtlety 2 (The Sea and Ink): * The definite article "the sea" (البحر) implies the entire genus of seas. * "with seven more seas to replenish it" (يمده من بعده سبعة أبحر): This refers to seas beyond those existing. The number "seven" (سبعة) is not restrictive; it signifies vastness and abundance, even if it were a thousand seas. * Why Seven? Seven is mentioned because it is a number that typically bounds countable things in common usage. * Reason A: What everyone needs is time and space. Space is commonly divided into seven climes (أقاليم), and time into seven days. The seven wandering stars (الكواكب السيارة) also led to seven being used as a conventional limit for large quantities. * Reason B: In counting, 1 to 10 is the first cycle. Three is the minimum needed to form a complete concept (beginning, middle, end). Since three is the first part of the primary decade, seven represents the larger, more abundant part of that initial set, thus signifying great quantity when used to express abundance (e.g., the Prophet's saying about the believer eating in one stomach and the disbeliever in seven). This might also explain why Hell has seven gates, while Paradise has eight (the extra one signifying "goodness and increase" (الحسنى وزيادة)). * Linguistic Note: Arabs often add a wāw when counting to eight (e.g., thamāniyah), which Al-Farra suggested is a wāw of resumption (واو الثمانية), indicating that the count is conventionally complete at seven, and the eighth starts a new sequence.

• Subtlety 3 (Ink vs. Pens): Allah mentioned the replenishment for the sea (ink) but not for the pens. * Reason 1: The first part established that the number of pens would already exceed the number of trees. Mentioning replenishment for the sea ensures that even if the sea were multiplied sevenfold, it would still equal the pens in meaning (i.e., still insufficient). * Reason 2: Ink is consumed much faster than pens. One pen can write many books, but ink runs out quickly. Therefore, replenishment was specified for the ink, which is the consumable element.

Conclusion of the Section:

{ إن الله عزيز حكيم } Indeed, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.

• Since Allah's dominion is infinite, He is All-Mighty (عزيز), possessing infinite power capable of infinite creations.
• Since He is All-Wise (حكيم), His knowledge is infinite, confirming that even if the sea were ink, what is in His knowledge and power would not be exhausted.

Verse 28:

{ ما خلقكم ولا بعثكم إلا كنفس واحدة إن الله سميع بصير } Your creation and your resurrection are but as [the creation and resurrection of] one soul. Indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.

• After demonstrating His infinite power and knowledge, Allah refutes their doubt regarding the Resurrection. He states that creating or resurrecting all of humanity is no more difficult for Him than creating a single soul. He whose Words are inexhaustible can command the dead to exist, and they will exist.
• All-Hearing, All-Seeing (سميع بصير): He hears what they say and sees what they do. This necessitates complete caution and restraint from wrongdoing.

Verse 29 (Start):

{ ألم تر أن الله يولج الليل في النهار ويولج النهار في الليل وسخر الشمس والقمر كل يجري إلى أجل مسمى وأن الله بما تعملون خبير }

Have you not seen that Allah causes the night to enter the day and the day to enter the night, and has subjected the sun and the moon, each running its course for a specified term? And that Allah, with what you do, is Acquainted?