Surah Fatir (The Originator) - Verse 1

(Forty-five verses, Meccan)

In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

1. The Meaning of "Praise be to Allah" (الحمد لله): This opening affirms that all perfect praise belongs exclusively to Allah. This praise is due to Him because He is the sole Creator and Sustainer of existence.

2. The Meaning of "Originator" (فاطر):

• Linguistically: Fāṭir means the one who splits open or brings something into existence from non-existence (creation ex nihilo).
• Theological Significance: This title emphasizes Allah's absolute power as the First Cause. He originated the heavens and the earth without any pre-existing model or material. This establishes His uniqueness and omnipotence before discussing His specific actions.

3. "Maker of the angels Messengers" (جاعل الملائكة رسلا):

• This shows that even the highest created beings (angels) are made by Allah and serve as His messengers. This refutes any notion that angels are independent deities or partners in creation.
• The designation as "Messengers" (رسلا) highlights their function in conveying divine commands, linking the Creator to the created realm.

4. The Description of the Angels' Wings (أولى أجنحة مثنى وثلاث ورباع):

• Allah describes the angels as possessing wings in pairs of two, three, or four.
• Purpose of Mentioning the Number: This detail serves several functions:
  • Demonstration of Power: It shows Allah's ability to create diverse forms, even within the same class of beings (angels). If He can vary the structure of their wings, His power over all creation is evident.
  • Refutation of Polytheism: It counters the pagan Arabs' belief that angels were the daughters of God, as their physical description is clearly established by the Creator.

5. "He increases in creation whatever He wills" (يزيد فى الخلق ما يشآء):

• This is a powerful statement of divine will and capacity.
• Scope of Increase: This increase is not limited to the number of wings mentioned previously. It encompasses all creation: adding new species, increasing the complexity of existing forms, or adding attributes (like strength, beauty, or knowledge) to His creatures as He wills.
• Theological Implication: It confirms that the limits of creation are set only by His will, not by any inherent limitation in His power.

6. Conclusion: "Indeed, Allah is over all things competent" (إن الله على كل شىء قدير):

• This final clause summarizes the preceding points. Because He is the Originator, the Creator of diverse forms, and the one who adds to creation at will, His absolute competence (قدير) over everything (كل شىء) is established as an undeniable fact.

Surah Fatir (35): Verse 1

{Praise be to Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, the Maker of the angels as messengers...}

We have previously mentioned that praise (Al-Hamd) is usually rendered for a blessing (Ni'mah). Allah's blessings are of two types: immediate (ʿājilah) and deferred (ājilah).

The immediate blessings involve existence and perpetuity. The deferred blessings involve initial creation and subsequent perpetuity.

1. {Praise be to Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, and made the darkness and the light}: This points to the immediate blessing of existence (creation). We deduced this from His saying: {It is He Who created you from clay, then decreed a term [for you]}.
2. In Surah Al-Kahf, {Praise be to Allah, Who has sent down to His Servant the Book}: This points to the immediate blessing of perpetuity (survival), as survival and order are maintained through the Law (Shari'ah) and the Book. Without it, disputes and conflicts would arise among people, leading to mutual destruction. Thus, sending down the Book is a blessing related to immediate survival.
3. In Surah Saba', {Praise be to Allah, to Whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and to Him belongs all praise in the Hereafter}: This points to the blessing of the second existence (Resurrection). We deduced this from His saying: {He knows what penetrates into the earth} (bodies), {and what comes out of it, and what descends from the heaven} (spirits), {and what ascends therein}.
4. Regarding the disbelievers' statement: {And those who disbelieve say, "The Hour will not come to us." Say, "Yes, by my Lord, it will surely come to you..."}: Here, the praise points to the blessing of perpetuity in the Hereafter.

This is supported by His saying: {the Maker of the angels as messengers}, meaning He makes them messengers who receive the commands of Allah's servants, as He says: {The Trustworthy Spirit brought it down upon your heart}. And His saying about the Angel: {He taught him a severe one in strength} (referring to Gabriel). And about the angels in general: {Then those who manage affairs}.

Regarding His saying: {Originator (Fāṭir) of the heavens and the earth}, there are two interpretations:

1. It means Innovator/Creator (Mubdiʿ), as narrated from Ibn Abbas.
2. It means Splitting (Shaqq) the heavens for the descent of spirits and splitting the earth for the emergence of bodies. This is supported by His saying: {the Maker of the angels as messengers}, for on that Day, the angels will be messengers.

Under this second interpretation, the beginning of this Surah is connected to the end of the preceding passage, because the previous verse mentioned the fate of their counterparts, confirming the despair of those who were doubtful and the certainty that repentance will not be accepted, nor will saying "I believed" be of any use, just as He said about them: {And they will cry out, "We believed!" But how will they attain [belief] from a distant place?} When their state was described, Allah contrasted it by describing the state of the certain ones and giving them the good news of the sending of angels to them as bearers of glad tidings, and that the doors of mercy will be opened for them.

{with wings, two, three, or four}

The minimum number of wings a winged being can have is two. Anything more is an addition.

Some scholars interpreted the wing as a direction (Jiha). The explanation is that nothing is above Allah, and everything is under His power and blessing. Angels have a face directed towards Allah, from Whom they receive blessings and convey to those below them what they receive by Allah's permission, as He says: {The Trustworthy Spirit brought it down upon your heart}.

The angels who manage affairs have two aspects: those who perform good deeds through an intermediary, and those who perform them directly. The one acting through an intermediary has three aspects, and some have four aspects or more. However, the apparent meaning (the first interpretation, concerning physical wings) is what the majority of commentators agree upon.

{He increases in creation what He wills}

Some commentators restricted this meaning:

• Some said it refers to beautiful appearance (Wajh al-ḥusn).
• Some said it refers to a beautiful voice (Ṣawt al-ḥusn).
• Some said it refers to every praiseworthy attribute (Kull waṣf maḥmūd).

The best approach is to generalize it, stating that Allah is Perfectly Capable (Qādir Kāmil); He does what He wills, increasing what He wills and decreasing what He wills.

{Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.}

This confirms His statement: {He increases in creation what He wills}.

**{7 < {Whatever mercy Allah affords to people, none can detain it; and whatever He restrains, none can release it thereafter. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.} > 7

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