| Ya-Sin: (36) Glorified is He Who created...

It has already been mentioned that the word Subhan (Glorified) is a sign indicating glorification (Tasbih), meaning: "Glorify the One Who created all the pairs." The meaning of Subhan is to declare free from imperfection (Tanzih).

The connection of this verse to the preceding one is that after Allah Almighty said: {And will you not then be grateful?} (Ya-Sin: 35), and gratitude to Allah is through worship, yet they abandoned it. Not only did they stop, but they worshipped others and committed Shirk (polytheism). Therefore, He said: Subhan alladhi khalaqa al-azwaj kullaha (Glorified is He Who created all the pairs), because others created nothing.

Alternatively, after demonstrating that they denied the signs and were not grateful, He clarified what a rational person ought to be focused on, saying: {Glorified is He Who created all the pairs}. Or, after mentioning the signs, He said: Subhan alladhi khalaqa (Glorified is He Who created) that which proves He has no partner or is incapable of resurrecting the dead. In this regard, there are several issues:

Issue 1: The word {kullaha} (all of them)

The statement {kullaha} indicates that the actions of human beings are created by Allah. This is because a "pair" (zawj) refers to a category or type, and human actions are categories that fall under general classifications of accidents. Therefore, they fall under the totality of what Allah stated He created: "all the pairs."

One might object: "The statement is restricted to 'that which the earth causes to grow.'" We respond that this does not remove the generality. If someone says, "I gave Zayd everything I owned," this statement is general if restricted to that context. However, if he then adds, "from the garments," the statement does not remain general. We say this is because the subsequent mention can be for specification. But if it is for emphasizing generality, it is not restrictive. The proof for this is that if someone says, "I gave him everything: from the beasts, and the garments, and the male and female slaves," it is understood that he is enumerating categories to emphasize the totality (generality). This is supported by His saying in Surah Ha-Mim (Az-Zukhruf): {Who created the pairs, all of them, and made for you of the ships and the cattle that which you ride} (Az-Zukhruf: 12), without restriction.

Issue 2: The three categories of creation

Allah Almighty mentioned three matters that encompass all created things:

1. {mimma tunbitu al-ard} (of that which the earth causes to grow): This includes apparent things on earth, such as plants and fruits.
2. {wa min anfusihim} (and of themselves): This includes the signs within the human soul (psychological proofs).
3. {wa mimma la ya'lamun} (and of that which they do not know): This includes what is in the regions of the heavens and the farthest reaches of the earth.

This proves that these mentions were not intended for specification. For instance, cattle are among what Allah created, yet minerals were not mentioned. Rather, these things were mentioned to emphasize the meaning of totality, as we explained in the previous example.

Issue 3: The subtle meaning of {wa mimma la ya'lamun}

There is a subtle meaning in His statement {wa mimma la ya'lamun}. Allah mentioned that everything is created in order to declare Him free from having a partner, because the created cannot be a partner to the Creator. However, true Monotheism (Tawhid) is only achieved by acknowledging that there is no god but Allah.

Therefore, Allah Almighty said: Know that the barrier against ascribing partners (Shirk) applies to what you know and what you do not know. This is because creation is general, and the barrier against partnership is the fact of being created. Thus, do not associate anything with Allah from what you know, because you know it is created, and from what you do not know, because everything is created in Allah's sight due to its possibility (contingency).

Then Allah Almighty said:

! 7 < { And a sign for them is the night: We remove from it the day, and behold, they are in darkness. } > 7 !

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