Tafsir of Fussilat 41:37

Tafsir of Surah Fussilat (41): Verses 37-41 (Excerpt from Mafatih al-Ghayb)

Verse 37: And among His signs is the night...

It is known that after Allah (Exalted is He) established in the preceding verse that the best of deeds is inviting others to Allah, He followed it by mentioning the signs (proofs) indicating Allah's existence, power, and wisdom. This serves as a reminder that inviting to Allah is essentially establishing the proofs that point to His Essence and Attributes. These are noble insights derived from the coherence of these verses, and knowing these subtleties constitutes the noblest knowledge of the Qur'an.

We have already established that the proofs for these high matters are the entire universe with all its parts and components. Therefore, He begins here by mentioning the celestial phenomena: the night and the day.

The mention of the night before the day is to indicate that darkness is non-existence (absence), and light is existence (presence), and absence precedes existence. This serves as a hint towards the created nature (origination) of these things.

As for the evidence provided by the sun, the moon, the celestial spheres, and the other stars for the existence of the Creator, we have explained this repeatedly in this book, especially in the exegesis of “All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds” (Al-Fatiha: 2) and “All praise is due to Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth” (Al-An'am: 1).

Verse 38: ...and the sun and the moon. Do not prostrate to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate to Allah Who created them, if you truly worship Him.

After establishing that the sun and the moon are created entities and proofs for the existence of the Capable God, He said: "Do not prostrate to the sun nor to the moon." This means they are created servants and signs pointing to the existence of the Divine. Prostration signifies the utmost reverence, which is fitting only for the most noble of beings.

Therefore, He commanded: "Do not prostrate to the sun nor to the moon," because they are created servants, "but prostrate to Allah," the Creator, the Capable, the Wise.

The pronoun in "He created them" refers to the night, the day, and the moon. This is because the ruling for a group of non-rational beings is treated as feminine singular or plural. For instance, one says of pens barīyatuhā (feminine singular) or barīyātuhunna (feminine plural). Since the phrase began with "Among His signs," which is feminine, the subsequent reference is also feminine: "He created them."

He said, "if you truly worship Him," because some people used to prostrate to the sun and the moon, such as the Sabians in their worship of the stars, claiming that their prostration to them was intended as prostration to Allah. They were thus forbidden from using these intermediaries and commanded to prostrate only to Allah, Who created all things.

If one asks: If prayer requires a specific Qibla (direction of prayer), would it not be better to designate the sun as the Qibla for prostration? We reply: The sun is a magnificent, luminous entity of high status. If the Law permitted making it the Qibla in prayers, the habit of prostrating towards the sun might lead the imagination to believe that the prostration is to the sun, not to Allah. For fear of this potential misapprehension, the Wise Lawgiver forbade making the sun the Qibla for prostration. This is unlike the Black Stone (Ka'bah), which carries no implication of divinity. Thus, the purpose of the Qibla is achieved, and the aforementioned danger is averted, making the Ka'bah preferable.

It should be noted that according to the view of Imam Shafi'i (may Allah be pleased with him), the point where the command for prostration is established is at the word "worship" (ta'budūn), because the command "and prostrate to Allah" is connected to it. According to Abu Hanifa, the command is established at the phrase "and they are not weary," because the discourse is complete there.

Verse 39: But if they are too proud, then those who are with your Lord glorify Him night and day, and they never tire.

After commanding prostration, Allah follows it with: "But if they are too proud, then those who are with your Lord glorify Him night and day, and they never tire." This raises several questions:

First Question: Those who prostrate to the sun and the moon say, "We are too lowly and humble to be worthy of worshipping Allah; rather, we are servants of the sun, and they [the sun and moon] are servants of Allah." If this is their stance, how is it appropriate to say they were too proud to prostrate to Allah? Answer: The meaning of the word "proud" (istakbarū) is not what you mentioned. Rather, it means: if they become too proud to accept your message, O Muhammad, concerning the prohibition of prostrating to the sun and the moon.

Second Question: The Anthropomorphists (Mujassimah) use the phrase "those who are with your Lord" to affirm a physical location and direction for Allah. Answer: When we say, "So-and-so many soldiers are with the King," we do not mean physical proximity. Similarly here. This is supported by the Hadith Qudsi: "I am as My servant thinks I am, and I am with those whose hearts are broken for My sake, in a seat of truth with a Mighty King." Furthermore, Imam Shafi'i holds that a Muslim is not to be killed in exchange for a Dhimmi (non-Muslim citizen).

Third Question: Does this verse indicate that angels are superior to humans? Answer: Yes, because inference is drawn from the state of the higher being regarding the lower being. One might say: "If these people refuse obedience to so-and-so, then the great ones serve him and acknowledge his precedence." Thus, this type of reasoning is only appropriate when comparing a higher status to a lower one.

Fourth Question: Here, Allah describes the angels as "glorifying" and "those who spend" (referring to the context of the following verse about spending in charity, though the verse quoted here focuses on glorification). This suggests they are constantly engaged in glorification, never ceasing for a moment. Their perpetual engagement in this act prevents them from engaging in other actions, such as descending to Earth, as mentioned in verses like: "The faithful Spirit brought it down upon your heart" (Ash-Shu'ara: 193-194), "And inform them about Abraham's guests" (Al-Hijr: 51), and "Over it are nineteen [angels]" (At-Tahrim: 6). Answer: Those whom Allah mentions here as being constantly engaged in glorification are specific groups of angels—the noblest and greatest among them—because Allah described them as being "with Him." This proximity ('indiyyah) implies the utmost honor and distinction. This does not contradict the fact that another group of angels is occupied with other duties. If they argue: Even if that is the case, they must breathe. Does their need for breath prevent them from that state of glorification? We reply: Just as breathing is the means for the well-being of human life, the remembrance of Allah is the means for the well-being of the angels in their life. A rational and fair person should not equate the state of angels—in the purity of their essence, the radiance of their being, and their absorption in the paths of Divine knowledge—with the state of humans, for the difference between the two states is as vast as the distance between East and West.

Verse 40: Then He said, "And among His signs is that you see the earth humble..."

After mentioning the four celestial signs (night, day, sun, and moon), Allah follows them with an earthly sign: "And among His signs is that you see the earth humble (khāshi'ah)." Humility (khushū') means submission and appearing small. This term is metaphorically used for the state of the earth when it is devoid of rain and vegetation.

"...but when We send down water upon it, it stirs and grows." That is, it moves with vegetation. Warabat means it swells, because when a plant is about to emerge, the earth rises and swells for it, then splits open to reveal the plant.

Verse 41: Indeed, He Who gave it life is surely able to give life to the dead. Indeed, He is over all things competent.

Then He said: "Indeed, He Who gave it life..." meaning, the One capable of reviving the earth after its death is capable of resurrecting these bodies after their death. We have established the proof for this countless times.

Then He said: "Indeed, He is over all things competent." This is the primary proof. Its establishment is that the return of composition and structure to those scattered particles is possible by its very nature (li-dhātihi). The return of life, intellect, power, and perception to those parts after they have reassembled is also possible by its very nature. Since Allah is capable of all possibilities, He must be capable of restoring composition, structure, life, power, intellect, and understanding to those parts. This clearly indicates that the resurrection of bodies is possible and involves no impossibility whatsoever. And Allah knows best.

Verses 42-44: Indeed, those who distort Our signs are not hidden from Us. So is one who is cast into the Fire better or one who comes secure on the Day of Resurrection? Do whatever you will; indeed, He is Seeing of what you do. Indeed, those who disbelieve in the Reminder when it has come to them—and indeed, it is a mighty Book—Falsehood cannot approach it from before it or from behind it. [It is] a revelation from a Wise, Praiseworthy [One].

Verse 42: Indeed, those who distort Our signs are not hidden from Us.

Verse 43: So is one who is cast into the Fire better or one who comes secure on the Day of Resurrection? Do whatever you will; indeed, He is Seeing of what you do.

Verse 44: Indeed, those who disbelieve in the Reminder when it has come to them—and indeed, it is a mighty Book—Falsehood cannot approach it from before it or from behind it. [It is] a revelation from a Wise, Praiseworthy [One].