Tafsir of Ad-Dhariyat 51:30

Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51): Verse 30

Original Arabic Segment:

قالوا كذلك قال . . . . . ثم دفعوا استبعادها بقولهم : { إنه هو الحكيم العليم } . وقد ذكرنا تفسيرهما مرارا ، فإن قيل لم قال ههنا { الحكيم العليم } وقال في هود : { حميد مجيد } ( هود : 73 ) نقول لما بينا أن الحكاية هناك أبسط ، فذكروا ما يدفع الاستبعاد بقولهم : { أتعجبين من أمر الله } ( هود : 73 ) ثم لما صدقت أرشدوهم إلى القيام بشكر نعم الله ، وذكروهم بنعمته بقولهم : { حميد } فإن الحميد هو الذي يتحقق منه الأفعال الحسنة ، وقولهم : { مجيد } إشارة إلى أن الفائق العالي الهمة لا يحمده لفعله الجميل ، وإنما يحمده ويسبح له لنفسه ، وههنا لما لم يقولوا : { أتعجبين } إشارة إلى ما يدفع تعجبها من التنبيه على حكمه وعلمه ، وفيه لطيفة وهي أن هذا الترتيب مراعى في السورتين ، فالحميد يتعلق بالفعل ، والمجيد يتعلق بالقول ، وكذلك الحكيم هو الذي فعله ، كما ينبغي لعلمه قاصدا لذلك الوجه بخلاف من يتفق فعله موافقا للمقصود اتفاقا ، كمن ينقلب على جنبه فيقتل حية وهو نائم ، فائدة لا يقال له حكيم ، وأما إذا فعل فعلا قاصدا لقتلها بحيث يسلم عن نهشها ، يقال له حكيم فيه ، والعليم راجع إلى الذات إشارة إلى أنه يستحق الحمد بمجده ، وإن لم يفعل فعلا وهو قاصد لعلمه ، وإن لم يفعل على وفق القاصد . ثم قال تعالى : ! 7 < { قال فما خطبكم أيها المرسلون } . > 7 !

They then refuted her astonishment by saying: {Indeed, He is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing.}

We have mentioned the interpretation of these two Names (Attributes) repeatedly. If it is asked: Why are {the All-Wise, the All-Knowing} mentioned here, while in Surah Hud it is {All-Praiseworthy, Most Glorious} (Hud: 73)?

We reply: Since we established that the narrative in Surah Hud is simpler, they mentioned what repels the astonishment by saying: {Do you marvel at the command of Allah?} (Hud: 73). Then, once she believed, they guided them toward fulfilling the gratitude for Allah's blessings, reminding her of His favor by saying: {All-Praiseworthy} (Al-Hamid).

• Al-Hamid is He from whom good deeds originate.
• And their saying {Most Glorious} (Al-Majid) is an indication that the supremely exalted, high-aspiring being is not praised merely for a beautiful action; rather, He is praised and glorified for His very essence.

Here (in Adh-Dhariyat), since they did not say, {Do you marvel?}, it is an indication that what repels her astonishment is the highlighting of His Wisdom and Knowledge.

There is a subtle point here: this ordering is observed in both Surahs. Al-Hamid relates to the action, while Al-Majid relates to the essence/speech. Similarly, Al-Hakim (The Wise) is He whose action is performed exactly as it should be according to His knowledge, intentionally directed toward that purpose. This is unlike someone whose action coincidentally aligns with the intended outcome—like a person who rolls over in his sleep and kills a snake; this is a benefit, but he is not called Hakim for it. However, if he intentionally performs an action to kill the snake while ensuring his safety from its bite, he is called Hakim in that matter.

Al-'Alim (The All-Knowing) refers back to His Essence, indicating that He deserves praise through His Glory, even if He does not perform an action, because He possesses knowledge. (It also implies that even if an action is performed contrary to the intended outcome, His knowledge remains perfect.)

Then, the Almighty said: