Al-An'am (The Cattle): (2) It is He Who created you...

It should be noted that this discourse may intend to mention another proof for establishing the existence of the Almighty Creator, or it may intend to establish the proof for the reality of the Resurrection (Ma'ad) and the gathering (Hashr).

If the first interpretation is intended, the argument is structured as follows: After Allah Almighty used the creation of the heavens and the earth and the succession of darkness and light as evidence for the existence of the Wise Creator, He followed it up by using the creation of man as evidence for this required proof, saying: {It is He Who created you from clay}.

The common understanding is that this means Allah created them from Adam, and Adam was created from clay. For this reason, He said: {It is He Who created you from clay}.

However, I have another perspective on this: Man is created from semen, and semen is derived from blood, and blood is derived from nourishment. This nourishment is either animal-based or plant-based. If it were animal-based, the manner of that animal's generation would be like the manner of man's generation, which leads to a circular argument. Therefore, it must be that the origin is plant-based, and plants undoubtedly originate from clay. Thus, it is established that every human being originates from clay. This view, in my opinion, is closer to the truth.

Once this is established, we say: From this clay, the sperm (nutfa) was generated through the aforementioned path. Then, from the sperm, various organs differing in attribute, form, color, and shape were generated, such as the heart, the brain, and the liver, as well as simple organs like bones, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and others. The generation of diverse attributes from similar matter is impossible except through the decree of a wise planner and a merciful manager—and that is the desired proof.

If the second interpretation is intended, meaning this discourse aims to affirm the Resurrection, we say: Since it has been established that the creation of the human body occurred because of the Wise Agent and the Merciful Determiner, who arranged the structure of these diverse organs according to His wisdom and power, that power and wisdom remain after the animal dies. Therefore, He is capable of returning them to existence and restoring life to them, which indicates the validity of affirming the Resurrection.

Regarding His saying: {Then He decreed a term}, there are several discussions:

First Discussion: The word Qada' (decreed/judged) can mean command and ruling, as in His saying: {And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him} (Al-Isra: 23). It can also mean report and notification, as in His saying: {And We informed the Children of Israel in the Scripture} (Al-Isra: 4). It can also mean the completion of an action, as in His saying: {So He completed them as seven heavens in two days} (Fussilat: 12). From this is the saying, "So-and-so fulfilled the need of so-and-so."

As for al-Ajal (term/deadline), linguistically, it refers to the set time for the end of a period. A person's Ajal is the set time for the end of their life. The Ajal of a debt is the time set for the delay to end. Its root is from delay (ta'khir); one says ajala shay'an yajilu ajwalan, and something is aajil (delayed) if it is postponed, and aajil is the opposite of aajil (immediate).

Given this, the meaning of {Then He decreed a term} is that Allah Almighty specified a certain time for the death of every individual. This specification is an expression of His will being attached to bringing about that death at that specific time. This verse is analogous to His saying: {Then indeed, after that} (Al-Mu'minun: 15).

Know that the explicit meaning of this verse indicates that every person has two terms. The commentators have differed on their interpretation in several ways:

1. Al-Muslim's View: The first term, {Then He decreed for them a term}, refers to the terms of those who have passed away from creation. The second term, {and a specified term with Him}, refers to the terms of those remaining. He specified this second term by it being "specified with Him" because the terms of those who have died have become known, whereas the terms of the remaining ones are not yet known because they have not died.
2. The Second View: The first term is the term of death, and the specified term with Allah is the term of the Resurrection. This is because the duration of their life in the Hereafter has no end or cessation, and no one knows the nature of this term except Allah, the Glorified and Exalted.
3. The Third View: The first term is the period from creation until death. The second term is the period between death and resurrection (the Barzakh/intermediate state).
4. The Fourth View: The first term is sleep, and the second term is death.
5. The Fifth View: The first term is the portion of every person's life that has passed, and the second term is the portion of their life that remains.
6. The Sixth View (The View of the Islamic Sages): Every person has two terms: one is the natural term (al-aajal al-tabi'iyyah), which is the duration they would have lived had their temperament remained protected from external accidents. The other is the accidental term (al-aajal al-ikhtirāmiyyah), which occurs due to external causes like drowning, burning, insect stings, and other critical matters.

The phrase {a specified term with Him} means it is known to Him, or its name is recorded in the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz). The meaning of 'indahu (with Him) is similar to when a man says regarding an issue, "In my view, the matter is thus and so," meaning, "This is my belief and my saying."

Objection: If the subject is an indefinite noun (nakirah) and its predicate is an adverbial phrase (zarf), the predicate must be delayed. Why is its precedence permissible in {and a specified term with Him}?

Answer: Because it has been specified by an adjective (sifah), bringing it close to being definite (ma'rifah), similar to His saying: {And a believing slave is better than a polytheist} (Al-Baqarah: 221).

We say that Marīyah and Imtirā' both mean doubt (shakk).

We know that if we hold that the purpose of mentioning this discourse was to prove the existence of the Creator, then the meaning is: After such a clear proof has appeared, you still doubt the validity of Monotheism. If the purpose was to affirm the Resurrection, then the meaning is the same. And Allah knows best.