Al-An'am (The Cattle): (98) And it is He who brought you forth...

This is a fourth type of evidence for the existence of God, the perfection of His power, and His knowledge: reasoning based on the states of humankind.

We say: There is no doubt that the single soul (Nafs) is Adam (peace be upon him), and it was a single soul. Eve was created from one of his ribs. Thus, all people originate from a single soul, which is Adam.

If it is asked: What is the position regarding Jesus (peace be upon him)? We reply: He too was created from Mary, who was created from her parents.

If they say: Does not the Qur'an indicate that he was created from the Word or from a Spirit breathed into her? How can this be correct? We reply: The word min (from) indicates the beginning of the limit (inception). There is no dispute that the beginning of Jesus's existence was from Mary, and this extent is sufficient for the correctness of this expression.

Al-Qadi [Al-Baqillani] said: There is a difference between His saying, {He brought you forth} (ansha'akum) and His saying, {He created you} (khalaqakum). This is because ansha'akum implies that He created you not from a beginning, but rather through growth and development (numuww and shunuww), not from the manifestation of two parents. As is said regarding vegetation, that the Exalted created it, meaning growth and increase until the time of termination.

As for His saying, {then a resting place and a deposit} (fa-mustaqarrun wa mustawda'un), there are discussions concerning it:

Ibn Kathir and Abu 'Amr recited {fa-mustaqarrun} with a kasra (i) on the qaf (mustaqirr), while the rest recited it with a fatha (a) (mustaqarr).

Abu Ali al-Farsi said: Sibawayh said: It is said qarra fi makanihi (he settled in his place) and istaqarra (he settled firmly).

1. Whoever recites with kasra (mustaqirr): The resting place means the settled/firm one (al-qarr). If so, the implied predicate must be (minkum)—meaning, from you is the settled one.
2. Whoever recites with fatha (mustaqarr): It is not an object (maf'ul bihi) because istaqarra is intransitive and does not take an object. Therefore, it must be a noun of place (ism makan), making al-mustaqarr equivalent to al-maqarr (the resting place). If this is the case, the implied predicate cannot be (minkum), but must be (lakum)—meaning, for you is the resting place (lakum maqarr).

As for al-mustawda' (the deposit), the verb istawda'a (to entrust/deposit) takes two objects. You say: Awdastu Zayd-an alf-an (I deposited a thousand with Zayd). Thus, al-mustawda' can refer to the human being who received the deposit, or it can refer to the place itself.

If you know this:

• Whoever recites mustaqirr with fatha (noun of place), he makes al-mustawda' a place as well, to match the conjunction. The meaning is: For you is a place of settling and a place of depositing.
• Whoever recites mustaqirr with kasra (the settled one), the meaning is: From you is the settled one, and from you is the deposited one. The implication is: From you is he who settles, and from you is he who is deposited. And Allah knows best.

The difference is that al-mustaqarr is closer to vegetation, while al-mustawda' is further from it.

• Something that has settled in a location and is not on the verge of perishing is called mustaqarr (resting place).
• If it has settled but is on the verge of perishing, it is called mustawda' (deposit), because the deposit is liable to be reclaimed at any moment.

Knowing this, the interpreters have widely differed on the meaning of these two terms, with several opinions:

1. The First Opinion (Narrated from Ibn Abbas in most narrations): Al-mustaqarr is the wombs (al-arham), and al-mustawda' is the loins (al-aslab). Karayb reported that Jarir wrote to Ibn Abbas asking about this verse, and he replied: "The deposit is the loins, and the resting place is the womb." Then he recited: {And We settle in the wombs what We will} (Al-Hajj: 5). What further supports this view is that a single sperm drop does not remain long in the father's loins, whereas the fetus remains in the mother's womb for a long time. Since the duration of stay in the womb is longer than in the father's loins, attributing "resting" to the womb is more appropriate.

2. The Second Opinion: Al-mustaqarr is the loins of the father, and al-mustawda' is the womb of the mother. This is because the sperm is established in the father's loins without external agency, whereas it is established in the mother's womb by the action of another (the male). The establishment of that sperm in the womb is likened to a deposit (wadi'ah) because the phrase {then a resting place and a deposit} implies that the resting place precedes the deposit. The sperm's establishment in the father's loins precedes its establishment in the mother's womb, so it must be that al-mustaqarr is what is in the loins of the fathers, and al-mustawda' is what is in the wombs of the mothers.

3. The Third Opinion (The view of Al-Hasan): Al-mustaqarr is the state after death. If the person is fortunate, that happiness is settled (istaqarrat); if wretched, that wretchedness is settled. There is no change in a person's state after death, whereas before death, states are changeable. A disbeliever might become a believer, and a heretic might become sincere. Since these pre-death states are subject to perishing and removal, it is not inappropriate to liken them to a deposit that is liable to vanish and depart.

4. The Fourth Opinion (The view of Al-Asamm): Al-mustaqarr refers to those who have been created from the first soul, entered this world, and settled in it. Al-mustawda' refers to those who have not yet been created but will be created.

5. The Fifth Opinion (Also Al-Asamm): Al-mustaqarr refers to those settled firmly in the world, and al-mustawda' refers to those in the graves until they are resurrected. Qatadah held the opposite view: Mustaqarr (resting place) is in the grave, and mustawda' (deposit) is in the world.

6. The Sixth Opinion (Abu Muslim Al-Isbahani): The intended meaning is: "He brought you forth from a single soul, so from you is a resting place (male) and from you is a deposit (female)." He expressed the male as mustaqarr because the sperm is generated and settles in his loins. He expressed the female as mustawda' because her womb is like a deposit for that sperm. And Allah knows best.

The purpose of the speech is that people were generated from a single person, Adam (peace be upon him), and then they differed regarding the resting place and the deposit according to the aforementioned aspects.

We say: Human individuals are equal in corporeality but differ in attributes, based on which the variation in mustaqarr and mustawda' occurred. The difference in these attributes must have a cause and an effective agent. This cause is not corporeality and its necessities, otherwise, the variation in attributes would be impossible. Therefore, the cause must be the choosing, wise Agent. A parallel verse in its evidential force is His saying: {and the variation of your tongues and your colors} (Ar-Rum: 22).

Then the Exalted said: {Indeed, We have detailed the signs for a people who understand} (yafqahun).

This detailing means that He clarified these evidences by separating some from others. Do you not see that He first relied on the creation of plants and trees from seeds and pits, then mentioned reliance on astronomical evidences in three ways, and then mentioned reliance on the states of human creation? Thus, the Exalted distinguished some of these evidences from others, and separated some from others, {for a people who understand}.

There are discussions concerning this:

1. First: His saying {for a people who understand} implies that the Exalted does an action for a purpose and wisdom.
   • The Sunni response: The lam (the letter 'L' in li-qawmin) is the lam al-'aqibah (the lam of consequence), or it is interpreted as a likeness to the state of one who acts for a purpose.

2. Second: This verse indicates that the Exalted willed understanding, comprehension, and faith from all creation, and He did not will disbelief for anyone. This is the view of the Mu'tazila.
   • The Sunni response: It means, as if the Exalted is saying: I have only detailed this explanation for those who know, comprehend, and understand—and they are the believers, and none other.

3. Third: The Exalted concluded the previous verse, which cited evidence from the states of the stars, with {they know} (ya'lamun), and concluded the end of this verse with {they understand} (yafqahun). The difference is that the creation of humans from one soul and their progression through varied states is a finer and more subtle craft and management. Therefore, mentioning fiqh (deep understanding) here is due to the fact that fiqh implies greater sharpness, strength, intelligence, and comprehension. And Allah knows best.

7 < { And it is He who sent down from the sky water, and We brought forth thereby the vegetation of all things. Then We brought forth from it green foliage, from which We bring forth grain heaped up; and from the date-palm, from its sheaths, clusters hanging low; and gardens of grapes, and olives, and pomegranates, alike and unlike. Look at their fruit when it bears fruit and when it ripens. Indeed, in that are signs for a people who believe! } > 7 !