Al-An'am (The Cattle): (99) And it is He Who sends down...

This is the fifth category of proofs demonstrating the perfection of Allah's power, knowledge, wisdom, mercy, and the ways of His benevolence towards His creation.

These proofs are also immense blessings and perfect acts of grace. When discourse serves as proof from one perspective and as a blessing/grace from others, its impact on the heart is profound. This shows that one engaged in calling people to the path of truth should not deviate from this method.

In this verse, there are several issues:

Issue 1: The Descent of Water from the Sky

The literal meaning of the Almighty's saying, {And it is He Who sends down from the sky water}, implies that rain descends directly from the sky. Regarding this, people differed in opinion.

Abu Ali al-Jubba'i, in his Tafsir, stated that Allah sends water down from the sky to the clouds, and from the clouds to the earth. He argued that the apparent meaning of the text requires rain to descend from the sky, and deviating from the apparent meaning to interpretation is only necessary when there is proof that applying the literal meaning is impossible. Here, no such proof exists, so the literal meaning must be upheld.

As for those who say that large amounts of vapor gather beneath the earth, then rise up into the air, forming clouds from which rain precipitates—al-Jubba'i presented arguments against this view:

First Argument: Hail can occur during hot weather, even in the peak of summer, yet we find rain falling un-frozen even in the coldest times. This refutes their claim.

• A counter-argument might be offered by them: They would say that since vapor consists of watery particles whose nature is cold, in summer, heat dominates the exterior of the cloud, causing the coldness to retreat to its interior, where it strengthens due to accumulation, thus producing hail. In cold weather, the cold dominates the exterior, so the coldness inside does not intensify, and thus it precipitates as water, not ice.
• A rebuttal to this counter-argument: The upper layer of the atmosphere is extremely cold. If it is a very cold day in the depth of winter, that layer is intensely cold, and the air surrounding the earth is also very cold. Therefore, the coldness should intensify, and rain should never occur in winter. Since we witness that rain does occur, their claim is invalidated. (And Allah knows best.)

Second Argument presented by al-Jubba'i: When vapors rise and ascend, they disperse. If they disperse, water droplets will not form. Vapor only condenses when it contacts a continuous, smooth surface, like the glazed ceilings of bathhouses. If there is no such surface, much water will not flow down. Since vapors ascend in the air without a continuous smooth surface above them, no water should result.

• A counter-argument might be offered: When these dispersed vapors ascend, upon reaching the cold layer of air, they cool down. Coldness necessitates weight and descent. Due to the intensity of the cold, they revert from ascending to descending. Since the world is spherical, when they return from ascent to descent, they move from the vast surrounding space towards the narrow center. These particles then adhere and connect due to this process, forming the droplets of rain.

Third Argument by al-Jubba'i: If rain were generated from the ascent of vapors, since vapors constantly rise from the seas, rain should perpetually fall. Since this is not the case, their view is proven false.

Al-Jubba'i concluded that based on these points, rain is not generated from the earth's vapor. He added that those who hold this view were compelled to adopt it because they believed the physical bodies (elements) to be eternal. If they are eternal, increase and decrease are impossible within them. Thus, the occurrence of events could only be explained by those particles acquiring a new attribute after having possessed others. This is why they devised complex mechanisms to form everything from a specific material.

However, Muslims believe that bodies are created, and the Creator of the universe is an active, willing agent capable of creating bodies as He wills. Therefore, there is no need for these contrived explanations. Thus, the apparent meaning of the Qur'an in this verse indicates that water descends from the sky, and there is no proof against this apparent meaning, so it must be accepted.

What confirms this is that all verses speak of rain descending from the sky: {And We send down from the sky water that is pure} (Al-Furqan: 48). {And He sends down upon you from the sky water to purify you thereby} (Al-Anfal: 11). {And He sends down from the sky, from mountains therein of hail} (An-Nur: 43).

Therefore, the truth is established: Allah sends down rain from the sky, meaning He creates these bodies in the sky, then sends them down to the clouds, and from the clouds to the earth.

The Second Opinion: The meaning is that water descends from the direction of the sky.

The Third Opinion: Water descends from the clouds, and Allah named the clouds Sama' (sky) because the Arabs call everything above you Sama' (like the ceiling of a house). This is what has been said on this topic.

Issue 2: The Angels Accompanying Rain

Al-Wahidi narrated in Al-Basit from Ibn Abbas: The water here means rain, and not a single drop of rain descends except that an angel accompanies it. Philosophers interpret this angel as the nature inherent in that physical substance causing the descent. As for it being an angel from the angels of the heavens, this matter is problematic. (And Allah knows best.)

Issue 3: {Then We bring forth thereby the vegetation of everything}

This phrase involves several discussions:

First Discussion: The apparent meaning of {Then We bring forth thereby the vegetation of everything} indicates that Allah brings forth vegetation by means of water. This implies reliance on natural disposition (tabi'ah), which the theologians deny. We have elaborated extensively on this issue in Surah Al-Baqarah when interpreting {And We send down from the sky water, and thereby We bring forth from the fruits a provision for you}; repetition is unnecessary.

Second Discussion: Al-Farra' said that the apparent meaning of {Then We bring forth thereby the vegetation of everything} implies that everything has vegetation. This is not the case, so the meaning must be: "Then We bring forth thereby the vegetation of everything that has vegetation." If so, that which has no vegetation is not included.

Third Discussion: The use of {Then We bring forth thereby} after {send down} is called a Tafatt (a shift in perspective/address). This is considered a mark of eloquence (fasaha).

The grammarians claimed this is a mark of eloquence but did not explain how it qualifies as such. We have elaborated on this in the interpretation of {Until, when you were in the ships and they sailed with them by a good wind} (Yunus: 22); repetition is unnecessary.

Fourth Discussion: The use of the plural form {We bring forth} (Fa-akhrajnā). Allah is One, unique, and has no partner. However, when a great King refers to Himself, He uses the plural form, as is the case here. Similar examples include: {Indeed, We sent it down... Indeed, We sent Noah... Indeed, it is We Who sent down the Reminder}.

Regarding {Then We bring forth from it green growth}: Al-Zajjaj said that khidran means the same as akhdar (green). It is said akhdar and khidr, just as it is said a'war (one-eyed) and awr. Al-Layth said that al-khidr in the Book of Allah refers to crops, and in speech, all plants are khidr.

I say that Allah restricted the vegetation in the preceding verse into two categories when He said: {Indeed, Allah is the cleaver of the grain and the date stone}. What grows from the grain is the crop (zar'a), and what grows from the date stone is the tree. Consider this division in this verse as well: He began by mentioning the crop, which is meant by {Then We bring forth from it green growth}—meaning the crop, as narrated from Al-Layth. Ibn Abbas said it refers to wheat, barley, spelt, millet, and rice. This khidr refers to the green stalk that emerges first, with the ear/spikelet on top.

And His saying {Then We bring forth from it grain piled up} means that from that green growth emerges grain piled up one upon another in a single ear/spikelet. This is because the original is that green stalk, and the spikelet is composed upon it from above, and the grains are layered one upon another. On top of the spikelet are fine, sharp bodies resembling needles, created to prevent birds from picking up those piled-up grains.

After mentioning what grows from the grain, He followed it with what grows from the date stone, which is the second category: {And from the palm trees, from their spathes, are clusters of dates hanging low}. Here are several discussions:

First Discussion: Allah preceded the mention of crops over the palm trees, indicating that crops are superior to palm trees. Al-Jahiz wrote an extensive treatise on this specific discussion.

Second Discussion: Al-Wahidi narrated from Abu Ubaidah that atla'a (spathes) refers to the palm tree when it produces its spathe, which are its immature fruit clusters before they split open to reveal the aghreed (young fruit). Aghreed is also called tala'. He said tala' is the first thing seen of the palm frond, and the singular is tal'ah.

As for {qanwān} (clusters/bunches), Al-Zajjaj said it is the plural of qanw, like sanwān and sanw. When the qanw is dualized, it becomes qanwān (with a kasra on the nūn), so this plural form follows the pattern of the dual, and the nūn is inflected for the plural.

Once the meaning of the word is known, we say: His saying {clusters of dates hanging low}. Ibn Abbas said this refers to the fruit stalks that have hung down from the spathe, dāniyah (near) to those who harvest them. He also narrated that it means short palm trees whose fruit clusters cling to the ground. Al-Zajjaj said He did not say "and from them are distant clusters" because mentioning one of the two opposites implies the other, just as He said {And garments to protect you from the heat} (An-Nahl: 81) and did not say garments to protect you from the cold, because mentioning one opposite implies the other. Similarly here. It is also said that mentioning the dāniyah (near ones) implies the distant ones because the blessing in the near ones is more complete and abundant.

Third Discussion: The author of Al-Kashshāf said: {qanwān} is in the nominative case (raf') as the subject, and {And from the palm trees} is its predicate (khabar). {And from their spathes} is an appositive (badal) to it, as if saying: And resulting from the palm trees are qanwān. Alternatively, the predicate is omitted, implied by {We bring forth}, meaning: And bringing forth from the palm trees are qanwān. For those who read {We bring forth from it grain} (in the nominative case), {their spathes are qanwān} is coordinated with {grain}. It was also read as {qanwān} with a ḍammah on the qāf and with a fatḥah as a plural noun like rakb, because fa'lān is not a pattern for broken plurals.

Then the Almighty said: {And gardens of grapes, and olives, and pomegranates}. Here are discussions:

First Discussion: 'Asim read {jannāt} (gardens) with a ḍammah on the tā', which is the reading of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). The rest read it with a kasra on the tā'. The first reading has two possibilities:

1. It means: And there are gardens of grapes, alongside the palm trees.
2. It is coordinated with {qanwān}, meaning: And resulting from the palm trees are qanwān and gardens of grapes.

The reading with the fatḥah (accusative case) is justified by coordinating it with {the vegetation of everything}, implying: And We bring forth by it gardens of grapes, similarly for {and olives and pomegranates} (Al-An'am: 141). The author of Al-Kashshāf said: It is better that they are in the accusative case as an object of specification (ikhtiṣāṣ), like {and those who establish prayer} (An-Nisā': 162), due to the high status of these two types (olives and pomegranates).

Second Discussion: Al-Farra' said that {and olives and pomegranates} refers to the olive trees and pomegranate trees, just as He said {And ask the town} (Yusuf: 82), meaning its people.

Third Discussion: Know that Allah mentioned four types of trees here: palm, grape, olive, and pomegranate. He preceded the crop over the trees because the crop is sustenance (ghidhā'), while the fruits of the trees are delicacies (fawākih), and sustenance takes precedence over delicacies. He preceded the palm tree over other fruits because dates serve as sustenance for the Arabs, and because the wise have explained that the date palm shares many characteristics with animals that are not found in other types of plants. For this reason, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Honor your paternal aunt, the palm tree, for she was created from the remnant of Adam's clay."

He followed the palm tree with the grape because the grape is the noblest of fruits. This is because it becomes beneficial from its very first appearance until its final state. The first thing to appear on the vine is fine green threads, sour in taste but delicious, from which stews can be made. Then appears the unripe grape (hisram), which is a noble food for the healthy and the sick. From hisram, pleasant-tasting drinks beneficial for those with yellow bile can be made, and stews can also be prepared from it, making it perhaps the tastiest of sour stews. When the grape ripens, it is the sweetest and most delightful of fruits. Stored grapes can last a year or less or more, and they are truly the sweetest of stored fruits. Furthermore, four types of consumables remain from it: raisins, date syrup (dibs), wine, and vinegar. The benefits of these four cannot be detailed except in volumes. Although wine is forbidden by Sharia, Allah described it by saying: {And benefits for people}, then {and their sin is greater than their benefit}. The best aspect of the grape is its seedless variety. Physicians make highly beneficial stomach remedies from it for weak, moist stomachs. Thus, the grape is established as the sultan of fruits.

As for the olive, it is also highly beneficial because it can be eaten as is, and a great deal of highly beneficial oil can be extracted from it for eating and all other uses.

As for the pomegranate, its condition is very strange, as it is a body composed of four parts: its peel, its pith, its seeds, and its juice.

The first three parts—peel, pith, and seed—are all cold, dry, earthy, dense, astringent, and strong in these qualities. The juice of the pomegranate, however, is the opposite: it is the sweetest and most delicate of drinks, closest to moderation, and most suitable for moderate temperaments. It strengthens a weak constitution, serving as both food and medicine. When you contemplate the pomegranate, you find the first three parts described with complete earthy density, while the fourth part, the juice, is described with delicacy and moderation. It is as if Allah combined two contradictory and disparate elements in it, making the indication of His power and mercy in it more complete and perfect.

Know that the types of vegetation are too numerous to be covered in volumes. For this reason, Allah mentioned these four categories, which are the noblest types of vegetation, contenting Himself with mentioning them as a sign pointing to the rest.

After mentioning them, Allah said: {Similar and dissimilar}. Here are discussions:

First Discussion: Interpretations of {similar} (mushtabihan):

1. These fruits may be similar in color and shape but different in taste and sweetness. Or they may be different in color and shape but similar in taste and sweetness. For example, grapes and pomegranates can look similar in form, color, and shape, yet differ in sweetness and sourness, and vice versa.
2. Most fruits have a peel and seeds whose taste and properties are similar, while the flesh and moisture differ in taste.
3. Qatadah said: The leaves of trees are nearly similar, but their fruits are different. Some say the trees are similar, but the fruits are different.
4. I say: You might take a bunch of grapes where all the berries are ripe, sweet, and good, except for specific berries that remain in their initial state of greenness, sourness, and astringency. Under this interpretation, some berries in that bunch are similar, and some are dissimilar.

Second Discussion: It is said: ishtabba al-shay'ān and tashābahā, like istawā and tasāwā. The ifti'āl and tafā'ul forms often share meanings. It was read as {similar and dissimilar} (mutashābihan wa ghayra mutashābih).

Third Discussion: He said {similar} (mushtabihan) and not {similar ones} (mushtabihayn), either by taking one as representative, or by assuming: "The olive is similar and dissimilar, and the pomegranate likewise," similar to the verse:

He threw at me a matter that I and my father were innocent of, and because of hunger, he threw at me. (A line of poetry used as an analogy for singular usage implying plural context).

Then the Almighty said: {Look at its fruit when it yields fruit and when it ripens}. Here are discussions:

First Discussion: Hamzah and Al-Kisa'i read {thamaruhu} (its fruit) with a ḍammah on the thā' and mīm. Abu Amr read it with a ḍammah on the thā' and sukūn on the mīm. The rest read it with a fatḥah on the thā' and mīm.

The reading of Hamzah and Al-Kisa'i has two possibilities:

1. The clearest is that it is the plural of thamrah (fruit) as thamar, just as they say khashabah (stick) becomes khashab (as in {as if they were propped-up logs} (Al-Munafiqun: 4)). Similarly, akmah (mound) becomes akm, which is then softened to akm (as in the poet's line: You see the mounds therein prostrating to the hooves).
2. It is the plural of thamrah becoming thimār, and then thimār becomes thamar (a plural of a plural).

The reading of Abu Amr is justified by the softening of thamar to thamar, like saying rusul and rusul.

The reading of the rest is justified because thamar is the plural of thamrah, like baqarah and buqur, shajarah and shajar, kharzah and kharaz.

Second Discussion: Al-Wahidi said yan'u (ripening) means maturity (nuj). Abu Ubaidah said it is said yan'u (past tense, fatḥah) and yany'u (present tense, kasrah). Al-Layth said: The fruit yan'atu (past tense, kasrah), and when it ripens, it tany'u and tun'u with īnā', yan'an (with fatḥah on the yā'), and yan'an (with ḍammah on the yā'). The yāni' (ripe) is mūni' (ripe). The author of Al-Kashshāf said it was read as {wa yan'uhu} with a ḍammah on the yā', and Ibn Muhaysin read {wa yāni'uhu}.

Third Discussion: His saying {Look at its fruit when it yields fruit} is a command to observe the state of the fruit at the beginning of its emergence. And {and when it ripens} is a command to observe its state upon completion and perfection. This is the point of inference and proof, which is the ultimate goal of this verse.

This is because these fruits and blossoms generate in their initial state with specific characteristics, and upon completion and perfection, they do not remain in their initial states but transition to conditions contrary to the previous ones. For example, they were described with the color green, then they become colored black or red. They were described as sour, then they become sweet. Perhaps they were naturally cold in the beginning, then become hot in nature at the end.

The occurrence of these transformations and changes must have a cause. That cause is not the influence of natures, seasons, stars, or celestial spheres, because the relation of all these conditions to all these diverse bodies is equal and similar. Similar relations cannot be the cause for the occurrence of different events. Since attributing the occurrence of these events to natures, stars, and spheres is invalidated, it must be attributed to the Capable, Willing, Wise, Merciful Agent who manages this world according to mercy, benefit, and wisdom.

When Allah, the Exalted, draws attention to the subtle indication in this aspect, He says: {Indeed, in that are signs for a people who believe}. Al-Qadi said the meaning is for those who seek faith in Allah, the Exalted, because it is a sign for the believer and the non-believer. It is possible that the reason for specifying the believers is that they are the ones who benefit from it, unlike others, as established in the interpretation of {a guidance for the righteous}.

One might argue: Rather, the meaning is that the evidence for establishing the Capable, Willing God is clear, strong, and manifest in this. It is as if someone asked: Why is there disagreement among creation regarding this issue when such a clear, manifest, and strong proof exists? The answer is that the strength of the proof is only beneficial if Allah has decreed faith for the servant. It is as if it is said: This proof, despite its strength and clarity, is a sign for those for whom Allah has decreed faith beforehand. As for those for whom Allah has decreed disbelief, they will not benefit from this proof at all. Thus, the purpose of this specification is to draw attention to what we have mentioned. (And Allah knows best.)

7 < { And they have set up for Allah partners from the Jinn, while He created them, and they fabricated for Him sons and daughters without knowledge. Exalted is He and high above what they describe! } > 7