Tafsir of Al-Ghashiyah 88:20

Al-Ghashiyah (The Overwhelming Event)

(Verse 20)

وَإِلَى الْأَرْضِ كَيْفَ سُطِحَتْ

And to the earth, how it is spread out?

It is spread out by being leveled and prepared, thus it is a resting place for those who move upon it. Some people have used this verse as evidence that the Earth is not spherical, but this view is weak. This is because if a sphere is of the utmost magnitude, every part of it will appear like a flat surface.

Ali (peace be upon him) recited it as: "How it was created, raised, set up, and flattened" (كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ وَرُفِعَتْ وَنُصِبَتْ وَسُطِحَتْ) based on the active voice structure, with the implied object being "it" (referring to the Earth), meaning: "How did you make it flat?" (فعلتها), where the object was omitted.

Know that some commentators have interpreted camels (الإبل) as clouds. The author of Al-Kashshaf said: Perhaps he did not mean that camels are one of the names for clouds, like ghamām, mazn, rabāb, ghaym, ghayn, and others. Rather, he observed that clouds are often likened to camels in much of their poetry, so he permitted that clouds be intended through the means of simile and metaphor. Under this interpretation, the connection (between the listed items) is clear.

However, if we adhere to the common understanding of camels, the rationale for the connection between them, the sky, the mountains, and the earth is twofold:

The First Reason: The Qur'an was revealed in the language of the Arabs, who traveled extensively because their land lacked vegetation. Their journeys were mostly undertaken upon camels. They often traveled upon them in the desolate wilderness, isolated from people. When a person is isolated, they tend to turn toward contemplation of things because they have no one to converse with, and nothing to occupy their sight and hearing. When this is the case, they have no choice but to occupy their mind with thought.

When contemplating in that state, their gaze first falls upon the camel they are riding—a wondrous sight. When they look up, they see nothing but the sky. When they look right and left, they see nothing but the mountains. When they look down, they see nothing but the earth. It is as if the Almighty commanded them to look during times of solitude and separation from others so that the inclination toward arrogance and envy would not prevent them from looking. Furthermore, in the solitude of the distant desert, they see nothing except these things. Thus, it is natural that God gathered them together in this verse.

The Second Reason: All created things point to the Creator, but they are of two categories:

1. Things where wisdom and desire both have a share.
2. Things where wisdom has a share, but desire has no share.

Category One: This includes things like a beautiful human face, pleasant gardens, gold, and silver, and so on. These things can be used to deduce the existence of the Wise Creator, but they are objects of desire and sought after by the soul. Therefore, the Almighty did not command contemplation of them, because when looking at and engaging with them, it is not guaranteed that the drive of desire will overcome the drive of wisdom, thus preventing the completion of observation and thought, and causing the soul to become engrossed in loving them.

Category Two: This includes animals whose form is not inherently beautiful, but whose composition points to wisdom—such as camels and others. However, mentioning camels here is more appropriate because the Arabs were more familiar with them, as are the sky, mountains, and earth. The signs of contingency (creation) and need are evident in them, and they do not contain an element that caters to desire. Since this category allows the share of wisdom to be perfected while being safe from the crowding of desire, it is natural that God commanded reflection upon them. This is what occurs to us in this context, and success is from God.

فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُذَكِّرٌ

So remind, for you are only a reminder.