Sūrat al-Raḥmān

Classification: Medinan. Verses: 78 (Revealed after al-Raʿd).

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

1–13

• The Most Gracious: He taught the Qur’an.
• He created man: He taught him eloquence (al-bayān), which is the ability to express what is in his mind.
• The sun and the moon move by calculation: They follow a precise reckoning.
• The stars and the trees prostrate: They submit to His command.
• He raised the heaven and set the balance: He established justice.
• So that you may not transgress in the balance: Do not exceed the limits of justice.
• Establish the weight with equity and do not skimp in the balance: Do not diminish what is weighed.
• He set the earth for the creatures: He laid it out for all living beings.
• In it are fruits and date palms with sheaths: Containing the fruit clusters.
• And grain with husks and fragrant herbs: The grain has leaves/husks, and the herbs are aromatic plants.
• So which of the favors of your Lord will you both deny?

God, the Almighty and Exalted, enumerated His bounties. He intended to present first that which is most ancient among the varieties of His favors and the categories of His blessings: the blessing of Religion. He prioritized the highest and most elevated rank of religious blessing: His bestowing of the Quran, its revelation, and its teaching. This is because it is the greatest of God’s revelations in rank, the highest in status, and the most beneficial in the affairs of religion. It is the pinnacle of the heavenly books, the confirmation of them, and the standard by which they are measured.

He delayed the mention of the creation of man after the mention of the Quran, and then followed it with it, so that it may be known that He only created him for the sake of Religion, and so that he might encompass knowledge of His revelation, His books, and the purpose for which man was created. It is as if the purpose of his creation preceded and anticipated him. Then, He mentioned that which distinguishes him from all other animals: al-bayan (articulation), which is the eloquent speech that expresses what is in the conscience.

{Ar-Rahman} is the subject (mubtada'), and these verbs with their pronouns are synonymous predicates. They are devoid of conjunctions because they come in the style of enumeration, just as you would say: "Zayd enriched you after poverty, honored you after humiliation, increased you after scarcity; he did for you what no one has done for anyone—so what do you deny of his kindness?"

{With a calculation} (bi-husban): with a known calculation and precise estimation. {They run} in their orbits and stations. In this are great benefits for people, among them the knowledge of years and calculation.

{The stars and the trees}: The "star" (najm) is the vegetation that emerges from the earth and has no trunk, like herbs. The "tree" (shajar) is that which has a trunk. Their prostration is their submission to God for that which they were created for, and that they do not resist, likened to the prostration of the accountable beings in their submission.

If you ask: "How are these two sentences connected to Ar-Rahman?" I say: The verbal connection is dispensed with in favor of the semantic connection, since it is known that the calculation is His calculation, and the prostration is to Him and not to another. It is as if it were said: "The sun and the moon [run] by His calculation, and the stars and trees prostrate to Him."

If you ask: "Why was the conjunction omitted in the first sentences, then brought later?" I say: Those first sentences were brought in the style of enumeration so that each sentence would be independent in rebuking those who denied the Most Merciful and His bounties, just as one rebukes a denier of a benefactor's favors by enumerating them to him in the example I provided. Then, the speech returned to its path after the rebuke, connecting what must be connected for the sake of harmony and proximity with a conjunction.

If you ask: "What harmony is there between these two sentences such that the conjunction was placed between them?" I say: The sun and the moon are celestial, while the star and the tree are terrestrial. There is a harmony between the two groups in terms of contrast, and because the heaven and earth are always mentioned as pairs. Furthermore, the running of the sun and moon by calculation is of the same nature as the submission to God’s command, so it is appropriate to the prostration of the stars and trees.

It is said: {He taught the Quran}—He made it a sign and a miracle. From Ibn Abbas (may God be pleased with him): "The human" is Adam. Also from him: "Muhammad, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him)." From Mujahid: "The star" (najm) refers to the stars of the sky.

{And the heaven He raised}: He created it raised and vaulted, as He made it the origin of His decrees, the source of His judgments, the place of descent for His commands and prohibitions, and the dwelling of His angels who descend with revelation upon His prophets. By this, He alerts us to the majesty of His affair, His kingdom, and His authority.

{And He set the balance}: In the reading of Abdullah (Ibn Mas'ud), it is "and He lowered the balance." He intended by it everything with which things are weighed and their quantities are known—scales, steelyards, measures, and gauges. That is, He created it set and lowered upon the earth, as He attached to it the judgments of His servants, their affairs, and what He obligated them with regarding fairness and equity in their taking and giving.

{That you not transgress}: Meaning, "so that you do not transgress." Or it is the explanatory an. Abdullah read it as "do not transgress" without an, intending the command. {And establish the weight with justice}—and perform your weighing with fairness. {And do not make the balance deficient}—do not diminish it. This is a command for fairness and a prohibition against transgression, which is aggression and excess, and against deficiency, which is under-weighing and reduction. He repeated the word "balance" to emphasize the recommendation of it and to strengthen the command to use it and the exhortation toward it.

{And the earth He laid out}: He lowered it, spread out upon the water. {For the creatures}—for the creation, which is everything on the face of the earth that is a living being. From al-Hasan: "Humans and Jinn," for it is like a bed for them to move upon.

{Fruit}—varieties of things to be enjoyed. {And the sheaths} (al-akmam): everything that covers, such as fibers, palm fronds, and spathes; all of it is benefited from just as one benefits from the fruit, hearts, and trunks that are covered. It is said that akmam are the containers of the date.

{And the grain with its husk} (al-'asf): the leaves of the crops; it is said to be straw. {And the sweet-smelling plants} (ar-rayhan): sustenance, which is the core. He intended by this that which is enjoyed, such as fruits—the combination of enjoyment and nourishment, which is the fruit of the palm—and that which is used for nourishment, which is the grain.

The address in {Which of the favors of your Lord will you both deny?} is to the two heavy groups (Jinn and Mankind), as indicated by the word "creatures" (al-anam) referring to both of them, and His saying: {We will attend to you, O you two heavy groups} (Ar-Rahman: 31).