55. The immediate reference at the time of revelation was, according to the widely reportedly opinions of `Ali ibn Abi Talib, Ibn `Abbas, Sa`id b. Jubayr and others, to the leaders of the Quraysh who led their people to destruction at Badr and to the everlasting punishment in Hell-fire (Ibn Jarir).

The report is also in Bukhari (Shawkani).

However, it is also reported of `Umar ibn al-Khattab, `Ali, Ibn `Umar and Ibn `Abbas that the allusion is to the two corrupt Quraysh clans: Banu al-Mughira and Banu Umayyah (Ibn Jarir). `Umar said, “As for Banu al-Mughira, you took care of them at Badr. As regards Banu Umayyah, they have been given respite.” The reports are in Bukhari’s “Tarikh” (not the Sahih collection), Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Marduwayh, Ibn Abi Hatim, Tabarani in his Awsat and Hakim, who declared it as trustworthy (Alusi, Shawkani).

56. Ibn Kathir writes: Allah mentioned some of the favors He showed to mankind, such as, He made the sky a protective ceiling, earth a bed, brought forth vegetation in the aftermath of rains that yield fruits of different tastes and colors, as well as grain and grass. He also made ships to sail on the surface of water by His command, and rivers that help in irrigation and transport from one region to another. This is the meaning of making these things subservient.

Asad comments: “Almost all classical commentators agree that God’s having made the natural phenomena “subservient” to man is a metaphor (majaz) for His having enabled man to derive lasting benefit from them.”

Mawdudi elaborates: “Some (people) think that it means that the forces of nature have been placed under the control of man. Such an assumption leads people to develop a variety of odd ideas. Some even go so far as to say that to achieve mastery over the heavens and the earth is the true end of man’s existence. However, what the Qur’anic statement means by the subjection of the natural phenomena is simply that God has bound them to laws which are beneficial for mankind. Had sailing in the sea not been subject to any law, it would not have been possible for man to undertake sea voyages. Had the rivers not been subject to any laws, man could not have used them for irrigation. Likewise, had the sun, the moon, the day and the night not been regulated, there could have been no life on earth, let alone any flourishing human civilization.”

57. Qadi Baydawi has said that the meaning is: Allah provided everything for you that you will ever need, whether you asked for it or not (Ma`arif).

Some commentators have however understood the “min” of the text as meaning, “out of.” That is, He gave you something out of all that you asked Him, following His wisdom, withholding that alone which was harmful (Razi and others).

58. Bayhaqi has reported Abu Darda’ as saying, “He who does not see Allah’s bounties except in his food and drinks, will be poor in the obedience of his Lord, and his punishment is close” (Shawkani). And a tradition in Bukhari reports that the Prophet used to say,

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ ، غَيْرَ مَكْفِىٍّ ، وَلاَ مُوَدَّعٍ وَلاَ مُسْتَغْنًى عَنْهُ ، رَبَّنَا

“Praises to Allah in great measure, goodly, blessed - of the kind that can never be sufficient, nor that which will be the last one, nor something we can feel self-sufficient about - O our Lord” (Ibn Kathir).

It was either Abu `Ali Shibli or Ibn Ali Sina who reportedly belittled the blessing of this life in a poem, a part of which is reproduced here:

Time scatters our years over here and there

Like the leaves of a branch scattered around

Whenever the world lays a new born

It is devoured by the vicissitudes of the wet-nurse

We are watched from the time earlier than we were born

While any disagreement is in the mother’s womb cut down

We only wait for misfortunes and calamities

And thereafter? Ah, threats (of punishments) await us

We leave, unwilling, as does the lizard leaves when forced out of its hole

Why should we be taunted over our existence?

When we had no choice to be or not to be?

It would have been a better blessing if we were

Consulted earlier, or given a choice

This is a malady that has no cure

This is a breaking down, that has no mending.

(Alusi)

Obviously, it is a cynic who sees the world as a clock-work, in which men are denied any role, awaiting only calamities as life’s events unfold themselves: a view which is somewhat different from the real world, in which every living being wishes to live as long as possible, obviously not out of grief. That apart, we are sure the poet must have been well pleased with his lines, as will all those be, who are, for some reason or the other, of similar skeptic temperament. They will pass these lines around in delight, to men of similar dispositions. But, ignoring other things, can they deny that the life’s pains are worth the pleasure which these lines offer: to the writer and those of similar disposition? After all, rocks do not say poetry. Would a man choose to be a rock, rather than someone who enjoys reading and writing poetry? As regards not having been consulted before creation, let us suppose a piece of rock is consulted: “Do you wish to come alive?” We all know what the answer would be. Life itself is a reward and a blessing (Au.).

59. Man is given to “much wrong-doing,” (zalum), making noise and complaining to everyone he comes across when he faces hard times, and is given to “much ingratitude” (kaffar), amassing and refusing to share with others when bestowed with bounties (Zamakhshari).

(Accordingly) a report in Ibn Abi Hatim has `Umar saying, “O Allah, forgive me my zulm and my kufr.” He was asked, “Zulm, yes. But what about kufr?” He replied, “Allah said, ‘Surely man is zalum, kaffar’” (Shawkani).