Surah Al-Hajj, Ayah 66

Signs of the Power of Allah

This is a further sign of His might and power; that he sends the winds to drive the clouds which deliver rain to the barren land where nothing grows, land which is dry, dusty and desiccated.

فَإِذَآ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا الْمَآءَ اهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ

(but when We send down water on it, it is stirred (to life), and it swells) 22:5.

فَتُصْبِحُ الاٌّرْضُ مُخْضَرَّةً

(and then the earth becomes green) This indicates the sequence of events and how everything follows on according to its nature. This is like the Ayah:

ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً

(Then We made the Nutfah into a clot , then We made the clot into a little lump of flesh) 23:14. It was recorded in the Two Sahihs that between each stage there are forty days. Allah's saying,

Commentary

سَخَّرَ‌ لَكُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ (Allah has subjugated to you whatever there is on the earth - 22:65) It means that everything on this earth has been placed under the control of man. This raises the question that the mountains, rivers, beasts and birds and thousands of similar objects do not follow the commands of man. But placing something in the service of someone is also like putting it under his control, and in this verse the word Taskhir (subjugation) has been used to mean ` to serve'. The verse therefore means that all the things mentioned above are all the time working in the service of man by the command of Allah. It was quite within the power of Allah Ta’ ala to have placed all these things under the control of man, but in such a situation man himself would have been the loser, because human natures, desires and needs differ. If a person ordered the river to divert towards a particular direction, and some other person ordered to the contrary, the result would have been utter chaos and confusion. Therefore, Allah Ta’ ala has retained with Him alone the command of these things, but the benefits to be derived from them accrue to human beings.

All the things of this earth maintain a harmonious balance. If this balance is upset, it will be harmful to us instead of being useful. If a piece of metal is put in water, it will sink immediately. But God has made water subject to certain rules on account of which if iron is given the shape of a boat, it will not sink in water. The numerous spheres floating in space should apparently have fallen down, but according to a set law of nature, they accurately maintain their orbits. Man has not created himself. God has created him. Then He has maintained him in a world which is full of blessings. But after being given freedom, man has become so rebellious that he does not admit the graciousness of his greatest Benefactor.