2-164 In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day, and the ships that run in the sea with that which profits men, and the water that Allah sends down from the sky, then gives life therewith to the earth after its death and spreads in it all (kinds of) animals, and the changing of the winds and the clouds made subservient between heaven and earth, there are surely signs for a people who understand.a
إِنَّ فِى خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱخۡتِلَـٰفِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ وَٱلۡفُلۡكِ ٱلَّتِى تَجۡرِى فِى ٱلۡبَحۡرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مِن مَّآءٍ۬ فَأَحۡيَا بِهِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِہَا وَبَثَّ فِيہَا مِن ڪُلِّ دَآبَّةٍ۬ وَتَصۡرِيفِ ٱلرِّيَـٰحِ وَٱلسَّحَابِ ٱلۡمُسَخَّرِ بَيۡنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ لَأَيَـٰتٍ۬ لِّقَوۡمٍ۬ يَعۡقِلُونَ (١٦٤)
2-164a ٱخۡتِلَـٰفِ – خلف means to follow or come after and ٱخۡتِلَـٰفِ here means one after the other or alternate, and another meaning of ٱخۡتِلَـٰفِ is divergence in which everyone goes their own way, different from that of the others (R).
نھار – The meaning of نھر has already been explained in 2-25a. نھار is the time of daylight from sunrise to sunset, but in the terminology of shariah it is considered to be the time between the break of dawn to sunset.
فُلك – Means ship. It is the same both in singular and plural. And فَلك is that in which the planets orbit and is so called because of the similarity with ships (R).
بث – Means to scatter something and to pick it up as in هَبَآءً۬ مُّنۢبَثًّ۬ا (scattered dust) (56:6) and بثّ is also spoken of sorrow because it scatters fear (R). And the indication in بَثَّ فِيہَا is for the creation and manifestation of a thing by Allah that did not exist before (R).
دابة – دبّ and دَبِیۡب means to move slowly and دابّة is used for every animal or beast (R) or everything that walks (or creeps or crawls) upon the earth (T).
تصریف – صَرۡف means to turn one condition to another, and this is also the meaning of تصریف but with a sense of repetitiveness or multiplicity.
ریاح – Its singular is ریح meaning wind. Generally, where this word occurs in the singular, the meaning is punishment and where the word is used in the plural ریاح the meaning is mercy or favors (R). Examples of its use in the singular are: إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡہِمۡ رِيحً۬ا صَرۡصَرً۬ (Surely We sent on them a furious wind…) (54:19) ڪَمَثَلِ رِيحٍ۬ فِيہَا صِرٌّ أَ (…likeness of wind in which is intense cold…) (3:117) ٱشۡتَدَّتۡ بِهِ ٱلرِّيحُ (…wind blows hard…) (14:18). Examples of its use in plural are: وَأَرۡسَلۡنَا ٱلرِّيَـٰحَ لَوَٲقِحَ (And We send the winds fertilizing) (15:22) يُرۡسِلَ ٱلرِّيَاحَ مُبَشِّرَٲتٍ۬ (He sends forth the winds bearing good news) (30:46)يُرۡسِلُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحَ بُشۡرَۢا (Who sends the winds as good news) (27:63). It is for this reason that the Holy Prophet used to pray: اللّٰھم اجعلھا ریا حا و لا تجعلھا ریحا (AD).
سحاب – The real meaning of سَحۡب is to drag or pull as in: يَوۡمَ يُسۡحَبُونَ فِى ٱلنَّارِ عَلَىٰ وُجُوهِهِمۡ (On the day when they are dragged into the Fire upon their faces…)(5448). And cloud is also called سحاب because it pulls water.
مسخر – تسخیر is to use someone for a particular purpose because of subjugation, that is to employ in some special job (R). So, مسخر is that thing which has been put to some special purpose. Its root is سخر which means to mock, ridicule. deride or jeer at.
Proof of Divine Unity from the spectacles of nature: It was explained in the previous section that trials and tribulations are a necessary concomitant in the spread of guidance. It is now pointed out that the foundation of guidance is belief in Allah and in His Oneness. This basic fundamental is evidenced not only by the marvels of nature but also by human nature. In the first verse, some spectacles of nature are cited which are such as are evident in all parts of the world. The first citation is of the creation of heaven and earth and this encompasses everything that is found in them. This is followed by changes that occur in nature. The alteration of the day and night encompasses all the wonders of nature. This is then expanded with more details. The first mention is of the boat sailing on the sea which shows how Allah has given man superiority over other creation in that he rules even the seas. When man governs the rest of creation, what is the sense in granting the status of deity to anything on earth. The sea has been made the source of rain that falls at different places on the dead earth and brings it to life. Vegetation grows from this water and this water is also the source of life for animals. Then mention is made of the winds and clouds that are tasked for the purpose of carrying water. The clouds suspended between the earth and the sky carry water to different parts of the land. In all these different situations there is the same law of nature that works everywhere, and this manifests that these things are designed and controlled by a single Supreme Being, The same laws that operate on earth also operate in the heavenly bodies of outer space. How can this then be the artwork of two creators?
2-165 Yet there are some men who take for themselves objects of worship besides Allah, whom they love as they should love Allah. And those who believe are stronger in (their) love for Allah. And O that the wrongdoers had seen, when they see the chastisement, that power is wholly Allah’s, and that Allah is Severe in chastising!
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَندَادً۬ا يُحِبُّونَہُمۡ كَحُبِّ ٱللَّهِۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَشَدُّ حُبًّ۬ا لِّلَّهِۗ وَلَوۡ يَرَى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓاْ إِذۡ يَرَوۡنَ ٱلۡعَذَابَ أَنَّ ٱلۡقُوَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعً۬ا وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعَذَابِ (١٦٥)
حُبِّ – حَبّ and حَبّط means grain and حَبّط القلب is the center of the human soul. حُبِّ in reality means the impact or effect on حَبّط القلب , the center of the human soul (R).
یریٰ – When رَأیَ is transitive between two objects, its meaning is عِلۡم that is, to know (R). Here the phrase ٱلۡقُوَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعً۬ا is in place of two objects.
لویری – Its answer is understood and omitted. The meaning is that in that case they would not have dared to associate partners with God.
Evidence of man’s nature regarding unity of the Divine Being: Attention has been drawn from the spectacles of nature to the evidence of man’s nature. A person’s heart loves a thing from which he derives benefit, and if one considers the spectacles of nature, one finds that God has created many benefits for the welfare of man in them. Given this, the disposition of human nature should have been to be overwhelmed with the love of One God. But a polytheist neither reflects on the spectacles of nature nor does he care for the evidence of his inner self, and instead makes others equal to God on whom he bestows the kind of affection that he should have bestowed on God. By انداد or equals are meant important persons whose subordination leads them into sin and wrongdoing (IJ). However, a believer’s love of his Lord is far greater than the love a polytheist has for his false deities.
The relative standing of love and rationality: The first verse draws attention to the use of rationality in determining the soundness of a principle. This verse describes love as the motivating force for doing work. Accordingly, it is stated: وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَشَدُّ حُبًّ۬ا لِّلَّهِ , that is when belief is born out of rational conviction, then this leads to such an overwhelming yearning and love for work that no other yearning compares with it. All the people who work in the world are motivated to do so for the love of something. It is stated here that a believer’s love to work in the way of God should be greater than the love to do anything else. If the love of one’s country or nation, or the love of a pir or leader can create the motivation for a person to do great things, than the motivation born from the love of Allah must be far greater than that, and working for the love of Allah, before which all other loves count for nothing, must be the real purpose of a person’s life. The Holy Prophet showed that أَشَدُّ حُبًّ۬ا لِّلَّهِ (stronger in love of Allah) is not a utopian concept. The life of his companions showed the implementation of this concept. When the Holy Prophet’s nation worked according to this concept, it became heir to what is best in spiritual and worldly goodness and reached the highest pinnacles of success. Unfortunately, the Muslims of today are devoid of this love of God. The Muslim nation will only prosper and succeed when love for all other things fade into insignificance before their love of Allah. What a sagacious Book! First it promotes rationality and intellect as the basis for selecting the right path. When this is done, and God is fully established in the heart, then work should be done out of love of Allah. Most people in this world do not distinguish between love and rationality and frequently use rationality in place of love and love in place of rationality. They do not apply the test of rationality to principles of religion but accept them on blind belief. When they work, they do not do so with a lover’s vehemence but stumble into doubt.
2-166 When those who were followed renounce those who followed (them), and they see the chastisement and their ties are cut asunder.a
إِذۡ تَبَرَّأَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتُّبِعُواْ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُواْ وَرَأَوُاْ ٱلۡعَذَابَ وَتَقَطَّعَتۡ بِهِمُ ٱلۡأَسۡبَابُ (١٦٦)
2-166a تَبَرَّأَ – بُرۡء and براء and تبری means to distance yourself from a thing that you detest being near (R). It is used for being healed after convalescence from sickness and also for being free from, clear of or being disgusted with a person or thing, as in: بَرَآءَةٌ۬ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ (A declaration of immunity from Allah and His Messenger) (9:1), أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَرِىٓءٌ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَۙ وَرَسُولُهُ (that Allah is free from liability to the idolaters, and so is His Messenger) (9:3) إِنَّا بُرَءَٲٓؤُاْ مِنكُمۡ (We are clear of you) (60:4) إِنَّنِى بَرَآءٌ۬ مِّمَّا تَعۡبُدُونَ (I am clear of what you worship) (43:26).
اسباب – It is the plural of سبب and it is a thing which is a means of reaching another thing (R). Here اسباب means contacts by which they are able to get their work done.
The mutual disgust between Pirs and false leaders and their followers: It has been brought home here that the leaders for whose love, the followers disobeyed God would become disgusted with them. On the Day of Judgment, this scene of disgust and dissociation between the false leaders and their followers will be manifested fully but a similar scene is sometimes seen in this world as well. Sometimes crooks ensnare unsuspecting persons into collaborating with them in evil acts by painting rosy pictures, but when the evil consequences of these evil deeds become manifest as a result of which they get arrested, they express disgust with their followers and also when those who were ensnared see the manifestation of their evil actions, they curse their leaders for misguiding them. There is an indication of this in the next verse. Because the consequence of evil is necessarily evil, when the outcome affects the perpetrators personally, both the preachers of evil and the followers of evil show mutual disgust. On the other hand, the relationship with the preachers of good always grows and becomes cordial.
2-167 And those who followed will say: If we could but return, we would renounce them as they have renounced us. Thus will Allah show them their deeds to be intense regret to them, and they will not escape from the Fire.a
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُواْ لَوۡ أَنَّ لَنَا كَرَّةً۬ فَنَتَبَرَّأَ مِنۡہُمۡ كَمَا تَبَرَّءُواْ مِنَّاۗ كَذَٲلِكَ يُرِيهِمُ ٱللَّهُ أَعۡمَـٰلَهُمۡ حَسَرَٲتٍ عَلَيۡہِمۡۖ وَمَا هُم بِخَـٰرِجِينَ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ (١٦٧)
2:167a اعمال It is the plural of عمل and is said of every action done intentionally by a living being (R). فعل can be unintentional but not عمل.
حسرات – It is the plural of حسرة and the meaning of حَسۡر is to uncover or expose something by lifting its covering. And حاسر or حسیر or محسور means weary and tired, that is, the veil has been lifted from their powers or they have been exposed, as in: فَتَقۡعُدَ مَلُومً۬ا مَّحۡسُورًا (…lest thou sit down blamed, stripped off) (17:28), يَنقَلِبۡ إِلَيۡكَ ٱلۡبَصَرُ خَاسِئً۬ا وَهُوَ حَسِيرٌ۬ (…thy look will return to thee confused, while it is fatigued) (67:4). And حسرة is the expression of grief and shame at a thing that has been lost. In other words, the powers have been exposed by the strength of grief, or falling into a state of helplessness and distress at the prospect of redressing an accusation.
Regret for doing evil becomes a punishment: It appears from this verse that a person’s evil deeds cause such shame that regret for committing the evil actions becomes a source of punishment and hell for the evildoer. In another place, it is stated: لِيَجۡعَلَ ٱللَّهُ ذَٲلِكَ حَسۡرَةً۬ فِى قُلُوبِہِمۡ (… that Allah may make it to be a regret in their hearts) (3:156) and in another place, it is stated: إِنَّهُ ۥ لَحَسۡرَةٌ عَلَى ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ (It is indeed a (source of) grief to the disbelievers) (69:50). Then it is stated signaling towards this regret: نَارُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡمُوقَدَةُ (٦) ٱلَّتِى تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى ٱلۡأَفۡـِٔدَةِ (It is the fire kindled by Allah, which rises over the hearts (104:6-7). Human nature gives evidence that regardless of the difficulties one may face as a result of doing good, shame and regret are two emotions that never enter the heart of a person who does good. But in spite of the pleasure one may get at the time of committing evil, a person’s conscious always later reproaches him. As a man progresses in committing evil, the voice of conscience begins to fade. Even though the conscience may be overwhelmed by the preponderance of evil a person commits, it never dies and continues to censure him even if it is in a very feeble voice.
Bayan-ul-Quran 