Exegesis of Surat al-Dhariyat, verses (56-57), and other selected verses and their benefits.
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The Shaykh : From the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He): [Adh-Dhariyat 51:56] Meaning: I did not create them after non-existence except for this great wisdom, which is the worship of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) alone, with no partner for Him — the last one on the left — except for the worship of Allah alone, as we will explain.
The letter "lam" in His saying: is for causation, but this causation is a Shari'ah causation, meaning: so that they worship when I command them, and they obey His command. The "lam" here is not a causal letter of divine decree, because if it were a causal letter of divine decree, it would necessitate that all jinn and humans worship Him. But the "lam" here is to clarify the Shari'ah wisdom in the creation of the jinn and humans. The jinn are a hidden realm created from fire, because their father is Iblis, as Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Kahf 18:50].
They are called jinn because they are hidden from eyes, as they see us but we do not see them. This is the original state: they are a hidden realm, but they may appear sometimes. Their original state is like that of humans: among them are Muslims and non-Muslims, among them are righteous and among them are less than that. But humans consider them inferior in terms of origin, as they were created from clay, from dust, from hard clay like pottery. As for those jinn, they were created from fire. Also, humans are distinguished from them by having messengers and prophets among them, whereas the jinn have no messengers. Yes, among them are warners who convey the messages from the humans, as in the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Ahqaf 46:29].
Look at their etiquette in their saying: "Be silent," then their remaining until the session ended, then they went as callers to what they heard.
[Al-Ahqaf 46:29-30] to the end of the verses.
As for the humans, they are the children of Adam, the people. These were created for one thing: the worship of Allah, not to benefit Allah with their obedience, nor to harm Him with their disobedience, nor to feed Him.
Therefore He said:[Adh-Dhariyat 51:57] Meaning: I do not seek sustenance from them, meaning: a gift that I benefit from, nor that they feed me so that I benefit from their feeding.
Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) said:[Al-An'am 6:14] So He (Glorified and Exalted is He) is the One who possesses wealth, generosity, and nobility, and He is rich in Himself, needing nothing other than Himself.
So if we were asked: What is the wisdom in the creation of the jinn and humans? What is the wisdom? Worship, meaning: they were not created to cultivate the earth, nor to eat, nor to drink, nor to enjoy themselves as livestock enjoy, but they were created for the worship of Allah, and what is in the earth was created for them. We are created for worship, and what is in the earth is created for us:[Al-Baqarah 2:29].
And the wonder is that our people now are occupied with what was created for them, neglecting what they were created for. What was created for them? What is in the earth. Neglecting what they were created for, which is worship. And this is foolishness: to be occupied with something created for them, neglecting something they were created for.
So what is worship? We say: It is used in the first meaning, "ta'abbud," meaning: the act of the servant. So it is said: "He worshipped Allah in worship."
And the second: "al-muta'abbad bihi" (that by which one worships). This meaning, the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said about it: "It is a comprehensive name for everything that Allah loves and is pleased with, of words and deeds, apparent and hidden, and everything that brings one closer to Allah" So it is a comprehensive name for everything. So prayer is worship, charity is worship, fasting is worship, Hajj is worship, enjoining good is worship, forbidding evil is worship. Everything that brings one closer to Allah, whether word or deed, is worship.
So worship is used in two meanings:
The first meaning: "ta'abbud," which is the act of the servant.
And the second meaning: "al-muta'abbad bihi," which is worship.
[Adh-Dhariyat 51:57-58].
He is the Provider, meaning: He is the One who possesses the giving, who gives. So "rizq" (sustenance) means giving, and from this is His saying the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:8] Meaning: Give them. And the word "al-Razzaq" (the Provider) is more eloquent than the word "al-Raziq" (the Giver), because "al-Razzaq" is a form of exaggeration indicating the abundance of sustenance and the abundance of those who are given sustenance. So the sustenance of Allah the Exalted is abundant in terms of the abundance of those who are given sustenance. Every beast on the earth, its sustenance is upon Allah, from humans and animals, from birds and crawling things, from small and large.
Is it possible to count the types of creatures on the earth? It is not possible. If I said to you: Count the worlds on the earth? You could not, let alone their individuals. Every individual of them, Allah the Exalted is responsible for its sustenance:[Hud 11:6] So if the matter is so, the sustenance of Allah becomes abundant in terms of the one who is given sustenance. Who can count those who are given sustenance? No one can count them. Also, it is abundant in terms of the individual among them. How much sustenance does Allah have for you? Much, uncountable. Allah has given you a house for you night and day, He has given you intellect, and health, and wealth, and children, and safety, and things that are uncountable: [An-Nahl 16:18] Therefore, the name "al-Razzaq" came with the emphasis (tashdid) indicating abundance.
And His saying: "Dhu al-Quwwah" (Possessor of Strength) means: The One who possesses the strength that no strength opposes, as the pre-Islamic poet said:
"Where is the escape, and the God is the Seeker*** And the one with the broken nose is the defeated, not the victor"
This is while he is in the pre-Islamic age. So the strength of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is not matched by any strength. His strength (Mighty and Majestic) is not affected by weakness, unlike the strength of the created. The strength of the created ends in weakness, as Allah the Exalted said:[Ar-Rum 30:54] As for the Lord (Mighty and Majestic), His strength is not affected by weakness in any way.
And when 'Ad said:[Fussilat 41:15] What did Allah say? [Fussilat 41:15] And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is truthful.
And His saying: "al-Matin" (The Firm) means: The Strong. Strong in His strength, strong in His punishment, strong in everything that wisdom requires strength in. Look at the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nur 24:2] This is a strictness that should not be softened by compassion. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is the Most Merciful of the merciful, and yet He instructs us, rather forbids us, that compassion should not take us in the case of the female and male fornicators [An-Nur 24:2] And this is evidence of strength.
Of His strength (Mighty and Majestic): He (Glorified and Exalted is He) created the heavens and the earth in six days. Did He get tired? Answer? No:[Al-Ahqaf 46:33].
And of His strength and power: He (Exalted and Majestic is He) resurrects the people as one self[An-Nazi'at 79:13-14] And the examples of this are many. So He (Exalted and Majestic is He) has the ultimate strength that no strength can match.
Then He said the Exalted:[Adh-Dhariyat 51:59] And to the end of the surah in a future meeting, if Allah wills.
We now begin with the questions from the right.
And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِThe letter "lam" in His saying:
To worship Me.
ليعبدونThen will you take him and his descendants as allies other than Me while they are enemies to you?
أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِنْ دُونِي وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّThey are called jinn because they are hidden from eyes, as they see us but we do not see them. This is the original state: they are a hidden realm, but they may appear sometimes. Their original state is like that of humans: among them are Muslims and non-Muslims, among them are righteous and among them are less than that. But humans consider them inferior in terms of origin, as they were created from clay, from dust, from hard clay like pottery. As for those jinn, they were created from fire. Also, humans are distinguished from them by having messengers and prophets among them, whereas the jinn have no messengers. Yes, among them are warners who convey the messages from the humans, as in the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And [mention, O Muhammad], when We directed to you a few of the jinn, listening to the Qur'an. And when they attended it, they said, "Listen quietly." And when it was concluded, they went back to their people as warners.
وَإِذْ صَرَفْنَا إِلَيْكَ نَفَراً مِنَ الْجِنِّ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقُرْآنَ فَلَمَّا حَضَرُوهُ قَالُوا أَنْصِتُوا فَلَمَّا قُضِيَ وَلَّوْا إِلَى قَوْمِهِمْ مُنْذِرِينَLook at their etiquette in their saying: "Be silent," then their remaining until the session ended, then they went as callers to what they heard.
they said, "Listen quietly." And when it was concluded, they went back to their people as warners. (30) They said, "O our people, indeed we have heard a [recited] Book revealed after Moses
قَالُوا أَنْصِتُوا فَلَمَّا قُضِيَ وَلَّوْا إِلَى قَوْمِهِمْ مُنْذِرِينَ * قَالُوا يَا قَوْمَنَا إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا كِتَاباً أُنْزِلَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مُوسَىAs for the humans, they are the children of Adam, the people. These were created for one thing: the worship of Allah, not to benefit Allah with their obedience, nor to harm Him with their disobedience, nor to feed Him.
Therefore He said:
I do not want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me.
مَا أُرِيدُ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ يُطْعِمُونِAllah (Blessed and Exalted is He) said:
Say, "Is it other than Allah I should take as a protector, Creator of the heavens and the earth, while it is He who feeds and is not fed?"
قُلْ أَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَتَّخِذُ وَلِيّاً فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ يُطْعِمُ وَلا يُطْعَمُSo if we were asked: What is the wisdom in the creation of the jinn and humans? What is the wisdom? Worship, meaning: they were not created to cultivate the earth, nor to eat, nor to drink, nor to enjoy themselves as livestock enjoy, but they were created for the worship of Allah, and what is in the earth was created for them. We are created for worship, and what is in the earth is created for us:
It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth
هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ لَكُمْ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعاًAnd the wonder is that our people now are occupied with what was created for them, neglecting what they were created for. What was created for them? What is in the earth. Neglecting what they were created for, which is worship. And this is foolishness: to be occupied with something created for them, neglecting something they were created for.
So what is worship? We say: It is used in the first meaning, "ta'abbud," meaning: the act of the servant. So it is said: "He worshipped Allah in worship."
And the second: "al-muta'abbad bihi" (that by which one worships). This meaning, the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said about it: "It is a comprehensive name for everything that Allah loves and is pleased with, of words and deeds, apparent and hidden, and everything that brings one closer to Allah" So it is a comprehensive name for everything. So prayer is worship, charity is worship, fasting is worship, Hajj is worship, enjoining good is worship, forbidding evil is worship. Everything that brings one closer to Allah, whether word or deed, is worship.
So worship is used in two meanings:
The first meaning: "ta'abbud," which is the act of the servant.
And the second meaning: "al-muta'abbad bihi," which is worship.
(57) I do not want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me. (58) Indeed, it is Allah who is the [continual] Provider, the firm possessor of strength.
مَا أُرِيدُ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ رِزْقٍ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ يُطْعِمُونِ * إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُHe is the Provider, meaning: He is the One who possesses the giving, who gives. So "rizq" (sustenance) means giving, and from this is His saying the Exalted:
And when [other] relatives and orphans and the needy are present at the [time of] division, then provide for them [something] out of the estate
وَإِذَا حَضَرَ الْقِسْمَةَ أُولُو الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينُ فَارْزُقُوهُمْ مِنْهُIs it possible to count the types of creatures on the earth? It is not possible. If I said to you: Count the worlds on the earth? You could not, let alone their individuals. Every individual of them, Allah the Exalted is responsible for its sustenance:
And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision
وَمَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَاAnd if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them
وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لا تُحْصُوهَاAnd His saying: "Dhu al-Quwwah" (Possessor of Strength) means: The One who possesses the strength that no strength opposes, as the pre-Islamic poet said:
"Where is the escape, and the God is the Seeker*** And the one with the broken nose is the defeated, not the victor"
This is while he is in the pre-Islamic age. So the strength of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is not matched by any strength. His strength (Mighty and Majestic) is not affected by weakness, unlike the strength of the created. The strength of the created ends in weakness, as Allah the Exalted said:
Allah is the one who created you from weakness, then made after weakness strength, then made after strength weakness and white hair. He creates what He wills, and He is the Knowing, the Competent.
اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ ضَعْفٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْ بَعْدِ ضَعْفٍ قُوَّةً ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ ضَعْفاً وَشَيْبَةً يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيمُ الْقَدِيرُAnd when 'Ad said:
Who is greater than us in strength?
مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةًDid they not consider that Allah who created them was greater than them in strength?
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةًAnd His saying: "al-Matin" (The Firm) means: The Strong. Strong in His strength, strong in His punishment, strong in everything that wisdom requires strength in. Look at the saying of Allah the Exalted:
The [unmarried] woman or [unmarried] man found guilty of sexual intercourse - lash each one of them with a hundred lashes, and do not be taken by pity for them in the religion of Allah, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day
الزَّانِيَةُ وَالزَّانِي فَاجْلِدُوا كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا مِائَةَ جَلْدَةٍ وَلا تَأْخُذْكُمْ بِهِمَا رَأْفَةٌ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِdo not be taken by pity for them
لا تَأْخُذْكُمْ بِهِمَا رَأْفَةٌOf His strength (Mighty and Majestic): He (Glorified and Exalted is He) created the heavens and the earth in six days. Did He get tired? Answer? No:
Do they not see that Allah, who created the heavens and earth and did not fail in their creation
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَلَمْ يَعْيَ بِخَلْقِهِنَّAnd of His strength and power: He (Exalted and Majestic is He) resurrects the people as one self
(13) Indeed, it will be but one shout, (14) And suddenly they will be [alert] upon the earth's surface.
فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ زَجْرَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ * فَإِذَا هُمْ بِالسَّاهِرَةِThen He said the Exalted:
And indeed, for those who have wronged is a portion [of punishment] like the portion of their predecessors
فإن للذين ظلموا ذنوباً مثل مثل ذنوب أصحابهمWe now begin with the questions from the right.