Ali bin Abi Talib may Allah be pleased with him, ascended the Minbar in Kufah
and declared, "Any Ayah in the Book of Allah the Exalted and any Sunnah from
Allah's Messenger you ask me about today, I will explain them.'' Ibn Al-Kawwa
stood up and said, "O Leader of the faithful! What is the meaning of Allah's
statement,
[وَالذَرِيَـتِ
ذَرْواً ]
(By the scattering Dhariyat),'' and `Ali said, "The wind.'' The man asked,
[فَالْحَـمِلَـتِ
وِقْراً ]
"(And the laden Hamilat)'' `Ali said, "The clouds.'' The man again asked,
[فَالْجَـرِيَـتِ
يُسْراً ]
"(And the steady Jariyat)'' `Ali said, "The ships.'' The man asked,
[فَالْمُقَسِّمَـتِ
أَمْراً ]
"(And the distributors of command)'' `Ali said, it refers to "The angels.''
Some scholars said that Al-Jariyat Yusra refers to the stars that float in their
orbits with ease. This would mean that the things mentioned were ascendant in
their order, beginning with the lower, then mentioning the higher one after
that, etc. The winds bring the clouds, the stars are above them and the angels
who distribute by Allah's order are above that, and they descend with Allah's
legislative orders and the decrees He determines. These Ayat contain a vow from
Allah that Resurrection shall come to pass. Allah's statement,
[إِنَّمَا تُوعَدُونَ
لَصَـدِقٌ ]
(Verily, that which you are promised is surely true.), it is a truthful
promise,
[وَإِنَّ
الدِّينَ]
(And verily, Ad-Din) the Recompense,
[لَوَاقِعٌ]
(will occur), it will surely come to pass. Then Allah the Exalted said,
[وَالسَّمَآءِ ذَاتِ
الْحُبُكِ ]
(By the heaven full of Hubuk,) Ibn `Abbas said; "Full of beauty, grace,
magnificence and perfection.'' Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Abu Malik,
Abu Salih, As-Suddi, Qatadah, `Atiyah Al-`Awfi, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and others
said similarly. Ad-Dahhak, Al-Minhal bin `Amr and others said, "The meandering
of the water, sand and plants when the wind passes over them; carving paths out
of them, that is the Hubuk.'' All of these sayings return to the same meaning,
that of beauty and complexity. The sky is high above us, clear yet thick, firmly
structured, spacious and graceful, beautified with stars such as the sun and
orbiting planets such as the moon and the planets of the solar system.