After Allah mentioned the higher worlds, He started asserting His power,
wisdom and control over the lower parts of the world. Allah said,
[وَهُوَ الَّذِى
مَدَّ الاٌّرْضَ]
(And it is He Who spread out the earth) made it spacious in length and width.
Allah has placed on the earth firm mountains and made rivers, springs and water
streams run through it, so that the various kinds of fruits and plants of every
color, shape, taste and scent are watered with this water,
[مِن كُلٍّ
زَوْجَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ]
(and of every kind of fruit He made Zawjayn Ithnayn.), two types from every
kind of fruit,
[يُغْشِى الَّيْلَ
النَّهَارَ]
(He brings the night as a cover over the day.) Allah made the day and night
pursue each other, when one is about to depart, the other overcomes it, and vice
versa. Allah controls time just as He controls space and matter,
[إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ
لآيَـتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ]
(Verily, in these things, there are Ayat for people who reflect.) who reflect
on Allah's signs and the evidences of His wisdom. Allah said,
[وَفِى الاٌّرْضِ
قِطَعٌ مُّتَجَـوِرَتٌ]
(And in the earth are neighboring tracts, ) Meaning, next to each other, some
of them are fertile and produce what benefits people, while others are dead,
salty and do not produce anything. This meaning was collected from Ibn `Abbas,
Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak and several others. This also covers the
various colors and types of diverse areas on the earth; some red, some white, or
yellow, or black, some are stony, or flat, or sandy, or thick, or thin, all made
to neighbor each other while preserving their own qualities. All this indicates
the existence of the Creator Who does what He wills, there is no deity or lord
except Him. Allah said next,
[وَجَنَّـتٌ مِّنْ
أَعْنَـبٍ وَزَرْعٌ وَنَخِيلٌ]
(and gardens of vines, and green crops (fields), and date palms...) Allah's
statement, next,
[صِنْوَنٌ وَغَيْرُ
صِنْوَنٍ]
(Sinwanun wa (or) Ghayru Sinwan.) `Sinwan' means, growing into two or three
from a single stem, such as figs, pomegranate and dates. `Ghayru Sinwan' means,
having one stem for every tree, as is the case with most plants. From this
meaning, the paternal uncle is called one's `Sinw' of his father. There is an
authentic Hadith that states that the Messenger of Allah said to `Umar bin
Al-Khattab,
«أَمَا شَعَرْتَ
أَنَّ عَمَّ الرَّجُلِ صِنْوُ أَبِيه»
(Do you not know that man's paternal uncle is the Sinw of his father) Allah
said next,
[وَحِدٍ وَنُفَضِّلُ
بَعْضَهَا عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِى الاٍّكُلِ]
(watered with the same water; yet some of them We make more excellent than
others to eat.) Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet commented on Allah's
statement,
[وَنُفَضِّلُ
بَعْضَهَا عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِى الاٍّكُلِ]
(yet some of them We make more excellent than others to eat.)
«الدَّقَلُ،
وَالْفَارِسِيُّ، وَالْحُلْوُ، وَالْحَامِض»
(The Dagal, the Persian, the sweet, the bitter...'') At-Tirmidhi collected
this Hadith and said, "Hasan Gharib.'' Therefore, there are differences between
plants and fruits with regards to shape, color, taste, scent, blossoms and the
shape of their leaves. There are plants that are very sweet or sour, bitter or
mild, fresh; some plants have a combination of these attributes, and the taste
then changes and becomes another taste, by Allah's will. There is also some that
are yellow in color, or red, or white, or black, or blue, and the same can be
said about their flowers; and all these variances and complex diversities are
watered by the same water. Surely, in this there are signs for those who have
sound reasoning, and surely, all this indicates the existence of the Creator Who
does what He wills and Whose power made distinctions between various things and
created them as He wills. So Allah said,
[إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ
لآيَـتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ]
(Verily, in these things there are Ayat for the people who understand.)
[وَإِن تَعْجَبْ
فَعَجَبٌ قَوْلُهُمْ أَءِذَا كُنَّا تُرَابًا أَءِنَّا لَفِى خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ
أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِرَبِّهِمْ وَأُوْلَئِكَ الاٌّغْلَـلُ فِى
أَعْنَـقِهِمْ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَـبُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـلِدونَ ]
(5. And if you wonder, then wondrous is their saying: "When we are dust,
shall we indeed then be (raised) in a new creation'' They are those who
disbelieved in their Lord! They are those who will have iron chains linking
their hands to their necks. They will be dwellers of the Fire to abide therein
forever.)