“Allah created every living creature from water: some of them crawl upon their bellies, some walk on two legs, and some walk on four. Allah creates whatever He wills. Surely Allah is Most Capable of everything. (45) Indeed, We have sent down clear verses, and Allah guides whoever He wills to a straight path. (46) They say, ‘We believe in Allah and in the Messenger, and we obey’; then a party of them turns away thereafter. Such people are not believers. (47)”

His saying, exalted is He, “Allah created every living creature”: Hamzah and al-Kisāʾī recited it, “Allah is the Creator of every,” in the construct form, while the others recited, “Allah created every,” as a verb. “From water,” meaning, from a drop of fluid. What is intended is every animal seen in this world; angels and jinn are not included, since we do not see them.

It has also been said that the origin of all created beings is water: Allah, exalted is He, created water, then made some of it into wind, from which He created the angels; some of it into fire, from which He created the jinn; and some of it into clay, from which He created Adam.

“Some of them crawl upon their bellies,” such as snakes, fish, and worms; “some walk on two legs,” such as human beings and birds; and “some walk on four,” such as livestock and beasts of prey. He did not mention those that walk on more than four, such as the insects of the earth, because in form they are like those that walk on four.

He said, “some who walk,” although the relative pronoun “who” is ordinarily used for rational beings rather than non-rational creatures such as snakes and livestock, because He mentioned every living creature, which includes people and others. When an expression combines rational and non-rational beings, the rational take grammatical precedence.

“Allah creates whatever He wills. Surely Allah is Most Capable of everything.” “Indeed, We have sent down”—to you—“clear verses, and Allah guides whoever He wills to a straight path.”

“They say, ‘We believe in Allah and in the Messenger, and we obey,’” meaning, the hypocrites say this. “Then a party of them turns away,” turning away from obedience to Allah and His Messenger, “thereafter”—42/b—that is, after their statement, “We believe”; yet he calls for recourse to a judgment other than Allah’s judgment. Allah, exalted is He, said: “Such people are not believers.”

This verse was revealed concerning Bishr the hypocrite. He had a dispute with a Jewish man over some land. The Jew said, “Let us seek judgment from Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him,” while the hypocrite said, “Let us seek judgment from Kaʿb ibn al-Ashraf, for Muhammad will deal unjustly with us.” So Allah revealed this verse. (1)