Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (742)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

“He is the One Who created you from dust, then from a sperm-drop, then from a clinging clot; then He brings you forth as infants, then allows you to reach full strength, and then to become elderly—though some of you are taken in death before that—so that you may reach an appointed term and perhaps understand. He is the One Who gives life and causes death. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.”

He then affirmed this truth of Allah’s oneness by stating that He is your Creator and the One who fashions your creation through successive stages. Since He alone created you, worship Him alone. He therefore said: “He is the One Who created you from dust,” by creating your origin and father, Adam, peace be upon him. “Then from a sperm-drop.” This is the beginning of the creation of the rest of humankind while still in their mothers’ wombs. By mentioning the beginning, He draws attention to the remaining stages: the clinging clot, then the lump of flesh, then the bones, and then the breathing of the soul into the body. “Then He brings you forth as infants.” You then continue passing through the stages of Allah’s creation until you reach full strength, attaining maturity of mind and body and the full development of all your outward and inward faculties.

“Then to become elderly—though some of you are taken in death before” reaching full strength, “and that you may reach,” through these ordained stages, “an appointed term” at which your lives end. “And perhaps you may understand” your own condition and thereby know that the One who takes you through these stages is perfect in power, that none deserves worship but Him, and that you are deficient in every respect.

“He is the One Who gives life and causes death.” That is, He alone gives life and causes death. No soul dies, whether through some cause or without one, except by His permission. “No one’s life is prolonged, nor is anything diminished from his lifespan, except that it is in a Record. Surely that is easy for Allah.”

“When He decrees a matter,” whether momentous or insignificant, “He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” It cannot be reversed; there is no exception and no resistance.

﴿هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُكُمْ طِفْلا ثُمَّ لِتَبْلُغُوا أَشُدَّكُمْ ثُمَّ لِتَكُونُوا شُيُوخًا وَمِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُتَوَفَّى مِنْ قَبْلُ وَلِتَبْلُغُوا أَجَلا مُسَمًّى وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ * هُوَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ فَإِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ﴾ . ثم قرر هذا التوحيد، بأنه الخالق لكم والمطور لخلقتكم، فكما خلقكم وحده، فاعبدوه وحده فقال: ﴿هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ تُرَابٍ﴾ وذلك بخلقه لأصلكم وأبيكم آدم ﵇. ﴿ثُمَّ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ﴾ وهذا ابتداء خلق سائر النوع الإنساني، ما دام في بطن أمه، فنبه بالابتداء، على بقية الأطوار، من العلقة، فالمضغة، فالعظام، فنفخ الروح، ﴿ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُكُمْ طِفْلا﴾ ثم هكذا تنتقلون في الخلقة الإلهية حتى تبلغوا أشدكم من قوة العقل والبدن، وجميع قواه الظاهرة والباطنة. ﴿ثُمَّ لِتَكُونُوا شُيُوخًا وَمِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُتَوَفَّى مِنْ قَبْلُ﴾ بلوغ الأشد ﴿وَلِتَبْلُغُوا﴾ بهذه الأطوار المقدرة ﴿أَجَلا مُسَمًّى﴾ تنتهي عنده أعماركم. ﴿وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ﴾ أحوالكم، فتعلمون أن المطور لكم في هذه الأطوار كامل الاقتدار، وأنه الذي لا تنبغي العبادة إلا له، وأنكم ناقصون من كل وجه. ﴿هُوَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ﴾ أي هو المنفرد بالإحياء والإماتة، فلا تموت نفس بسبب أو بغير سبب، إلا بإذنه. ﴿وَمَا يُعَمَّرُ مِنْ مُعَمَّرٍ وَلا يُنْقَصُ مِنْ عُمُرِهِ إِلا فِي كِتَابٍ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ﴾ ﴿فَإِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا﴾ جليلا أو حقيرًا ﴿فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ﴾ لا رد في ذلك، ولا مثنوية، ولا تمنع.