Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (763)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

“And the One who sent down water from the sky in due measure, with which We revived a dead land. In the same way, you will be brought forth. And the One who created all pairs and made for you ships and livestock that you ride, so that you may settle upon their backs, then remember your Lord’s favor when you have settled upon them and say, ‘Glory be to the One who has subjected this to us, for we could never have mastered it. Surely to our Lord we shall return.’”

“And the One who sent down water from the sky in due measure”—neither exceeding nor falling short. It is also proportionate to what is needed: it does not fall so short that it provides no benefit, nor is it so abundant that it harms people and lands. Rather, through it He brings relief to His servants and delivers the lands from hardship. Hence He says, “With which We revived a dead land”—that is, We brought it to life after its death. “In the same way, you will be brought forth”—that is, just as He revives the dead and barren earth with water, He will likewise bring you to life once your stay in the barzakh (intermediate realm) has run its full course, so that He may recompense you for your deeds.

“And the One who created all pairs”—that is, every kind: what the earth produces, human beings themselves, and things they do not know, including night and day, heat and cold, male and female, and so forth. “And made for you ships”—that is, seagoing vessels, both sailing ships and steam-powered vessels—“and livestock that you ride, so that you may settle upon their backs.”

This includes the decks of ships as well as the backs of livestock; that is, so that you may be securely seated upon them. “Then remember your Lord’s favor when you have settled upon them” by acknowledging that the favor belongs to the One who subjected them to you and by praising Him Most High for it. Hence He says, “And say, ‘Glory be to the One who has subjected this to us, for we could never have mastered it.’” That is, had He not subjected the ships and livestock to us, we would have possessed neither the strength nor the ability to do so. Yet, out of His kindness and generosity, He Most High subjected them, made them docile, and facilitated the means of using them.

﴿وَالَّذِي نَزَّلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً بِقَدَرٍ فَأَنْشَرْنَا بِهِ بَلْدَةً مَيْتًا كَذَلِكَ تُخْرَجُونَ * وَالَّذِي خَلَقَ الأزْوَاجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْفُلْكِ وَالأنْعَامِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَ * لِتَسْتَوُوا عَلَى ظُهُورِهِ ثُمَّ تَذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ رَبِّكُمْ إِذَا اسْتَوَيْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَتَقُولُوا سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ * وَإِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ﴾ . ﴿وَالَّذِي نزلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً بِقَدَرٍ﴾ لا يزيد ولا ينقص، ويكون أيضا بمقدار الحاجة، لا ينقص بحيث لا يكون فيه نفع، ولا يزيد بحيث يضر العباد والبلاد، بل أغاث به العباد، وأنقذ به البلاد من الشدة، ولهذا قال: ﴿فَأَنْشَرْنَا بِهِ بَلْدَةً مَيْتًا﴾ أي: أحييناها بعد موتها، ﴿كَذَلِكَ تُخْرَجُونَ﴾ أي: فكما أحيا الأرض الميتة الهامدة بالماء، كذلك يحييكم بعد ما تستكملون في البرزخ، ليجازيكم بأعمالكم. ﴿وَالَّذِي خَلَقَ الأزْوَاجَ كُلَّهَا﴾ أي: الأصناف جميعها، مما تنبت الأرض ومن أنفسهم ومما لا يعلمون، من ليل ونهار، وحر وبرد، وذكر وأنثى، وغير ذلك. ﴿وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْفُلْكِ﴾ أي: السفن البحرية، الشراعية والنارية، مَا تَرْكَبُونَ ﴿و﴾ من ﴿الأنعام ما تركبون لِتَسْتَوُوا عَلَى ظُهُورِهِ﴾ وهذا شامل لظهور الفلك ولظهور الأنعام، أي: لتستقروا عليها، ﴿ثُمَّ تَذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ رَبِّكُمْ إِذَا اسْتَوَيْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ﴾ بالاعتراف بالنعمة لمن سخرها، والثناء عليه تعالى بذلك، ولهذا قال: ﴿وَتَقُولُوا سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ﴾ أي: لولا تسخيره لنا ما سخر من الفلك، والأنعام، ما كنا مطيقين لذلك وقادرين عليه، ولكن من لطفه وكرمه تعالى، سخرها وذللها ويسر أسبابها.