(1–13) “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. * The Most Merciful * taught the Quran, * created humankind, * and taught them articulate expression. * The sun and the moon follow a precise calculation, * and the stars and the trees prostrate themselves. * He raised the heaven and established the balance, * so that you may not transgress in the balance. * Weigh with justice and do not fall short in the balance. * As for the earth, He laid it out for all creatures. * In it are fruit and palm trees with sheathed fruit, * grain with its husks, and fragrant plants. * Which, then, of your Lord’s favors will you both deny?”
Allah opened this noble and majestic surah with His name “the Most Merciful,” which signifies the vastness of His mercy, the universality of His beneficence, His abundant goodness, and His boundless grace. He then mentioned the blessings pertaining to religion, worldly life, [and the Hereafter that demonstrate His mercy and its effects, which He has extended to His servants. After each category and kind of blessing, He calls humans and jinn to thank Him, saying: “Which, then, of your Lord’s favors will you both deny?”]
He stated that He “taught the Quran”; that is, He taught His servants its words and meanings and made it easy for them. This is the greatest favor and mercy He has bestowed upon His servants, for He sent down to them an Arabic Quran in the finest wording and with the finest exposition, encompassing every good and deterring from every evil.
He “created humankind” in the finest form, with complete limbs, every part fully formed, and a perfectly fashioned body. The Sublime Originator (1) perfected His wondrous creation to the utmost degree and distinguished human beings from all other animals
by the fact that He “taught them articulate expression”; that is, the ability to express what lies within them. This encompasses expression through both speech and writing. The power of expression by which Allah distinguished human beings from all others is among His greatest and most magnificent blessings to them.
“The sun and the moon follow a precise calculation.” That is, Allah created the sun and the moon and subjected them to courses governed by a fixed calculation and determined measure, ⦗829⦘ out of mercy and care for His servants. Through them, their various interests are secured, and they can know the number of years and calculate time.
“The stars and the trees prostrate themselves.” That is, the stars of heaven and the trees of the earth know their Lord, prostrate themselves before Him, obey Him, humble themselves before Him (2), and submit to the purposes for which He subjected them, thereby serving the interests and benefiting His servants.
“He raised the heaven,” making it a roof over the creatures of the earth, “and established the balance”—that is, justice among His servants in their words and deeds. This does not refer only to the familiar weighing scale. Rather, as we have mentioned, it also includes that scale, the measures by which goods and quantities are measured, the dimensions by which unknown quantities are determined, and the truths by which judgment is rendered among created beings and justice established between them. Hence He says, “so that you may not transgress in the balance.” That is, Allah established the balance so that you would not overstep its limits. Had affairs been left to your minds and opinions, such disorder would have arisen as Allah alone knows, and the heavens and the earth would have been corrupted.
“Weigh with justice”; that is, maintain the balance with as much justice as lies within your power and ability. “And do not fall short in the balance”; that is, do not diminish it or act contrary to it through injustice, wrongdoing, and transgression.
“As for the earth, He laid it out” as it is, with its density, stability, and its varying [attributes and] conditions, “for all creatures.” That is, He laid it out for creation so that they might settle upon it and so that it might serve them as a resting place and bed. Upon it they build, cultivate, plant, dig, and travel along its broad paths. They also benefit from its mineral resources and everything it contains that their needs—and indeed their necessities—require.
He then mentioned the essential provisions it contains, saying, “In it are fruit,” meaning all fruit-bearing trees whose produce His servants enjoy, including grapes, figs, pomegranates, apples, and others; “and palm trees with sheathed fruit,” meaning the sheaths that split open to reveal the date clusters, which emerge gradually until they fully mature. They then become food that may be eaten and stored, provisions for residents and travelers alike, and a delicious fruit among the finest of fruits.
“Grain with its husks”; that is, grain with stalks that are threshed, whose straw benefits livestock and others. This includes wheat, barley, maize, [rice], millet, and other grains. “And fragrant plants” may mean all the provisions eaten by human beings. If so, this is an instance of mentioning the general after the specific, and Allah has reminded His servants of His favor in granting them food and sustenance, both generally and specifically. It may also refer to the familiar fragrant plant, meaning that Allah has reminded His servants of His favor in placing on earth many kinds of pleasant scents and exquisite fragrances that delight the spirits and bring ease to the soul.
After mentioning this great multitude of blessings perceived by both sight and insight, and since the address is directed to humans and jinn, Allah Most High calls upon them to acknowledge His blessings, saying, “Which, then, of your Lord’s favors will you both deny?” That is: Which of Allah’s blessings in religion and worldly life will you both deny?
How excellent was the jinn’s response when the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—recited this surah to them! Whenever he came to the words, “Which, then, of your Lord’s favors will you both deny?” they replied (3), “Our Lord, we deny none of Your favors; all praise is Yours.” This, then, is what is required (4) of a servant when Allah’s blessings and favors are recited to them: they should acknowledge them, give thanks, and praise Allah for them.