Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (837)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

“He is the One Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, then established Himself on the Throne. He knows whatever enters the earth and whatever emerges from it, whatever descends from heaven and whatever ascends into it. He is with you wherever you may be, and Allah sees all that you do. * To Him belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and to Allah all matters are returned. * He merges the night into the day and merges the day into the night, and He has full knowledge of what lies within the breasts.”

“He is the One Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days,” the first of which was Sunday and the last Friday; “then established Himself on the Throne,” in a manner befitting His majesty, above all His creation. “He knows whatever enters the earth,” including seeds, animals, rain, ⦗838⦘ and other things; “and whatever emerges from it,” including plants, trees, animals, and other things; “whatever descends from heaven,” including the angels, divine decrees, and provisions;

“and whatever ascends into it,” including the angels, souls, supplications, deeds, and other things. “He is with you wherever you may be,” as He says: “There is no secret conversation among three but He is their fourth, nor among five but He is their sixth, nor among fewer or more than that but He is with them wherever they may be.”

His being with them here refers to His knowledge and awareness. Hence, in the words, “And Allah sees all that you do,” He both warns and promises that deeds will be requited. That is, He Most High sees the deeds that proceed from you and what those deeds stem from—righteousness or wickedness. He will recompense you for them and keep them all on record.

“To Him belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth.” They are His possession and creation, and all within them are His servants. He disposes of them as He wills through His decrees governing creation and His religious commands, all of which proceed according to divine wisdom. “And to Allah all matters are returned”—deeds and doers alike. The servants will be presented before Him; He will distinguish the wicked from the good, reward those who do good for their goodness, and repay evildoers for their wrongdoing.

“He merges the night into the day and merges the day into the night.” That is, He causes the night to enter upon the day, shrouding people in its darkness so that they settle and become still. He then causes the day to enter upon the night, dispelling the darkness over the earth and illuminating the universe, whereupon the servants stir and set about their interests and livelihoods. Allah continually wraps the night over the day and the day over the night, alternating between them as they increase and decrease and lengthen and shorten. Thus the seasons are established, the times are regulated, and the resulting benefits are attained. Blessed, then, is Allah, Lord of the worlds; exalted is the Most Generous, the Munificent, who has bestowed upon His servants blessings both manifest and hidden. “And He has full knowledge of what lies within the breasts”—that is, all that resides in the breasts of created beings. He therefore grants success to those whom He knows to be fit for it and forsakes those whom He knows to be unfit for His guidance (1).

(1) Thus in MS B. MS A reads: “and We forsake one whom He knows,” which is untenable.

﴿هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ يَعْلَمُ مَا يَلِجُ فِي الأرْضِ وَمَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا وَمَا يَنْزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَمَا يَعْرُجُ فِيهَا وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ * لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضِ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الأمُورُ * يُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَهُوَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ﴾ . ﴿هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ﴾ أولها يوم الأحد وآخرها يوم الجمعة ﴿ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ﴾ استواء يليق بجلاله، فوق جميع خلقه، ﴿يَعْلَمُ مَا يَلِجُ فِي الأرْضِ﴾ من حب وحيوان ومطر، ⦗٨٣٨⦘ وغير ذلك. ﴿وَمَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا﴾ من نبات وشجر وحيوان وغير ذلك، ﴿وَمَا يَنزلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ﴾ من الملائكة والأقدار والأرزاق. ﴿وَمَا يَعْرُجُ فِيهَا﴾ من الملائكة والأرواح، والأدعية والأعمال، وغير ذلك. ﴿وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ﴾ كقوله: ﴿مَا يَكُونُ مِنْ نَجْوَى ثَلاثَةٍ إِلا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ وَلا خَمْسَةٍ إِلا هُوَ سَادِسُهُمْ وَلا أَدْنَى مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَلا أَكْثَرَ إِلا هُوَ مَعَهُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كَانُوا﴾ وهذه المعية، معية العلم والاطلاع، ولهذا توعد ووعد على المجازاة بالأعمال بقوله: ﴿وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ﴾ أي: هو تعالى بصير بما يصدر منكم من الأعمال، وما صدرت عنه تلك الأعمال، من بر وفجور، فمجازيكم عليها، وحافظها عليكم. ﴿لَهُ ملك السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضِ﴾ ملكا وخلقا وعبيدا، يتصرف فيهم بما شاءه من أوامره القدرية والشرعية، الجارية على الحكمة الربانية، ﴿وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الأمُورُ﴾ من الأعمال والعمال، فيعرض عليه العباد، فيميز الخبيث من الطيب، ويجازي المحسن بإحسانه، والمسيء بإساءته. ﴿يُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ﴾ أي: يدخل الليل على النهار، فيغشيهم الليل بظلامه، فيسكنون ويهدأون، ثم يدخل النهار على الليل، فيزول ما على الأرض من الظلام، ويضيء الكون، فيتحرك العباد، ويقومون إلى مصالحهم ومعايشهم، ولا يزال الله يكور الليل على النهار، والنهار على الليل، ويداول بينهما، في الزيادة والنقص، والطول والقصر، حتى تقوم بذلك الفصول، وتستقيم الأزمنة، ويحصل من المصالح ما يحصل بذلك، فتبارك الله رب العالمين، وتعالى الكريم الجواد، الذي أنعم على عباده بالنعم الظاهرة والباطنة، ﴿وَهُوَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ﴾ أي: بما يكون في صدور العالمين، فيوفق من يعلم أنه أهل لذلك، ويخذل من يعلم أنه لا يصلح لهدايته (١) .

(١) كذا في ب، وفي أونخذل من يعلمه لا يصلح.