Indexed OCR Text

374
Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 68 - 69
Some also use them in ways which are not permissible. But, the
incidence of someone using things wrongfully would not stop a blessing
from remaining the blessing it is. Therefore, this is no place to go into
details as to which of the uses is lawful and which is otherwise and
unlawful. Nevertheless, not to be missed here is the delicate hint given
by setting up "rizq hasan" (good provision) in contrast with "sakar"
(intoxicant) which tells us that "sakar" is not a good provision. According
to the majority* of commentators, "sakar" means what intoxicates. (Ruh
al-Ma'ani, Qurțubi, Jașșaș)
These verses are Makki by consensus. As for the unlawfulness of liqu-
or, it came after that in Madinah. Though liquor was lawful at the time
of the revelation of this verse and Muslims used to drink openly, yet,
even at that time, a hint was given in this verse towards the fact that
drinking of liquor was not good. After that, came the specific injunctions
of the Qur'an which made liquor haram (unlawful) clearly, emphatically
and categorically. (Condensed from Al-Jassaș and Al-Qurțubi)
Verses 68 -69
وَأَوْحِى رَبُّكَ إِلَى النَّحْلِ آَنِ اتَّخِذِىُ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًّا وَّمِنَ الشَّجَرِ
وَمِمَّا يَعُرِشُوُنَ ﴿١٨) ثُمَّ كُلِىُ مِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرْتِ فَاسْلُكِىُ سُبُلَ رَبّكِ
ذُلْلاً* يَخْرُجُ مِنُ بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ الْوَانُّهُ فِيْهِ شِفَاءٌ لِلنَّاسِ،
إِنَّ فِىُ ذُلِكَ لَأَيَّةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٦٠﴾
And your Lord revealed to the honey bee: "Make homes
in the mountains, in the trees and in the structures they
raise. [68] Then, eat from all the fruits and go along the
pathways of your Lord made easy for you." From their
bellies comes out a drink of various colours in which
there is cure for people. Surely, in that there is a sign
for a people who ponder. [69]
Commentary
The first word: ' (awha) in the first sentence of verse 68 has not
* Some 'Ulama' have also taken it to mean vinegar, or non-intoxicating wine (nabidh)
[Jașșaș & Qurțubi] but it is not necessary to report details about this element of
difference.

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 68 - 69
been used here in its technical sense of Wahy or Revelation. Instead, it
appears here in its literal sense which happens when the speaker com-
municates to the addressee something particular, secretly, in a way that
the other person remains unable to understand that which has been com-
municated. Hence, its translation as 'revealed' is also in a literal sense.
As for the next word: L'UN (an-nahl), it is well-established that the
honey bee is a distinct entity among non-human life forms particularly
in terms of its intelligence and management. Therefore, the way it has
been addressed by Allah Ta'ala shows a distinct elegance of its own. For
the rest of the creation, particularly for life forms in the animal and in-
sect kingdom, it was said:أَعُطَى كُلَّ شَىءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدى (He gave everything its
form, then provided it with guidance - Țaha, 20:50), something stated as a
universal law for all of them. But, for this tiny creature, it was specially
said: 36; Jí (And your Lord revealed) which has been designed to indi-
cate that it has a prominent status among other life forms by virtue of
its intelligence, sense and functional insight.
The intelligence of the honey bees can be gauged fairly well by their
system of governance. The system of this tiny flier's life operates on the
principles of human politics and government. All management rests with
one big bee which is the ruling head of all bees. It is her managerial skill
and effecient distribution of work which helps run the whole system
soundly and safely. Certainly so unique is her system and so established
are its rules and regulations that human mind has but to marvel at the
phenomena of the bee. This 'queen' itself lays six to twelve thousand
eggs in a period of three weeks. By its size, physique and demeanor, it is
distinguishable from other bees. This 'queen', following the principle of
division of labour, appoints its subjects to handle different matters.
Some of them serve on guard duty and do not allow some unknown
outsider to enter into the hive. Some stand to protect eggs. Some nurture
and train baby bees. Some serve as architects and engineers. The
compartments of most roofs made by them range between twenty to
thirty thousand. Some bees collect and deliver wax to architects which
build homes. They procure this wax material from a whitish powder
settled upon vegetation. This material is commonly visible on sugarcane.
Some of them sit on different kinds of fruits and flowers and suck their
juices which turns into honey while in their bellies. This honey is their

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 68 - 69
food and the food of their children. And the same is, for all of us too, the
essence of taste and nutrition, and the prescription of medicine and
remedy.
These different parties discharge their assigned duties very enthu-
siastically and obey the command of their 'queen' most obediently. If one
of them happens to perch on filth, the guards of the hive stop the unwary
worker on the outside gate and the 'queen' kills it. One can only wonder
about this system and the performance of its managers and workers.
(Al-Jawahir)
The first instruction given through: 36 2,i (your Lord revealed) ap-
pears in the next sentence: أن اتَّخِذِى مِنَ الْحبَال بُيُوتًا (Make homes in the moun-
tains) which mentions the making of homes. At this point, it is worth not-
ing that every animal makes some sort of a sheltered arrangement to
live anyway, then, why is it that bees have been particularly commanded
to build 'homes' and that too with such considered attention? Further-
more, the word used here is that of: '# (buyut) which is generally used
for the places where human beings live, their homes. By doing this two
hints have been given. The first hint is towards the fact: Since bees have
to prepare honey, therefore, they should first make a safe home. The sec-
ond hint is toward another fact: The homes they make will not be like
the homes of common animals, instead, their design and construction
will be extraordinary. As such, their homes are highly distinct, far differ-
ent from those of other animals, virtually mind-boggling. Their homes
are hexagonal in shape. Measuring them with a pair of compasses and
rulers will hardly spell out a difference. Other than the hexagonal shape,
they never choose any shape such as that of a square, pentagon or any
others as some of their corners turn out to be functionally useless.
Allah Ta'ala did not simply order the bees to make homes, He also
told them as to where they should be located, that is, it should be at
some altitude because such places help provide fresh, clean and al-
most-filtered air flow for the production of honey. Thus, honey stays pro-
tected from polluted air as well as from incidences of breakage or dam-
age to the hives. So, it was said: ◌َمِنَ الْحبَال بُيُوتًا وَّمِنَ الشَّجَر وَمِمَّا يَعُرِشُون (Make
homes in the mountains, in the trees and in the structures they raise) so
that honey could be prepared in a hygienically safe way. This was the
first instruction.

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 68 - 69
The second instruction appears in:ِثُمَّ كُلِى مِنُ كُلِّ الثَّمَرت (Then, eat from
all the fruits) where the bee is being commanded to suck juices from
fruits and flowers as it desires and likes. No doubt, what is said here is:
kull) used) كُلّ :from all the fruits). But, obviously, the word) مِنُ كُلّ الثَّمَرَتِ
here does not mean the fruits and flowers of the whole world. Instead of
that, it means those within easy reach, and which serve the desired pur-
pose. This word: 35 (kull) has also appeared in relation to the event con-
cerning the queen of Saba' where it was said: ◌ٍوَأُوتِيَتُ مِن كُلّ شَىْء (she has got
everything - An-Naml, 27:23). It is obvious that 'all' or 'every' in this sense
do not denote totality without exception to the limit that the queen of
Saba' be required to have a personal aeroplane, Rolls Royce and palace
train! What is meant here is what she needed to have as complement to
her function as the ruler of the time. So, here too, the expression: 35
ors (from all the fruits) means nothing but this. As for the bee sucking
juices from fruits and flowers, it can be said that the molecular composi-
tion of juices she sucks is extremely refined and precious, the extraction
of which in identical measure through mechanical means even in our ad-
vanced scientific age cannot be accomplished as efficiently.
Then comes the third instruction : ◌ًفَاسُلُكِىُ سُبُلَ رَبّكِ ذُلُلا (and go along the
pathways of your Lord made easy for you). When the bee goes to suck
juices from fruits and flowers to places far away from home, then, obvi-
ously enough, its return to home base should have been difficult. But,
Allah Ta'ala has made flight routes easy for it. Thus, it goes miles away
and returns home without straying or getting lost. Allah Ta'ala has
made for it flying routes in the air because in going by the circuitous
pathways on land, there is the likelihood of going astray. So, it can be
said that Allah Ta'ala has subjugated the air space for this humble bee
so that it can go home without any let or hinderance.
After that, the real outcome of this revealed command was stated in
the following words:يَخْرُجُ مِنُ بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ فِيُهِ شِفَاءٌ لِلنَّاس (From their
bellies comes out a drink of various colours in which there is cure for peo-
ple - 69). The difference in colour is caused by the difference of climate
and by what they suck from. This is the reason why a particular area
with abundance of particular kinds of fruits and flowers does leave its ef-
fect and taste on the honey produced in that area. Since honey comes in
the form of a liquid substance, therefore, it was called 'sharab' (drink).
Even in this sentence, present there is a decisive proof of the Oneness

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and Power of Allah Ta'ala. Is it not that this tasty and blissful drink
comes out from the belly of a tiny animal which, in itself, is armed with
poison? The emergence of antidote from poison is really a unique exhibit
of the most perfect power of Allah Ta'ala. Then, such is the staggering
working of nature that milk from milch animals does not turn red or yel-
low under the effect of different climates and foods while honey from the
bee does take different colours.
As for the oft-quoted statement: فِيهِ شِفَاءٌ لِلنَّاس (in which there is cure for
people), it can be said that honey is, on the one hand, an energy-giving
food as well as a delicacy in terms of taste and flavor, while on the other
hand, it serves as a remedial prescription for diseases too. And why not?
This delicate mobile machine which goes about extracting pure and pow-
erful essences from all kinds of fruits and flowers after which it returns
home to store them in its safe compartments specially designed, con-
structed and guarded for a purpose. Now, if natural herbs and plants
contain ingredients which have medicinal and curative properties, why
would everything disappear from their essences? Honey is used as medi-
cine directly in phelegmatic diseases while in other diseases it is recom-
mended in combination with other ingredients. Expert physicians in the
Greco-Arab medical tradition include it specially as a binder in their me-
dicinal electuaries. Another property of honey is that it does not get
spoiled itself and, on top of it, it helps preserve other things as well for a
long time. This is the reason why eastern physicians have been using it
as an alternate of alcohol for thousands of years. Honey is laxative and
proves effecient in expelling unhealthy substances from the stomach.
A Sahabi mentioned the sickness of his brother before the Holy
Prophet
. He advised him to give his brother a drink of honey. He re-
turned the next day and reported that his brother was still sick. He re-
peated his advice. On the third day, when he again said that there was
no change in his condition, he said: ◌َصَدَقَ اللَّهُ وَكَذَبَ بَطْنُ أَخِيُك (The word of
Allah is true. The stomach of your brother is a liar). The sense was that
there is nothing wrong with the suggested remedy. It was the particular
temperamental condition which had caused delay in the actual effect of
the remedy. When the treatment with honey was repeated after that,
the patient. got well.
At this place in the Holy Qur'an, the word: das (shifa': remedy, cure,
bliss) appears as common noun (nakirah) in the context of an affirmative
sentence. That it is shifa' for every disease is not apparent on this basis.

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But, the nunnation (tanwin) of 'shifa" which carries the sense of great-
ness does necessarily prove that the shifa' in honey is of a great and dis-
tinct nature. Then there are those spiritually valiant servants of Allah
who just have no doubt about honey being a cure for any disease what-
soever. So firmly convinced they are with their staunch belief in the very
outward meaning of this statement of their Rabb that they would treat
an abscess or an eye with honey, not to mention other diseases of the
body. According to reports about Sayyidna Ibn 'Umar 4ep, even if an ab-
scess showed up on his body, he would treat it by applying honey on it.
When some of the people asked him as to why would he do that, he said
in reply: Is it not that Allah Ta'ala has said about it in the Holy Qur'an:
wir less (In it, there is cure for people). (Al-Qurtubi)
Allah Ta'ala deals with His servants in harmony with the belief they
have about their Rabb. It was said in Hadith Qudsi *:
أَنَا عِنْدَظَنِّ عَبْدِى بِىُ
I am with the belief of My servant in Me.
In the last sentence of verse 69:َإِنَّ فِىُ ذُلِكَ لَايَةً لِقَوُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُون (Surely, in that
there is a sign for a people who ponder), Allah Ta'ala has, after having
given examples of His perfect power mentioned above, invited human be-
ings once again to look into them and think about them. Allah Ta'ala, by
causing rains to come down, gives new life to dead lands. Winding
through the impurities of feces and blood, He makes pipelines of pure
and pleasant milk flow for you. On date-palms and grape-vines, He
grows sweet fruits from which you make all sorts of syrups and pre-
serves. Through a tiny little living creature with a poisonous bite, He pro-
vides for you what is an excellent combination of food, drink, taste, fla-
vor, and cure.
Would you still keep calling gods and goddesses of your making?
Would your worship and fidelity still remain detached from your real
Creator and Master and attached to lifeless idols of stone and wood?
Would your reason still keep looking for escape from truth by suggesting
that this whole phenomena is some charismatic working of blind, deaf
and inert matter? Face truth, think, realize. These countless master-
* Al-Hadith Al-Qudsi: The Sanctified Hadith: A technical term for what has been com-
municated to the Holy Prophet # by his Rabb. Its meanings are from Allah which
He reveals for His Rasul, through inspiration or dream, while its words are from
the Rasul of Allah 5.

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 68 - 69
pieces of Divine creativity, marvels of wisdom and design, and the finest
of decisions based on absolute intelligence are the loudest of heralds an-
nouncing that our Creator is One, unique and wise, sole object of wor-
ship, obedience and fidelity. He alone is the remover par excellence of all
difficulties and He alone deserves gratitude and glorification as due.
Special Notes
1. The verse tells us that, beside human beings, there is conscious-
وَإِنٌ مِّنْ شَىْءٍ إِلاَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمُدِه :ness and intelligence in other living creatures too
(There is nothing which does not recite His praises - Al-Isra', 17:44). How-
ever, the degrees of intelligence are different. The intelligence of human
beings is more perfect than those of any other living creatures. This is
the reason why they have been obligated with the precepts and injunc-
tions of the Shari'ah. Again, this is the reason why a man or woman who
does not remain rational due to insanity, does not remain so obligated
very much like other creatures.
2. Another distinction of the honey bee is that the Hadith mentions
its superiority. The Holy Prophet 5 said:
الذُّبَانُ كُلُّهَا فِى النَّارِ يَجْعَلُهَا عَذَابًا لِأَهْلِ النَّارِ إِلاَّ النَّحْلِ،
All bees will go to Hell (like other hurting creatures). They will
be made a punishment for the people of Hell, except the honey
bee (which will not go to Hell) - (Nawadir al-Usul with reference
to Al-Qurțubi)
According to another Hadith, he has prohibited its killing - Abu Dawud.
3. Traditional physicians doubt that honey is the excretion or saliva
of the bee. Aristotle had placed bees in a hive made of glass and had
closed it. He wished to find out their working system. But, these bees
first mounted a curtain made with wax and mud on the inner side of the
glass cage and did not start their work until such time that they became
certain of having become totally veiled from sight.
Giving an example of the lowness of worldly life, Sayyidna 'Ali
said:
أَشْرَفُ لِبَاس بَنِىُ ادَمَ فِيْهِ لُعَابُ دُوُدَةٍ وَاشْرَفُ شَرَابِهٍ رَجِيْعُ نَحْلَةٍ
The finest dress of the progeny of Adam is saliva from a tiny in-
sect and the finest of his drinks is the excrement of a bee.

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 68 - 69
4. From the statement: فِيهِ شِفَاءٌ لِلنَّاس (in which, there is cure for people)
we also find out that treating diseases with medicine is permissible be-
cause Allah Ta'ala has mentioned it as a reward and blessing.
Elsewhere it has been said: ◌َوَنُنَزّلُ مِنَ الْقُرَانِ مَاهُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَّرَحُمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِين (And We
send down from the Qur'an what is cure and mercy for believers - Al-Isra',
17:82). Hadith induces people to go for treament of diseases and use
medicines. Some Companions asked the Holy Prophet
: Should we use
medicine? He said: Why not? Do take advantage of treatment because
for every disease Allah has created, He has also created a matching
medicine. But, there is no cure for one disease. They asked: Which
disease is that? He said: Extreme old age. (Abu Dawud & Tirmidhi from
Al-Qurțubī)
There is yet another narration from Sayyidna Khuzaymah 400. He
says: Once I asked the Holy Prophet
" that the practice of blowing on
the sick and seeking to cast off diseases which we are used to, or treat
ourselves with medicines are the kind of arrangements we make to stay
safe against diseases. Can these change the destiny determined by Allah
Ta'ala? He said: These too are nothing but the very forms of Divinely-ap-
pointed destiny.
To sum up, there is consensus of all 'Ulama' on the justification of
seeking treatment and using medicine. Many Ahadith and reports from
the Șahabah are available in support. If one of the children of Sayyidna
Ibn Umar 4
was stung by a scorpion, he would give him an antidote
and seek to help the child to get well through the benediction of supplica-
tory recitations. He treated a person suffering from partial paralysis by
branding. (Al-Qurțubī)
It has been reported about some Muslim mystics (Sufiya') that they
did not like being medically treated. This is also evident from the re-
ported behaviour of some of the Sahabah as well. For instance, according
to a report, Sayyidna Ibn Masud 4
fell sick. Sayyidna 'Uthman
came to visit him and asked him: What is it that ails you? He replied: I
am worried about my sins. Sayyidna 'Uthman
said: Then, do you
wish to have something? He said: I wish to have the mercy of my Rabb.
Sayyidna 'Uthman 4ee
said: If you like I can call a physician? The an-
swer he gave was: Believe me, it is the 'Physician' Himself who has put

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me down (on the sick bed).
But, occurances of this nature do not go to prove that these blessed
souls took medical treatment to be reprehensible (makruh). May be, at
that time, it was not upto their personal taste and inclination. There-
fore, it was because of their inability to accept it temperamentally that
they did not favour to go by it. This is a transitory phase of psyche when
one comes under the overwhelming logic and effect of the state one is in,
and which cannot be used as an argument to prove that medical treat-
ment is either impermissible or reprehensible. The very request made to
Sayyidna Ibn Mas'ud 44% by Sayyidna 'Uthman 4
ě that he be allowed to
bring a physician for him is, in itself, a proof of the fact that treatment is
permissible - rather, there are situations when doing so becomes manda-
tory as well.
Verse 70
وَاللّهُ خَلَقَكُمُ ثُمَّ يَتَوَقُّكُمُقَ وَمِنْكُمُ مَّنْ يُّرَدُّ إِلَى أَرْذَلِ الْعُمُرِ لِكَىُ
لاَيَعُلَمَ بَعُدَ عِلْمٍ شَيْئًا، إِنَّاللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ قَدِيْرٌ ﴿.٧﴾
And Allah created you, then He takes you back. And
there are some among you who are carried back to the
worst part of the age, that he knows nothing after hav-
ing knowledge. Surely, wherein Allah is All-Knowing,
All-Powerful. [70]
Commentary
Mentioned previously were various states of water, vegetation, cattle
and honey bee through which Allah Ta'ala had reminded human beings
of His perfect power of creation and of His blessings for the created.
Now, through the words of the present verse, they have been invited to
ponder over the very state they are in. Human beings were nothing.
Allah Ta'ala blessed them with existence. Then, by sending death when
He willed, He terminated that blessing. As for some others, they are,
much before their death, carried to such an stage of extreme old age that
their senses do not work, they lose the strength of their hands and feet.
They understand nothing, nor can they remember what they do. This
change in their world-view and self-view proves that knowledge and

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16: 70
power reside in the exclusive domain of the One who is the Creator and
Master.
The expression مِنْكُمُ مَنْ يُرَدُّ إِلى أَرْذَلِ الْعُمُر (and there are some among you
who are carried back to the worst part of the age) gives a hint that man
has seen a time of weakness earlier too. This was the early stage of child-
hood marked by its lack of understanding and physical strength, and de-
pendence on others in eating, drinking, getting up and sitting down.
Then came youth, the time to prosper and move ahead. Then, gradually,
man is carried to a stage of the same age of helplessness as it was in
early childhood.
The expression: AJ Jbff (translated as 'the worst part of the age')
means the extreme old age when all physical and mental faculties be-
come weak and confused. The Holy Prophet
always prayed:
اللّهُمَّ إِىٌ أَعُوذُبِكَ مِنْ سُوْءِ الْعُمُرِ مِّنُ أَنْ أُرَدَّ إِلَى أَرْذَلِ الْعُمُرِ
'O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the evil of age' -
and according to another narration:
اللُّهُمَّ إِنِّى أَعُوذُبِكَ مِنْ أَنْ آَرُدَّإِلَى أَرْذَلِ الْعُمِرُ
'O Allah, I seek refuge with you from that I be carried to the
worst part of the age.'
The definition of: JJ J3ff (the worst part of the age) remains undeter-
mined. However, the definition appearing above seems to be weightier,
لِكَيْلاً يَعُلَمَ بَعُدَ عِلُم :something to which the Qur an too has alluded by saying
(that he knows nothing after having knowledge) that is, the age in
which he is in, senses do not remain active as a result of which a person
forgets everything he knows.
This 'worst part of the age' (J J3;f) has been defined variously.
Some say it is the age of eighty years while some others say it is ninety.
Also reported from Sayyidna 'Ali
é, there is a statement which puts it
at seventy five. (Şahihayn as quoted by Mazhari)
After that appears the tersely-phrased sentence also mentioned
above: لِكَيُلاَ يَعُلَمَ بَعُدَ عِلمٍ شَيْئًا (that he knows nothing after having knowledge).
This is about the phenomena of old age (which, in our time, has given
birth to the study of grontology). When one is made to reach its extreme
stage, one is left with no functional strength, neither physical nor
rational. What he knows now, he may not know moments later. All
information he has, he may forget and become like a child born

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yesterday who has no knowledge or awareness or understanding or
intelligence. Hadrat 'Ikrimah Jws dl >, says: 'This state will not prevail
upon the reciter of the Qur'an.'
In the last sentence of the verse, it was said: ◌ٌإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ قَدِير (Surely ,
Allah is All-Knowing, All-Powerful). It means that from knowledge He
knows everyone's age, and from power He does what He wills. If He
wills, He can have a strong youngman be overtaken by the signs of the
worst part of old age, and should He so will, even a hundred-year old
aged man could remain a strong youngman. All this lies within the
power of that sole Being in whose divinity there is no partner or
associate.
Verse 71
وَاللهُ فَضَّلَ بَعُضَكُمُ عَلَى بَعُضٍ فِى الْرِّزْقِ ، فَمَا الَّذِينَ فُضِلُوا
بِرَآدِىُ رِزْقِهِمُ عَلَى مَا مَلَكَتْ آَيْمَانُهُمْ فَهُمُ فِيْهِ سَوَاءٌ ﴿ أَفَبِعُمَةِ اللّهِ
يَحُحَدُوُنَ ﴿٧١﴾
And Allah has given some of you preference over others
in provision. So, those given preference are not to pass
on their provision to their slaves so that they become
equal in it: Do they, then, reject the blessing of Allah?
[71]
Commentary
In the previous verses, by referring to major manifestations of His
knowledge and power and blessings which descend on human beings,
Allah Ta'ala has the natural proof of His Oneness (Tauhid). By looking
at it, even a person of ordinary commonsense would not accept that any
created being can hold a share with Allah Ta'ala in His attributes of
knowledge and power, or in any of the others. In the present verse, this
very subject of Tauhid has been brought into focus by citing the example
of a case in mutual dealing.
It is being said here that Allah Ta'ala has not, in His infinite wis-
dom, and in view of His consideration for human good, made all human
beings equals in terms of rizq or provision. Instead, He has given some of
them preference over some others establishing different degrees therein.
Someone was made so rich that he owns a lot of things, keeps a staff of

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all sorts of servers, spends as he wishes, and his servers too benefit
through him. Then, someone was made to work for others who, far from
spending on others, was cut out to receive his own expenditure from oth-
ers. Then, someone was made to be somewhere in the middle, neither so
rich as to spend on others, nor so poor and needy as to be dependent
upon others even in the necessities of life.
Everyone is aware of the outcome of this natural distribution that he
who was given preference in provision and made rich and need-free
would never accept to distribute his wealth among his slaves and ser-
vants in a way that they too become his equals in wealth.
Understand the drive of this argument by applying this example on
polytheists. They too accept that the idols and other created things they
worship are, after all, created and owned by Allah Ta'ala. If so, how can
they suggest that the created and the owned become equals to their Crea-
tor and Master? Do such people see all these signs and hear all these
words, yet go on to ascribe partners and equals to Allah, the necessary
result of which is that thay reject the blessings given by Allah? Because,
if they had admitted that all these blessings have been given by Allah
Ta'ala without the intervention of any self-carved idol, icon, human
being and Jinn, then, how could they have equated these things with
Allah Ta'ala?
The same subject has been taken up in the following verse of Surah
Ar-Rum:
ضَرَبَ لَكُمُ مَّثَلاً مِّنَ أَنْفُسِكُمُ هَلُ لَّكُمُ مِّنْ مَّا مَلَكَتُ آَيْمَانُكُمُ مِّنْ شُرَكَآءَ فِىُ مَا
رَزَقُنْكُمْ فَانْتُمُ فِيْهِ سَوَآءٌ
We have given for you an example from your own people. Have
those who are your subjects become sharers with you in the pro-
vision given to you by Us whereby you are equal in it? (30:28)
The outcome of this too is: When you do not like to let your servants
and your slaves whom you own become equal to yourself, how can you
like for Allah that He, and things created and owned by Him, become
equal to Him?
The Difference in Degrees of Economic Status is Mercy for
Mankind
This verse makes it clear that the presence of different degrees of eco-

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nomic status among human beings - that someone is poor, another rich
and yet another somewhere in the middle - is not accidental. It is as dic-
tated by the wisdom of Allah Ta'ala, as required by considerations for
human good, and is mercy for mankind. If this state (of human society)
were not to prevail and if all human beings were to become equal in
wealth and possessions, it would have caused a breach of function in
world order. Therefore, since the time the world became populated, all
human beings have never been equal in terms of wealth and property, in
any period, or age, nor can they be. Should such an equality were to be
created compulsarily, it will take only a few days when disruption and
disorder become openly visible throught the entire spectrum of human
dealings. Allah Ta'ala has created human beings with varying degrees of
temperaments as conditioned by intelligence, strength and functional
ability. They have been further classified as low, high and average, a
fact which cannot be rejected by any reasonable person. Similarly, it is
also inevitable that there be different degrees in wealth and property as
well so that every single person is rewarded in terms of individual cap-
ability. If the capable and the incapable were made equal, it will discou-
rage the capable. When the capable person has to stay at par with the in-
capable in economic pursuits, what other motivation would compel him
to go on striving and achieving excellence? The necessary outcome of
such an approach will be no other but the demise of excellence acquired
through functional capability.
Qur'anic Injunctions Against Concentration of Wealth
Whereas the Creator of the universe gave preference to some over
others in physical and rational faculties, and established variance in pro-
vision, wealth and property, subject to it, He has also established a
strong system of economic equillibrium which aims that no particular
group or party or a few individuals take over the treasures of wealth and
centers of economic activity. This system also guards against the conse-
quences of such a takeover which dries up the very field where capable
people could thrive by utilizing their physical, intellectual and technical
capabilities and advance economically. For this purpose, it was said in
the Holy Qur'an: ◌ْكَىُ لاَيَكُونَ دُوْلَةً بَيْنَ الأَغْنِيَاءِ مِنْكُم It means: (We made the law of
distribution of wealth,) so that wealth does not come to be revolving
among the rich from among you - Al-Hashr, 59:7.

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 71
The wide-spread turbulance being experienced in the economic
systems of the modern world is directly the result of bypassing this wise
law given to us by Divine wisdom. On the one hand, there is the capital-
ist system in which some individuals or groups virtually take over the
nerve centers of wealth through the medium of interest and gambling
and go on to enslave the entire creation of Allah economically. They are
rendered so helpless that they have no escape route left but to serve like
slaves and work like dogs in order to get what they can to eke out a liv-
ing, no matter how miserable. In a situation so sordid, it is a far cry that
they would ever be able to step into the field of industry or trade despite
having the best of capabilities for this purpose.
As a reaction to this tyranny of capitalists, there rises a counter
system in the name of socialism or communism. Their slogan is the re-
moval of disparity between the rich and poor and the creation of equality
between all. Masses of people already harassed by the injustices of the
capitalist system go after the slogan. But, very soon, they discover that
the slogan was nothing but deception. The dream of economic equality
never came true. The poor person, despite poverty and hunger, had a cer-
tain human dignity, a certain right to do what he wished, but even that
human dignity was snatched away by the system. In the communist
system, the worth of a human person is no more than a part of its ma-
chines. Private ownership of property is simply out of question there.
The factory worker owns nothing, not even the spouse and children.
Everyone is a part of the state machine. When the machine starts, they
have no choice but to start working on their jobs. Other than the
so-called objectives of the state, the worker has no conscience or voice.
The slightest grievance against the tyranny of the state and that unbear-
able labour on the job is counted as rebellion against the state the pun-
ishment for which is death. In short, hostility towards God and religion
and adherence to bland materialism is the basic principle of commun-
ism.
These are facts no communist can deny. The writings and doings of
their commissars are proofs of this assertion for compiling relevant refer-
ences to these amounts to making a regular book out of them.
The Holy Qur'an has provided a system in between the two extremes
of tyrannical capitalism and Quixotic communism keeping it free from ex-

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 71
cess and deficiency so that no individual or group could, despite there
being a naturally placed dissimilarity in provision and wealth, go on to
make the creation of Allah at large their slaves only to condemn them to
ever rising prices of commodities and virtual famines. By declaring inter-
est and gambling to be unlawful, it has demolished the foundations of il-
legitimate capitalism. Then, by making a categorical statement that the
poor and needy have a right in the wealth of every Muslim, they were ad-
mitted as sharers, which is not supposed to be some favour done to
فِىّ أَمُوَالِهِمْ حَقِّ مَّعْلُومٌ :them. In fact, it is the fulfillment of a duty. The verse
JG JEJ (in their wealth, there is a known right for the asking and
the deprived - Al-Ma'arij, 70:24) proves it. After that, by distributing the en-
tire property of a deceased person over individual inheritors of the fami-
ly, it has eliminated the concentration of wealth. Natural streams, high
seas and the self-growing produce of mountain forests were declared to
be the common capital of the entire creation of Allah. No individual or
group can take possession over them as something owned by them. This
is not permissible. Contrary to this, in a capitalist system, these bless-
ings are handled as something owned by capitalists only (under one or
the other pretext).
Since diversity and difference in intellectual and practical capabil-
ities is a natural phenomena, and the pursuit of economic gains through
them also depends on these very capabilities, therefore, diversity or dis-
similarity in the ownership of wealth and property is also a dictate of
wisdom. Whoever has the least sense of how things work in this world
would find it hard to deny this truth. Even the champions of the slogan
of equality could not go far enough with it. They had to abandon their
claim of flat equality and were left with no choice but to introduce dissim-
ilarity and incentive-oriented policy in national economy. On May 5,
1960, speaking before the Supreme Soviet, Nikita Khurshev said:
'We are against the movement to eliminate difference in wages.
We are openly against the efforts to establish equality in emolu-
ments and to bring them at par. This is the teaching of Lenin.
He taught that material motivations will be given full consider-
ation in a socialist society.' (Soviet World, p.346)
That the dream of economic equality had translated itself into its ab-
sence since the very early stages, but it did not take much time to wit-
ness that this absence of equality and the disparity between the rich and

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the poor in the communist state of Russia had gone much beyond the
general run of capitalist countries. Lyon Sidov writes:
'Perhaps, there is no developed capitalist country where the dis-
parity in the wages of workers is as high as in Soviet Russia.'
These few examples from the contemporary scene show how deniers
were themselves compelled to confirm the truth of the verse: Jeas aur,
And Allah has given some of you preference over) بَعُضَكُمُ عَلى بَعُضِ فِى الرّزُقِ
others in provision - 71) and that (Allah does what He wills). As for
comments under this verse, the purpose was limited to pointing out that
the dissimilarity in provision and wealth is very natural and very much
in accordance with considerations for human good. That which remains
is the discussion of the Islamic Principles of Distribution of Wealth and
how they distinctly differ from capitalism and communism both.
Inshallah, this will appear under comments on:ْنَحُنُ قَسَمُنَا بَيْنَهُمُ مَّعِيشَتَهُم (We
have distributed among them their livelihood - Al-Zukhruf, 43:32)
appearing in Ma'ariful-Qur'an, Volume VII. An independent treatise on
this subject entitled: 'Islam Ka Nizam-e-Taqsim-e-Daulat' written by
this humble writer should also be sufficient for this purpose. [This is also
available in its Engish translation made by Professor Hasan Askari
under the title: DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH IN ISLAM from the
publishers, Maktaba-e-Darul-Uloom, Korangi, Karachi, Pakistan]
Verses 72 - 76
وَاللهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ مِّنْ أَنْفُسِكُمُ أَزْوَاجًا وَّجَعَلَ لَكُمُ مِّنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمُ
بَنِيْنَ وَحَفَدَةً وَّرَزَقَّكُمُ مِّنَ الطَّيْتِ ﴿ أَفَبِالْبَاطِلٍ يُؤْ مِنُونَ وَبَنِعُمَتِ اللهِ
هُمُ يَكُفُرُونَ ﴿٢﴾ وَيَعْبُدُوُنَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَالاَيَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ رِزْقًّا مِّنَ
السَّمُوْتِ وَالْأَرْضِ شَيْئًا وَّلاَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ﴿٢ٌ﴾ فَلاَ تَضْرِبُوا لِلْهِ
الْأَمْثَالَ * إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمُ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٤﴾ ضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلاً عَبْدًا
مَّمُلُوكاً لَّ يَقْدِرُ عَلَى شَىْءٍ وَمَنُ رَّزَقْتُهُ مِنَّا رِزْقًا حَسَنًا فَهُوَ يُنُفِقُ مِنْهُ
سِرَّا وَجَهْرًا﴿ هَلُ يَسْتَوَّنَ الْحَمُدُ لِلهِ ﴿ بَلُ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لاَيَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٧٥﴾
وَضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلاً رَّجُلَيْنِ اَحَدُهُمَا أَبْكُمُ لاَ يَقُدِرُ عَلَى شَىْءٍ وَّهُوَ كَلٌّ

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عَلَى مَوْلَهُ " آَيْنَمَا يُوَجّهُهُ لاَيَأْتِ بِخَيْر + هَلُ يَسْتَوِىُ هُوَ وَمَنْ يَّأْمُرُ
بِالْعَدُلِ * وَهُوَ عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ (*)
And Allah has created spouses from among you and
created for you from your spouses sons and grandsons,
and gave you provision from good things. Is it, then, the
falsehood that they believe and the blessing of Allah
that they reject? [72]
And they worship besides Allah things which have no
power to give them anything from the heavens and the
earth, nor can they have (such power). [73]
So, do not coin similarities for Allah. Surely, Allah
knows and you do not know. [74]
Allah gives an example: There is a slave owned (by some-
one), who has no power over anything, and there is a
person whom We have given good provision from Us.
And he spends out of it secretly and openly. Are they
equal? Praise be to Allah. But, most of them do not
know. [75]
And Allah gives an example: There are two men. One of
them is dumb who is unable to do anything, and he is a
burden on his master. Wherever he directs him to, he
brings no good. Does he equal the one who enjoins jus-
tice and is on the straight path? [76]
Commentary
In verse 72:جَعَلَ لَكُمُ مِّنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَزُوَاجًا (Allah has created spouses from
among you), a special blessing has been mentioned in that Allah Ta'ala
has created spouses from the same genus so that they remain mutually
familiar and their distinction and nobility inherent in the human species
also remains stable through generations.
Given here, there may be another hint towards the fact that spouses
belong to each other's genus and, as such, their needs and feelings are
common to both, therefore, mutual consideration is but necessary for
them.
The next sentence of the verse: ◌ٌوَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ مِّنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمُ يَنِينَ وَحَفَدَة has been
translated as: 'and created for you from your spouses sons and grand-
sons.'

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Though children are born to father and mother both, yet in this
verse, their birth has been identified with mothers only. The indication
given here is suggestive of the fact that the role of the mother in the
birth and the creational formation of the child is more pronounced that
that of the father. The father contributes only a lifeless drop. The locale
where this drop goes through different kinds of stages from the transfor-
mation into human form and shape to becoming alive, and where all
these inimitable achievements of nature take place, is a place no other
than the womb of the mother. Therefore, in the Hadith, the right of the
mother has been made to precede the right of the father.
There is yet another hint visible in this sentence which mentions
grandsons alongwith sons, that is, the real purpose behind creating
spouses is the procreation and survival of human race so that they have
children, then, their children have their children. What else would this
be, if not the survival of human species?
After that, by saying: ◌ِوَرَزَقَّكُمُ مِّنَ الطَّت (and gave you provision from
good things), mention was made of things which guarantee personal sur-
vival. In other words, once a human child is born, food is needed for its
personal survival. That too was provided by Allah Ta'ala. The real mean-
ing of the word: suas (hafadah) in this verse is that of one who helps and
serves. That this word has been used for children suggests that children
should always be at the service of their father and mother. (Qurtubi)
The statement : ◌َفَلاَ تَضُرُبُوا لِلْهِ الْأَمْثَال (So, do not coin similarities for Allah
-74) clarifies an important aspect of the reality of things as they relate to
Allah. If ignored, it becomes the breeding ground of all sorts of rejection-
ist doubts and scruples. The problem is that people would generally take
Allah Ta'ala on the analogy of their own humankind and go on to declare
the highest placed among them, a king and ruler, as similar to Allah
Ta'ala. Then, relying on this wrong assumption, they start seeing the Di-
vine system on the analogy of the system of human monarchs. This leads
them to take a cue from the fact that since no king can, all by himself,
run the administration of the whole kingdom, the system is run by dele-
gating powers to subordinate ministers and officials who do that on his
behalf. Similarly, they believe and propose that there have to be some
other objects of worship under the authority of Allah Ta'ala who would
help Him out in carrying out His tasks. This is the general theory of all

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idol-worshipers and polytheists. This sentence of the Qur'an has cut off
the very root of these doubts by stating that suggesting examples of
what has been created and applying them on Allah Ta'ala, the Creator,
is something unreasonable by itself. He is far above similarities and
analogies and conjectures and guesses.
In the first of the two examples given in the last two verses, the de-
scription is that of a master and a slave, that is, the owner and the
owned. By giving this example, it is being said: When these two, despite
being from the same genus and the same kind, cannot be equal to each
other, how then could you equate someone or something created by Allah
with Him?
In the second example, there is a man who bids justice and teaches
what is good. This is a model of his intellectual perfection. Then he him-
self takes the path of moderation and right guidance. This is the model
of his practical perfection. Set against the power of this intellectually
and practically perfect man, there is the other man who cannot do anyth-
ing for himself nor can he do anything right for others. These two men of
two different kinds, despite being from one genus, one species and one
brotherhood, cannot be equal to each other. So, how can some created
being or thing become equal to the Creator and Master of the universe
who is Absolute in Wisdom, Absolute in Power, and All-Knowing and
All-Aware?
Verses 77 - 83
وَلِلّهِ غَيْبُ السَّمُوْتِ وَالْأَرْضِ * وَمَآ أَمُرُ السَّاعَةِ إِلَّ كَلَمُحِ الْبَصَرِ
أَوُ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ ﴿٢﴾ وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَ جَكُمُ مِّنُ؟
بُطُوُن أُمَّهُتِكُمُ لاَتَعُلَمُوُنَ شَيْئًا وَّجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمُعَ وَ الْأَبْصَارَ
وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ ا لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٢﴾ آلَمُ يَرَوْا إِلَى الطَّيْرِ مُسَخَّرْتٍ فِىُ
جَوِّالسَّمَآءِ * مَا يُمُسِكُهُنَّإِلاَّ اللّهُ إِنَّ فِىُ ذُلِكَ لَأَيْتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُّؤْ مِنُوْنَ
﴿٧﴾ وَاللّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ مِّنْ بُيُوتِكُمُ سَكَنَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ مِّنُ جُلُوُدٍ
الْأَنْعَامِ بُيُوتًا تَسْتَحِقُّونَهَا يَوْمَ ظَعُنِكُمُ وَيَوْمَ ◌ِقَامَتِكُمُ " وَمِنْ أَصُوَافِهَا

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 77 - 83
وَأَوْبَارِهَا وَأَشْعَارِهَا أَنَّاًّا وَّمَتَاعًا إِلَى حِيْنٍ ﴿٨٠﴾ وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ مِّمَّا
خَلَقَ ظِلْلاً وَّجَعَلَ لَكُمُ مِّنَ الْجِبَالِ أَكْنَانًا وَّجَعَلَ لَكُمُ سَرَابِيْلَ
تَقِيُكُمُ الْحَرَّ وَسَرَائِيلَ تَقِيُّكُمُ بَأُسَكُمُ ، كَذَلِكَ يُتُمُّ نِعُمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمُ
لَعَلَّكُمُ تُسْلِمُونَ ﴿٨١﴾ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلْغُ الْمُبِيُنُ ﴿٢﴾
يَعْرِفُونَ نِعُمَتَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنْكِرُوْنَهَا وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ الْكُفِرُونَ ﴿٢َ﴾
And to Allah belongs the Unseen of the heavens and the
earth. And the Hour is nothing but like the twinkling of
the eye, or even quicker. Of course, Allah is powerful
over everything. [77]
And Allah has brought you forth from your mothers'
wombs when you knew nothing, and He made for you
ears, eyes and hearts, so that you may be grateful. [78]
Did they not look at the birds, subdued, in the atmo-
sphere of the sky? No one holds them but Allah. Surely,
in that there are signs for a people who believe. [79]
And Allah has made for you of your houses a place for
comfort, and made for you houses from the hides of cat-
tle which you find light the day you travel and the day
you camp, and out of their wool and their fur and their
hair (He created) household goods and things of enjoy-
ment for a time. [80]
And Allah has made for you shades from what He has
created, and made for you shelters in the mountains and
made for you shirts which protect you from heat and
shirts which protect you in your battles. [81] This is how
He perfects His favour upon you, so that you may sub-
mit. If they still turn away, then, your responsibility is
only to convey the message clearly. [82]
They are aware of Allah's favour, yet they deny it. And
most of them are ungrateful. [83]
Commentary
The Divine statement: ( SAffy (when you knew nothing - 78) indi-
cates that knowledge is not an ingrained personal excellence of man.
When born, man has no knowledge or skill. Then, in proportion to grow-
ing human needs, man is made to absorb some knowledge, bit by bit, di-