Many non Muslims challenge Qur'an saying that does not "scientifically prove" many things that science has done in the recent past. But they fail to understand that Qur'an is not a book of knowledge, rather it is a Divine Book of Beliefs. Many non Muslims and even many Muslims fail to comprehend this fact. But at the same time, in Qur'an there are many realities which were not known more than 1400 years ago. These hidden realities became true as science progressed and answers to these realities were found.
At many a places in Qur'an, believers have been asked to concentrate and think deeply on the verses of Qur'an for these have hidden meanings which will come to surface as knowledge of man comes to a stage where he would be able to comprehend their true meanings and impact on the life of mankind.
The 190th verse of Surah 3. Al-i'Imran indicates to this very fact:
(3:190) Surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are signs for men of understanding.
That is what are these signs contained in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the succession of day and night? What is the message understood by men of wisdom when they reflect on these phenomena, as they remember God in all situations, when they stand up, sit and lie down? Furthermore, what is the relationship between their reflection on these signs and their remembrance of God in all situations? How does their reflection lead them to engage in their supplication which expresses their humility and fear of God: “Our Lord, You have not created all this in vain. Limitless are You in Your glory. Guard us, then, against the torment of the fire.”
From here we connect the 191st verse, which is the verse selected for our post today, in which it has been indicated that those who have faith in Allah and remember Him wherever they are and reflect on the creation of heavens and earth will finally find answers and praise Allah for His glorious creations. a deeper reflection of Allah's creations reveal that Allah did not created this without purpose, it is only we do not have adequate knowledge:
الَّذِيۡنَ يَذۡكُرُوۡنَ اللّٰهَ قِيَامًا وَّقُعُوۡدًا وَّعَلٰى جُنُوۡبِهِمۡ وَيَتَفَكَّرُوۡنَ فِىۡ خَلۡقِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِۚ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقۡتَ هٰذَا بَاطِلًا ۚ سُبۡحٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
(3:191) those who remember Allah while standing, sitting or (reclining) on their backs, and reflect in the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): 'Our Lord! You have not created this in vain. Glory to You! Save us, then, from the chastisement of the Fire.
That is, "These Signs can help one understand the Reality, provided that one is not unmindful of God and observes the phenomena of Nature like a thinking person and not like an animal."
A close observation of the system of the Universe leads them to the right conclusion that most surely there is a life in the Hereafter with its rewards and punishments. The system itself speaks eloquently of the great wisdom that underlies it, so it follows that the All-Wise Creator must have a definite purpose in the creation of Man. Moreover, the very fact, that He placed everything at man's disposal and has endowed him with a moral sense to discriminate between good and bad, clearly shows that he must be accountable to Him as to whether he had fulfilled that purpose. Consequently he should be rewarded for the good he dces in this world and punished for the evil. This thinking leads one to the conclusion that there must be a life-after-death, where one will be accountable for his deeds. This realization fills man's heart with fear of punishment in the Hereafter, and he spontaneously prays to Him to save him from the Hell-fire.
Tafsir Ibn-Kathir:
(Those who remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides) Al-Bukhari recorded that `Imran bin Husayn said that, the Messenger of Allah said: (Pray while standing, and if you can't, pray while sitting, and if you cannot do even that, then pray lying on your side.) These people remember Allah in all situations, in their heart and speech,
(and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the Earth), contemplating about signs in the sky and earth that testify to the might, ability, knowledge, wisdom, will and mercy of the Creator. Allah criticizes those who do not contemplate about His creation, which testifies to His existence, Attributes, Shari`ah, His decree and Ayat.
Allah said, (And how many a sign in the heavens and the Earth they pass by, while they are averse therefrom. And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners unto Him) [12:105,106]
Allah also praises His believing servants, (Those who remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth), supplicating;
("Our Lord! You have not created this without purpose,'') You did not create all this in jest and play. Rather, You created it in truth, so that You recompense those who do evil in kind, and reward those who do righteous deeds with what is better.
The faithful believers praise Allah and deny that He does anything in jest and without purpose, saying, ("glory to You,''), for You would never create anything without purpose, ("Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire.''), meaning, "O You Who created the creation in truth and justice, Who is far from any shortcomings, or doing things without purpose or with jest, save us from the torment of the Fire with Your power and strength. Direct us to perform the deeds that make You pleased with us. Guide us to righteous work from which You admit us into the delightful Paradise, and save us from Your painful torment.''
Yusuf Ali Explanation:
That is, in all postures, which again is symbolical of all circumstances, personal, social, economic, historical and other.
It is the thought of Salvation that connects all these glories with man. Otherwise man would be a miserable, contemptible creature in these beauties and wonders of Nature. With his high destiny of Salvation he can be lifted even higher than these glories!
Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
It is evident from this that men of vision and intellect are those who, while reflecting on this world, are led to keep God and the Hereafter in remembrance and under reflection. It is further evident from this that remembering God is required at all times and just as this remembrance, reflection and deliberation are also required because through reflection does one have conviction of the Hereafter. In its absence, remembering God becomes a mere exercise of the tongue; it has no status beyond this.
Qur'an Wiki:
It is a moment of worship, which means that it is a moment of establishing a relationship and receiving a message. It is no wonder, then, that the mere reflection on the creation of the heavens and the earth and the succession of day and night is enough to reveal the truth about them and the fact that nothing of this has been created in vain. The immediate result of this attitude is embodied in these words: “’Our Lord, You have not created all this in vain. Limitless are You in Your glory.’”
This is immediately followed by a psychological response to the inspiration of the universe: “Guard us, then, against the torment of the fire. Our Lord, him whom You shall commit to the fire"
What is the nature of the emotional relationship between recognising the truth behind the creation of the heavens and the earth and the succession of day and night and the fear of being thrown into hell? Recognition of this truth means to those endowed with understanding and insight that it is all made according to an elaborate plan and for a definite purpose, and that truth and justice will be maintained beyond man’s life on this planet. This inevitably means that whatever people do will be taken into account and that rewards will be administered. This leads to the conclusion that there is another life where the truth will be established and where justice will be done.
Please listen to explanation of the ayat by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan:
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May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.
For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from following sources:
- Towards Understanding the Quran
- Tafsir Ibn Khatir
- Muhammad Asad Translation
- Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
- Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
- Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
In addition the references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.
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