35. Al-Fatir (The Originator)

Mecca Period 43

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاء مَاء...

35: 27. Seest thou not that Allah sends down rain from the sky?

... فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ ثَمَرَاتٍ مُّخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَانُهَا...

With it We then bring out produce of various colors.

C3910. Everyone can see how Allah's artistry produces from rain the wonderful variety of crops and fruits-golden, green, red, yellow, and showing all the most beautiful tints we can think of. And each undergoes in nature the gradual shading off in its transformation from the raw stage to the stage of maturity.

... وَمِنَ الْجِبَالِ جُدَدٌ بِيضٌ وَحُمْرٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهَا وَغَرَابِيبُ سُودٌ ﴿٢٧﴾

And in the mountains are tracts white and red, of various shades of color, and black intense in hue.

C3911. These wonderful colours and shades of colours are to be found not only in vegetation but in rocks and mineral products.

There are the white veins of marble and quartz or of chalk, the red laterite, the blue basaltic rocks, the ink-black flints, and all the variety, shade, and gradation of colours.

Speaking of mountains, we think of their "azure hue" from a distance, due to atmospheric effects, and these atmospheric effects lead our thoughts to the glories of clouds, sunsets, the zodiacal light, the aurora borealis, and all kinds of Nature's gorgeous pageantry,

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ وَالدَّوَابِّ وَالْأَنْعَامِ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ كَذَلِكَ...

35: 28. And so amongst men and crawling creatures and cattle, are they of various colors.

C3912. In the physical shapes of human and animal life, also, we see variations in shades and gradations of colours of all kinds. But these variations and gradations, marvelous though they be, are as nothing compared with the variations and differences in the inner or spiritual world.

See next note.

... إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاء...

Those truly fear Allah, among His Servants, who have knowledge:

C3913. In outer nature we can, through colours, understand and appreciate the finest shades and gradations. But in the spiritual world that variation or gradation is even more subtle and more comprehensive.

Who can truly understand it?

Only Allah's servants, who know, i.e., who have the inner knowledge which comes through their acquaintance with the spiritual world,-it is such people who truly appreciate the inner world, and it is they who know that the fear of Allah is the beginning of wisdom.

For such fear is akin to appreciation and love,

- appreciation of all the marvelous beauties of Allah's outer and inner world ("Allah is Exalted in Might") and

- love because of His Grace and Kindness ("Oft-Forgiving"). But Allah's forgiveness extends to many who do not truly understand Him.

... إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ ﴿٢٨﴾

for Allah is Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ...

35: 29. Those who rehearse the Book of Allah, establish regular Prayer

... وَأَنفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً...

and spend (in Charity) out of what We have provided for them, secretly and openly,

C3914. The man of God takes Allah's Revelation ("the Book") to heart, ever seeks to get closer and closer to Allah ("regular Prayer"), and in doing so, is moved more and more to practical Charity for his fellow-creatures.

He is not ashamed of his Charity ("openly"), but he does not do it to be seen by men ("secretly"): he just does what is necessary for his fellow-creatures, whether people talk about it or not.

... يَرْجُونَ تِجَارَةً لَّن تَبُورَ ﴿٢٩﴾

hope for a Commerce that will never fail:

C3915. Here is a metaphor from commerce.

The good man's Charity comes not merely out of superfluities, but out of "what Allah has provided" for him. He therefore recognises two things:

1. that his wealth (literal and metaphorical) is not his absolutely, but that it is given to him by Allah; and

2. that he must deny himself the use of some of it, as a merchant puts by some of his wealth to invest as capital.

Only, the godly man's commerce will never fail or fluctuate; because Allah guarantees him the return, and even adds something to the return out of His own Bounty. That is, Allah gives more than ever our merits deserve.

لِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِ...

35: 30. For He will pay them their meed, nay, He will give them (even) more out of His Bounty;

... إِنَّهُ غَفُورٌ ...

for He is Oft-Forgiving,

C3916. No man is perfect. Everyone has his fault. But when a man tries his best in the service of Allah, his faults are blotted out, and he is treated as if he had committed no faults: "for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, and ready to appreciate service".

... شَكُورٌ ﴿٣٠﴾

Most Ready to appreciate (service).

C3917. Cf. 14:5, and n. 2877 for shakur.

Allah is ready to recognise, appreciate, and reward the smallest service, without regard to the defects in that service. His gracious acceptance is compared to "gratitude" among men.

Asad’s Version:

35:27 ART THOU NOT aware that God sends down water from the skies, whereby We bring forth fruits of many hues - just as in the mountains there are streaks of white and red of various shades, as well as [others] raven-black,

(35:28) and [as] there are in men, and in crawling beasts, and in cattle, too, many hues? 19 Of all His servants, only such as are endowed with [innate] knowledge 20 stand (truly] in awe of God: [for they alone comprehend that,] verily, God is almighty, much-forgiving.

[[Asad’s note - 19 Cf. 16:13, where the splendour of nature ("the beauty of many hues") is spoken of as an evidence of God's creative power. ]]

35:29

[It is] they who [truly] follow God's revelation, and are constant in prayer, and spend on others, secretly and openly, out of what We provide for them as sustenance - it is they who may look forward to a bargain that can never fail,

(35:30) since He will grant them their just rewards, and give them yet more out of His bounty: for, verily, He is much-forgiving, ever- responsive to gratitude

Yuksel’s Version:

35:28 Among the people, and the animals, and the livestock, are various colors. As such, only the knowledgeable among God's servants reverence Him. God is Noble, Forgiving.

35:29 Surely, those who recite God's book, and hold the contact prayer, and spend secretly and openly from what We have provided them, they are seeking a trade that can never lose.

35:30 He will give them their recompense, and He will increase them from His blessings. He is Forgiving, Appreciative.