29. Al-'Ankabut (The Spider)

Period Uncertain

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا كَيْفَ يُبْدِئُ اللَّهُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ...

29:19. See they not how Allah originates creation, then repeats it:

...إِنَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ ﴿١٩﴾

truly that is easy for Allah.

قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانظُرُوا كَيْفَ بَدَأَ الْخَلْقَ...

29:20. Say:

"Travel through the earth and see how Allah did originate creation:

...ثُمَّ اللَّهُ يُنشِئُ النَّشْأَةَ الْآخِرَةَ...

so will Allah produce a later creation:

...إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ﴿٢٠﴾

for Allah has power over all things.

Asad’s Version:

29:19

ARE, THEN, they [who deny the truth] not aware of how God creates (life] in the first instance, and then brings it forth anew?" This, verily, is easy for God!

(29:20) Say: "Go all over the earth and behold how [wondrously) He has created [man) in the first instance: 15 and thus, too, will God bring into being your second life - for, verily, God has the power to will anything!

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[[ Ali’s notes: -

C3440. The originating of creation is the creation of primeval matter.

The repetition of the process of creation goes on constantly, for at every moment new processes are being called into being by the creative power of Allah, and according to His Laws.

And the final creation as far as man is concerned will be in the Ma'ad, when the whole world as man sees it will be entirely newly created on a different plane.

As far as Allah is concerned, there is nothing final, no first and last, for He is infinite. He was before our First and will be after our Last.

C3441. Travel through the earth: again, literally as well as symbolically.

If we actually go through this wide earth, we shall see the wonderful things in His Creation;

- the Grand Canyon and the Niagaras in America,

- beautiful harbors like that at Sydney in Australia,

- mountains like Fujiyama, the Himalayas, and Elburz in Asia,

- the Nile with its wonderful cataracts in Africa, the Fiords of Norway, the Geysers of Iceland,

- the city of the midnight sun in Tromsoe,

- and innumerable wonders everywhere.

But wonders upon wonders are disclosed in the constitution of matter itself, the atom, and the forces of energy, as also in the instincts of animals, and the minds and capacities of man. And there is no limit to these things.

Worlds upon worlds are created and transformed every moment, within and presumably beyond man's vision. From what we know we can judge of the unknown. ]]