Allah states that He causes the seed grain and the fruit stone to split and sprout in the ground, producing various types, colors, shapes, and tastes of grains and produce. The Ayah,
﴿فَالِقُ الْحَبِّ وَالنَّوَى﴾
(Who causes the seed grain and the fruit stone to split and sprout.) is explained by the next statement,
﴿يُخْرِجُ الْحَىَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَمُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتِ مِنَ الْحَىِّ﴾
(He brings forth the living from the dead, and it is He Who brings forth the deed from the living.) meaning, He brings the living plant from the seed grain and the fruit stone, which is a lifless and inanimate object. Allah said,
﴿وَءَايَةٌ لَّهُمُ الاٌّرْضُ الْمَيْتَةُ أَحْيَيْنَـهَا وَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهَا حَبّاً فَمِنْهُ يَأْكُلُونَ ﴾
(And a sign for them is the dead land. We gave it life, and We brought forth from it grains, so that they eat thereof.) ﴿36:33﴾ until,
﴿وَمِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَمِمَّا لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
(as well as of their own (human) kind (male and female), and of that which they know not.) ﴿36:36﴾ Allah's statement,
﴿وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَىِّ﴾
(and it is He Who brings forth the dead from the living. ) There are similar expressions in meaning such as, He brings the egg from the chicken, and the opposite. Others said that it means, He brings the wicked offspring from the righteous parent and the opposite, and there are other possible meanings for the Ayah. Allah said,
﴿ذَلِكُـمُ اللَّهُ﴾
(Such is Allah,) meaning, He Who does all this, is Allah, the One and Only without partners,
﴿فَأَنَّى تُؤْفَكُونَ﴾
(then how are you deluded away from the truth) meaning, look how you are deluded from Truth to the falsehood of worshipping others besides Allah. Allah's statement,
﴿فَالِقُ الإِصْبَاحِ وَجَعَلَ الَّيْلَ سَكَناً﴾
((He is the) Cleaver of the daybreak. He has appointed the night for resting,) means, He is the Creator of light and darkness. Allah said in the beginning of the Surah,
﴿وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَـتِ وَالنُّورَ﴾
(And originated the darkness and the light.) Indeed, Allah causes the darkness of the night to disappear and brings forth the day, thus bringing brighteness to the world and light to the horizon, while dissipating darkness and ending the night with its depth of darkness and starting the day with its brightness and light. Allah said,
﴿يُغْشِى الَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا﴾
(He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly.) ﴿7:54﴾ In this Ayah, Allah reminds of His ability to create diversified things in opposites, testifying to His perfect greatness and supreme power. Allah states that He is the Cleaver of the daybreak and mentioned its opposite, when He said,
﴿وَجَعَلَ الَّيْلَ سَكَناً﴾
(He has appointed the night for resting,) meaning, created darkness, in order for the creation to become halt and rest during it. Allah said in other Ayat,
﴿وَالضُّحَى - وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَى ﴾
(By the forenoon. And by the night when it is still.) ﴿93:1-2﴾,
﴿وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى - وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى ﴾
(By the night as it envelops. And by the day as it appears in brightness.) ﴿92:1,2﴾ and,
﴿وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّـهَا - وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَـهَا ﴾
(And by the day as it shows up (the sun's) brightness. And by the night as it conceals it.) ﴿91:3-4﴾ Allah's statement,
﴿وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ حُسْبَاناً﴾
(...And the sun and the moon for reckoning.) means, the sun and the moon have specific orbits, according to a term appointed with magnificent precision that never changes or alters. Both the sun and the moon have distinct positions that they assume in summer and winter, effecting changes in the length of night and day. Allah said in other Ayat,
﴿هُوَ الَّذِى جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَآءً وَالْقَمَرَ نُوراً وَقَدَّرَهُ مَنَازِلَ﴾
(It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the Moon as a light and measured out stages for it.) ﴿10:5﴾,
﴿لاَ الشَّمْسُ يَنبَغِى لَهَآ أَن تدْرِكَ القَمَرَ وَلاَ الَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ وَكُلٌّ فِى فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ ﴾
(It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day. They all float, each in an orbit.) ﴿36:40﴾, And,
﴿وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ﴾
(The sun and the moon; and the stars are subjected by His command.) ﴿16:12﴾ Allah's statement,
﴿ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ﴾
(Such is the measuring of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.) means, all of this occurs according to the decree and due measurement of the Almighty Who is never resisted or contradicted. He is the Knower of all things and nothing ever escapes His knowledge, not even the weight of an atom on earth or in heavens. Allah often mentions the creation of the night, the day, the sun and the moon and then ends His Speech by mentioning His attributes of power and knowledge, as in this Ayah above ﴿6:96﴾, and in His statement,
﴿وَءَايَةٌ لَّهُمُ الَّيْلُ نَسْلَخُ مِنْهُ النَّهَارَ فَإِذَا هُم مُّظْلِمُونَ - وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِى لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَـا ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ ﴾
(And a sign for them is the night, We withdraw therefrom the day, and behold, they are in darkness. And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term. That is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.) ﴿36:37-38﴾ In the beginning of Surat Ha-Mim As-Sajdah, after mentioning the creation of the heavens and earth and all that is in them, Allah said:
﴿وَزَيَّنَّا السَّمَآءَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَصَـبِيحَ وَحِفْظاً ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ﴾
(And We adorned the nearest (lowest) heaven with lamps (stars) to be an adornment as well as to guard. Such is the decree of Him, the Almighty, the All-Knower.) ﴿41:12﴾ Allah said next,
﴿وَهُوَ الَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ النُّجُومَ لِتَهْتَدُواْ بِهَا فِى ظُلُمَـتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ﴾
(It is He Who has set the stars for you, so that you may guide your course with their help through the darkness of the land and the sea.) Some of the Salaf said; Whoever believes in other than three things about these stars, then he has made a mistake, and lied against Allah. Indeed Allah made them as decorations for the heavens, and to shoot at the Shayatin, and for directions in the dark recesses of the land and sea. Then, Allah said,
﴿قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الآيَـتِ﴾
(We have explained in detail Our Ayat.) meaning, We made them clear and plain,
﴿لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
(for people who know. ) who have sound minds and are able to recognize the truth and avoid falsehood.
﴿وَهُوَ الَّذِى أَنشَأَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَحِدَةٍ فَمُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمُسْتَوْدَعٌ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الاٌّيَـتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَفْقَهُونَ ﴾
﴿وَهُوَ الَّذِى أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ نَبَاتَ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ فَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهُ خَضِراً نُّخْرِجُ مِنْهُ حَبّاً مُّتَرَاكِباً وَمِنَ النَّخْلِ مِن طَلْعِهَا قِنْوَنٌ دَانِيَةٌ وَجَنَّـتٍ مِّنْ أَعْنَـبٍ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالرُّمَّانَ مُشْتَبِهاً وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَـبِهٍ انْظُرُواْ إِلِى ثَمَرِهِ إِذَآ أَثْمَرَ وَيَنْعِهِ إِنَّ فِى ذلِكُمْ لاٌّيَـتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴾
(98. It is He Who has created you from a single person, and has given you a place of residing and a place of storage. Indeed, We have explained in detail Our revelations for people who understand.) (99. It is He Who sends down water from the sky, and with it We bring forth vegetation of all kinds, and out of it We bring forth green stalks, from which We bring forth thick clustered grain. And out of the date-palm and its sprouts come forth clusters of dates hanging low and near, and gardens of grapes, olives and pomegranates, each similar, yet different. Look at their fruits when they begin to bear, and Yan`ih. Verily! In these things there are signs for people who believe.) Allah said,
﴿وَهُوَ الَّذِى أَنشَأَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَحِدَةٍ﴾
(It is He Who has created you from a single person,) ﴿6:98﴾ in reference to Adam, peace be upon him. In another Ayah, Allah said;
﴿يَـأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالاً كَثِيراً وَنِسَآءً﴾
(O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord, Who created you from a single person, and from him He created his mate, and from them both He created many men and women.)﴿4:1﴾ Allah said,
﴿فَمُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمُسْتَوْدَعٌ﴾
(Mustaqar and Mustawda`) Ibn Mas`ud, Ibn `Abbas, Abu `Abdur-Rahman As-Sulami, Qays bin Abu Hazim, Mujahid, `Ata', Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, As-Suddi and `Ata' Al-Khurasani and others said that,
﴿فَمُسْتَقَرٌّ﴾
(Mustaqar), `in the wombs'. They, or most of them, also said that,
﴿وَمُسْتَوْدَعٌ﴾
(And Mustawda`,) means, `in your father's loins'. Ibn Mas`ud and several others said that, Mustaqar, means residence in this life, while, Mustawda`, means the place of storage after death (the grave). Allah's statement,
﴿قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الاٌّيَـتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَفْقَهُونَ﴾
(Indeed, We have explained in detail Our revelations for people who understand.) refers to those who comprehend and understand Allah's Words and its meanings. Allah said next,
﴿وَهُوَ الَّذِى أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً﴾
(It is He Who sends down water (rain) from the sky) in due measure, as a blessing and provision for the servants, relief and means of survival for the creatures and mercy from Allah for His creation. Allah's statement,
﴿فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ نَبَاتَ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ﴾
(And with it We bring forth vegetation of all kinds,) is similar to,
﴿وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَآءِ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ حَىٍّ﴾
(And We have made from water every living thing.) ﴿21:30﴾
﴿فَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهُ خَضِراً﴾
(and out of it We bring forth green stalks,) green produce and trees, on which We grow seeds and fruits.
﴿نُّخْرِجُ مِنْهُ حَبّاً مُّتَرَاكِباً﴾
(from which We bring forth thick clustered grain.) lined on top of each other in clusters, like an ear or spike of grain.
﴿وَمِنَ النَّخْلِ مِن طَلْعِهَا قِنْوَنٌ﴾
(And out of the date-palm and its sprouts come forth clusters) of dates
﴿دَانِيَةٌ﴾
(hanging low) Within reach and easy to pick. `Ali bin Abi Talhah Al-Walibi said that Ibn `Abbas said that,
﴿قِنْوَنٌ دَانِيَةٌ﴾
(clusters hanging low) refers to short date trees whose branches hang low, close to the ground. This was recorded by Ibn Jarir. Allah's statement
﴿وَجَنَّـتٍ مِّنْ أَعْنَـبٍ﴾
(and gardens of grapes,) means, We bring forth gardens of grapes. Grapes and dates are the most precious fruits to the people of Al-Hijaz (Western Arabia), and perhaps both are the best fruits in this world. Allah has reminded His servants of His favor in making these two fruits for them, when He said,
﴿وَمِن ثَمَرَتِ النَّخِيلِ وَالاٌّعْنَـبِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِنْهُ سَكَرًا وَرِزْقًا حَسَنًا﴾
(And from the fruits of date-palms and grapes, you derive strong drink and a goodly provision.) ﴿16:67﴾ before intoxicating drinks were prohibited, and;
﴿وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا جَنَّـتٍ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَـبٍ﴾
(And We have made therein gardens of date-palms and grapes.) ﴿36:34﴾. Allah said,
﴿وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالرُّمَّانَ مُشْتَبِهاً وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَـبِهٍ﴾
(olives and pomegranates, each similar yet different.) The leaves are similar in shape and appearence, yet different in the shape, and taste. And the kind of fruit each plant produces is different, according to the explanation of Qatadah and several others. Allah's statement,
﴿انْظُرُواْ إِلِى ثَمَرِهِ إِذَآ أَثْمَرَ وَيَنْعِهِ﴾
(Look at their fruits when they begin to bear, and Yan`ih.) means, when the fruits become ripe, according to Al-Bara' bin `Azib, Ibn `Abbas, Ad-Dahhak, `Ata' Al-Khurasani, As-Suddi, Qatadah and others. This Ayah means, contemplate the ability of the Creator of these fruits, Who brought them into existence after they were dry wood, and they later became grapes and dates; and similar is the case with the various colors, shapes, tastes and fragrance of whatever Allah created. Allah said,
﴿وَفِى الاٌّرْضِ قِطَعٌ مُّتَجَـوِرَتٌ وَجَنَّـتٌ مِّنْ أَعْنَـبٍ وَزَرْعٌ وَنَخِيلٌ صِنْوَنٌ وَغَيْرُ صِنْوَنٍ يُسْقَى بِمَآءٍ وَحِدٍ وَنُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَهَا عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِى الاٍّكُلِ﴾
(And in the earth are neighbouring tracts, and gardens of vines, and green crops, and date-palms, growing out, two or three from a single stem root, or otherwise, watered with the same water, yet some of them We make better than others to eat.) ﴿13:4﴾ This is why Allah said here,
﴿إِنَّ فِى ذلِكُمْ﴾
(In these things there are...) O people,
﴿لاّيَـتٍ﴾
(signs...) and proofs that testify to the perfect ability, wisdom and mercy of He Who created these things,
﴿لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾
(for people who believe. ) in Allah and obey His Messengers.
﴿وَجَعَلُواْ للَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ الْجِنَّ وَخَلَقَهُمْ وَخَرَقُواْ لَهُ بَنِينَ وَبَنَاتٍ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ سُبْحَـنَهُ وَتَعَـلَى عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ﴾
(100. Yet, they join the Jinns as partners in worship with Allah, though He has created them, and they attribute, falsely without knowledge - sons and daughters to Him. Be He Glorified and Exalted above what that they attribute to Him.)