Page 382
ʾam-man khalaqa s-samāwāti wa-l-ʾarḍa wa-ʾanzala lakum mina s-samāʾi māʾan fa-ʾanbatnā bihī ḥadāʾiqa dhāta bahjatin mā kāna lakum ʾan tunbitū shajarahā ʾa-ʾilāhun maʿa llāhi bal hum qawmun yaʿdilūna
Is He who created the heavens and the earth, and sends down for you water from the sky, whereby We grow delightful gardens, whose trees you could never cause to grow...? What! Is there a god besides Allah? Indeed, they are a lot who equate [others with Allah].
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah An-Naml - Verse 60
60. “Or Who created the heavens and the earth, and sent down for you water from the sky? Then We caused to grow thereby beautiful gardens; it was not in your power that you grew the trees thereof. Is there any god with Allah? Nay! They are a people who deviate.”
Contemplation about Divine creation is the best way for getting near to Allah. Every tree or plant that grows is under the observation of Allah and by His Will. After explaining some outstanding parts of the life stories of five Divine prophets, there was an expressive question in the content of the previous verse implying whether Allah, with His infinite power, is better or the worthless idols which the idolaters produced. The verses under discussion explain this meaning and, putting the pagans under trial, state the clearest reasons of Unity.
At first, it refers to the creation of the heavens and the earth, as well as the descent of rain and the bounties emerged from it, where it says:
The Arabic word /hada’iq/ is the plural form of /hadiqah/ and, as many commentators have said, it means a garden which is surrounded with a wall and it is secured from any thing, like the pupil of eye which is protected among eyelids. Raqib says in Mufradat:
“The word /hadiqah/ is originally used for a land where there is gathered some water, like the pupil of the eye that there is always water therein.”
It can be concluded from these two statements that the Arabic word /hadiqah/ means a garden which has both a wall and enough water. The Arabic word /bahjat/ means the beauty of colour and apparent goodness which causes the spectators to be full of joy. At the end of the verse, the Qur’an addresses the servants of Allah and says:
You should only sow the seed and irrigate it, but He who has created life inside this seed and commands the sunlight, the life giving drops of rain, and the pieces of soil to grow this seed is only Allah. These are some facts that none can deny, or attributes them to other than Allah. It is He Who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and is the sender of rain. He is the cause of all beauties and favours in the world. Even paying attention to the colouring of a flower, the delicate and regular arrangement of leaves inside each other that have circulated around the central point of the flower and cry of the existence of life, are enough to acquaint man with the glory, power and knowledge of Allah. These are the facts which move the man’s heart and call him toward Him.
In other words, Unity in creation (Unity of Creator) and Unity in Lordship (the Unity of the Deviser of this world) are counted as the basis of the Unity of the object of worship. Therefore, at the end of the verse, the Qur’an says: