Page 405
ʾa-wa-lam yatafakkarū fī ʾanfusihim mā khalaqa llāhu s-samāwāti wa-l-ʾarḍa wa-mā baynahumā ʾillā bi-l-ḥaqqi wa-ʾajalin musamman wa-ʾinna kathīran mina n-nāsi bi-liqāʾi rabbihim la-kāfirūna
Have they not reflected in their own souls? Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them except with consummate wisdom and for a specified term. Indeed many people disbelieve in the encounter with their Lord.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Ar-Room – Verse 8
8. “Have they not pondered upon themselves? Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them but with truth and (for) an appointed term? And verily most of the people are deniers of the meeting of their Lord (at the Resurrection).”
Contemplation is usually the medicine of the sickness of negligence. The consequence of a safe and sound thought is having belief in truthfulness and knowing that existence and Hereafter have an aim, while the consequence of thoughtlessness is often disbelief and denial of Resurrection. The words in the previous verse were about those who see only the surface of the things and whose thoughts are limited to observing this world and the world of matter and they are not aware of the Hereafter and the world of super nature.
This holy verse, as well as the later verses, mentions some various matters around the Origin and Resurrection. At first, in the form of a question, the verse critically says:
That is, if they do contemplate correctly and refer to both their own conscience and the judgment of their intellect, they will be well familiar with these two things: that, firstly, the world has been created on the basis of truth, and it contains some systems which prove the existence of a complete wisdom and power with the creator of this world. Secondly, this world goes toward downfall and destruction; and in view of the fact that it is impossible that the Wise Creator has created it in vain, this is an evidence that after this world there is another world which is the eternal abode, else the creation of this world, with all its things created only for a few days of life, would be meaningless, and by this we find out the existence of the Hereafter.
Thus, a careful observation in the regularity and legitimacy of this world leads to the existence of its origin, and a careful attention to its having ‘an appointed term’ is an evidence to the ‘Resurrection’. (Be careful) That is why, at the end of this holy verse the Qur’an adds:
Either the pagans are principally deniers of Resurrection, as the verses of the Qur’an have repeatedly narrated from their tongue who used to say: When we have become dust, shall we certainly be brought forth again? This is impossible! This is evident that its talker is mad.6 Or they do not deny it by their tongues, but their deeds are so polluted and shameful that they indicate that they do not believe in Resurrection, because if they believed they would not be so mischievous and corrupt.
By the Qur’anic phrase /fi ’anfusihim/ (upon themselves) it is understood that they should study about the secrets of their selves, as Fakhr-Razi has said in his commentary, but the purpose is that they may contemplate upon the creation of the heavens and the earth from inside of their selves and souls by the way of intellect and conscience. The Arabic word /bil haqq/, applied in this verse, may have two meanings: one is that creation is accompanied with truth, law, and regularity. The second is that the aim of creation is a true aim, and, of course, these two recent commentaries do not contrast with each other.
As we have repeatedly said in this commentary, the Qur’anic phrase /liqa’-i-rabbihim/ (meeting of their Lord) means Hereafter and Resurrection where the curtains will be removed and, by inner intuition, man will know Allah with His greatness.
Footnotes