Page 499
wa-sakhkhara lakum mā fī s-samāwāti wa-mā fī l-ʾarḍi jamīʿan minhu ʾinna fī dhālika la-ʾāyātin li-qawmin yatafakkarūna
He has disposed for you[r benefit] whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth; all is from Him. There are indeed signs in that for a people who reflect.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah al-Jathiya - Verse 13
13. And He has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth. It is all a favor and kindness from Him. Indeed there are signs in it for a people who think deeply.
All creation is available for man’s use and the harmony of the constituents of existence solely indicates Divine Oneness. The Blessed Verse in question reminds mankind that whatever exists in the seas, heavens, earth, and heavenly bodies have been subjected to them for their creation, sustenance, and welfare. Each and every element of this organic whole has its own specific function.
Upon perceiving the great and remarkable system of the world, the wise study the system and immediately submit to Divine Will and accept that the immense wheels of creation are incessantly revolving, the sun and the moon shine, the stars ascend and descend in their specific manner, the earth, resembling a cradle, gently rocks, constituent elements despite inconsistency and contrariness stay in harmony for a specific span of time specified in the system of creation subject to Divine Command regarding genesis and function to sustain human life.
The wise do not regard such enormous creation to no avail, but maintain that it leads to a great purpose and benefit. Upon scrutiny it seems that its greatest benefit is the enigmatic creation of mankind who becomes existent ex nihilo, becomes perfect from imperfection, prepares himself for everlasting life. To demonstrate man’s superiority over all creatures, it would suffice to know that all archangels were commanded to prostrate before him and many an angel were subjected to manage the affairs of man such that he may avail himself of them.
“Cloud and wind, moon and sun move in the sky
That thou mayest gain bread, and not eat it unconcerned.
For thee all are revolving and obedient.
It is against the requirements of justice if though obeyest not.”
As mentioned above, man’s perfection and dignity depend on his intellection and knowledge. According to a Prophetic tradition,
“one hour spent on thinking is better than sixty years of devotions.”
As per another tradition,
“one hour spent on thinking is better than one year of devotions.” 13
It is evident that the difference between the traditions concerning thinking lies in the types and hierarchies of thinking, i.e., the thought concerning devotions is meritorious and praiseworthy in its own right, but it may not be compared with that regarding Divine Attributes and Acts. The latter is superior to the former. True submission to Divine Will depends on the accurate understanding the subject of worship. As a consequence, the dependent clause li-ya’budun attested in 51:56:
(“And I created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me [alone]”)
is interpreted by scholars as li-ya’rifun denoting “getting to know.”
Footnotes