Surah Al-Dhariyat: Difference between revisions

Verses 1 to 4: “By the scattering [winds] that scatter [the clouds]; by the [rain] bearing [clouds] laden [with water]; by [the ships] which move gently [on the sea]; by [the angels] who dispense [livelihood] by [His] command:”

It has been narrated from Samak, from Khaalid ibn Ararah that he heard Ali ibn Abi Talib ascend the minbar (pulpit) in Kufah and declare: “You can ask me today about any verse in the Book of Allah, the Exalted; and any sunnah from Allah's Messenger and I will explain them to you.” Ibn al-Kawwa stood up and said, “O leader of the faithful! What is the meaning of Allah's statement: ‘By the scattering dhariyat?’” Ali replied: “The wind.” The man asked, “And the laden Hamilat” Ali said, “The clouds.”' The man again asked, “And the steady Jariyat?” Ali said, “The ships.”' The man finally asked, “(And the distributors of command)” Ali said that it refers to “The angels.”' <ref name=":23">Ibn Kathir Damishqi, Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim (1998), Page 386</ref>

Verse 16: “Receiving what their Lord has given them, for they had been virtuous a foretime.”

Abdullah ibn Umar quotes the Messenger of Allah as having said: “Verily, there are lofty rooms in Paradise in which their outside can be seen from inside, and their inside can be seen from their outside.” Abu Musa al-Ashari asked: “Who are they for, O Messenger of Allah?”' He replied: “For those who use soft speech, feed food (to others), and spend the night in voluntary prayers while people are asleep.” <ref name=":24">Ibid., Page 390</ref>

Verse 19: “And there was a share in their wealth for the beggar and the deprived.”

It has been narrated from Fatimah bint al-Hasan, from her father Hasan ibn Ali  who said: “The Prophet of Allah said: ‘For the beggar there is a right, even if he comes on a horse.’” <ref name=":24" />

It has been narrated from Al-Zuhri that the Prophet of Allah said: “A poor person is not the one who goes around to people and asks them for a mouthful or two, or a date or two. Rather a poor person is the one who does not have enough means to satisfy his needs, and whose condition is not known to others, so that they may give him something in charity.” <ref name=":25">Ibid., Page 391</ref>

Verse 41: “And in Aad when We unleashed upon them a barren wind.”

Saeed ibn Musayyib and others have said regarding this verse that when Allah says: “We sent against them the barren wind” it means: “the southerly winds.” However, there is a narration in the Sahih from Shubah ibn Al-Hakam, from Mujahid, from Ibn Abbas, who quotes the Messenger of Allah as having said: “I have been made victorious with the Saba (an easterly wind), and the people of Aad were destroyed with the dabur (a westerly wind).” <ref name=":26">Ibid., Page 395</ref>

Verse 57 and 58: “I desire no provision from them, nor do I desire that they should feed Me. Indeed it is Allah who is the All-Provider, Powerful and All-Strong.”

It has been narrated from Al-Amash, from Salam ibn Sharhabil who says: “I heard from Habbah and also from my son Khalid who both said: ‘We came to the Prophet of Allah and he committed an action, or he built a structure,’ and then Abu Muawiyah said: ‘It became good and he meant it for us,’ and then he gave this supplication for us: ‘Do not despair from sustenance, their heads do not shake, for surely man is born to his mother without skin, thereafter Allah grants him and sustains him.’” <ref name=":22" />

Benefits of Reciting this Surah

It has been narrated from Dawood ibn Farqad, from Abu Abdillah who said: “Whoever recites Surah al-Dhariyat in the day or in the night - Allah will put in order his livelihood, and He will grant him with an expansive sustenance, and will enlighten for him his grave with a lamp which will shine until the Day of Judgement.” <ref name=":27">Tabrisi, Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Quran (1988), Page 228</ref>

Verses 1 to 4: “By the scattering [winds] that scatter [the clouds]; by the [rain] bearing [clouds] laden [with water]; by [the ships] which move gently [on the sea]; by [the angels] who dispense [livelihood] by [His] command.”

It has been narrated from Ibn Abu Umayr, from Jameel, from Abu Abdillah regarding the first verse that he said: “Surely Ibn al-Kawwa stood up and said, ‘O leader of the faithful! What is the meaning of Allah's statement, ‘By the scattering Dhariyat’’' and Ali replied, ‘The wind.’ The man then asked, ‘And the laden Hamilat?’’ Ali answered: ‘The clouds.’ The man again asked, ‘And the steady Jariyat’ Ali said, ‘The ships.’ The man finally asked, ‘And the distributors of command’ Ali said, it refers to ‘The angels.’” <ref name=":28">Tabatabai, Al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Quran (1971), Page 370</ref>

Verse 20: “In the earth are signs for those who have conviction.”

It has been narrated by Hisham ibn Saalim that: “Someone asked Abu Abdillah - ‘With what thing have you recognized your Lord?’ He replied: ‘In that I make a certain decision upon an action, but it is easy for my decision to weaken; and I resolve to do something but that does not happen. Therefore, I understood that I make a decision but He annuls it, and I resolve to do something, but He breaches it.’” <ref name=":29">Ibid., Page 383</ref>

Verse 22: “And in the sky is your provision and what you are promised.”

In the book Al-Tawhid through the chain of Abi al-Bakhtari he has narrated that: “Jafar ibn Muhammad narrates from his father, from his grandfather, from Ali ibn Abi Talib that he said: ‘The Prophet of Allah said: ‘O Ali, indeed certainty is that you are not complaisant with Allah’s anger; and because of that which Allah has given to you, you do not eulogise; and that because of which He did not give to you, you do not reproach Him; because sustenance does not come to the greedy through greed, and the aversion of the one who loathes it, cannot return it.’’” <ref name=":29" />

Verse 49: “In all things We have created pairs so that you may take admonition.”

It has been narrated in Al-Tawheed through the chain of Abi al-Hasan, who narrated that al-Ridha said in a long speech, “Allah, the Almighty has given intelligence such that He is recognized in that in which He was not given intelligence; and He has made essence such that He is recognized in that He has no essence; and in that there is opposition in creation He is recognized because He has no opposite. In that He has ordained companions He is recognized because He has no companion. It is He who ordained opposites in light and darkness, dryness and wetness, harshness and softness, and hot and cold. It is also He who made familiarity between two things incompatible, and between two things that are close He separated, and with this separation He made it apparent that there is a separator at work; and by opening a space between this familiarity He made it apparent that there is a someone who gives familiarity, and in this position he mentioned this verse.” <ref name=":30">Ibid., Page 384</ref>

Verse 56: “I did not create the jinn and the humans except that they may worship Me.”

In Al-Ilal through the chain of Abu Abdillah, it has been narrated that one day Husayn ibn Ali came amongst his companions and said: “Allah has not created creation except that they recognize Him, for if they recognize Him, then they will worship Him; and if they worship Him, then through this worshipping of Him, they will become needless of worshipping any other.” <ref name=":24" />