The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 107
PT. 12 HŪD CH. 11 سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَكَانَ عَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ periods, and His Throne rests on water, “that He might prove you لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا وَلَبِنْ to know which of you is best in قُلْتَ إِنَّكُمْ مَّبْعُوثُوْنَ مِنْ بَعْدِ الْمَوْتِ conduct. And if thou say, 'You بْعُوثُونَ مِنْ بَعْدِ الْمَوْتِ shall surely be raised after و لَيَقُولَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا death, those who disbelieve ر مبين will certainly say, 'This is nothing but clear deception. '1389 5:49; 6:166; 67:3. after death, and his spiritual needs concern primarily his life in the Hereafter. It is only God Who does so. 1389. Commentary: This verse reminds us how God has created things by a gradual process of evolution to bring man into existence and to make provision for his progress. This gradual process of evolution has culminated in the creation of man. This shows that the real object of the creation of the whole universe was that man should come into being. Man is the real object of the creation of the universe because he has been endowed with an unlimited capacity for spiritual progress. It is, therefore, inconceivable that God, having endowed man with unlimited powers, should have neglected to provide means for his unending spiritual growth and development. For an explanation of the expression (six periods) see 7:55 and 10:4. As water has been repeatedly described in the Quran as the source of all life (see 21:31; 25:55; 77:21 and 86:7) the words, His Throne rests on water, signify that all the great 1315 attributes of God have found their manifestation through "life" (i. e. living creatures) and above all through man, who is the culminating point of all life. The words that follow, viz. that He might prove you to know which of you is best in conduct, also corroborate the above explanation; otherwise, how can the works of man be tested by the resting of the Throne of God on material water? Indeed the passage can bear no other interpretation than this that it is through living creatures that God's attributes are manifested and that God desires to see who benefits most by His attributes. The words, His Throne rests on water, may also mean that the attributes of God are dependent for their manifestation on His word, which has been compared at several places in the Quran to water. Water stands, therefore, here for "the Word of God" and the verse means that God has bound up the manifestation of His attributes with His Word, which indeed is the source of all spiritual life. This subject is further explained in 58:22 where it is laid down that