The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 275
PT. 13 AR-RA'D CH. 13 moon into service: each pursues الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِى لِاَجَلٍ And He pressed the sun and the مُّسَمًّى يُدَبَّرُ الْأَمْرَ يُفَصِّلُ الْآيَتِ its course until an appointed لَعَلَّكُمْ بِلِقَاءِ رَبِّكُمْ تُوْقِنُوْنَ ) a term. "He regulates all affairs. He clearly explains the Signs that you may have a firm belief in the meeting with your Lord. 1614 7:55; 16:13; 29:62; 31:30; 35:14; 39:6. "32:6. 1614. Commentary: رفع السموات بغير The Arabic expression 6, rendered as, Who raised up the heavens without any pillars that you can see, means: (1) you see that the heavens stand without pillars; or (2) the heavens do not stand on any pillars which you may see, i. e. they have supports but you cannot see them. Both these meanings are correct and agree with the sense of the text. If the word (pillars) be taken in its ordinary sense, i. e. in the sense of material columns which bear the weight of other things, then the verse would mean that the heavens stand without the support of pillars. But if the word be taken in the figurative sense, i. e. in the sense of anything that helps to keep another thing in place, then the verse would mean that the heavens or, for that matter, the heavenly bodies do stand on supports but these supports are not visible to the human eye, e. g. the force of gravity, or magnetic power or the special movements of planets or other means which men of science have discovered so far or which may be discovered in future. The verse seeks to disabuse the minds of disbelievers of the notion that because the Holy Prophet possessed no material support or means which are considered essential for success, therefore he could not succeed in his mission. The verse says that it is not necessary that all things should have material supports visible to the human eye. It is, indeed, or that these supports should be true that everything must have some sort of prop to support it; but all things need not have the same kind of support. Material things which are the result of man's handiwork need material supports, for even a small roof cannot stand without walls or pillars. But such is God's handiwork that heavy stars stand in their places without visible support or without any support which may be called "a pillar" in the ordinary sense of the word. Although long ages have passed since this system came into being, yet nothing has gone wrong a world of with it. There lies difference between the way in which God works and the working of man. Man cannot do without support but God can, and this is why He has caused millions of stars to stand in their places without support or at least without visible support. The 1483