The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 282
CH. 13 R. 2. AR-RA'D PT. 13 اللهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَحْمِلُ كُلُّ أُنثَى وَمَا تَغِيضُ Allah knows what every. 9 female bears, and what the الْاَرْحَامُ وَمَا تَزْدَادُ وَكُلُّ شَيْ ءٍ عِنْدَهُ wombs diminish and what they بِمِقْدَارِه cause to grow. And with Him proper everything has a measure. 1620 "35:12; 41:48. 15:22. punishment, unless the context points Commentary: to some other meaning. This is why disbelievers are here depicted as saying, Wherefore has not a sign been sent down to him, as if the many signs already shown to them were no signs at all. In reply to this foolish demand they are told that it is clear from the very title of the Prophet a Warner- that punishment will at last surely overtake disbelievers; but before it comes upon them, they will be given ample opportunities to benefit by the guidance the Prophet has brought because he is also a guide for them. 1620. Important Words: In v. 4 we were told that all things in the universe have pairs and that in the spiritual world also some individuals act like males and others like females, the former exercising influence and the latter receiving it. In the verse under comment the Quran intends to point out that in the person of the Holy Prophet there has appeared one who is spiritually a male and that nobody can attain any spiritual rank without receiving his stamp or being influenced by him. The words, Allah knows what every female bears, and what the wombs diminish and what they cause to grow, mean that God knows well the natural capacities and aptitudes of the Holy Prophet's people, and whether they will accept divine or satanic influence and which influence will grow and which will decline. The verse hints that those who accept the Holy Prophet and receive his stamp will grow and increase in power, and numbers, natural capacities and talents, while his opponents will decline and decrease till their physical and spiritual progeny will be destroyed altogether. Taken in the physical sense, the verse غاض diminish is derived from) تغيض which means, it (water) became scanty and sank into the earth; or it (flow of milk or price of commodity, etc. ) decreased or diminished or became deficient. The a ,means ما تغيض الارحام Quranic expression of the wombs falling short completion so that the foetus dies. the influence. . غاض الكرام وفاض اللثام The Arabs say generous became few or perished and the mean became many. is also used transitively meaning he made (water, etc. ) to become scanty; to decrease or diminish (Lane). 1490