The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 288
CH. 13 16. And to Allah AR-RA'D PT. 13 وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ submits طَوْعًا وَ كَرْهًا وَظِلُّهُمْ بِالْغُدُةِ وَالْأَصَالِ or whosoever is in the heavens and the earth willingly unwillingly and likewise do their shadows, in the mornings and the evenings. 1627 way to succeed in life is to put all things in their proper places, to give God the status which is His due and to stars, rivers and mountains the position which they rightly possess. Whereas we should worship God, pray to Him and seek His blessings, we should subject created things to our service and derive those benefits from them which the Wise God has placed in them. That alone is the way of success and true happiness. The words, the prayer of the disbelievers is but a thing wasted, mean that all prayers of disbelievers addressed to false deities will prove fruitless. 1627. Important Words: (shadows) is the plural of both Jb (zill) and ab (zullah), which are derived from (zalla). They say Jb ظل الشيء. i. e. the day became shady اليوم means, the thing became long or extended. all means, he shaded him. al means, it cast its shade upon him; or he took him into his shelter or protection. means, the light of the sun without the rays; shade; blackness of the night; an apparition or phantom or a thing that one sees like a shadow; a covering; might or power of resistance protection or shelter; person or corporeal form or figure which one sees from a 1496 distance. The Arabs say a b i. e. the sovereign is God's means of protection or defence (or His representative) in the earth. In ḥadīth الكافر يسجد لغير الله وظله يسجد لله ای جسمه we read i. e. an infidel prostrates himself before deities other than God but his viz. his body, prostrates itself before God (meaning that his body is subject to divine law). al means, anything that shades or covers or protects one (Lane & Biḥār). غدوة mornings) is the plural of) الغدو meaning, morning or early part of the forenoon (Lane). اصيل evenings) is the plural of) الأصال which means, evening; time from the (late afternoon) Prayer to sunset. عصر The word also means, having root or foundation; rooted, fixed, stable or permanent; having lineage or pedigree (Lane). Commentary: The verse embodies a great truth. It says that all creation whether in the heavens or on the earth obeys or is bound to obey God-made laws of nature, willingly or unwillingly. The tongue must perform the function of tasting and the ear the function of hearing. This obedience to the laws of nature may be called compulsory. But then man is also given a certain freedom of action where he can use