The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 386
CH. 15 R. 3. AL-HIJR PT. 14 وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ And, surely, "We created. 27 حَمَا مَّسْنُونٍ man from dry ringing clay, from into wrought black mud shape. 1733 "6:3; 15:29, 34; 55:15. generations of men will be assembled together. It is also used to signify the bringing together of men by a Prophet of God. A Prophet rescues the people to whom he is sent from the differences which separate them and links them all in one bond of common brotherhood. The verse under comment refers to both the former and the latter assemblages. It thus consoles the Holy Prophet and his few early Companions with the assurance that, although his countrymen were now bitterly opposed to him, a time would come when they would all gather under his banner. The words, He is Wise, are intended to hint that the assembling together of the Arabs under the banner of Islam would be brought about not immediately and all at once but slowly and gradually. Immediate and speedy conversion could only be effected by God's direct intervention amounting to compulsion, but that would deprive men of the merit of such conversion. Moreover, in the event of such Divine intervention it would become impossible to distinguish between people of different spiritual capacities as evinced by the difference in their attitudes towards the heavenly Messenger. If all men had been made to accept Islam by the direct intervention of God, all would have become Muslims on the first day of the announcement by the Holy Prophet of his claim, and all distinction between men of different spiritual capacities and aptitudes, such as between Abu Bakr and Abū Jahl or even between Abu Bakr and later converts, would have altogether disappeared. The word, All-Knowing, suggests that even if the final triumph of the truth is delayed through Divine dispensation, there is no occasion for the Faithful to lose hope; for God, to Whom all secrets of the future are known, assures them that all Arabia would soon be gathered under the banner of Islam. (gathering Taking the word together) in the sense of post-mortal Resurrection, the verse would signify that on the Day of Judgement all generations of men, past and future, would be assembled before God and would be rewarded according to their deeds. Muslims, therefore, should not mind if in the early days of the struggle they are meeting with hardships and difficulties, and should not look upon those who have died before the final triumph of Islam as having died in vain, because the real Day of Reckoning is to come after death. 1733. Important Words: 1594 dry ringing clay) is derived) صلصال