The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 447
PT. 14 AN-NAHL clave the water with his arms in swimming. means, the ship clave the water with its stem and ran; clave the water with a noise; ran cleaving the water with a noise; faced the wind in her course; advanced and retired. The primary signification of 3 is the act of cleaving; and it also signifies the making of a noise or sound. 3. means, ships cleaving the water with their stems; or thrusting the water with their stems; or the sound of the running whereof, by means of the wind, is heard; or running; or advancing and retiring by means of the wind (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: CH. 16 The sea is a most important source of material benefits to man. It is the great repository of water from which the sun supplies us with rain. It is also the highway for travel and commerce and an important source of food for man. It is quite obvious that God Who has made such vast provision for the physical needs of man could not have failed to make similar provision for his moral and spiritual needs. The verse also suggests that although water is so essential for man and is present in such abundance in the sea it is unfit either for drinking or for irrigation purposes unless it is distilled by process of evaporation and is made usable. In the same way the mere existence of moral and spiritual truths in the world can be of no avail to man unless they are purified of all dross and are so assorted and presented as to suit his needs. In the preceding verses mention was made of those things which grew on land or of which man could enjoy the benefit on land. In this verse, however, mention is made of water and things that grow therein. It may be noted that while speaking of the sea the same expression (He has The subject of the uses and benefits pressed into service) has been used in of water for man began with 11th this verse as in the case of the night | verse and is continued in the and day and heavenly bodies in v. 13, following verses. The theme is the expression (by His command) developed in all these verses that it is which occurs in that verse has been on water that men and animals have dropped in the present verse. This is to depend for their food and that the because heavenly bodies and the sun, the moon, and the stars too have alternation of night and day are some sort of connection with water. beyond man's control and the benefits The sun causes the water of the sea to man derives from them are gratuitous evaporate, and then the same returns and independent of any labour or to us purified in the form of effort on his part; therefore when rainwater. This theme of the various mentioning them the expression, (by uses of water leads us to a much His command) has been used. But nobler spiritual theme. It is that because for the benefits that man although we have water in the sea yet derives from the sea he has to make we cannot turn it into clouds. some effort in the making of boats, Similarly, though we possess reason etc. , this expression has been left out. and intellect, yet unless the water of 1655