The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 724
CH. 35 FĂŢIR PT. 22 وَمِنَ النَّاسِ وَالدَّوَابِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ And of men and beasts and. 29 cattle, in like manner, there are مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ كَذَلِكَ إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ various colours? Only those of مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَموا إِنَّ اللهَ عَزِيزٌ ,knowledge fear Allah. Verily غَفُورٌ Most His servants who possess is Mighty, Allah Forgiving, 3198 invite attention to the study of a wonderful phenomenon of nature which bears striking resemblance to a similar phenomenon in the spiritual realm. The verse purports to say that when rain falls upon dry and parched land it gives rise to a vast variety of crops, flowers and fruits of different colours, tastes, forms and kinds. The rainwater is the same, but the crops, flowers and fruits it produces are vastly different from one another. This difference is evidently due to the nature of the soil and the seed. Similarly, when Divine revelation, which at many places in the Quran has been likened to water, comes to a people, it produces different effects upon different men according to the soil of their hearts and the way in which they receive it. The same revelation which produced such paragons of righteousness and piety as Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, served only to increase Abū Jahl, ‘Utbah or Shaibah in wickedness and opposition to truth. The verse also signifies that the Faithful and the disbelievers are variously graded in goodness and evil. All believers were not like Abu Bakr and ‘Umar in righteousness, nor all disbelievers as wicked as Abū Jahl, 'Utbah or Shaibah. The verse further says that the vast variety of colour and kind is not to be found only in plants but also in mountains and rocks as well. All of these wonderful phenomena point to an Intelligent and Powerful mind behind it. 3198. Commentary: The verse means to say that the kaleidoscopic variety in form, colour, and kind to which reference has been made in the preceding verse does not only exist in flowers, fruits and rocks, but in men, beasts and cattle as well. The words (men), (beasts) and (cattle) may also represent men of different capabilities, dispositions and natural aptitudes. The words, "only those of His servants who possess knowledge fear God," further lend weight to the view that these three words stand for three classes of men from among whom only those endowed with right knowledge fear God. Knowledge, here, however, does not necessarily mean spiritual knowledge but also knowledge of the laws of nature. A reverent study of nature and its laws inevitably leads one to realise the great powers of God and consequently makes him hold God in reverential awe. 2638