The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 5) — Page 156
CH. 55 AR-RAHMAN PT. 27 خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ كَالْفَخَارِةٌ He created man from dry. 15 djkškylálózókiyiEG ringing clay which is like baked pottery" 4056 هم الملوك و أبناء الملوک لهم فضل على الناس في الالاء و النعم "6:3; 15:27, 29. i. e. they are kings and the sons of kings; they possess superiority over people on account of their might (or attributes) and gifts (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The dual form in may have been used for the two classes of jinn and men referred to in v. 34 below, or it may signify two classes of men only, viz. believers and disbelievers, leaders and their followers, the rich and the poor, or the white or coloured races. Or it may have been used to impart emphasis to denote the dignity of the commandment embodied in the sentence. Such dual form is generally used in the Arabic language. See also 50:25. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said that when the verse is recited the believers present should respond by the is or dry clay that makes a sound by reason of its dryness (Lane & Aqrab). See also 15:29. (baked pottery) is derived from i. e. he boasted or recounted his glorious deeds or qualities, or he arrogated to himself greatness and nobility; he magnified himself by boasting. (fakhira) means, he disdained or scorned. ✓✓ means, baked pottery or baked vessels of clay, applied specially to empty vessels (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: After having mentioned the creation of the celestial firmament and of the placing in it of the sun and the moon and of their regular and punctual movements, followed by a mention of the vegetables spreading of the earth and of all the that grow on it, the Surah, in the present verse proceeds to refer to the coming into existence of man, the climax, of all. creation | اللهم ولا بشيء من آلا تك نكذب فلک :expression i. e. "none of Thy favours, Our Lord, do we deny and for Thee is all praise. " (Ibn Kathir). 4056. Important Words: Ja (ringing clay) is derived from a which means, it sounded or made a clashing, ringing, tinkling or repeated sound. Ja means, clay not made into pottery, so called because of its making a sound; or clay mixed with sand which, when it becomes dry, makes a sound and when baked 3052 The creation of man from dry, ringing (has) may signify that he has been created from matter in which the faculty and attribute of speech lay latent. As a emits a sound only when struck with something extraneous, its use here is intended to hint that man's power to respond is subject to his being able to receive the Divine Call. Three words have been used in the Quran to express the different stages