Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AN NAJM [42]

42. And that to your Lord is the End. 43. And that it is He Who makes laugh, and makes weep. 44. And that it is He Who causes death and gives life. 45. And that He creates the pairs, male and female, 46. From Nutfah when it is emitted. 47. And that upon Him is another bringing forth (Resurrection). 48. And that it is He Who Aghna and Aqna. 49. And that He is the Lord of Ash-Shi`ra. 50. And that it is He Who destroyed the former `Ad, 51. And Thamud. He spared none of them. 52. And the people of Nuh aforetime. Verily, they were more unjust and more rebellious and transgressing. 53. And He destroyed the overthrown cities. 54. So, there covered them that which did cover. 55. Then which of the graces of your Lord will you doubt Allah the Exalted said,

(And that to your Lord is the End.) meaning, the return of everything on the Day of Resurrection. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Amr bin Maymun Al-Awdi said, ”Once, Mu`adh bin Jabal stood up among us and said, `O Children of Awd! I am the emissary of Allah's Messenger to you; know that the Return is to Allah, either to Paradise or the Fire.''' Allah's statement,

(And that it is He Who makes you laugh, and makes you weep.) means that He created in His creatures the ability to laugh or weep and the causes for each of these opposites,

(And that it is He Who causes death and gives life.) In a similar statement, Allah said,

(Who has created death and life.)(67:2) Allah said,

(And that He creates the pairs, male and female. From Nutfah when it is emitted.) as He said:

(Does man think that he will be left neglected Was he not a Nutfah Then he became an `Alaqah (something that clings); then (Allah) shaped and fashioned (him) in due proportion. And made of him two sexes, male and female. Is not He (Allah) able to give life to the dead)(75:36-40) Allah the Exalted said,

(And that upon Him is another bringing forth.) meaning, just as He first originated creation, He is able to bring it back to life, resurrecting it for the Day of Judgement,

(And that it is He Who Aghna (gives much) and Aqna (a little).) It is Allah Who gives wealth to His servants and this wealth remains with them. This means they are able to use it to their benefit, is this out of the completeness of His favor. Most of the statements of the scholars of Tafsir revolve around this meaning, such as those from Abu Salih, Ibn Jarir and others. Mujahid said that,

(Aghna) meaning: He gives wealth.

(Aqna) meaning: He gives servants. Similar was said by Qatadah. Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid said;

(Aghna) means: He granted; while,

(Aqna) means: He gave contentment.

(And that He is the Lord of Ash-Shi`ra.) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah and Ibn Zayd said about Ash-Shi`ra that it is the bright star, named Mirzam Al-Jawza' (Sirius), which a group of Arabs used to worship.

(And that it is He Who destroyed the former `Ad) the people of Hud. They are the descendants of `Ad, son of Iram, son of Sam, son of Nuh. As Allah the Exalted said,

(Saw you not how your Lord dealt with `Ad. Of Iram, with the lofty pillars, the like of which were not created in the land)(89:6-8) The people of `Ad were among the strongest, fiercest people and the most rebellious against Allah the Exalted and His Messenger. Allah destroyed them,

(By a furious violent wind! Which Allah imposed in them for seven nights and eight days in succession.)(69:6-7) Allah's statement,

(And Thamud. He spared none), declares that He destroyed them all and spared none of them,

(And the people of Nuh aforetime.) before `Ad and Thamud,

(Verily, they were more unjust and more rebellious and transgressing.) more unjust in disobeying Allah than those who came after them,

(And He destroyed the overthrown cities.) meaning, the cities (of Sodom and Gomorrah) to which Prophet Lut was sent. Allah turned their cities upside down over them and sent on them stones of Sijjil. Allah's statement that whatever has covered it, has covered it, is like the case with the stones of Sijjil that He sent on them,

(And We rained on them a rain (of torment). And how evil was the rain of those who had been warned!)(26:173) Allah said,

(Then which of the graces of your Lord will you doubt) meaning, `which of Allah's favors for you, O man, do you doubt,' according to Qatadah. Ibn Jurayj said that the Ayah,

(Then which of the graces of your Lord will you doubt), is directed towards the Prophet saying: ”O Muhammad!'' However, the first ex- planation is better, and it is the meaning that Ibn Jarir preferred.