Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AR RA'D [8]

  (And He knows that which is in the wombs.)﴿31:34﴾, whether male or female, fair or ugly, miserable or happy, whether it will have a long or a short life. Allah said in other Ayat,  

  (He knows you well when He created you from the earth, and when you were fetuses.)﴿53:32﴾, and,  

  (He creates you in the wombs of your mother: creation after creation in three veils of darkness.)﴿39:6﴾ meaning stage after stage. Allah also said,  

  (And indeed We created man out of an extract of clay. Thereafter We made him as a Nutfah in a safe lodging. Then We made the Nutfah into a clot, then We made the clot into a little lump of flesh, then We made out of that little lump of flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, and then We brought it forth as another creation. So Blessed is Allah, the Best of creators.)﴿23:12-14﴾ In the two Sahihs it is recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said that the Messenger of Allah said,  

  (The matter of the creation of one of you is put together in the womb of the mother in forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends an angel who is ordered to write four things. He is ordered to write down his provisions, his life span, his deeds, and whether he will be blessed or wretched.'') In another Hadith, the Prophet said,  

  (Then the angel asks, ”O my Lord! Is it a male or a female, miserable or happy, what is its provisions and life span'' Allah then ordains and the angel records it.) Allah said next,  

  (and by how much the wombs fall short or exceed.) Al-Bukhari recorded that `Abdullah bin `Umar said that the Messenger of Allah said,  

  (The Keys of the Ghayb (unseen knowledge) are five, nobody knows them but Allah. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow except Allah; nobody knows what is in the womb except Allah; nobody knows when it will rain except Allah; no soul knows at what place he will die except Allah; and nobody knows when the (Final) Hour will begin except Allah.) Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said,  

  (and by how much the wombs fall short), this refers to miscarriages,  

  (or exceed), this refers to carrying her fetus in her womb for the full term. Some women carry their fetus for ten months, while others for nine months. Some terms are longer or shorter than others. This is the falling short or exceeding that Allah the Exalted mentioned, and all this occurs by His knowledge.'' Qatadah commented on Allah's statement,  

  (Everything with Him is in proportion.) ”For a term appointed. Allah has the records of the provisions and terms of His creation and made an appointed term for everything.'' An authentic Hadith mentioned that one of the Prophet's daughters sent (a messenger) to him requesting him to come as her child was dying, but the Prophet returned the messenger and told him to say to her,  

  (Verily, whatever Allah takes is for Him and whatever He gives is for Him, and everything with Him has a limited fixed term (in this world), and so she should be patient and hope for Allah's reward.) Allah said next,  

  (All-Knower of the Ghayb (the unseen) and the Shahadah (the witnessable),) Who knows everything that the servants see and all what they cannot see, and none of it ever escapes His knowledge,  

  (the Most Great), greater than everything,  

  (the Most High.) above everything,  

  ((Allah) surrounds all things in (His) knowledge.)﴿65:12﴾, and has full power over all things, the necks are under His control and the servants are subservient to Him, willingly or unwillingly.