Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AR RAHMAAN [14]

14. He created man from sounding clay like the clay of pot tery. 15. And the Jinn He created from a smokeless f lame of f ire. 16. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny 17. The Lord of the two easts and the Lord of the two wests. 18. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny 19. He has Maraj a the two seas meet ing together. 20. Between them is a barrier which none of them can t ransgress. 21. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny 22. Out of them both come out pearls and Al-Marj an. 23. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny 24. And His are Al-Jawar Al-Munsha'at , in the seas like A` lam. 25. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny Allah mentions that He created mankind from clay, like that used in pottery, and created the Jinns from the tip of the flame of a smokeless fire. This was said by Ad-Dahhak from Ibn `Abbas. It was also said by `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan and Ibn Zayd. Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas, ”From the best part of the fire, from its smokeless flame.'' Imam Ahmad recorded that `A'ishah said that Allah's Messenger said,

(The angels were created from light, the Jinns from a smokeless flame of fire, and `Adam from what was described to you.) Muslim also collected this Hadith. Allah's statement:

(Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny) was explained above.   Allah said,

((He is) the Lord of the two easts and the Lord of the two wests.) meaning the sunrise of summer and winter and the sunset of summer and winter. Allah said in another Ayah,

(So, I swear by the Lord of all the points of sunrise and sunset in the east and the west.)(70:40), referring to the different places from which the sun rises and then sets on people every day. Allah said in another Ayah,

(The Lord of the east and the west; none has the right to be worshipped but He. So take Him alone as a trustee.)(73:9), referring to the different places of sunrise and sunset and the benefits that this variation brings to the created, mankind and Jinns,

(Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny) Allah said,

(He has Maraja the two seas), or let them loose, according to Ibn `Abbas. Allah's statement,

(meeting together.) Ibn Zayd said, ”He prevents them from meeting by the dividing barrier He placed between them to separate them.'' The two seas are the fresh and salty waters, the former coming from running rivers. We discussed this topic in Surat Al-Furqan when explaining Allah's statement;

(And it is He Who has let free the two seas: one palatable and sweet, and the other salty and bitter; and He has set a barrier and a complete partition between them.)(25:53) Allah said,

(Between them is a barrier which none of them can transgress.) meaning, He has placed a barrier of land between these two types of waters, so that they do not transgress upon each other, which would spoil the characteristics they were created with. Allah said,

(Out of them both come out pearls and Al-Marjan. ) pearls are well-known. As for Marjan they say it means small pearls. Mujahid, Qatadah, Abu Ruzayn, Ad-Dahhak said it, and it has also been reported from `Ali. It was also said that it means large, precious pearls, this was mentioned by Ibn Jarir from some of the Salaf. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Ibn `Abbas who said, ”When it rains, the oysters in the sea open their mouths. What falls in them, the drops, turns into pearls.'' Its chain of narrators is Sahih. Since this type of adornment is a favor from Allah to the people of earth, He reminded them of it,

(And His are Al-Jawar Al-Munsha'at), meaning the ships that float,

(in the seas), Mujahid said, ”Whatever ship hoists a sail, it is from Munsha'at, if it does not hoist a sail, it is not from the Munsha'at.'' Qatadah said, ”Al-Munsha'at means created.'' Others said that it is Al-Munshi'at meaning, ”launched.''

(like A`lam.) This means, they are like mountains with their great size, and it also refers to the trade and commercial services they make possible, transporting cargo from one area to another and from one province to another. Ships provide various benefits for people, including transporting different types of goods they need. Therefore,

(Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny)