Tafseer Ibn Kathir of ASY SYUURA [29]

29. And among His Ayat is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and whatever moving creatures He has dispersed in them both. And He is Able to assemble them whenever He wills. 30. And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much. 31. And you cannot escape from Allah in the earth, and besides Allah you have neither any protector nor any helper.  

(And among His Ayat) the signs which point to His great might and power,

(is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and whatever moving creatures He has dispersed in them both.) means, whatever He has created in them, i.e., in the heavens and the earth.

(and whatever moving creatures) this includes the angels, men, Jinn and all the animals with their different shapes, colors, languages, natures, kinds and types. He has distributed them throughout the various regions of the heavens and earth.

(And He) means, yet despite all that,

(is Able to assemble them whenever He wills.) means, on the Day of Resurrection, He will gather the first and the last of them, and bring all His creatures together in one place where they will all hear the voice of the caller and all of them will be seen clearly; then He will judge between them with justice and truth.

(And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned.) means, `whatever disasters happen to you, O mankind, are because of sins that you have committed in the past.'

(And He pardons much.) means, of sins; `He does not punish you for them, rather He forgives you.'

(And if Allah were to punish men for that which they earned, He would not leave a moving creature on the surface of the earth) (35:45). According to a Sahih Hadith:

(By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, no believer is stricken with fatigue, exhaustion, worry or grief, but Allah will forgive him for some of his sins thereby -- even a thorn which pricks him.) Imam Ahmad recorded that Mu`awiyah bin Abi Sufyan, may Allah be pleased with him, said, ”I heard the Messenger of Allah say:

(No physical harm befalls a believer, but Allah will expiate for some of his sins because of it.)'' Imam Ahmad also recorded that `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, ”The Messenger of Allah said:

(If a person commits many sins and has nothing that will expiate for them, Allah will test him with some grief that will expiate for them.)''