Tafsir

وَهُوَ الَّذِى أَنشَأَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَحِدَةٍ(It is He Who has created you from a single person,) 6:98 in reference to Adam, peace be upon him. In another Ayah, Allah said; يَـأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالاً كَثِيراً وَنِسَآءً(O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord, Who created you from a single person, and from him He created his mate, and from them both He created many men and women.)4:1 Allah said, فَمُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمُسْتَوْدَعٌ(Mustaqar and Mustawda`) Ibn Mas`ud, Ibn `Abbas, Abu `Abdur-Rahman As-Sulami, Qays bin Abu Hazim, Mujahid, `Ata', Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, As-Suddi and `Ata' Al-Khurasani and others said that, فَمُسْتَقَرٌّ(Mustaqar), `in the wombs'. They, or most of them, also said that, وَمُسْتَوْدَعٌ(And Mustawda`,) means, `in your father's loins'. Ibn Mas`ud and several others said that, Mustaqar, means residence in this life, while, Mustawda`, means the place of storage after death (the grave).

Allah's statement, قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الاٌّيَـتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَفْقَهُونَ(Indeed, We have explained in detail Our revelations for people who understand.) refers to those who comprehend and understand Allah's Words and its meanings. Allah said next, وَهُوَ الَّذِى أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً(It is He Who sends down water (rain) from the sky) in due measure, as a blessing and provision for the servants, relief and means of survival for the creatures and mercy from Allah for His creation. Allah's statement, فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ نَبَاتَ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ(And with it We bring forth vegetation of all kinds,) is similar to, وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَآءِ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ حَىٍّ(And We have made from water every living thing.) 21:30 فَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهُ خَضِراً(and out of it We bring forth green stalks,) green produce and trees, on which We grow seeds and fruits. نُّخْرِجُ مِنْهُ حَبّاً مُّتَرَاكِباً(from which We bring forth thick clustered grain.) lined on top of each other in clusters, like an ear or spike of grain.

وَمِنَ النَّخْلِ مِن طَلْعِهَا قِنْوَنٌ(And out of the date-palm and its sprouts come forth clusters) of dates دَانِيَةٌ(hanging low) Within reach and easy to pick. `Ali bin Abi Talhah Al-Walibi said that Ibn `Abbas said that, قِنْوَنٌ دَانِيَةٌ(clusters hanging low) refers to short date trees whose branches hang low, close to the ground. This was recorded by Ibn Jarir. Allah's statement وَجَنَّـتٍ مِّنْ أَعْنَـبٍ(and gardens of grapes,) means, We bring forth gardens of grapes. Grapes and dates are the most precious fruits to the people of Al-Hijaz (Western Arabia), and perhaps both are the best fruits in this world. Allah has reminded His servants of His favor in making these two fruits for them, when He said, وَمِن ثَمَرَتِ النَّخِيلِ وَالاٌّعْنَـبِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِنْهُ سَكَرًا وَرِزْقًا حَسَنًا(And from the fruits of date-palms and grapes, you derive strong drink and a goodly provision.) 16:67 before intoxicating drinks were prohibited, and; وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا جَنَّـتٍ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَـبٍ(And We have made therein gardens of date-palms and grapes.) 36:34.

Allah said, وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالرُّمَّانَ مُشْتَبِهاً وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَـبِهٍ(olives and pomegranates, each similar yet different.) The leaves are similar in shape and appearence, yet different in the shape, and taste. And the kind of fruit each plant produces is different, according to the explanation of Qatadah and several others. Allah's statement, انْظُرُواْ إِلِى ثَمَرِهِ إِذَآ أَثْمَرَ وَيَنْعِهِ(Look at their fruits when they begin to bear, and Yan`ih.) means, when the fruits become ripe, according to Al-Bara' bin `Azib, Ibn `Abbas, Ad-Dahhak, `Ata' Al-Khurasani, As-Suddi, Qatadah and others. This Ayah means, contemplate the ability of the Creator of these fruits, Who brought them into existence after they were dry wood, and they later became grapes and dates; and similar is the case with the various colors, shapes, tastes and fragrance of whatever Allah created.

Allah said, وَفِى الاٌّرْضِ قِطَعٌ مُّتَجَـوِرَتٌ وَجَنَّـتٌ مِّنْ أَعْنَـبٍ وَزَرْعٌ وَنَخِيلٌ صِنْوَنٌ وَغَيْرُ صِنْوَنٍ يُسْقَى بِمَآءٍ وَحِدٍ وَنُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَهَا عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِى الاٍّكُلِ(And in the earth are neighbouring tracts, and gardens of vines, and green crops, and date-palms, growing out, two or three from a single stem root, or otherwise, watered with the same water, yet some of them We make better than others to eat.) 13:4 This is why Allah said here, إِنَّ فِى ذلِكُمْ(In these things there are...) O people, لاّيَـتٍ(signs...) and proofs that testify to the perfect ability, wisdom and mercy of He Who created these things, لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ(for people who believe. ) in Allah and obey His Messengers.

In the fourth verse (98), it was said: وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنشَأَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ فَمُسْتَقَرٌّ‌ وَمُسْتَوْدَعٌ(And He is the One who created you from one person, then, you have a place to dwell, and a place to sojourn). The word فَمُسْتَقَرّ :(mustaqarr) used in the text is from: قَرَار (qarar). So, mustaqarr denotes a place of qarar, of rest and peace, for someone or something. As for the word: مُستوَدَع (mustawda' ) in the text, it is a derivation from wadifah which means to keep something with someone temporarily for a few days. So, "mustawda"' will denote a place where something is placed temporarily for a few days.

Thus, the sense of the sentence would be: It is the sacred-most Being of Allah Ta` ala that has created man from one person, that is, Sayyidna Adam (علیہ السلام) . Then, made for him a mustaqarr, that is, a place to dwell for a certain length of time - and a mustawda`, that is, to stay temporarily for a few days.

The words of the Qur'an are as they have been stated. But, there are many probabilities in their interpretation. This is why the sayings of the commentators differ in this matter. Some say that mustawda' is the womb of the mother and mustaqarr is this world. Others say that mustawda' is the grave and mustaqarr is the abode of the 'Akhirah. Then, there are several other sayings too. However, there is room for all these within the words of the Qur'an. Hadrat Qadi Thana'ullah Panipati has, in his Tafsir Mazhari, opted for mustaqarr being the abode of 'Akhirah, that is, Jannah or Jahannam- and all human conditions and stages, from the beginning to the 'Akhirah, are all the mustawda', that is, a place to stay temporarily, whether in the womb of the mother, or a dwelling place on the earth, or the grave, or the state of Barzakh (intermediary state after death and before Resurrection). Preference for this view seems to have confirmation from a verse of the Qur'an also where it has been said لَتَرْ‌كَبُنَّ طَبَقًا عَن طَبَقٍ ﴿19﴾ (you shall surely travel from stage to stage - 84:19).

The outcome is that, before ultimately reaching the abode of the 'Akhirah, man remains a traveller for his whole life who, despite his obvious peace and rest, is really traversing the stages of the long journey into the night of his being:مسافر ھوں کہاں جانا ہے، ناواقف ھوں منزل سےازل سے پھرتے پھرتے گور تک پہنچا ھوں مشکل سےA traveller I am. My destination I know not.

Winding and wandering from eternity

Only upto the grave I have reached -How tough I know. What next I know not.

In conclusion, it can be said that this last verse (98) under study is showing a mirror to those who, having sold their souls to the veneer of glamour they see in the obvious and to the craze for things and trends they envy in their fellow beings, have forgotten that their place is elsewhere, that they have to go to their Creator and that there is a journey ahead, to the ultimate domain of the 'Akhirah. The message is: Open your eyes, see reality, walk away from the web of deception and walk into salvation.