وَالأَرضَ بَعدَ ذٰلِكَ دَحاها

أَخرَجَ مِنها ماءَها وَمَرعاها

وَالجِبالَ أَرساها

And after that He spread out the earth,

and brought forth from it its water and pastures,

and set firm the mountains.

EXEGESIS

Marʿā usually refers to pastures for grazing animals, however in verse 31 it refers to the vegetation of the earth which in its variety provides nutrition for both humans and animals.^{‎[1]Mizan‎, 20/191.} This is supported by verse 33 which can be read as: as a sustenance for you and your livestock.

EXPOSITION

Verses 30-32 tell more about the relationship between the earth, its water flow, and its mountains. God brought forth from it its water and pastures by bringing about gushing fountains upon the earth which He spread, causing rivers to flow, and by bringing out vegetation and sustenance from which both humans and animals find nutrition. And finally, He created the gift of the mountains that have been set firm on the earth to bring it stability.

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. In Rawḍat al-Kāfī, it is narrated from Imam al-Bāqir (a) that he said to a man from Shām: ‘The Creator existed before the created. If the first of His creation was to be created from something else, then that something else should have always been there. In turn, this would mean that He was always there along with that something else, and He did not exist before it. However, He existed when nothing else existed. He then created that which all things go back to, and that is water, [the entity] from which all else was created. Hence, He traced back the creation of everything to water without tracing water to any other creation. Then He created wind from the water and subjected water to the wind until a foam mounted to the extent that He decreed. From that foam He created a pure white land without cracks or holes or heights or depressions or trees. Then He made it compact and placed it above the water. He then created fire from water till the fire penetrated the surface of the water until smoke rose from it to the extent that He decreed. And He created from that smoke a clear, uncontaminated sky that had no crack or hole as explained by God’s words: the sky which He has built. He raised its vault, and fashioned it, and darkened its night, and brought forth its day [verses 27-29].’^{‎[2]Kafi, 8/94-95, h. 67.} He then said: ‘[There was] no sun, no moon, no stars, and no clouds. He rounded them and placed them above the earth. He then associated the two creations to each other since He raised the sky before spreading the earth as explained in his words: And after that He spread out the earth [verse 30].’^{‎[3]Nur, 5/501, h. 26.}

[1] Mizan‎, 20/191.
[2] Kafi, 8/94-95, h. 67.
[3] Nur, 5/501, h. 26.