The Ocean of the Quran

A verse by verse explanation of The Ultimate Scripture

Al-Zukhruf – Verse 11

وَالَّذي نَزَّلَ مِنَ السَّماءِ ماءً بِقَدَرٍ فَأَنشَرنا بِهِ بَلدَةً مَيتًا ۚ كَذٰلِكَ تُخرَجونَ

And who sent down water from the sky in a measured manner, and We revived with it a dead country. Likewise, you [too] shall be raised [from the dead].

EXEGESIS

Ansharnā (we revived) is derived from nashr, which initially referred to the act of spreading, often in the context of seedlings growing and extending over the earth’s surface after being buried in the soil.[1] It also signifies the opening and spreading of something that was initially folded or compacted.[2] The latter meaning is intended in other verses that describe the Day of Judgement as a day When the records [of deeds] are unfolded (nushirat) (81:10). Similarly, form eight of this verb, intashirū, means to disperse or spread out, such as the command to disperse (fantashirū) through the land and seek Allah’s grace (62:10) after the Friday prayers.[3]

In this context, it means to enliven, revive, or bring back to life (see also 80:22), and has been metaphorically adopted from the original meaning. This is because revival is a form of spreading; the particles of the body, through movement and activity, grow and spread to form the body.[4]

The use of the passive voice in tukhrajūn is interpreted by some as indicating that the resurrection on the Day of Judgement is not dependent on one’s will or volition. Rather, it suggests that humans will be forcefully brought back to life on that day.[5]

There is a grammatical shift of pronouns in the verse which starts by describing Allah in the third person (who sent down water from the sky) and then switches to the second person (We revived with it). This is to show that special attention has been given to the revival of the earth,[6] as well as the grandness of the matter.[7]

EXPOSITION

After emphasising the earth’s role as a cradle, this verse elaborates on two additional blessings of Allah, highlighting the earth’s role in providing sustenance for humankind:[8] the precise and ordained measure of rain that nurtures survival and the rejuvenation of once-barren lands through this rainfall – both essential aspects of life on earth that deserve our gratitude.

We revived with it a dead country alludes to the growth of plants, flowers, fruits, and vegetables, enabled by rainfall. These two blessings, often referenced throughout the Quran (see 6:99 and 20:53), emphasise the importance of water in sustaining life on earth.

The description of rain in a measured manner emphasises that the amount of rainfall at any given time is not arbitrary, but rather occurs according to Allah’s will and ordainment.[9] Some suggest that this indicates the precise measurement and count of raindrops, known only to God, demonstrating divine control over this essential life-sustaining phenomenon.[10]

The verse then uses this blessing as a reminder that just as the dead earth is enlivened by rain, so too will man be brought out from his grave on the Day of Judgement. This metaphor is one that is consistently repeated throughout the Quran (see 7:57, 16:65, 29:63, 30:19, 30:24, 30:50, 35:9, 36:33, 41:39, 45:5, 50:9-11, and 57:17).

Ṭūsī suggests that the concurrent mention of vegetation sprouting from the earth and the resurrection of the dead highlights Allah’s exclusive power over these miraculous phenomena. According to this perspective, since both acts are beyond human capability, it follows that only Allah, who can bring forth life from the earth, also has the power to raise the dead.[11]

This verse has led some to infer that the resurrection of the dead on the Day of Judgement will also involve rain, albeit a unique type, drawing parallels to how rainfall revitalises barren lands. This is supported by a narration attributed to Imam al-Ṣādiq (a): ‘When Allah wishes to resurrect the creation, the sky shall rain upon the earth for forty mornings, so the limbs shall gather and meat shall grow [upon the bones].’[12]

The precision in this verse is noteworthy as it is the earth or piece of land that is described as dead, and not the seeds which are present in the earth, from which plants sprout. This is because seeds have cellular life within them that allow them to grow into plants when placed in the right conditions, the most vital of which is access to water.[13]

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Some propose that the use of bi-qadar to describe rainfall indicates its precise amount – one that ensures its benefits without causing harm.[14] Others suggest that bi-qadar implies that rainfall is provided based on the needs of the earth.[15]

Some exegetes have suggested that the analogy between reviving barren lands and resurrecting the dead implies that humans do not face total annihilation after death. Just as the earth persists through winter despite the absence of growth, so too do humans endure beyond death, with their actions and deeds remaining latent until the Day of Judgement – the ultimate culmination of their existence.[16]

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

  1. He gives rain on the earth, and sends waters on the fields.[17]
  2. For He draws up drops of water, which distill as rain from the mist, which the clouds drop down and pour abundantly on man. Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds, the thunder from His canopy?[18]
  3. Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds. And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, that they may do whatever He commands them on the face of the whole earth. He causes it to come, whether for correction, or for His land, or for mercy.[19]
  4. Do you know when God dispatches them, and causes the light of His cloud to shine? Do you know how the clouds are balanced, those wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?[20]
  5. Who covers the heavens with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow on the mountains.[21]
  6. Are there any among the idols of the nations that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are You not He, O Lord our God? Therefore we will wait for You, since You have made all these.[22]
  7. He made the Pleiades and Orion; He turns the shadow of death into morning and makes the day dark as night; He calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the face of the earth; The Lord is His name.[23]
  8. Who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the face of the earth— The Lord is His name.[24]
  9. In that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.[25]
[1] Munyah, 25/167.
[2] Ibn Ashur, 25/220.
[3] Raghib, p. 806.
[4] Qamus, 7/65.
[5] Qaraati, 8/439.
[6] Mizan, 18/87.
[7] Alusi, 13/67.
[8] Mudarrisi, 12/434; Ibn Ashur, 25/220.
[9] Mizan, 18/87.
[10] Qaraati, 8/439; Alusi, 13/67.
[11] Tusi, 9/185.
[12] Amali.S, p. 243; Mudarrisi, 12/434.
[13] Makarim Shirazi, Nafaḥāt al-Qurʾān, 5/137
[14] Amthal, 16/19.
[15] Tabrisi, 9/63; Abu al-Futuh, 17/155.
[16] Makhzan, 12/9.
[17] Job 5:10.
[18] Job 36:27-29.
[19] Job 37:11-13.
[20] Job 37:15-16.
[21] Psalms 147:8.
[22] Jeremiah 14:22.
[23] Amos 5:8.
[24] Amos 9:6.
[25] Acts 14:17.