وَالَّذي خَلَقَ الأَزواجَ كُلَّها وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِنَ الفُلكِ وَالأَنعامِ ما تَركَبونَ
And who created all the kinds and made for you of the ships and the cattle such as you ride.
EXEGESIS
Azwāj (kinds) is the plural of zawj, which even as a singular means a pair, and anything that has a counterpart or similar complement. As such, each component in a pair is referred to as the zawj for the other. It is mostly used when referring to a pair of male and female animals (see for example 6:143).
Some exegetes note that the preposition min (from) might signify that cattle and ships are just a few examples of the various means of transportation that Allah has provided. Other means, such as horses, mules, and donkeys, are also mentioned in the Quran (16:8), while modern inventions like submarines, airplanes, trains, and cars further expand our transportation options.
Tarkabūn (you ride) originates from rakaba, which, according to some exegetes, initially referred to mounting an animal for transportation. Here, it is metaphorically applied to boarding a ship, as both serve as modes of transportation. However, other exegetes argue that the root word rakaba denotes the settling of one thing upon another, making it applicable to both mounting animals and boarding ships in a literal sense.
EXPOSITION
Concluding the response to polytheists who acknowledged Allah’s role in creation yet believed in partners for maintaining worldly order, this verse highlights two final blessings. First, it mentions the creation of diverse pairs and kinds (azwāj). Second, it refers to the design of ships and cattle, both serving as practical means of transportation.
According to one interpretation, azwāj here refers to the various pairings found throughout creation, encompassing not only the male and female duality in living beings, but also complementary opposites in non-living entities, such as black and white, sweet and sour, or wet and dry. Indeed, the Quran includes verses that indicate the existence of pairings throughout creation, not just in animals and plants: In all things We have created pairs (zawjayn) so that you may take admonition (51:49), Immaculate is He who has created all the kinds (azwāj) of what the earth grows, and of themselves, and of what they do not know (36:36).
Others have suggested that azwāj here is probably referring to pairs within animals and not creation in general. This is because the previous verse spoke about plants, and thus it is likely that this verse is focusing on animals.
However, some exegetes suggest that azwāj might be highlighting pairs within plants, drawing from the context of this verse, which follows the mention of rain and the rejuvenation of barren lands. This interpretation finds support in 20:53, where Allah’s blessings are enumerated similarly, explicitly referencing plant pairs: He who made the earth for you a cradle, and in it threaded for you ways, and sent down water from the sky, and with it We brought forth various kinds (azwāj) of vegetation.
Yet other exegetes posit that azwāj signifies different kinds or types, i.e. various animal groups such as birds, insects, etc.
The other blessing in this list refers to the means of transportation that God has provided humans, allowing them to travel on land and water. While verse 10 highlights the blessing of the actual paths on land and water, this verse emphasises the vehicles used to traverse those routes. As per verse 17:70, the unique blessing of being carried on land and water highlights the honour (karāmah) that God has bestowed upon humans, setting them apart from other creatures: Certainly We have honoured the Children of Adam, and carried them over land and sea, and provided them with all the good things, and given them an advantage over many of those We have created with a complete preference.
Indeed, these means of transport have increased the speed at which man can work, travel, and interact with others, thus allowing civilisations to grow.
It is worth noting that the verse explicitly attributes both ships and cattle as creations of God. While God’s role in creating cattle may seem evident, the case for ships and other man-made technologies might not be as apparent at first glance.
However, upon deeper reflection, we realise that the raw materials needed for building ships – such as wood and iron – are not man-made, but instead created by God. Moreover, God is the ultimate source of all crafted things, including ships, because He endowed humans with the intellectual capacity and knowledge necessary for constructing vessels capable of floating on water. Therefore, it is accurate to credit God with the creation of ships.
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
It has been attributed to Hasan al-Baṣrī that kinds here refer to: winter and summer, night and day, sun and moon, sky and earth, and paradise and hell.
Some exegetes suggest that not all animal pairs are being referred to here, but only sheep, goats, camels, and oxen. These animals are a great blessing for man due to their meat, milk, skin, and other produce. They base this understanding on 6:143-144: Eight mates (azwāj): two of sheep, and two of goats. Say: ‘Is it the two males that He has forbidden or the two females, or what is contained in the wombs of the two females? Inform me with knowledge, should you be truthful.’ And two of camels and two of oxen. Say: ‘Is it the two males that He has forbidden or the two females, or what is contained in the wombs of the two females? Were you witnesses when Allah enjoined this upon you?’ So who is a greater wrongdoer than him who fabricates a lie against Allah to mislead the people without any knowledge? Indeed Allah does not guide the wrongdoing lot.
[1] Munyah, 25/168; Ibn Ashur, 25/221.
[2] Furqan, 26/284.
[3] Raghib, p. 363; Ibn Ashur, 25/222.
[4] Ibn Ashur, 25/222.
[5] Tahqiq, 4/208.
[6] Alusi, 25/67; Mizan, 18/87.
[7] Tibyan, 9/185; Tabrisi, 9/63; Furqan, 26/283.
[8] Amthal, 16/19.
[9] Qaraati, 8/439; Ibn Kathir, 7/202.
[10] Amthal, 16/20; Alusi, 13/67.
[11] Amthal, 16/20.
[12] Munyah, 25/169; Qaraati, 8/439; Ibn Ashur, 25/222.
[13] Tibyan, 9/185.
[14] Munyah, 25/168.