Lesson Fourteen
Fortress of all of creation
(Quraish Surah)
In the Name of God, the All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful
1- "Consider the harmony among Quraish (all of creation)!"
2- "Their harmony with the travel of summer and winter,"
3- "Let them, then, worship the Provider of this Home,"
4- "Who provides them with food to ward off hunger, safety to ward off fear.
At the beginning of this noble Fortress, the Almighty God wants to clarify to people the wonderful discipline of this universe. He reminds them of and draws their attention to the wise arrangement which situates the creatures in harmony with the changes of the seasons, so that if they think of this discipline they may be guided to the Peerless, Wise and Great Creator. God says:
Verse no. 1
52. "Consider the harmony among Quraish (all of creation)!"
"Quraish" in Arabic is derived from the verb ‘qarasha’ which means ‘to congregate’. That is why the tribe which lived in Mecca was called "Quraish" , as its members congregated around the Holy Mosque located there.
Therefore, the word "Quraish" includes everything which your eye sees in terms of its correlation and coherence, and everything which your senses perceive in terms of the harmony among its parts and among its atoms.
The universe as a whole is a compatible unit, whose pieces have gathered together and whose atoms have attracted each other and become harmonized with each other.
All the harmony and coalition that you see in this universe are folded under this noble word, "Quraish" .
It suggests many things to us: the stars in their coherence; the sun, the moon and the earth in their attraction; the trees, in terms of the correlation of their leaves and their fruits and the water that flows through their veins; humanity, concerning the uniformity and coordination of its constituents, and how their systems perform their functions in concert; and those foods which we eat, concerning how they complement our bodies, and their transmutation and assimilation to fleshy and nervous tissues and cells according to the members to which they are driven.
This verse also indicates the animals, regarding their gathering and their coexistence with one other in every species of their different species; and indicates people and all of their social relations, such as the mother with her children, the wife with her husband and the craftspeople in their need for one another.
This noble verse suggests to us all these things which we have mentioned. It is telling us:
―Oh My servants! Contemplate the perceptible correlation in this world and think deeply about the harmony among the beings in this universe."
Having revealed this general harmony, the Almighty then draws our attention to the particular harmony between a being and the changes of seasons. Therefore He says:
Verse no. 2
53. "Their harmony with the travel of Summer and Winter,"
The meaning of "the travel of Summer and Winter" is not restricted only to these two seasons referred to, but includes all four seasons; this is because the travel from summer to winter and from winter to summer requires passing through the other two seasons, autumn and spring.
This verse indicates the conformity and harmony between a being and the changes of seasons.
In fact, plants, animals, humanity and even all of creation are in harmony and conformity with the four seasons and their changes.
For example, we say:
There are some trees whose leaves fall down in winter, such as the apricot and apple trees.
These trees have tenuous leaves and soft tissues. For this reason, their veins shrink and the movement through them stops in winter, causing their leaves to fall down. If this were not so, the water in the tissues of their leaves would become frozen, when the cold became bitter, causing the tubes of their veins to burst and die.
Is it not true that, their sleep and the fall of their leaves in winter all indicate a harmony with this season, and a certain harmony with the frost, the cold and the freezing which occur at this time of year?
Now, let us look at the trees whose leaves do not fall in winter, and whose sap circulation continues, such as olive, lemon and other citrus trees. We see that they remain alive, and the flowing of water within them does not cease.
Because the maturity of the fruits of these trees requires the continuity of their life and of the sap flowing through them, therefore you find that their leaves are either covered with a waxy surface, or made up of fibrous veins. Thereby they are more durable and more resistant.
Does not this structure of theirs bespeak their accord with the travel of winter and summer?
Do not these changes in these two types of trees prove the existence of a hidden potency that deprives the former of life in winter, while supporting the other with unceasingly life?
Is not the agreement between these trees and the travel of winter and summer a sign which indicates a great Provider and a wise omnipotent Creator?
I say, what we have mentioned about the harmony of the trees with the seasons applies just as much to humanity. There is also a harmony between the human race and the seasons, and all their heat and cold and vegetables and fruits.
Similarly, the animals and even all of creation have an accord with the changes of the seasons.
This is only one example and one sign out of many; God says: "Those examples We quote for oblivious people, but none gets them into their mind except those who study Al’lah’s Attributes." The Holy Qur‟an, Fortress 29, Al-‟Ankabut (The Spider), verse 43
By mentioning the harmony between creation and the changes of the seasons, God (glory to Him) wants to make us think of and ponder the universe, so that if we do we can recognize our great Provider and generous Creator.
Thus, the verse ―Their harmony with the travel of winter and summer" is telling us: ―Oh My servants! If you consider the harmony between the creatures and the changes of the seasons, you will know that there is a Mighty Provider and a wise Controller of this universe Who moves and stops, gives and deprives and directs all that is within the universe, for no purpose but, their own benefit and advantage."
After the Almighty God had demonstrated to His servants all that refers to His Existence and His great Wisdom, He wanted to call them to worship Him; that is, to obey Him and to follow His Guidance and Revelation. Therefore He says:
Verse no. 3
54. "Let them, then, worship the Provider of this Home,"
According to its connection with the previous verses, the word "Home" includes this universe as a whole; that is, the heavens and what is in them, and the earth and what is on it.
Indeed, this entire universe is nothing more than a house for humanity, in which the Almighty has prepared for all of our requirements, and disposed of all of our needs.
Therefore the verse: "Let them, then, worship the Provider of this Home," means:
―If My obedient people think of this great universe, and if they recognize Me through it, so that they believe in Me and in My magnificent Management and Wisdom, they should then surrender to My Order in full obedience, because I am the Provider Who supplies this universe with life."
Having given verses that develop our thinking and perception, God wants to remind us of an aspect of His Grace for us. He says:
Verse no. 4
55. "Who has fed them after hunger and has relieved their worry."
The statement "Who has fed them after hunger" suggests to us two of God’s Graces for us, namely: hunger and feeding.
One example of God’s Favor for us is that He makes us feel hunger. He has created components and systems for us, and made juices working by rules to help our organs digest food and get rid of excrement. Then the feeling of hunger is recreated, and the yearning for food is regenerated, so that we can enjoy the bliss and boons that God has prepared for us.
The Almighty God has created a mechanism to let us feel hunger, but He also feeds us. He provides us with what fruits and vegetables we need, and creates all the bliss. and blessings that we see in us.
As for the statement "and has relieved their worry" , it acquaints us with the discipline He has put into place for this existence, and acquaints us with the firm rules upon which the production of the necessary food and aliments depend.
The earth, which keeps on turning; the seasons which renew every year since the beginning of this life; the rains which fall and which are dependent on so many rules of weather; the bacteria, which help in the growth of aliments: all of these make us place our trust in God’s Management, and they release our worry and fear of lack of food. This makes us feel sure that the Creator of this universe has put a firm and unchangeable rule into place by which our nourishment is produced, and consequently we become free of any feeling of worry.