Surah Luqman

Chapter 31 · Verse 28 · Revealed in Makkah

مَّا خَلْقُكُمْ وَلَا بَعْثُكُمْ إِلَّا كَنَفْسٍۢ وَٰحِدَةٍ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌۢ بَصِيرٌ

Your creation and your resurrection will not be but as that of a single soul. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Seeing.

Translation: Saheeh International

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Mishary Rashid Alafasy

Reflection — Ibn Kathir

The Words of Allah cannot be counted or exhausted

Allah tells us of His might, pride, majesty, beautiful Names and sublime attributes, and His perfect Words which no one can encompass. No human being knows their essence or nature, or how many they are. As the Leader of Mankind and Seal of the Messengers ﷺ said:

«لَا أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِك»

Reflection — Maarif ul Quran

This has been stated in the verse: وَلَوْ أَنَّمَا فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ مِن شَجَرَ‌ةٍ أَقْلَامٌ (27) through a similitude. Says the similitude: 'If all trees that are on the earth were to be pens (or pens were to be made of all branches on them) and the ocean (converted into ink) is supported by seven seas following it, the words of Allah would (still) not come to an end.' The expression: کلمات اللہ (kalimatul-lah, i.e. the words of Allah) means His knowledge and wisdom (Ruh ul-Maani and Mazhari) which includes the manifestations of Divine power and Divine blessings. Then, the 'seven seas', referred to here, do not mean that there are seven seas present elsewhere. Instead of that, this is a manner of saying: Suppose if this ocean were to be replenished with seven more oceans, still then, all these words of Allah could not be committed to writing. Even the number of 'seven' appears here as a part of the example. No restriction is intended. Another verse of the Qur'an proves it. There it was said:

قُل لَّوْ كَانَ الْبَحْرُ‌ مِدَادًا لِّكَلِمَاتِ رَ‌بِّي لَنَفِدَ الْبَحْرُ‌ قَبْلَ أَن تَنفَدَ كَلِمَاتُ رَ‌بِّي وَلَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِهِ مَدَدًا

What does this verse bring up for you today?

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