وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَىٰهَا 6
Translations
And [by] the earth and He who spread it
Transliteration
Wa al-ardi wa ma tahaha
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to Allah's oath by the earth and the One who spread it out (tahaha - meaning to spread, level, or make habitable). Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir interpret this as Allah swearing by the earth as evidence of His creative power and the fact that He structured and prepared it for human habitation. The oath emphasizes Allah's complete dominion over creation and serves as introduction to the surah's themes of divine guidance and moral accountability.
Revelation Context
Surah Ash-Shams (Chapter 91) is a Meccan surah that opens with a series of cosmic oaths - by the sun, moon, day, night, sky, and earth - establishing the magnificence of creation as testimony to Allah's oneness. This particular ayah continues the pattern of oaths, with 'tahaha' specifically referencing Allah's act of spreading and preparing the earth, which connects to the surah's later discussion of the soul's purification and the consequences of rejecting divine guidance.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly references this specific ayah, the Hadith Qudsi states: 'I was a Hidden Treasure and loved to be known, so I created creation to know Me' (recorded in various collections), which relates to the broader theme of creation as a sign of Allah's existence and wisdom. Additionally, Sahih Muslim contains hadiths about the earth's role in resurrection: 'The earth will be gathered in Allah's hand on the Day of Judgment.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us to reflect upon the earth beneath our feet as a sign of Allah's creative power and intentional design for human welfare, encouraging us to develop gratitude for creation and responsibility in our stewardship of it. The divine oath structure emphasizes that creation itself testifies to absolute truth, inviting us to use our intellect to perceive God's signs in nature.