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Re:Horses created for our transportation -Quran 16:8 error refuted

خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ ۚ تَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
Sahih International
He created the heavens and earth in truth. High is He above what they associate with Him.

16:4
خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ مُّبِينٌ
Sahih International
He created man from a drop; then at once, he is a clear adversary.

وَالْأَنْعَامَ خَلَقَهَا ۗ لَكُمْ فِيهَا دِفْءٌ وَمَنَافِعُ وَمِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ
Sahih International
And the grazing livestock He has created for you; in them is warmth and [numerous] benefits, and from them you eat.

وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا جَمَالٌ حِينَ تُرِيحُونَ وَحِينَ تَسْرَحُونَ
Sahih International
And for you in them is [the enjoyment of] beauty when you bring them in [for the evening] and when you send them out [to pasture].

وَتَحْمِلُ أَثْقَالَكُمْ إِلَىٰ بَلَدٍ لَّمْ تَكُونُوا بَالِغِيهِ إِلَّا بِشِقِّ الْأَنفُسِ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَرَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Sahih International
And they carry your loads to a land you could not have reached except with difficulty to yourselves. Indeed, your Lord is Kind and Merciful.

وَالْخَيْلَ وَالْبِغَالَ وَالْحَمِيرَ لِتَرْكَبُوهَا وَزِينَةً ۚ وَيَخْلُقُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
Sahih International
And [He created] the horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride and [as] adornment. And He creates that which you do not know.

The verses affirm the Oneness of Allah through the great signs of the creation of the universe. The first such creation pointed to is the creation of the heavens and the earth. Then comes the creation of human beings whom Allah Ta'ala has made the ones who are served by the whole universe. How did man originate? He was created from an insignificant drop. What happened then was:  (and soon he turned into a quarrelsome person expressing himself openly). In other words, when the elementally weak man was endowed with strength and speech, he turned into a critic of the Creator Himself disputing His Being and Attributes publicly.

The gulf is so huge between the origin and the end, between the worthless Nutfah and the man in open contention. He disputes with his  Lord and denies Him. He argues about His existence or His oneness. Yet the way the verse runs leaves no gap between the point of origin, the drop of sperm, and the grown up man engaged in dispute and contention. This shows the contrast to be  complete and the gulf too wide. Such brevity is intended for enhanced effect. 


After human beings, mentioned there was the creation of things which were made for their benefit. Therefore, the sūrah mentions some of the creation God has made subservient to man.

  'And (He created) horses, mules and donkeys so that you may ride on them (which includes loading as a corollary) and (they were also created so that) they may look good - 8.' The word:  (zinah) used here means the same favourable quality of life which, as commonly recognized, is the pleasing possession of these animals by their owners.

Here we encounter a particularly interesting point in the Islamic outlook of life, whereby beauty constitutes an important aspect.
God’s blessing does not merely satisfy essential needs, such as food, drink and mounts. It also satisfies healthy desires beyond basic needs. Here we find satisfaction of the sense that enjoys beauty and seeks pleasure, and also satisfies human feelings that are more sublime than animal desires and needs. 

In the last sentence of verse 8, after having mentioned three animals particularly used for riding, that is, horses, mules and donkeys, what was said about other kinds of rides appears in the future tense as follows:



And He creates [or, will create] what you do not know (yet).

This sentence comments on the creation of cattle, horses, mules and asses and the different uses to which they are put and the benefits they provide. Thus it invites people’s imagination to look beyond their immediate environment and the time in which they live. Beyond what exists at a particular location and in a particular time there are other forms and types of life. God wants people to expect this so as to broaden their vision. He also wants them to accept such other forms of life when they are available.
They must not refuse to benefit by such new types, saying that they will only use the cattle, horses, mules and asses their fathers used. Similarly, no one should be so rigid as to say that since the Qur’ān only mentioned these, no other form of transport can be used.
Islam is open minded and flexible. It equips its followers with the ability to use all potentials and resources that are available at any time. The Qur’ān thus prepares people’s minds and hearts to receive whatever God creates and science discovers or produces in the future. A proper Islamic conscience is  always ready to accept any new remarkable addition to God’s creation or to scientific discovery. Over the years many new means of riding and carrying loads have been added, as well as many objects of beauty. None of these  were known to people when the Qur’ān was revealed. There will be many more which are unknown to us. The Qur’ān prepares us to accept these without difficulty by stating that God “creates things of which you have no knowledge.” (Verse 8)

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