Qur’anic exegets’ views concerning the opening four blessed...

Qur’anic exegets’ views concerning the opening four blessed Verses of the Chapter in question: By the winds dispersing the clouds or dust. By the angels who disperse the clouds. By the women who disseminate generations of mankind through conception and pregnancy. By the clouds bearing the heavy weight of rain by the angels responsible for making the clouds heavy with the weight of rain to flow. By the women carrying the burden of pregnancy. By the ships floating in the sea with ease.

By the planets, the sun, and the moon circling in their orbits. By the winds that move around. Then these are the distributors of affairs or the angels serving as agents of the affairs of creation, responsible for sending down rain and distributors of the provisions of creatures, since each kind of angels are responsible for fulfilling certain duties so that the world of creation be preserved through order.

Ibn al-Kawwa’ asked the Commander of the Faithful, Imam ‘Ali (as) regarding the opening four blessed Verses and narrated from Mujahid that ‘distributors’ refers to the four archangels responsible for the affairs of mankind: Gabriel for severity, Michael for Mercy, ‘Izra’il for taking life, and Israfil for blowing the Trumpet or distributing the winds that distribute the clouds throughout the world.

The author of [the exegetic work titled] Kashshaf and Tabarsi narrate from Ibn ‘Abbas and Mujahid who in turn narrate from Ibn al-Kawwa’ that the Commander of the Faithful, Imam ‘Ali (as) was asked while preaching on the pulpit: “O Commander of the Faithful (as)! I ask you a few questions.

Tell me what is meant by: ‘al-Dhariyat Dharwa?’” He replied: “The wind is being intended.” I inquired: ‘What about fa-al-hamilat waqra?’ He replied: ‘The clouds are being meant.’ I further asked: ‘What is intended by fa-al-muqassimat amra?’ He answered: ‘Angels are being meant.’” The tradition is attested in many a tradition source.

The tradition in question bears testimony to the aforesaid view as per which dhariyat, hamilat, jariyat, and muqassimat designate the wind, the clouds, the ships, and the distributing angels respectively. Certain Qur’anic exegets have been quoted as saying that in all instances, the word ‘Lord’ is the object of oaths, since it is solely befitting to swear by God Almighty.

In this vein, a tradition is narrated from Imam Sadiq (as) as per which he said: “No one is allowed to take an oath unless he swears by God Almighty, but He may swear by any of His creatures.