Tazkirul Quran, Qur’an 16:12–13
Bees (Al-Nahl)
By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
English text; the translator is not named in the archive’s data.
Translation
(12) He has made the night and the day and the sun and the moon subservient to you; and all the stars are subservient to His command. Surely in this there are signs for men of understanding. (13) On the earth He has fashioned for you objects of various hues: there is certainly a sign in that for people who pay heed.
Commentary
(a) The sun, the moon and the stars all revolve continuously in the vastness of space with total precision. On the earth, there are innumerable examples of God’s creation (animals, vegetation, rocks and minerals, etc.). The former phenomenon highlights the totally submissive aspect of creation, (musakhkharatun bi amrihi), while the latter phenomenon highlights the endless variety of creation (mukhtalifan alwanuhu). The first scene reminds man of the limitlessness of God’s power, while the second scene reminds him of the multiplicity of God’s attributes.
These scenes are so wonderful that the keen-eyed observer cannot remain unaffected by them. In these things, he will see God’s majesty and His role as Sustainer; he will discover unseen realities hidden in external occurrences; by looking at God’s creations, he will be immersed in the realization of the Creator.