ْ َ ‫ضيًّا َو‬

َْ‫ل َير ِجعون‬ َ َ‫علَىْ َمكَانَتِ ِهمْ فَ َما است‬

ِ ‫طاعوا م‬ َ ‫َولَوْ نَشَاءْ لَ َم‬
َ ْ‫سخنَاهم‬

67. And if it had been Our Will, We could have transformed them (into animals or
lifeless objects) in their places. Then they should have been unable to go
forward (move about) nor they could have turned back.

In this verse, Allah explains that He can punish the wrongdoers in different ways,
whenever He wishes to do so. In the previous verse, He mentioned that if He wanted, He
could have made them blind, and they would not have been able to see anything. In this
verse, He mentions that if He wished, He can transform them into other creatures. He
has full control over them, and hence, on account of their disbelief and shirk, He can
change their appearance and transfigure them into pigs and apes, just as He did with
previous nations. In this way, they would be totally deprived of their senses and abilities,
and will then be unable to move about.

While commenting on this verse, Abdullah bin Abbas (R.A) says, ‘It means that if Allah
wishes, He can destroy them in their homes and residences.’[79]

Other commentators have explained that it means that if Allah had wished, He would
have transfigured them at the places where they have committed the sins. It is also
possible that this may occur on the Day of Judgment when Allah will blot out the eyes
of the unbelievers while they are crossing the bridge, as stated by some Scholars.[80]

A famous commentary of this verse which has been given by Hasan and Qatada is that
Allah says, ‘If it had been Our will, We would have made them sit on their feet. In this
way, they would not have been able to move forward or backward.’[81]

The above were threats given by Allah to those who continue to remain upon disbelief.

Sura Yaseen goes further in verse 68 and states:

ْ َ َ‫ق ْۖ أَف‬
َْ‫ل يَعقِلون‬ ِْ ‫َو َمنْ نعَ ِمرهْ ننَكِسهْ فِي الخَل‬

68. And he whom We grant long life, We reverse him in creation (weakness after
strength). Will they not then understand?

Here, in this verse Allah gives a clear proof that He is All Able to transfigure people and
transform them into different creatures. He also has the ability to blot out their sight
and make them blind. The clear proof given in this verse is that Allah shows man that in
his lifetime many changes take place which take him to weakness and losing of his
faculties. All these changes which reverse man to a state similar to that of a child are
done only by Allah. Therefore, He alone has full control and power over His entire
creation.
That which is witnessed by man is that he is created in a state where he is weak in body,
and devoid of intelligence and knowledge. Allah then increases him in strength, ability
and intelligence, and takes him from one state to another, until He reaches him to full
maturity and complete strength. Man thus becomes intelligent and knowledgeable, and
understands what is beneficial for him and others. However, when he reaches the peak
of his strength, intelligence and ability, Allah reverses him in creation. At that time, he
gradually begins to decrease; his faculties become weaker, he slowly becomes deaf,
weak sighted and weak in physical strength. He eventually loses his understanding and
declines to a state similar to that of a child. These are conditions that are witnessed by
every human being in their daily lives and they give a clear indication to the fact that just
as Allah takes man from one state to another, so too, He can completely transfigure a
person and transform him into another creature.[82]

The verse explains that whomsoever Allah grants long life to, He changes him in stages
and reverses him in creation, until he becomes like a child, having no knowledge and
understanding. While commenting on this verse, the great Mufassir, Qatada (A.R) says,
‘A man is reversed to old age which resembles the state of childhood. Thus, long life
makes the youth an old person. It changes strength into weakness and brings decrease
to growth.’[83]

Hafiz Ibn Katheer (A.R) has given a beautiful message while explaining this verse (i.e.
68) and has stated, ‘Here, Allah informs about the children of Adam and says that
whenever his life is lengthened, he is returned to weakness after possessing strength,
and inability after possessing energy. It is the same as Allah has said,

ْ ‫ضعفا َوشَيبَةْ ْۖ يَخلقْ َماْ يَشَاءْ ْۖ َوه َْو العَل‬

‫ِيم‬ َ ْ‫ن بَع ِْد ق َوة‬
ْ ِ‫ل م‬
َْ َ‫ضعفْ ق َوةْ ث َْم َجع‬
َ ‫ل مِ نْ بَع ِْد‬ َ ْ‫ّللا الَذِي َخلَقَكمْ مِ ن‬
َْ َ‫ضعفْ ث َْم َجع‬ َْ
ْ‫القَدِير‬

‘Allah is He who created you in (a state of) weakness then gave you strength after
weakness, then after strength gave you weakness and grey hair. He creates what He
wills. And it is He who is the All Knowing, the All Powerful’[84]

Allah has also stated,

‫ل يَعلَ َْم مِ نْ بَع ِْد عِلمْ شَيئْا‬ ِْ َ‫َومِ نكمْ َمنْ ي َردْ إِلَىْ أَرذ‬
ْ َ ‫ل العم ِْر ِلكَي‬

‘And among you there is he who is brought back to the miserable old age, so that he
knows nothing after having known.’[85]

(After quoting these) Hafiz Ibn Katheer (A.R) writes, ‘the message of these, and Allah
knows best, is to inform (man) that this world is one which is moving and will come to
an end. It is not one which will continue (to exist) or remain forever. It is for this reason,
Allah says (in verse 68 of Sura Yaseen, after mentioning that man will be reversed in
creation), ‘Will they not understand?’ It means that they should ponder over their states
in the beginning of their creation. Then they were changed to youth and maturity and
then to old age. From this, they must know that they were created for another world. In
that world, they would not be moved, nor would they come to an end, and that is the
world of the Hereafter.’[86]

Sura Yaseen continues in verse 69 and states:

‫ين‬ ْ َ ِ‫علَمنَاهْ الشِع َْر َو َما يَنبَغِي لَهْ ْۖ إِنْ ه َْو إ‬

ْ ‫ل ذِكرْ َوقرآنْ م ِب‬ َ ‫َو َما‬

69. And We have not taught him (Muhammad ‫ )ﷺ‬poetry, nor is it meet for him. This
is only a Reminder and a plain Qur’an.

Here, in this verse Allah makes itabundantly clear that He did not teach the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬
poetry, nor was it fitting for a Prophet. The Quran is a revelation from Allah. It is a
message of truth, a Reminder, and a book of guidance which is free from poetry.

While explaining this verse, Imam Qurtubi writes, ‘Allah refutes the statement of the
unbelievers who said that the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬was a poet. Allah made it clear to them that he
was not a poet and the Quran was not poetry.[87]

The statement of the unbelievers that the Quran was poetry and the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬was a
poet, was done in an effort to deny the Quran as the speech of Allah, and to deny the
Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬as a Messenger of Allah with whom Allah communicates. Since poetry was
composed of a speech that is beautified and measured, and it was based on unfounded
thoughts and delusive imaginations, they wanted to tell the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬that the Quran
was nothing but imaginary tales and stories of the old. In the verse, Allah outrightly
refuted their false notion about the Holy Quran, and categorically stated that He did not
teach the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬poetry, nor did He reveal poetry to the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. In truth, it was the
Holy Quran, a Reminder to man, which was sent to the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬.

This verse told the disbelievers that the Quran which was recited by the Prophet
Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬was naught but an exhortation, an advice and a Reminder from Allah to
His servants. It was the Quran, the recited Scripture, distinct, manifest, self evident and
radiant with light. Poetry, the words of man, cannot combine with the words of the
Almighty in any condition, nor can any dubiousness and obscurity arise with respect to
the Quran being from Allah, the All Mighty.

Sura Yaseen continues in verse 70 and states:

َْ‫علَى الكَاف ِِرين‬

َ ْ‫ق القَول‬
َْ ِ‫ِر َمنْ كَانَْ َحيًّا َو َيح‬
َْ ‫لِينذ‬
 70. That he may give warning to him who is living, and that Word (charge) may be
justified against the disbelievers (dead, as they reject the warnings).

Having mentioned in the previous verse that the Quran was sent as a Reminder to man,
this verse explains that with it (the Quran), the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬will warn those whose hearts
are alive with Imaan (faith) and those who possess keen insight. As for those whose
hearts are dead with kufr (disbelief), then through the Quran, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬will
announce to them that on account of their disbelief, the promise of the punishment will
come to them. The Quran therefore, is a proof against the unbelievers, and will be an
evidence against them on the Day of Judgment.[88]

While explaining the above verse, the commentators of the Holy Quran have stated that
in the verse, the words ‘to him who is living’ (or to those who are alive), refer to the
believers since they alone benefit from the guidance and teachings of the Holy Quran.

In this regard, the great scholar Allama Qadhi Muhammad Thana’ullah (A.R) writes, ‘The
one who is living refers to the believer, since it is the heart of a believer which is truly
alive. He (the believer) is one who truly understands the reality of things. Everlasting life
is achieved only through Imaan (faith), and only a believer benefits from this. As for the
unbeliever, he is dead because his heart is dead. He does not benefit from the Quran
nor from his own life. He cannot distinguish between good and bad. He worships
images and stones, and considers obedience to Satan to be good. As for worshipping
the Creator and following a Prophet, he (the unbeliever) considers this to be bad. Hence,
in reality he is dead.’[89]

Sura Yaseen continues in verse 71 and states:

َْ‫عمِ لَتْ أَيدِينَا أَنعَامْا فَهمْ لَ َها َمالِكون‬

َ ‫أ َ َولَمْ يَ َروا أَنَا َخلَقنَا لَهمْ مِ َما‬

71. Do they not see that We have created for them of what Our Hands have created,
the cattle, so that they are their owners.

In this verse, Allah reminds man of His favours, and mentions proofs of His power and
Oneness, so that these will become well-established evidences for His existence and
greatness. Here, He questions people, especially the unbelievers, and enquires from
them as to whether they have looked at these favours or not. The questioning is one of
reproach and astonishment, where He rebukes the unbelievers for having not
recognized the signs of His existence, greatness and Oneness, which surround them in
every direction. While using their intelligence and power of reasoning, they should have
looked and pondered over the things Allah has created for them directly. In creating
these, Allah did not seek the help of a partner, nor was He assisted in doing so. Instead,
He alone created other creations from among the animals, like that of the camels,
buffaloes and goats for their benefit. If due thought and consideration were given to
these, then these evidences would have been sufficient for the unbelievers to recognize
the Oneness and greatness of Allah.

In the verse, Allah highlights another favour to men by saying that He has made them
the ‘owners’ of these animals. Therefore, a man considers himself as the ‘master’, ‘ruler’
and ‘owner’ of animals that are under his care. However, he must remember at all times
that Allah is the real Owner of everything including the animals, and he (man) is only an
interim master and owner. He must therefore follow the commands of Allah with
respect to the care and treatment of these animals.

Sura Yaseen goes further in verse 72 to highlight another favour which Allah has given
to man regarding the animals which He has created for them. The verse states:

َْ‫َوذَلَلنَاهَا لَهمْ فَمِ ن َها َركوبهمْ َومِ ن َها يَأكلون‬

72. And We have subdued them unto them so that some of them they have for
riding and some they eat.

Here, Allah explains to man that it is He who has subdued these animals and brought
them under his control. This is only on account of Allah’s great wisdom and kindness to
man. If these animals were not subjugated to men, then it would have been impossible
for them to benefit from these animals as they do. This is clearly seen from the fact that
the animals like the camels, horses, elephants, buffaloes etc are far stronger than
human beings. Man is very weak in comparison to these. On account of this, it would
have been extremely difficult for a human being to tame/control any one of these
animals. However, Allah, out of His wisdom and kindness to man, has created these
animals in a manner that they become subservient and obedient to man. In this way,
they follow the orders of man and also accept him as their master and owner. On
account of this, man is able to use them in whatever manner he wishes, and in all
situations, they will do what he orders them to do.

In the verse, Allah highlights His favours and says that from these animals, there are
some which He has made for riding purposes. Man uses these for transportation and
also for pleasure, and benefits tremendously from such animals. In a like manner, there
are others which Allah has created, so that their flesh can be eaten as food. Man also
benefits greatly from such animals, and seeks delight and enjoyment in consuming the
meat of these animals. These are great blessings granted to man, and he is expected to
show gratitude to Allah for these.

Sura Yaseen continues in verse 73 and highlights other great benefits which man
derives from the animals that Allah has created. The verse states:

ْ َ َ‫َاربْ ْۖ أَف‬
َْ‫ل يَشكرون‬ ِ ‫َولَهمْ فِي َها َمنَافِعْ َو َمش‬
 73. And they have (other) benefits from them (besides), and they get (milk) to drink,
will they not then be grateful?

It means that there are countless other benefits which man gets from the animals
besides that of riding and eating the meat. The skin, the wool, the hooves, bones and
other parts of the animals are used in many different ways for the benefit of man.
Besides these, Allah has created milk, a pure drink, inside some animals, from which
human beings are nourished. These are indeed from the great bounties of Allah given to
man, from which he benefits in many different ways. From this single creation (of the
animals), man is provided with food, drink, clothing (from the skin and wool), bedding
(from the skin and wool), transportation (to ride on and to carry his load) and an
equipment to plough and irrigate the fields. Glory be to Allah, the Great, the Mighty, who
has created such benefits for man through the animals. It is therefore essential upon
man to recognize these favours and acknowledge these as blessings from Allah. While
doing so, he must show gratitude to Allah by believing in His existence and Oneness,
and thereafter, be fully obedient to Him.

It is to highlight this teaching, the last part of the verse states, ‘Will they not then be
grateful?’ It means that after reaping so much benefits from Allah’s favours and
blessings, will man not thank Allah and be grateful? Certainly, he must be grateful to
Him through his firm belief (Imaan) and obedience.