The Creation of Plants
Selections from the Book The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him …
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi...
Episode (47)
The noble verses establish the beginning of plant creation on Earth during the stage of "spreading" as mentioned in the words of Allah Almighty: {And after that He spread the earth. (30) He extracted from it its water and its pasture, (31)} [An-Nazi'at: 30-31].
The bringing forth of water and pasture is the meaning of (spreading). Al-Qurtubi said: it means to spread it out. Others said: it means to level it, and some said it means to plow and split it. Another interpretation is that He prepared it for sustenance. The meanings are close. Allah Almighty’s words: {He extracted from it} mean that He brought forth from the Earth. {its water} refers to the springs that gush with water. {and its pasture} means the vegetation that is grazed. Al-Qutabi said: with these two things (water and pasture), He indicates all that is brought forth from the Earth as sustenance and provisions for mankind, including grass, trees, grains, dates, straw, firewood, clothing, fire, and salt.
Allah Almighty said: {Say, "Do you indeed disbelieve in He who created the earth in two days and attribute to Him equals? That is the Lord of the worlds." (9) And He placed on it [i.e., the earth] firmly set mountains over its surface, and He blessed it and determined therein its [creatures'] sustenance in four days without distinction - for [the information of] those who ask. (10)} [Fussilat: 9-10]. Ibn Abbas said: Allah created the Earth in two days, then He created the heavens, then He turned to the heavens and completed them in another two days. Then He spread out the Earth, and its spreading means that He brought forth from it water and pasture. He also created the mountains, sands, solid objects, and hills, along with everything between them, in two days. This is the meaning of His words: {He spread the earth.}.
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him, pp. 324-325.
- Interpretation of the Great Qur’an, Ibn Kathir, previous reference, 4/92.
- Al-Khar’an, The Story of Creation, previous reference, p. 240.
- The Compendium of the Rulings of the Qur’an, Al-Qurtubi, 19/205.
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi:
