Surah Al-Kahf Ayat 37 (18:37 Quran) With Tafsir

Ala-Maududi

(18:37) While conversing with him his neighbour exclaimed: “Do you deny Him Who created you out of dust, then out of a drop of sperm, and then fashioned you into a complete man?^[39]

39. This shows that unbelief in Allah is not confined to the denial of the existence of God in so many words, but arrogance, pride, vanity and the denial of the Hereafter are also kufr. Although that person did not deny the existence of Allah, he professed it as is apparent from his words (And if I am brought back to my Lord), yet in spite of his profession, his neighbor charged him with unbelief in Allah. This is because the person, who considers his wealth and his grandeur etc. to be the fruits of his own power and capability and not the favors of Allah, and who thinks that they are everlasting and none can take than away from him and that he is not accountable to anyone, is guilty of unbelief in Allah, even though he might profess belief in Him, for he acknowledges Allah as a Being and not as his Master, Owner and Sovereign. In fact, belief in Allah demands not merely the profession of His existence but also the acknowledgment of His Sovereignty, Mastery, Rule and the like.

Ibn-Kathir

37. His companion said to him during his discussion: “Do you disbelieve in Him Who created you out of dust, then out of Nutfah, then fashioned you into a man” 38. “But as for my part, (I believe) that He is Allah, my Lord, and none shall I associate as partner with my Lord.” 39. “It was better for you to say, when you entered your garden: `That which Allah wills! There is no power but with Allah!’ If you see me less than you in wealth, and children,” 40. “It may be that my Lord will give me something better than your garden, and will send on it Husban from the sky, then it will be as a barren slippery earth.” 41. “Or the water thereof becomes Ghawran so that you will never be able to seek it.”

Allah tells us how the rich man’s believing companion replied to him, warning and rebuking him for his disbelief in Allah and allowing himself to be deceived.

(Do you disbelieve in Him Who created you out of dust…) This is a denunciation, pointing out the seriousness of his rejection of his Lord Who created and formed man out of dust — that is, refering to Adam — then made his offspring from despised liquid, as Allah says:

(How can you disbelieve in Allah Seeing that you were dead and He gave you life) ﴿2:28﴾ meaning, how can you reject your Lord and His clear signs to you, which every one recognizes in himself, for there is no one among His creatures who does not know that he was nothing, then he came to be, and his existence is not due to himself or any other creature. He knows that his existence is due to his Creator, beside Whom there is no other god, the Creator of all things. So the believer said:

(But as for my part, (I believe) that He is Allah, my Lord,) meaning, `I do not say what you say; rather I acknowledge the Oneness and Lordship of Allah,’

(and none shall I associate as partner with my Lord. ) meaning, He is Allah, the One Who is to be worshipped Alone, with no partner or associate. Then he said:

(It was better for you to say, when you entered your garden, `That which Allah wills! There is no power but with Allah!’ If you see me less than you in wealth, and children.) Here he was urging and encouraging him to say that, as if he was saying, “When you entered your garden and looked at it and liked it, why would’nt you praise Allah for the blessings He gave you and the wealth and children that He has given to you and not to others Why did you not say `That which Allah wills! There is no power but with Allah!”’ One of the Salaf said, “Whoever is delighted with something in his circumstances or his wealth or his children, let him say, `That which Allah wills! There is no power but with Allah!”’ This is based on this Ayah. It was reported in the Sahih from Abu Musa that the Messenger of Allah said:

(Shall I not tell you about some of the treasure of Paradise La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (There is no power or might but with Allah).)

(It may be that my Lord will give me something better than your garden, ) in the Hereafter

(and will send on it) on your garden in this world, which you think will never come to an end or cease to be,

(Husban from the sky,) Ibn `Abbas, Ad-Dahhak and Qatadah said — and Malik narrated that Az-Zuhri said — a punishment from heaven. The apparent meaning is that it is a mighty rain which would disrupt his garden and uproot its plants and trees. As he said:

(then it will be as a barren slippery earth.) meaning, smooth mud in which one cannot get a foothold. Ibn `Abbas said, “Like land without vegetation, where nothing grows.”

(Or the water thereof becomes Ghawran) means, it disappears into the earth, which is the opposite of flowing water that seeks the surface of the earth. So Gha’ir is to go lower. as Allah says:

(Say: “Tell me! If your water were Ghawran, who then can supply you with flowing water”) ﴿67: 30﴾ meaning, water that flows in all directions. And here Allah says:

(Or the water thereof (of the gardens) becomes deep-sunken (underground) so that you will never be able to seek it.) Ghawr is from the same root as Gha’ir and has a similar meaning, but is more intensive.