Tafseer of The Sovereignty · Al-Mulk · 67:16
Do you feel secure that He who [holds authority] in the heaven would not cause the earth to swallow you and suddenly it would sway?
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
His statement: هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الأرْضَ ذَلُولا ("He it is Who has made the earth subservient to you").
The Exalted, whose praise is mentioned, says: Allah is the One Who has made the earth subservient to you, easy to traverse; He has levelled it for you, فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا ("so walk upon its shoulders").
The scholars have differed over the meaning of مَنَاكِبِهَا ("its shoulders"). Some said: its shoulders are its mountains.
* Mention of who said that:
ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا ("upon its shoulders"); he says: its mountains.
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, on the authority of Bashīr ibn Kaʿb, that he recited this verse فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا ("so walk upon its shoulders") and said to a slave-girl of his: "If you know what its shoulders are, then you are free for the sake of the Face of Allah." She said: "Its shoulders are its mountains." It was as though his face was drenched (with astonishment), and he desired his slave-girl. So he sought counsel; some of them commanded him (to marry her) and some of them forbade him. He asked Abū al-Dardāʾ, who said: "Good lies in tranquillity of heart, and evil in doubt; so leave what causes you doubt for what causes you no doubt."
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: Muʿādh ibn Hishām related to us, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of Qatāda, on the authority of Bashīr ibn Kaʿb, with exactly the same.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا ("so walk upon its shoulders"): its mountains.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا ("upon its shoulders"), he said: upon its mountains.
Others said: مَنَاكِبِهَا ("its shoulders") means: its extremities and its sides.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا ("so walk upon its shoulders"); he says: walk upon its extremities.
Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to me, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, on the authority of Saʿīd, on the authority of Qatāda, that Bashīr ibn Kaʿb al-ʿAdawī recited this verse فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا ("so walk upon its shoulders") and said to his slave-girl: "If you tell me what its shoulders are, then you are free." She said: "Its sides." So he wished to marry her, and he sought counsel from Abū al-Dardāʾ, who said: "Good lies in tranquillity of heart, and evil in doubt; so leave what causes you doubt for what causes you no doubt."
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us, both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His statement فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا ("so walk upon its shoulders"), he said: its roads and its mountain passes.
The most correct of the two statements to me is the statement of the one who said: its meaning is: walk upon its sides and its flanks, because its sides are comparable to the shoulders of a human being, which are among his extremities.
His statement: وَكُلُوا مِنْ رِزْقِهِ ("and eat of His provision"); he says: and eat of the provision of Allah, which He has brought forth for you from the shoulders of the earth. وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ ("and to Him is the resurrection"); the Exalted, whose praise is mentioned, says: and to Allah is your resurrection from your graves.
The statement concerning the interpretation of His statement, the Exalted: أَأَمِنْتُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ أَنْ يَخْسِفَ بِكُمُ الأَرْضَ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَمُورُ (16) أَمْ أَمِنْتُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ أَنْ يُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ حَاصِبًا فَسَتَعْلَمُونَ كَيْفَ نَذِيرِ (17) ("Do you feel secure that He Who is in the heaven will not cause the earth to swallow you up, so that it suddenly quakes? (16) Or do you feel secure that He Who is in the heaven will not send against you a violent sandstorm? Then you will know how My warning is (17)").
