The Holy Quran, like a luminous lamp, guides humanity towards truth and Tawhid (Divine Unity). Surah Al-Anam, by emphasising Tawhid and critiquing shirk (polytheism), opens a gateway to profound understanding of the Divine attributes and the human relationship with the Lord. This treatise, drawing upon the discourses of religious scholars, examines the sublime concepts of Tawhid, dynamic creation, and the peril of shirk in faith. Its purpose is to present the deep meanings of the verses in a clear and dignified manner, structured scientifically, so that reflection on these concepts may facilitate deeper recognition of the truth.
The Holy Quran in Surah Al-Anam, by posing a rhetorical question, emphasises Tawhid in Wilaya (Divine Guardianship) and negates any inclination towards other than God. This verse, like a mirror, juxtaposes the reality of Tawhid against shirk, inviting mankind to submit exclusively to the One God.
قُلْ أَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَتَّخِذُ وَلِيًّا فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ يُطْعِمُ وَلَا يُطْعَمُ ۗ قُلْ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ ۖ وَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
Say: Shall I take as a guardian other than God, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, Who feeds but is not fed? Say: I have been commanded to be the first of those who submit, and never be of the polytheists.
This verse, emphasising Tawhid in Wilaya, introduces God as the sole worthy Guardian. The concept of Divine Wilaya, reflected also in verses such as 257 of Surah Al-Baqarah, is the axis of Tawhid and invalidates any reliance on other than God. The command to the Prophet (peace be upon him) to be the first to submit and to avoid shirk is a general invitation to the ummah to humble themselves before the Lord and shun all forms of overt or covert polytheism.
This concept is deeply linked with verse 68 of Surah Al-Imran, which refers to the Wilaya of the believers with God and the Prophet. Shirk, like a dark shadow, lies in ambush for faith, and only by adherence to Divine Wilaya can one be freed from it.
Tawhid in Wilaya, like a guiding light, leads mankind from the darkness of shirk towards the illumination of submission. This section, emphasising verse 14 of Surah Al-Anam, demonstrated that God, as the Originator of the heavens and the earth, is solely deserving of Wilaya, and any inclination towards other than Him constitutes shirk threatening faith.
The term Fir in the Holy Quran denotes the Originator who opens the universe with wisdom and order, sustaining it dynamically in every moment of existence. This concept views creation not as a static event but as a continuous and living process, akin to a river perpetually flowing and never ceasing.
A narration from Ibn Abbs, recorded in narrative exegeses such as Tafsir al-Tabari, interprets Fir as creating a hollow or initiating creation. This meaning presents Fir as the origin of creation who brings the universe from non-existence into existence and continuously expands it. This dynamism is also reflected in verse 1 of Surah Fir, which names God the Originator of the heavens and the earth.
This concept is consistent with verse 190 of Surah Al-Imran, which refers to the creation of the heavens and the earth as signs of God. In Islamic philosophy, especially in Mulla Sadras substantial motion theory, the dynamism of creation is affirmed and the universe is described as a living and evolving entity.
The concept of Fir portrays creation as a living, dynamic process constantly renewed by the Lord. This section, relying on the narration of Ibn Abbs and Quranic verses, demonstrated that God, as the origin of creation, continuously expands the universe with wisdom and order.
In the Divine epistemological system, the attributes of the Lord descend from His exalted Essence towards lower levels, like light descending from a lofty peak to the valleys. Essential attributes such as knowledge and power occupy the highest rank, while active attributes such as creation and provision manifest in subsequent degrees. Taste, as a material and lower attribute, does not exist in God because He is self-sufficient and free from material attributes.
Verse 14 of Surah Al-Anam, emphasising He feeds but is not fed, indicates God's independence from provision. This independence stems from Divine self-sufficiency, emphasised also in verse 2 of Surah Al-Ikhls. Taste is an attribute granted to humans due to their lower existential rank but has no place in Divine Essence.
This concept correlates with verse 97 of Surah Al-Imran, which refers to God's independence. In Islamic theology, Divine attributes are divided into essential and active categories, and taste, as a material attribute, belongs to a lower rank attributed to creatures.
The hierarchy of Divine attributes, from the exalted Essence to active and material attributes, indicates the wise order of creation. This section, emphasising Gods independence from material attributes, clarified the high station of Divine self-sufficiency and showed that taste is a lowly attribute peculiar to creatures.
Man, like a mirror reflecting Divine light, possesses attributes originating from the lower levels of existence. Taste and sensation are among these attributes, which due to their material nature, rank beneath Divine essential and active attributes. Moreover, psychic perceptions and intellect, whether material or immaterial, constitute weaker levels than taste, of which man is often unaware.
These perceptions, like faint shadows, require contemplation and training for their discovery and cultivation. In Islamic mysticism, particularly in the teachings of Ibn Arabi, these perceptions correspond to human existential levels, and reflection upon them is a path toward self-knowledge and knowledge of God. Verse 138 of Surah Al-Imran, inviting reflection upon Divine verses, underscores this necessity.
This concept relates to verse 9 of Surah As-Sajdah, which mentions the granting of senses to mankind. Through nurturing these perceptions, man can attain higher levels of knowledge.
Lower attributes and human perceptions, as existential levels, invite man to contemplate himself and creation. This section demonstrated that taste and sensation, although lowly, are valuable in their own right and, through training and reflection, open the way to Divine knowledge.
Love, as a Divine gem, exists in its perfection in the Essence of the Lord, but descends in humans to lower degrees such as wudd (affection), ubb (love), and desire. The Holy Quran in verse 165 of Surah Al-Baqarah describes love as intense affection for God; however, in man, this affection is sometimes contaminated by the nafs (ego) and desire.
The degrees of affection, from wudd to ubb and then to love, resemble a ladder towards perfection. Desire, intertwined with the human self, occupies a lower degree. Whoever is a lover also has desire, but not everyone who has desire is necessarily a lover. This distinction is reflected in verse 31 of Surah Al-Imran, which invites love for God and the Prophet.
In Islamic mysticism, love is introduced as a bridge towards annihilation in God. Man, through purifying the soul and transcending desire, can attain the level of Divine love.
The degrees of affection, from wudd to love, are a path towards Divine perfection. This section demonstrated that love is a sublime attribute perfected in God but requires purification from carnal impurities in man.
In Islamic mysticism, the Divine Essence is devoid of determination (taayyun), like an infinite ocean without limits or boundaries. Total annihilation (fan al-kull) is the highest mystical state in which man is liberated from his existential determinations and unites with the indeterminate Divine Essence. This concept is reflected in verse 191 of Surah Al-Imran, which invites reflection upon the Divine Essence.
The Quranic phrase فَاخْلَعْ نَعْلَیْکَ (Th: 12), meaning take off your sandals, symbolises liberation from existence and its determinations, guiding man towards annihilation in the Divine Essence. At this stage, man relinquishes his name and form and reaches the Divine indeterminacy.
