Al-Mulk (The Sovereignty)

30. Say: “Say unto me! If the water of your land were to sink away, who then can supply you with flowing water?”

Flowing water is mentioned herein as an instance of Divine Graciousness.

The preceding blessed Verse said:

“We put our trust in Him,”

but the blessed Verse in question is saying that the believers put their trust in God Almighty since if the water sank away into the earth, no one can supply you with flowing water but God Almighty.

Thus, the closing Verse of the Chapter in question suggests an instance of Divine Graciousness enwrapping all the world of existence, though many people accord no attention to it:

“Say unto me! If the water of your land were to sink away, who then can supply you with flowing water?”

It is common knowledge that the earth consists of two different layers: the penetrable and the impenetrable layers. The former absorbs the water and the latter preserves it.

All fountains, wells, and subterranean aqueducts have come into being owing to the twain layers, since had all the earth been penetrable to a great depth, the water would have sunk into the earth so such depth that it would have been inaccessible. Now, had all the layers been impenetrable, the water would have stagnated and turned into mires or immediately found its way into the sea and thus all subterranean water reservoirs would have been lost.

It is merely one instance of the Divine Graciousness encompassing the world to which human life and death is closely associated. The Arabic word ma‘in, cognate with ma‘n (“water flow”) and according to some with ‘ayn whose /m/ is redundant, is taken by some Qur’an exegetes as connoting the water which is visible even though stagnant, though the majority of the exegetes maintain that it herein implies “flowing water.”

It is noteworthy that drinking water is not restricted to flowing water, but they represent the best types of water, appearing in different forms, e.g. rivers, subterranean aqueducts, and artesian wells.

It is reported by some Qur’an exegetes that upon hearing the blessed Verse:

“Had your sources of water sunk into the earth, who would have provided you with flowing water?”

said:

“The robust men using pickaxes will draw water out of the depth of the earth,”

but while asleep at night he dreamt that black water encompassed his eyes and heard some voice saying:

“Bring those robust men and sharp axes to draw such black water out of your eyes.”

Today, it is known that had the impenetrable layer of the earth disappeared, neither robust men nor sharp axes may extract water out of the earth.¹

Finally, the traditions narrated from the Noble Shi‘i Imams (as) reflect that the last blessed Verse alludes to the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (AS, may God Almighty hasten his noble reappearance) and his world wide justice administration.

In this vein, it is narrated from Imam Baqir (as) on the exegesis of the blessed Verse in question as saying:

“The blessed Verse is revealed concerning the Imam (as) [namely Imam Mahdi, the Twelfth Shi‘i Imam] who will rise to imbue the world with Divine Justice, saying that if your Imam entered Occultation and you were unaware of his whereabouts, Who will send you an Imam to expound to you the news of the heavens and the earth and the lawful and the unlawful of Divine Laws?'

Then he said:

'Its exegesis shall finally come to pass.”2

Numerous traditions have been narrated in this respect, but it is noteworthy that they all serve to provide comparisons. In other words, the literal sense of the blessed Verse concerns flowing water as the source of life for animate beings, though the esoteric meaning of it is on the existence of the Imam and his all encompassing knowledge and justice which in turn are the sources of the life of society.

It has been mentioned many a time above that the Holy Qur’an possesses numerous exoteric and esoteric meanings, but we lay emphasis on the point that the esoteric meanings of the Qur’an are exclusively known to the Noble Prophet (S) and the Infallible Imams (as) and it is not permissible to suggest anything of one’s own regarding the esoteric meanings of the Qur’anic Verses.

Likewise, what we say concerns the exoteric meanings of the Verses and the esoteric meanings of them are to be solely transmitted on the authority of the Infallibles (as).

Surah al-Mulk opens with Divine Sovereignty and Ownership and closes with His Graciousness which branches off from His Sovereignty and Ownership and thus, the opening and the closing of the blessed Chapter are consistent and harmonious.

O Lord! Grant us Your Graciousness bestowed upon every being and your particular servants. Allow us to drink the elixir of the Divine Guardianship of Your Friends! O Lord! Hasten the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (as), the fountain of the water of life and let those thirsty for his beauty be satisfied by his reappearance.