Az-Zukhruf (Ornaments of gold)

11. And Who sent down water from the sky in due measure, then We revived a dead land therewith, and so you will be brought forth [from the graves].

12. And Who has created all the pairs and has appointed for you ships and cattle on which you ride:

The preceding Verse and the One in question make mention of Divine Unity and the Hereafter respectively. The word qadar is either used in the sense of “measure” or “ordainment and plan,” i.e., He sent down rain in due measure or sent down rain as per ordainment and plan; therefore, all rain drops are sent down according to a well calculated plan; (“sent down water from the sky in due measure”).

According to the blessed Verse, it is another Divine Favor that He sends down water from the sky so that the soil which is dead in winter season turns verdant in springtime.

“So you will be brought forth [from the graves]”

indicates that in the same manner the dead soil turns verdant in springtime as if it is revived, the dead undergo a drastic change on the Day of Resurrection and an everlasting life is bestowed upon them. The revival of the dead on the Day of Resurrection is likened to the rejuvenation of the dead soil in springtime in many a Qur’anic Verse.

The secret may lie in the fact that soil per se remain dormant in winter season but the land is not verdant with plants and in the meantime, through divine Omnipotence and Wisdom, rears water, freshness, and seeds in it such that it may be covered with verdant and lush coverage in springtime.

In like manner, man may turn mortal through death, but his material being turns invisible in this world and all his acts acquired and actualized in his lifespan turn invisible; however, they are reared posthumously and it will be through Divine Will that he will be accorded a new life on the Day of Resurrection which is the last stage of his journey toward the Divine.

On such Day, he will reap whatever he has sown such that if he sowed fruitless and bitter plants in the field of his being, he shall certainly reap the same on the Last Day.

Verse 12 is a Reminder from God Almighty to man that He has created all male and female pairs. It was mentioned elsewhere that all creatures have been created in male and female pairs, even constituent elements include positive and negative elements which stand on a par with male and female pairs in the animal world.

True Unity solely belongs to God Almighty, the Necessary Existent Being. The Verse in question also makes mention of other Divine Favors, e.g. ships that may easily traverse water and quadrupeds used for riding and other purposes, bestowed on mankind in order to meet their needs.