Taa-Haa (Taa-Haa)

54. “Eat (for yourselves) and pasture your cattle; verily in this there are signs for men of thought.”

55. “From it (the earth) We created you, and into it will We return you, and from it will We bring you forth a second time.”

This verse has referred to the fifth and the last bounty of this group of Divine bounties where, implying the vegetables, it says:

“Eat (for yourselves) and pasture your cattle…”

And, at the end of the verse, the Qur’an, pointing to all these bounties, says:

“…verily in this there are signs for men of thought.”

That is, the responsible intellects and dutiful minds can comprehend this fact.

The Arabic term /nuha/ is the plural form of /nahiyah/ derived from /nahy/ which means ‘to prohibit’; and /’ulinnuha/ means: ‘the people endued with understanding and intellect’. The wisdom in Arabic is called /nuhiyah/ because it prohibits man from following low desires.¹

Once the holy Prophet (S) was asked:

“Who are /’ulinnuha/?”

The Messenger of Allah (S) said:

“They have a good character, and they are kind unto the mothers and fathers; they help the poor, the (needy) neighbours, and the orphans; they feed (the hungry ones with) food. They spread peace and comfort in the world; and they establish prayer while people are sleeping and unaware.”2

Then, in the next verse, concerning the statement of Unity in these verses, and the creation of the earth and its bounties, Resurrection has also been pointed out.

It says:

“From it (the earth) We created you, and into it will We return you, and from it will We bring you forth a second time.”

Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (as) has considered the secret of the couple of prostrations in each unit (rak‘at) of prayer and said:

“The first prostration means: ‘O Allah! At first I was from this soil’. When you raise your head from the ground, it means that: ‘You have brought me out from this soil’. The second prostration means that: ‘You will return me unto this soil’; and when you raise your head from the second prostration, it means that: ‘You will raise me up again from the soil in Hereafter’.”3