Interpretation of the Almighty’S Saying_ “Among the Livestock Are Eight Pairs
In response to the question: Why isn’t “the sending down of livestock” in the Almighty’s saying: “And He has sent down for you from the livestock eight pairs” [Az-Zumar 6]; An indication of its formation outside the earth without the rest of the living things? I answer with the help of God Almighty, asking for help and success:
The principle is to take the expression in the Holy Quran at its apparent meaning, except with clear indications that permit it to be taken as an example. The Holy Quran has used many examples as the most eloquent way to explain what is meant by a similar situation, such as what is stated in the Almighty’s saying: “And God presents examples for the people, and God is Knowing of all things” [An-Nur: 35], and His saying: “And these examples We present to the people that perhaps they will reflect” [Al-Hashr: 21], and His saying: “And God presents examples for the people that perhaps they will remember” [Ibrahim: 25]. As for Allah the Almighty says: “And these examples We present to the people, but none grasps them except those of knowledge” [Al-Ankabut: 43]; so the benefit of these examples is limited to those who know Allah without thinking or comprehending.
And in His Almighty saying: “O mankind, there has come to you a proof from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light” [An-Nisa’: 174], the apparent expression (and We have sent down to you a clear light) is the movement of sunlight towards the earth, but the context is related to establishing proof in the field of religion based on the expression (O mankind, there has come to you a proof from your Lord).
Therefore, the commentators did not differ in interpreting the word (light), diverting it from its apparent meaning and explaining that what is meant by it is the Holy Qur’an.
Al-Baydawi said: “By proof he meant miracles and by light he meant the Qur’an, meaning that the proofs of reason and the evidence of transmission have come to you, and you have no excuse or reason left” [Al-Baydawi’s Interpretation (Vol. 2, p. 285)].
Al-Tha’alibi said: “Proof is the clear, luminous argument that gives complete certainty, and the clear light means the Qur’an” [Al-Tha’alibi’s Interpretation (Vol. 1, p. 435)].
Al-Sa’di said: “God bestows His blessings upon all people for the decisive proofs and shining lights He has conveyed to them, and He establishes the proof for them and clarifies the path for them. He said, ‘O mankind, there has come to you a proof from your Lord’, meaning decisive proofs for the truth that clarify it and explain its opposite. This includes rational and transmitted evidence, and horizontal and psychological signs, as God Almighty says, ‘We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth’.”
The revelation of the Qur’an – then – with the word “light” is a depiction of the honor that brings together the clarity of the path and guidance. Thus, you see that the depiction embodies the meaning and gives free rein to the flow of a flood of contents, reaching the highest levels of expression through expression.
The verb (to send down) was used to indicate the transition from the top to the bottom, as in the Almighty’s saying: “And He sent down water from the sky” [Al-Baqarah: 22], and as for His saying: “And We sent down iron” [Al-Hadid: 25]; It can be interpreted as descending to the core of the earth, since there is nothing that would divert it from the apparent meaning. No one today actually disputes that most of the core of the earth is iron, so the testimony of reality matches the explicit expression. However, the diverting evidence may prevent interpreting (sending down) as apparent, such as if the described is from the spiritual, as in the Almighty’s saying: “It is He who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers” [Al-Fath: 4]. The evidence is that tranquility is a state of feeling and not a material formation. Therefore, Ibn Abbas - - said that he diverted the descent to (making) by saying: “(He sent down tranquility) meaning He made peace” [Tafsir Ibn Kathir (vol. 4, p. 185)].
And similar to it is (sleeping) in the Almighty’s saying: “Then He sent down upon you, after the distress, security - a drowsiness that overcame a party of you” [Al Imran: 154]. Sleepiness, for example, is not a physical body that can be described as a physical descent. Rather, it is correct to use the rain as an example that saves the thirsty earth, especially with the departure from the expression of the act of descent to the image of covering in the Almighty’s saying: “When He covered you with drowsiness as a security from Him and sent down upon you water from the sky” [Al-Anfal: 11]. Consider the paronomasia between the spiritual descent of sleepiness and the physical descent of rain, with the commonality of support and confirmation. It is as if the occurrence of sleep, with what accompanied it of the disappearance of fear, was a rain that surrounded them and removed their fear of destruction. Similar to this is the Almighty’s saying: “And Allah has sent down upon you the Book and wisdom and taught you that which you did not know. And ever has the favor of Allah upon you been great” [An-Nisa’: 113]. Wisdom is not a body to be revealed tangibly, and the Book was not revealed on paper pages; rather, the revelation is a statement of virtue and is explained by teaching.
In describing the mission of the prophets - peace be upon them all - in the Almighty’s saying: “Mankind was one community, then Allah sent the prophets as bringers of good tidings and warners, and sent down with them the Book in truth” [Al-Baqarah: 213], the fact that the Book was sent down with them does not indicate that they descended from the sky, but rather the act of sending (sending down) is directed to depiction, honoring them and clarifying the unity of the message due to the unification of the Book. Similar to this is the Almighty’s saying: “Those who believe in him, honor him, support him, and follow the light that has been sent down with him - it is those who will be the successful” [Al-A’raf: 157].
As for the Almighty’s saying: “O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness - that is best.” [Al-A’raf: 26], it does not indicate by analogy that what we wear descended from the sky, because its source is known, like wool from animals and cotton from plants from the earth. Therefore, the commentators have made an effort to divert (We sent down) from the meaning of descending. Al-Shawkani said: “The Almighty expressed the word ‘sending down’ to mean creation, meaning We created for you clothing.” [Tafsir Fath al-Qadir by Al-Shawkani (vol. 2, p. 197)].
Al-Jassas said: “He only said We sent down because clothing is made from plants from the earth or from animal skins and wool, and the basis of all of them is the rain that descends from the sky.” [Ahkam al-Quran by Al-Jassas (vol. 4, p. 203)].
Al-Sam’ani said: “There are three sayings about the meaning of (We sent down upon you), one of them is: We created for you, the second is: We inspired you with how to make it, and the third is: We sent down the rain which is the cause of the growth of what is taken as clothing” [Tafsir Zad Al-Masir by Ibn Al-Jawzi (vol. 3, p. 181)].
It may be correct that the meaning of (sending down) is in clothing considering the origin and it refers to rain, and it may be correct that the Qur’an was sent down considering the moral highness as an honor, and it is correct to combine the two cases by simile of the rain that descends to cover the thirsty land and save it from destruction.
Among the blessings of Allah - the Most High - upon the early Arabs is that He provided them with grazing animals that were the mainstay of their life in the desert, especially sheep, goats, camels and cows, but they restricted themselves with traditions that prevented benefiting from some of them, and it is of utmost mercy then that the Qur’an stresses liberating them from those traditions and permitting those livestock to them in a comprehensive and decisive statement; God Almighty says: “And of the grazing livestock are burdens and furnishings. Eat of what God has provided for you and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy. Eight pairs: of the sheep, two, and of the goats, two. Say, “Is it the two males He has forbidden, or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge, if you should be truthful.” And of the camels, two. And from the cattle two.” [Al-An’am: 142-144]
The word (al-An’am) is an adjective, not a noun of essence, such as (al-Na’mah), which is why it was also called (al-Na’am) in the Almighty’s saying: “O you who believe! Do not kill game while you are in a state of ihram. And whoever among you kills it intentionally - the penalty is an equivalent of what he killed of livestock” [al-Ma’idah: 95]. Describing it as livestock, livestock, and permissible food embodies the name of God Almighty’s blessing upon them, and the description of the creation of livestock with the word (al-Inzal) is confirmed by the Almighty’s saying: “And He sent down for you from the grazing livestock eight mates
It may be correct that the act of sending down in the case of blessing or affliction, considering the moral highness, is a statement of the will and decree of God Almighty.
It is correct to represent rain with the word (sending down) as an embodiment of the blessing; because its descent is the first scene that comes to mind for the act of sending down, which makes the first Arab happy, makes him feel grateful, and embodies for him the mercy of God Almighty, and they are in need of blessings just as the thirsty earth needs rain. Replacing the act of sending down with the verbs (creation), (making), and (supply) in explaining the previous preparation with blessings is a clear indication that turns it from the apparent sensory to the meaning of bringing into existence; As in the Almighty’s saying: “Have they not seen that We have created for them from what Our hands have made, livestock, so that they are their owners?” [Yasin: 71], and the Almighty’s saying: “It is Allah who has made for you livestock that you may ride on them and eat from them.” [Ghafir: 79], and the Almighty’s saying: “He has provided you with livestock and children.” [Ash-Shu’ara’: 133], and disasters are called calamities, and events are described in terms of occurrence, coming, and arrival, and none of that necessarily means that they descend from the sky.
Al-Baghawi said: “(And He has sent down for you from the livestock eight mates)” The meaning of sending down here is creating and establishing, like the Almighty’s
saying (We have sent down upon you clothing) [Tafsir al-Baghawi (4/72)]. Al-Sam’ani said: “That is, He created for you from the livestock…, and it is like the Almighty’s saying (We have sent down upon you clothing) meaning We created” [Tafsir al-Sam’ani (4/458)].
Al-Kalbi said: “As for (Anzala), there are three aspects to it: the first: He created, the second: He decreed, and the third: He sent down the rain from which plants grow, and from which these livestock live. So He expressed by sending them down the provision for them, and this is far-fetched.” [At-Tashil li-Ulum at-Tanzil by Al-Kalbi (Vol. 3, p. 191)].
The expression (Anzala) does not mean, then, that livestock descend from the sky without all living things. The example of rain brings together all the meanings that have been said, embodying the care of God Almighty and including the meaning of sanctification, prior preparation, and bestowing favors upon needy servants. However, the blessing may turn into a curse, expressing His will, and the descent becomes wrath and the rain becomes a punishment. What is required is the appropriate direction of each word in a way that does not contradict reality and a comprehensive view of all verses and investigating the evidence in every context. This is the method of scholars throughout the ages, and God Almighty…