'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful'

Surah Adh-Dhariyat

Its purpose is to indicate the truth of what Surah Q has warned about explicitly and what it has given glad tidings of implicitly, especially its end regarding the calamities of this world and the punishment of the Hereafter. Its name, Adh-Dhariyat, is evident in this by considering the answer to the oath; for it, along with the oath, is strongly connected like a single verse, even though it consists of five. The expression of the winds as Adh-Dhariyat is a complete indication of that. Their denial of the warning is due to their lack of awareness of any of its causes, even though they exist with them, just as what comes from the clouds as mercy and punishment has its causes, even if they are present, which are the winds, even if they do not see them. The wind is characterized by dispersing, which is separation. So when Allah intends, they are gathered, and what He intends occurs. For it disperses the clouds, and when Allah, glorified and exalted is He, intends to gather them, He carries them with what He has created in them, weighing them down with it, and makes them flow easily. He distributes from them what He wills, sometimes as lightning and other times as thunder, reaching the sound of iron on iron or stone on stone, along with the gentleness of the clouds. All that is observed in it from the causes, and at times heavy rain with intense pouring, and sometimes hail, and sometimes snow that is hoped for and feared. At times, there are lightning strikes and fires with any kind of flame, and at times, there are jewels and exquisite pearls that inspire admiration. So it may be at one time joy and pleasure, and at another time gloom and sadness, and loss and ruin. Although they are the most deluded of people in some of that, they recognize the cloud that suggests rain and that which does not suggest it, and that which has rain close at hand, and that which has not yet come time for it to rain. And other than that from the things mentioned by the people of literature and carried by the people of language from them, and all of that is by the decree of the angels according to Allah's command; and for this reason - and Allah knows best - it is recommended to say upon hearing thunder: 'Glory be to Allah, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted,' indicating that the true disposer is Allah, the Most High: 'The Lord of the Angels,' meaning those who are appointed for this, 'and the Spirit' which carries this body from rain or fire or other than them. And Allah is the Grantor of success.

'In the name of Allah' who encompasses the attributes of perfection, for He does not break the promise. 'The Most Gracious' who has encompassed the creation with the blessing of existence. 'The Most Merciful' who has specifically chosen whom He wills for guidance to what pleases Him from the intended.

When glorified is He concluded with the letter 'Q' by reminding of the warning, He began this with a strong oath on its truthfulness. He said, making a connection between the oath and that which is sworn upon: ﴿By those that disperse﴾, meaning: the winds which are characterized by gathering, throwing, scattering, and carrying away. He confirmed this by saying: ﴿Scattering﴾, meaning: by what the angels direct them in. Al-Asbahani said: The winds are under the wings of the cherubim, the bearers of the Throne. They stir from there and fall with the rush of the sun, then they stir from the rush of the sun and fall upon the tops of the mountains. Then from the tops of the mountains, they fall onto the land. As for the north wind, it passes under 'Adn and takes from the fragrance of its goodness, then it passes over the souls of the righteous. Then it takes its limit from the throne of the Daughters of the Coffin to the setting of the sun. The south wind comes from the setting of the sun to the rising of Suhail. The south wind comes from the rising of Suhail to the rising of the sun. The east wind comes from the rising of the sun to the throne of the Daughters of the Coffin. None of these enters within the limit of that one, nor that one within the limit of this one.