He created you from dust because He created your origin from it. And this is for the surprise. Its meaning is: then you were surprised at the time of your being as humans spread across the earth, as His saying: "And He spread therein many men and women." From among yourselves are spouses because Hawwa was created from the rib of Adam, blessings and peace be upon him, and the women thereafter were created from the loins of men. Or from the shape of yourselves and its kind, not from another kind. This is due to what exists between the two of the same kind from the alif and the sukoon, and what exists between the differing kinds from repulsion. And He made between you affection and mercy through the bond of marriage, after there was no prior knowledge between you, nor meeting, nor reason that necessitates affection from kinship or blood relation. And from Al-Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him: affection is a metaphor for intimacy, and mercy is for children, as He said: "And mercy from Us" and He said: "The mention of the mercy of your Lord upon His servant." It is said: he settled to him, if he inclined to him, as they say: he cut off to him, and he felt secure to him - and from it is the settlement. It is the familiarity that one settles to. It is a verb meaning the object. And it is said: that affection and mercy are from Allah and that estrangement is from the devil.