Ar-Rahman 55:7–12

وَالسَّمَاءَ رَ‌فَعَهَا وَوَضَعَ الْمِيزَانَ (And He raised the sky high, and has placed the scale....55:7) The verbs rafa'a and wada` a are antonyms: rafa'a means 'to raise up' and wada'a means 'to put down'. The verse first describes that Allah has raised the heavens. This could have its obvious or outer meaning referring to the physical height of the sky, and it could also have its metaphorical meaning, referring to the high status of the heaven: In relation to the earth, the heaven occupies a higher position. Normally, the earth is understood to be the opposite of the heaven. From this point of view, the heaven and the earth are treated as opposites and mentioned throughout the Holy Qur'an in that way. Having described the high position of the heaven, the Qur'an goes on to describe that Allah has set the balance, but 'placing the scale' vis-a-vis 'raising the heaven' does not seem to form a suitable pair according to the linguistic norm. As a matter of fact, a closer analysis of the context indicates that the verse is describing the 'placing of the earth'. Three verses later, verse (10) reads وَالْأَرْ‌ضَ وَضَعَهَا لِلْأَنَامِ (And the earth is placed by Him for creatures...55:10) Thus the Qur'an is actually describing the heaven and the earth as opposites. In between the two, a third factor [ that of placing the scale ] is inserted for a sage reason. The wisdom in this seems to lie in the fact that the verses that follow lay stress on observing justice and fairness. They do not allow violation of rights and practice of injustice. Following the verses referring to 'raising the heaven' and 'placing the earth' are verses that describe the scale and enjoin the correct use of it. This implies that the ultimate purpose of creating the heaven and the earth was to establish justice, peace and harmony. Peace, safety, security and harmony cannot prevail on earth without establishing justice. Without justice, chaos, disorder, mischief and corruption will hold sway in the land. Allah, the Pure and the Most High, knows best!

The word مِيزَانَ mizan has been interpreted variously. In the current verse, scholars like Mujahid, Qatadah, Suddi رحمۃ اللہ علیہم and others interpret it in the sense of 'justice', because that is the purpose of mizan [ scale ]. Other scholars have taken the word in its obvious sense of a piece of equipment used to determine the weights of people or things. This equipment could be a pair of scales, consisting of a bar with a pan or a dish at each end or it may be some modern equipment used for the purpose of measuring and weighing. The ultimate sense of this interpretation in any case is maintaining rights and establishing justice and fair play.

أَلَّا تَطْغَوْا فِي الْمِيزَانِ (so that you should not be wrongful in weighing....55:8). The earlier verse stated the creation of the scale, and this verse states the reason for its creation. The imperfect verb تَطْغَوْا tatghaw is derived from طُغیَان tughyan which stands for 'injustice'. Thus verses [ 7] and [ 8] put together mean: '[ The 'mizan or scale' has been created so that you may not transgress the balance and thus practice injustice'.

وَأَقِيمُوا الْوَزْنَ بِالْقِسْطِ (And observe the correct weight with fairness, ....55:9). The word قِسط qist literally means 'justice'. The meaning is obvious: 'And observe the weight with equity'.

وَلَا تُخْسِرُ‌وا الْمِيزَانَ (and do not make weighing deficient...55:9). The word خُسر khusr means 'to skimp or make deficient'. The opening part of verse [ 9] was the positive aspect of the injunction, and the concluding part is its negative aspect, in that it is unlawful to fall short of measure or weight. The two parts, positive and negative, put together the verse as a whole means 'Do not cheat in weights and measures, but rather observe justice and fairness'.

وَالْأَرْ‌ضَ وَضَعَهَا لِلْأَنَامِ (And the earth is placed by Him for creatures...55:10). The word 'anam with fatha [=a ] on the first letter on the grammatical measure of سَحَاب sahab, refers to all the creatures that are on the surface of the earth. Baidawi translates the word as 'everything having a soul'. Evidently, the word 'anam in the verse refers to mankind and the jinn, because only these two species of Allah's creation are obligated to observe the precepts of Shari` ah. Furthermore, they are addressed throughout the Surah. For instance in the refrain verse فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَ‌بِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ (So, [ 0 mankind and Jinn,] which of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?...55:13) The dual second person attached pronouns and the dual forms of the verbs second person sustained throughout Surah Ar-Rahman are addressed to Jinn and mankind.

فِيهَا فَاكِهَةٌ (in which there are fruits ....55:11). The word فَاكِهَةٌ fakihah refers to fruits that are normally eaten after food for pleasure.

وَالنَّخْلُ ذَاتُ الْأَكْمَامِ (...and the date-palms having sheaths...55:11). The word أَكْمَامِ akmam is the plural of کِمّ kimm, and refers to 'the cover that surrounds and protects dates and other fruits in the beginning'

وَالْحَبُّ ذُو الْعَصْفِ

(and the grain having chaff, ....55:12). The word حَبُّ habb means grain, as for instance 'wheat', 'gram', 'rice', 'a kind of vetch', 'lentil' and so on. The word عَصْفِ ` asf is the outer cover of some type of grains, like rice or wheat husk, which Allah creates with His power and consummate wisdom. Man's attention is drawn to the fact that each grain of the food he eats several times a day has been created by Allah, out of His unbounded grace and beneficence, from soil and water in inconceivably wonderful ways. He protected every grain against insects with the outer cover until maturity, so that it was prepared as a morsel of food. The current verse, thus, briefly points to all those natural things that are so essential for the physical development of man. The mention of ` asf [ husk ] is to remind that it is the fodder for your animals. This is another bounty of Allah because man needs the milk of the animals for nourishment. Furthermore, animals are used as a means of transportation to convey human beings from place to place as well as to carry load, cargo and luggage.

وَالرَّ‌يْحَانُ (...and fragrant flowers....55:12). The popular meaning of the word رَّ‌يْحَانُ raihan is fragrance or fragrant plant or sweet-scented plants. Ibn Zaid has interpreted the word thus in the current verse. Allah has produced a variety of fragrances and sweet-smelling flowers on plants and trees. Sometimes the word raihan is used in the sense of livelihood and sustenance. It is said in Arabic: خَرَجتُ اَطلُبَ رَیحَانَ اللہِ (I came out looking for sustenance provided by Allah.) Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ interprets it in this strain.