Verse 104
The Cattle • makkah
View Aspects
22:64; 67:15.
Important Words:
لاتدرکه (cannot reach Him). تدرك is derived from ادرك which again is derived fromدرك . They say ادركه i.e. he or it attained, reached or overtook it. It also means, he perceived it; or he attained knowledge of it; or he attained perfect knowledge of it; or he comprehended it. The word also means, he or it attained puberty or maturity or ripeness (Lane).
ابصار (eyes) is the plural of بصر which means, eye or sight, or understanding or perspicacity (Aqrab).
لطیف (Incomprehensible) is derived fromلطف . They say لطف الشئی (latufa), i.e. the thing was or became small, thin or fine. لطف به i.e. latafa (with different vowel point on the central letter) means, he was kind, gentle and affectionate to him. لطیفmeans (1) gentle, gracious, and kind; (2) subtle, abstruse or recondite; (3) knower of the subtleties and obscurities of things. It is one of the attributes of God (Taj, Lisan & Aqrab).
Commentary:
Some persons may claim that they can know or reach God by means of reason or understanding alone. The Quran forcefully refutes this idea by saying, Eyes cannot reach Him, i.e. human reason alone, unaided by Divine help, is incapable of knowing or reaching God. It is God Himself Who reaches the eyes (viz. human understanding) and reveals Himself to man, i.e. God has, on the one hand, placed in human mind a power to search after and know Him, and, on the other, He sends down revelation to man, thereby making Himself known to him. Revelation also helps to kindle in human reason a light by means of which man is enabled to know God.
The two Divine attributes اللطیف (Incomprehensible) and الخبیر (All-Aware) furnish in a most beautiful manner the reason of the two claims made in the opening words of the verse. The first claim is that Eyes cannot reach Him, the corresponding reason being stated to be that He is Subtle and Incomprehensible, and being so, He cannot be comprehended by human reason alone. The second claim is that He reaches the eyes, the corresponding reason being stated to be that He is All-Aware, and being so, He knows that mankind stands in need of knowing Him without which there can be no spiritual life, so He Himself approaches man and reveals Himself to him. The two claims have thus been followed, in a perfect natural order, by two corresponding reasons. The reader should note what wise order governs the arrangement of the words of the Quran. They have not been put together at random, but each word has been put in the most appropriate place and is meant to fulfil a great purpose.
22:64; 67:15.
Absar being the plural of Basar which means, sight or understanding, and Latif meaning, incomprehensible; subtle (Lane & Taj), the verse means that human reason alone, unaided by Divine revelation, is incapable of comprehending God. He cannot be seen with physical eyes but reveals Himself to man through His Prophets or through the working of His attributes. He is also perceived by spiritual eyes.