Transliteration:( Qaala Rabbunal lazeee a'taa kulla shai'in khalqahoo summa hadaa )
56. This means every animal has been given the image suitable for it. The elephant is given a short neck but a long trunk. A trunk is not given to a camel but instead a long neck. Or, it could mean everyone is given a suitable shape. The shape of the foot is different to the hand.Â
57. Provided the guidance of the world, gave him intelligence, showed him the guidance for the Hereafter, by sending the Prophets.
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The tafsir of Surah Ta-Ha verse 50 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Taha ayat 49 which provides the complete commentary from verse 49 through 52.
(20:50) He said: “Our Lord is He[22] Who gave everything its form and then guided it.”[23]
22. That is, we acknowledge Him alone as our Lord in every sense. He is our Sustainer, our Maker, our Master, our Sovereign and is Supreme in everything, and there is no other lord in any sense but Him.
23. This concise sentence needs serious attention. It means that it is Allah alone Who has created everything and given it its distinctive structure, form, capabilities, characteristics, etc.
(1) For instance, man has been given the hands and feet which are given the most appropriate structure that was needed for their right functioning.
(2) A human being, an animal, a plant, mineral and the like, air, water and light, everything has been given that particular form which was needed for its right functioning in the universe.
(3) Then He has guided everything aright to function properly. It is He Who has taught everything the way to fulfill that object for which it has been created. He has taught the ear to hear and the eye to see, the fish to swim and the bird to fly; the earth to grow vegetation and the tree to blossom and bear fruit. In short, He is not only the Creator of everything but also its Guide and Teacher.
Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) employed this concise and meaningful sentence to convey the message to Pharaoh and his people. He not only gave a suitable reply to Pharaoh as to who his Lord was, but also told him why He was his Lord, and how there was no other lord but God. The argument implied in it was this: As Pharaoh and every one of his subjects was obliged to Allah for his human form and could not live even for a moment without the functioning of the different parts of his body which were performing their functions in accordance with the guidance of Allah, so Pharaoh’s claim that he was the lord of the people was absurd, and its acknowledgment by his people that he was their lord, a folly.
Besides this, Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) also hinted at the need of Prophethood which was denied by Pharaoh. When Allah guides everything in the universe, He has also to fulfill the need of the guidance of mankind. Whereas the guidance of the animals and birds has been provided by instinct, the guidance of rational human beings has been provided by sending Messengers who appealed to them by rational arguments.
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