Surah Az Zumar Notes (6-7)

Source: Ibn Kathir

(6) He created you (all) from a single person (Adam); then made from him his wife [Hawwa' (Eve)]. And He has sent down for you of cattle eight pairs (of the sheep, two, male and female; of the goats, two, male and female; of the oxen, two, male and female; and of the camels, two, male and female). He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation in three veils of darkness, such is Allah your Lord. His is the kingdom, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). How then are you turned away?

(He created you (all) from a single person;) means, He created you, with all your varied races, types, languages and colors, from a single soul, who was Adam, peace be upon him.

(then made from him his wife.) who was Hawwa', peace be upon her. This is like the Ayah:

(O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord, Who created you from a single person, and from him He created his wife, and from them both He created many men and women) (4:1).

(And He has sent down for you of cattle eight pairs.) means, He has created for you from among the cattles, eight pairs. These are the ones that are mentioned in Surat Al-An`am, eight kinds -- a pair of sheep, a pair of goats, a pair of camels and a pair of oxen.

(He creates you in the wombs of your mothers,) means, He forms you in your mothers' wombs.

(creation after creation). Everyone of you is originally a Nutfah, then he becomes an `Alaqah, then he becomes a Mudghah, then he is created and becomes flesh and bones and nerves and veins, and the Ruh 

(soul) is breathed into him, and he becomes another type of creation.

(So Blessed is Allah, the Best of creators) (23:14).

(in three veils of darkness) means, in the darkness of the womb, the darkness of the placenta which blankets and protects the child, and the darkness of the belly. This was the view of Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Abu Malik, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd.

(Such is Allah your Lord.) means, the One Who created the heavens and the earth and everything in between, and created you and your forefathers, is the Lord. To Him belong sovereignty and control over all of that.

(La ilaha illa Huwa.) means, no one else should be worshipped except Him alone with no partner or associate.

(How then are you turned away) means, how can you worship anything besides Him What has happened to your minds

Allah hates Disbelief and is pleased with Gratitude

(7) If you disbelieve, then verily, Allah is not in need of you, He likes not disbelief for His slaves. And if you are grateful (by being believers), He is pleased therewith for you. No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, so He will inform you what you used to do. Verily, He is the All-Knower of that which is in (men's) breasts.

Allah tells us that He is Independent and has no need of anything in creation. This is like the Ayah in which Musa, peace be upon him, says:

("If you disbelieve, you and all on earth together, then verily, Allah is Rich, Owner of all praise.'') (14:8). 

In Sahih Muslim, it says: ("O My servants, if the first and the last of you, men and Jinn alike, were all to be as evil as the most evil man among you, that would not diminish from My sovereignty in the least.'')

(He likes not disbelief for His servants.) means, He does not like it and He does not enjoin it.

(And if you are grateful, He is pleased therewith for you.) means: He likes this for you and He will increase His favor upon you.

(No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another. ) means, no person can bear anything for another; each person will be asked about his own affairs.

(Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you what you used to do. Verily, He is the All-Knower of that which is in breasts.) means, nothing whatsoever is hidden from Him.