Ayah 70:
لينذر من كان حيّا ويحق القول على الكافرين
To warn whoever is alive and justify the word against the disbelievers.
Indhar| Word Analysis
It is to warn someone of the imminent danger they are in, and he is only doing it out of concern for them. His pbuhs job is to remind so that he may warn the one who is alive.
It sounds obvious. We don't remind dead people. It's not speaking about physically living, but spiritually living people. Those who still have some humanity in them. It will make a difference if you warn them because they will follow it, fearing Allaah in absence. This is just like in the introduction of Ya-Sin and (35, 22)
وما يستوي الأحياء ولا الأموات إن الله يسمع من يشاء وما أنت بمسمع من في القبور
And not equal are the living and the dead. Indeed, Allaah causes to hear whom He wills, but you cannot make hear those in the graves.
Somebody who has lost all decency and is covered with darkness, he cannot be made to hear. So his pbuhs job is only to warn those who have a living heart. The others will have their organs speak for their choices. They are building the case against themselves.
And al-qawl is the decision from Verse 7. This is for those who are ungrateful to Allaah, enjoying all the pleasures Allaah has given them, but not realizing the gratitude or obedience owed by them to Allaah.
Ayah 71:
Now, Allaah is reiterating the blessings and signs around people to instill gratefulness in them. Yet, what is their reaction and what will be its conclusion.
أولم يروا أنا خلقنا لهم مما عملت أيدينا أنعاما فهم لها مالكون
Do they not see that We have created for them from what Our hands have made, grazing livestock, and [then] they are their owners?
Have these people not seen, then thought about, then reflected and realized something profound from it?
There is an interesting sequence here which will be repeated. Allaah is attributing these blessings to Himself and He created it exclusively for them, as if for their benefit. For them to use, for them to enjoy. It is a facility he has provided for them. This is a powerful method of reminding people by means of reminding them of what He has done for them. This is a very natural way of convincing someone. When someone wants you to show them some level of respect and you are not showing it, they will mention all those things they have done for you. That is how our minds work. We need reminders of these things sometimes and it makes a difference for us.
Allaah is showing us the lengths to which He went to facilitate this for us - He made it with His own hands. He did it for us Himself jalla wa 'alaa. These verses are very similar to 33-35; Allaah mentioned that they did not make these things they enjoy with their own hands. The flipside of this argument is that Allaah has made it all for them from His own hands.
From amongst the things He has made are an'aaman - livestock (four-legged things). So many of our basic needs and necessities are fulfilled through these creatures. For example, (88, 17)
أفلا ينظرون إلى الإبل كيف خلقت
Then do they not look at the camels - how they are created?
Even when trying to make the human being realize to live up to the standard of being a human being, Allaah uses this comparison (7, 179)
ولقد ذرأنا لجهنم كثيرا من الجن والإنس لهم قلوب لا يفقهون بها ولهم أعين لا يبصرون بها ولهم آذان لا يسمعون بها أولئك كالأنعام بل هم أضل
أولئك هم الغافلون
And We have certainly created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do nor hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are heedless.
They are even more lost than livestock which brings benefit to others.
And then those human beings are exclusively in ownership of these animals. Allaah created these animals and then gave full ownership to us. But why discuss ownership?
Ayah 72:
وذللناها لهم فمنها ركوبهم ومنها يأكلون
And We have tamed them for them, so some of them they ride, and some of them they eat.
Dhalalnaahaa| Word Analysis
It comes from the opposite of 'izza - strength or the ability to dominate something or someone. Dhulal is to be helpless and completely at someone's mercy. These animals are at our mercy. We can tie them, herd them, milk them, eat them, ride them, etc. We can do whatever we need with them.
This requires reflection. Why is it a blessing? There are lots of creatures of Allaah, but not as much at our mercy as livestock. Others cannot be dominated and may even be sources of danger for us. These animals, however, meet our needs.
Some of them serve as transporation. Some of them are forms of nutrition, plentiful and endless supplies of food.
Ayah 73:
ولهم فيها منافع ومشارب أفلا يشكرون
And for them therein are [other] benefits and drinks, so will they not be grateful?
And exclusively for human beings, in these animals are benefits.
Manaafi'u| Word Analysis
This is a form of the plural which is exaggerated. There are lots and lots and lots of benefits from these animals. We use their skin and hide, their bones, their bodies themselves and what come from them.
Even our basic need of drink can be provided for by them!
Now finally, the culmination of all this should be that we are grateful. Yet, why aren't we?
Another example where Allaah uses the cow to invoke our gratitude (16, 66)
وإن لكم في الأنعام لعبرة نسقيكم مما في بطونه من بين فرث ودم لبنا خالصا سائغا للشاربين
And indeed for you in grazing livestock is a lesson. We give you drink from what is in their bellies - between excretion and blood - pure milk, palatable to drinkers.
This animal in and of itself is so fascinating. It is pure milk, but also very satisfying and nutritious for the human. This is in the conclusion of Ya-Sin. Allaah has spoken about risalah, tawhid, akhirah, and to invoke our gratitude for His blessings He points to what we take for granted.
Yashkurun| Word Analysis
It is in the present/future tense. Why don't they become grateful? Will they never become grateful? We will see these blessings constantly and make use of them repeatedly. Will we not realize at some time or another just this one blessing?
When they don't become grateful or realize, what is the outcome? What is the choice they have made? When somebody rejects such a basic argument it is almost as if stupidity manifests itself within him.
Ayah 74:
واتخذوا من دون الله آلهة لعلهم ينصرون
But they have taken besides Allaah [false] deities that perhaps they would be helped.
They have taken false objects of worship. They were obviously not grateful. They've then committed themselves to other things and paths.
Aalihah| Word Analysis
It is not just an idol. It is anything, any person or object that someone dedicates himself to and give priority to it over Allaah. It could be money, pleasure, an idea/notion/concept.
What is their motive? So that maybe, they hope, that this notion will help them. It will come to their aide and rescue when they find themselves in a difficlt situation.
Yet, that is not the reality.
