95:3-8
95:3
And this City of security, –
In pre-Islamic Arabia, Makkah was considered a refuge where no fighting was permitted (see the introduction to Sūrah 105); thus, it was a secure land or a land made safe. This is echoed in 29:67: “Or have they not considered that We have made a secure sanctuary while people are snatched away all around them?” Some scholars interpret the fig and the olive (v. 1) as referring to Jerusalem, the place where Jesus was sent, Mount Sinai as the location where God spoke to Moses, and the “land made safe” as the place where the Prophet Muhammad was sent (IK).
95:4
We have indeed created man in the best of moulds,
This verse begins the response to the oath taken in verses 1–3 and is one of the most emphatic affirmations of humanity’s exalted status, before which the angels were commanded, “Prostrate unto Adam” (2:34; 7:11; 17:61; 18:50; 20:116). Although humans are made of clay, God declares in 38:72, “I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My Spirit.” In this context, “man” refers to all of humanity, both male and female, believers and disbelievers alike. The term taqwīm, translated as “stature,” is a verbal noun from the verb qawwama, meaning “to raise, shape, form, or arrange.” It is understood here to signify something that has achieved its true nature through harmony and balance (R). An indication of this stature is that humans stand upright, unlike all other creatures, whose faces are stooped (67:22; Āl, Q, R, Sh, Ṭ). However, the most beautiful stature is not merely about physical form, as the physical body also symbolizes “inner comportment.” Humans are regarded as “the best of God’s creation both outwardly and inwardly” (Q), as expressed in the famous ḥadīth qudsī, “Truly, God created Adam in His image” (Āl, Q, Sh; cf. Genesis 1:27). This ḥadīth is interpreted to mean that humans are endowed with Divine Attributes such as life, knowledge, power, will, speech, hearing, and sight—attributes most commonly used in Islamic theology to describe God. These Divine Attributes are reflected in human beings (Q). Humans can manifest all Divine Names and Qualities, whereas other creatures can only manifest a limited range of them (see 2:31c). “For this reason, the philosophers say that man is a microcosm, as all that makes up created entities is gathered within him” (Q). Verses like 30:8 and 51:21 encourage humans to reflect on their exalted status and live in alignment with it. When verses 1–3 are understood as referring to the locations of revelation, the notion that humans are created in the most beautiful stature can be seen as a reference to their inherent ability to receive and reflect revelation.
95:5
then do We abase him (to be) the lowest of the low,
This verse should be read with the next. If man rebels against Allah, and follows after evil, he will be abased to the lowest possible position. For Judgment is sure. Those who use their faculties aright and follow Allah’s Law will reach the high and noble destiny intended for them. That reward will not be temporary, but unfailing.
95:6
Except such as believe and do righteous deeds: For they shall have a reward unfailing.
95:7
Then what can, after this, contradict thee, as to the judgment (to come)?
95:8
Is not Allah the wisest of judges?