Surah Al-Infitaar: Verse 8 - في أي صورة ما شاء... - English

In whatever Form He wills, does He put thee together. (8)

فِي أَيِّ صُورَ‌ةٍ مَّا شَاءَ رَ‌كَّبَكَ (He composed you in whichever form He willed....82:8). This is to indicate that since the basic structure of all human beings is the same, it was expected that the zillions of members of the human society would have shared the same shape, size and features, but the perfect mastery and the wonderful acumen of the Supreme Creator has created them so differently that each one of them has its own unique features that make him clearly distinct from all others, and no one is confused with another.

Having stated the creative acumen of the Great Creator, the verse states: يَا أَيُّهَا الْإِنسَانُ مَا غَرَّ‌كَ بِرَ‌بِّكَ الْكَرِ‌يمِ (0 man! What has deceived you about your Gracious Lord,...82:6). Allah has endowed man with such natural faculties and abilities that every limb and every joint of his body was enough to remind him of His Creator, and to make him obedient. But he is lured away from his gracious Lord, has forgotten Him and disobeyed Him. The question is: How did he forget his Lord, how did he become heedless of Him, and how is he lured away from his Lord? On this occasion, the adjective karim (Gracious) used for the 'Lord' points to the answer. The reason for such an ungrateful attitude is that Allah is Gracious and does not punish man immediately after his committing a sin. Rather, his sustenance, welfare and well-being, and worldly comforts [ and pleasures ] are not curtailed. He misinterprets Allah's magnanimity, and thus falls into deception. If man were to think rationally, he would adopt a grateful attitude and obedient behaviour, rather than adopting an ungrateful attitude and impudent behaviour. Sayyidna Hasan Al-Basri (رح) says:

کم من مغرور تحت السّتر و ھو لا یشعر

'How many humans are there whose faults are put [ by Allah ] under cover, (i.e. He did not disgrace them), yet they do not appreciate (and are deluded by His grace.'

(8)