A067
Surah: 036 - Ayah: 067
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36:67
In the verse (36:67) God says: "And had We willed, We verily could have transformed them in their place, making them powerless to go forward or turn back". By their place is meant the human body, shape and form; by transformation (maskh) is meant the change of human soul Into an animal; not to be able to walk is not to be able to progress and not to be able to return, means not to be able to repent. Thus the meaning of maskh of a person is that his soul, from the eminence of humanity, has fallen down to the baseness of animality and he can neither progress morally and spiritually, nor can he return to the presence of God.
Q402 It is mentioned in verse (36:67): “And had We willed, We verily could have transmuted (masakhna) them in their place, then they would not be able to go forward or turn back.” What is transmutation (maskh)? Why and how does God transmute a person?
A402
- Transmutation or maskh means to be transformed from a beautiful form into an ugly one, such as the human form into a monkey or any other animal.
- This maskh is not physical rather it is spiritual. That is, when a human being becomes bereft of religious virtues due to disobedience, the soul of a mean animal begins to live in him.
- Such a soul is according to his mean habits, whereas animals by nature have different habits.
This verse has been referred 3 times.