What is the interpretation of Qu'ran 35:45 "...if Allah were to impose blame on the people for what they have earned..."?

Question

And if Allah were to impose blame on the people for what they have earned, He would not leave upon the earth any creature. But He defers them for a specified term. And when their time comes, then indeed Allah has ever been, of His servants, Seeing.
_{Qu'ran 35:45}

What is the meaning of this ayah? Does it mean that all creatures including animals commit sins that are so grave that they deserve to be eternal inhabitant of hell or the death penalty if it wasn't for the mercy of Allah? Does this include our beloved prophet Muhammad s.a.w.s? If Allah were to punish men according to what they deserve He would not leave on the back of the (earth) a single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated Term: when their Term expires verily Allah has in his sight all His servants.

Answer 1

This does not imply that all people and animals commit major sins, since the context is specifically about disbelievers.

It is also not necessary for every victim of divine punishment (in this world) to be guilty of the crime, see for example 8:25 and this and this hadith. Rather تعذيب العامة also includes those who kept silent or did not migrate from the place of wrongdoing, and it includes those who were innocent but suffered as a trial rather than punishment.

As for not leaving any دابة (creature) alive, the exegetes have given at least two interpretations:

• That it means that even creatures would have been killed because of the sins of mankind. For example at the time of the flood of Noah, the creatures were wiped out save those who in the ark. Similarly when a drought occurs animals and plants too are affected.

• It simply means the disbelievers among the people.

References:

• قرأ ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه، {ولو يؤاخذ الله الناس بما كسبوا ما ترك على ظهرها من دابة ولكن يؤخرهم} [فاطر: 45] الآية. قال: كاد الجعل يعذب في جحره بذنب ابن آدم

  Ibn Mas'ud recited: {And if Allah were to impose blame on the people for what they have earned, He would not leave upon the earth any creature. But He defers them for a specified term} And said: The beetle may be tormented within its hole for the sin of the son of Adam.

  ^{— المستدرك على الصحيحين}

• تفسير القرطبي

Answer 2

first of all i am sorry my English is week (if Allah were to) is for something impossible ... when using were in English is for something that impossible if i my English's teacher is Honest but in Arabic the ayah say ولو that mean main clauses will not happen because the if clause is not exist here the if clauses is (Allah were to impose blame on the people for what they have earned) and that is not existing so that the main clauses will not happen and the mean clause here is (He would not leave upon the earth any creature) this something i want to make it clean first second you say (Does it mean that all creatures including animals commit sins that are so grave that they deserve to be eternal inhabitant of hell or the death penalty if it wasn't for the mercy of Allah?) i want to pay attention to something this ayah is come sequence to prove the God's power continue to the The previous verse sorry for the long introduction but the two Previous point must be known before talk about the meaning of the ayah you said (that all creatures including animals commit sins) the animal can not say about his action it's sins or not because it's not come to it a messenger to tell what to do and what not because the mean of the ayah is god impose blame on the people he will kill every thing even the animal and that happen in Noah's story Sinister sins is come in every thing in the earth it is clear in Surat alroom ayah 41 if when the man make a sin god impose blame on him the earth will not be on it any thing no animal no people no thing at all because our sins is a lot but that will not happen because He defers them for a specified term even prophet Muhammad if god want to kill him he will do >> god can do any thing and i said pay attention to something this ayah is come sequence to prove the God's power continue to the The previous verse and to do not be confuse about god can kill prophet Muhammad remember the ayah in surt Al-Maaida ayah 17 when Christians said that The messiah is the god the god say (Say whoever has something from God if he wants to perish The messiah and his mother and Who is all on earth) and that not to reduction Glorification of prophet Muhammad or the messiah but this to prove the power of the god so that he say in the end of alMaaida's ayah (and the king of the the heavens and the earth belongs to the god