The Example of The Donkey

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اَوۡ كَالَّذِىۡ مَرَّ عَلٰى قَرۡيَةٍ وَّ هِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلٰى عُرُوۡشِهَا ​ۚ قَالَ اَنّٰى يُحۡىٖ هٰذِهِ اللّٰهُ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَا ​ۚ فَاَمَاتَهُ اللّٰهُ مِائَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهٗ ​ؕ قَالَ كَمۡ لَبِثۡتَ​ؕ قَالَ لَبِثۡتُ يَوۡمًا اَوۡ بَعۡضَ يَوۡمٍ​ؕ قَالَ بَلۡ لَّبِثۡتَ مِائَةَ عَامٍ فَانۡظُرۡ اِلٰى طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمۡ يَتَسَنَّهۡ​ۚ وَانْظُرۡ اِلٰى حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجۡعَلَكَ اٰيَةً لِّلنَّاسِ​ وَانْظُرۡ اِلَى الۡعِظَامِ كَيۡفَ نُـنۡشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكۡسُوۡهَا لَحۡمًا ​ؕ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهٗ ۙ قَالَ اَعۡلَمُ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدِيۡرٌ‏ ٢٥٩

Or take the one who passed by a ruined town. He said, ‘How will God give this life when it has died?’ So God made him die for a hundred years, and then raised him up, saying, ‘How long did you stay like that?’ He answered, ‘A day, or part of a day.’ God said, ‘No, you stayed like that for a hundred years. Look at your food and drink: they have not gone bad. Look at your donkey- We will make you a sign for the people- look at the bones: see how We bring them together and clothe them with flesh!’ When all became clear to him, he said, ‘Now I know that God has power over everything.’

[Al-Quran 2:259, Translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem]

This man was not only shown a sign, privately, but the ayah also states that: '... Look at your donkey- We will make you a sign for the people- look at the bones: see how We bring them together and clothe them with flesh! ...'

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وَّالۡخَـيۡلَ وَالۡبِغَالَ وَالۡحَمِيۡرَ لِتَرۡكَبُوۡهَا وَزِيۡنَةً​ ؕ وَيَخۡلُقُ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ‏ ٨

And (He created) horses, mules and donkeys, so that you may ride on them, and they may give you a good look. And He creates what you do not know (as yet).

[Al-Quran 16:8, Translation: T. Usmani]

Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى has provided us with countless comforts and beauty. Among them are donkeys. 

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وَاقۡصِدۡ فِىۡ مَشۡيِكَ وَاغۡضُضۡ مِنۡ صَوۡتِكَ​ؕ اِنَّ اَنۡكَرَ الۡاَصۡوَاتِ لَصَوۡتُ الۡحَمِيۡرِ‏ ١٩

اپنی رفتار میں میانہ روی اختیار کر، اور اپنی آواز پست کر یقیناً آوازوں میں سب سے بدتر آواز گدھوں کی آواز ہے

[Al-Quran 31:19, Translation: Maulana Muhammad Junagarhi]

In Surah Luqman, the famous physician of antiquity, is advising his son. Among the advices is the lowering of voice. He compares loud voices to the sound that donkeys make. Both human screams and donkey brays are in the range of 80 decibels or more. 

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مَثَلُ الَّذِيۡنَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوۡرٰٮةَ ثُمَّ لَمۡ يَحۡمِلُوۡهَا كَمَثَلِ الۡحِمَارِ يَحۡمِلُ اَسۡفَارًا​ ؕ بِئۡسَ مَثَلُ الۡقَوۡمِ الَّذِيۡنَ كَذَّبُوۡا بِاٰيٰتِ اللّٰهِ ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ لَا يَهۡدِى الۡقَوۡمَ الظّٰلِمِيۡنَ‏ ٥

جن لوگوں کو توراة کا حامل بنایا گیا تھا مگر انہوں نے اس کا بار نہ اُٹھایا، اُن کی مثال اُس گدھے کی سی ہے جس پر کتابیں لدی ہوئی ہوں۔ اِس سے بھی زیادہ بُری مثال ہےاُن لوگوں کی جنہوں نے اللہ کی آیات کو جُھٹلا دیا ہے۔ ایسے ظالموں کو اللہ ہدایت نہیں دیا کرتا

[Al-Quran 62:5, Translation: Tafheem e Qur'an - Syed Abu Ali Maududi]

The Bani Israel are under a ratified a covenant with Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى to observe its commandments, to live by it, and to make it known to all people and nations. Those who fail to carry the load of The Torah are being compared to donkeys who carry loads of books, but do not know or understand what is in it.  

Even worse is the example of the people who deny the signs of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى . 

Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى does not guide such who are prone to darkness (الظّٰلِمِيۡنَ).  

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كَاَنَّهُمۡ حُمُرٌ مُّسۡتَنۡفِرَةٌ ۙ‏ ٥٠

گویا وہ بدکے ہوئے جنگلی گدھے ہیں۔

[Al-Quran 74:50, Translation: (بیان القرآن (ڈاکٹر اسرار احمد)]

Surah alMudaaththir compares people who turn away from their reminder (The Scriptures) to frightened donkeys. It is typical of scared donkeys to move away a short distance before turning back to face it. We have a limited lifespan to harken to the Reminder before the certainty of death overtakes us, and we can no longer benefit from it.  

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اَلَمۡ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ اَنۡزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً ​ۚ فَاَخۡرَجۡنَا بِهٖ ثَمَرٰتٍ مُّخۡتَلِفًا اَلۡوَانُهَاؕ وَمِنَ الۡجِبَالِ جُدَدٌۢ بِيۡضٌ وَّحُمۡرٌ مُّخۡتَلِفٌ اَلۡوَانُهَا وَغَرَابِيۡبُ سُوۡدٌ‏ ٢٧

Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky with which We bring forth fruits of different colours? And in the mountains are streaks of varying shades of white, red, and raven black;

[Al-Quran 35:27, Translation: Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran]

In all instances of the triliteral root ḥā mīm rā (ح م ر), we find the word translated as donkey, except in Surah Fatir, where it is translated as the colour 'red'. Yes, the arabic word for the colour 'red' is 'أحمر' , which shares the same root. Considering that:

1. this ayah occurs in Surah Fatir, which literally means 'Separator' 
2. the first ayah mentions Allah as the Fatir (separator) of Skies and Earth
3. ayah 27 mentions the sending of water from the sky to the earth to bring forth fruits of different colours
4. then ayah 27 mentions mountains 
5. then white, then حُمۡرٌ of varying colours, and then black 
6. the next ayah draws attentions to the varying colours of humans, moving creatures, and cattle  

The donkey is an ideal animal for use in rugged terrains. They can carry loads, their legs are well-suited to rocky terrains, they need less food than horses, and so on. They are low-maintenance creatures. They also seem to have intelligence about danger, which makes them more suited for difficult terrains. Donkeys come in all shades. 

Is The Quran informing us of the origin of donkeys: that they have been created from mountains (وَمِنَ الۡجِبَالِ)?