Surah 16

Surah 16:7

"They carry your loads to a land you would (otherwise) not reach without exhausting yourselves. Surely your Lord is indeed kind, compassionate."
The immense blessings in Cattle and Other Animals Verses 16:5-7
Show Full Scripture Context (16:5-7) — 3 Verses
Verse 5

وَٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمَ خَلَقَهَاۖ لَكُمۡ فِيهَا دِفۡءٞ وَمَنَٰفِعُ وَمِنۡهَا تَأۡكُلُونَ

And the cattle – He created them for you. (There is) warmth in them and (other) benefits, and from them you eat.

Verse 6

وَلَكُمۡ فِيهَا جَمَالٌ حِينَ تُرِيحُونَ وَحِينَ تَسۡرَحُونَ

And (there is) beauty in them for you, when you bring them in and when you lead them out.

Verse 7

وَتَحۡمِلُ أَثۡقَالَكُمۡ إِلَىٰ بَلَدٖ لَّمۡ تَكُونُواْ بَٰلِغِيهِ إِلَّا بِشِقِّ ٱلۡأَنفُسِۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكُمۡ لَرَءُوفٞ رَّحِيمٞ

They carry your loads to a land you would (otherwise) not reach without exhausting yourselves. Surely your Lord is indeed kind, compassionate.

Quoted Scripture
"5. And the cattle, He has created them for you; in them there is warmth (warm clothing), and numerous benefits, and you eat from them."

"6. And there is beauty in them for you, when you bring them home in the evening, and as you lead them forth to pasture (in the morning)."

"7. And they carry your loads to a land that you could not reach except with souls half-ruined. Truly, your Lord is full of kindness, Most Merciful."

Allah reminds His servants of the blessing of the An'am (cattle) and other such animals, which He has created for them. Among the many benefits they gain from them is clothing and furnishings made from their wool and hair. There are numerous other benefits, such as the milk they produce and the offspring they generate. We can also eat them if we slaughter them in a lawful manner. He also mentioned that there is beauty in them:

{when you bring them home in the evening} i.e., when they come back from the pasture in the evening.

Quoted Scripture
"and as you lead them forth to pasture (in the morning)."

i.e., when you take them out in the morning to the pasture. Thus they are an adornment to mankind, as well as providing him with food and clothing. And they can also be used as mounts, and to carry loads, to whichever city or region one may wish to travel. They carry heavy loads which a person could not possibly carry himself. Thus Allah says,

Quoted Scripture
"And they carry your loads to a land that you could not reach except with souls half-ruined."

Thus people use animals for all kinds of purposes, for riding and for carrying loads, as Allah says:

{And verily, there is indeed a lesson for you in the An'am (cattle). We give you to drink (milk) of that which is in their bellies. And there are numerous (other) benefits in them for you. Of them you eat, and on them and on ships you are carried.} (23:21-22)

{Allah, it is He Who has made cattle for you, so that some you may ride, and some you may eat. And you find (many other) benefits in them; you may reach by their means a desire that is in your breasts (i.e. carry your goods, loads), and on them and on ships you are carried. And He shows you His Ayat. Which, then of the Ayat of Allah do you deny?} (40:79-81).

Thus here Allah says, after enumerating these blessings,

Quoted Scripture
"Truly, your Lord is full of kindness, Most Merciful."

meaning, your Lord is the One Who has subjugated the An'am (cattle) to you. This is like the Ayat:

{Do they not see, that of what Our Hands have created, We created the An'am (cattle) for them, so that they may own them, and We subdued them so that they may ride some and they may eat some.} (36:71-72).

{And He made mounts for you out of ships and cattle. In order that you may ride on their backs, and may then remember the favor of your Lord when you mount upon them, and say: "Glory be to the One Who subjected this to us, and we could never have it (by our efforts). And verily, to Our Lord we indeed are to return!"} (43:12-14)

Ibn 'Abbas said,

{In them there is warmth} refers to clothing;

{and numerous benefits} refers to the ways in which they derive the benefits of food and drink from them."

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.