Surah 43:12
Show Full Scripture Context (43:9-14) — 6 Verses
وَلَئِن سَأَلۡتَهُم مَّنۡ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ خَلَقَهُنَّ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ
If indeed you ask them, ‘Who created the heavens and the earth?,’ they will indeed say, ‘The Mighty, the Knowing created them.’
ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ مَهۡدٗا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمۡ فِيهَا سُبُلٗا لَّعَلَّكُمۡ تَهۡتَدُونَ
(It is He) who made the earth as a cradle for you, and made (path)ways in it for you, so that you might be guided,
وَٱلَّذِي نَزَّلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءَۢ بِقَدَرٖ فَأَنشَرۡنَا بِهِۦ بَلۡدَةٗ مَّيۡتٗاۚ كَذَٰلِكَ تُخۡرَجُونَ
and (it is He) who sends down water from the sky in measure – and by means of it We give some barren land life, and in this way you (too) will be brought forth –
وَٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلۡأَزۡوَٰجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡفُلۡكِ وَٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ مَا تَرۡكَبُونَ
and (it is He) who created the pairs, all of them, and made for you what you ride on from the ship(s) and the livestock,
لِتَسۡتَوُۥاْ عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِۦ ثُمَّ تَذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَةَ رَبِّكُمۡ إِذَا ٱسۡتَوَيۡتُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ وَتَقُولُواْ سُبۡحَٰنَ ٱلَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُۥ مُقۡرِنِينَ
so that you may mount their backs, (and) then remember the blessing of your Lord when you are mounted upon them, and say, ‘Glory to the One who has subjected this to us, when we (ourselves) were not fit for it.
وَإِنَّآ إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا لَمُنقَلِبُونَ
Surely we are indeed going to return to our Lord.’
Allah says: If you, O Muhammad, were to ask these idolaters who associate others with Allah and worship others besides Him,
In other words, they will admit that the Creator of all that is Allah Alone, with no partner or associate, yet they still worship others - idols and false gods - alongside Him.
{Who has made for you the earth like a bed,} means, smooth, stable and firm, so that you can travel about in it, and stand on it and sleep and walk about, even though it is created above water, but He has strengthened it with the mountains, lest it should shake.
{and has made for you roads therein,} means, paths between the mountains and the valleys.
{in order that you may find your way.} means, in your journeys from city to city, region to region, land to land.
means, according to what is sufficient for your crops, fruits and drinking water for yourselves and your cattle.
{then We revive a dead land therewith,} means, a barren land, for when the water comes to it, it is stirred (to life), and it swells and puts forth every lovely kind (of growth). By referring to the revival of the earth, Allah draws attention to how He will bring bodies back to life on the Day of Resurrection, after they have been dead.
Then Allah says:
{And Who has created all the pairs} meaning, of everything that grows in the earth, all kinds of plants, crops, fruits, flowers, etc., and all different kinds of animals.
{and has appointed for you ships} or vessels,
{and cattle on which you ride.} means, He has subjugated them to you and made it easy for you to eat their meat, drink their milk and ride on their backs. Allah says:
{In order that you may mount on their backs,} meaning, sit comfortably and securely,
{on their backs} means, on the backs of these kinds of animals.
{and then may remember the favor of your Lord} means, whereby these animals are subjugated to you.
means, if it were not for the fact that Allah has subjugated these things to us, we could never have done this by our own strength.' Ibn 'Abbas, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd said: "We could not have done this ourselves.
means, 'We will return to Him after our death, and our ultimate destination is with Him.' In this Ayah, mention of earthly journeys draws attention to the journey of the Hereafter, just as elsewhere, mention of earthly provision draws attention to the importance of ensuring provision for the Hereafter, as Allah says:
{And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is the Taqwa} (2:197).
And mention of earthly garments is also used to draw attention to the raiment of the Hereafter:
{and as an adornment; and the raiment of the Taqwa, that is better} (7:26).
— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 8, Page 622-623)