وَكَأَيِّن مِّن دَآبَّةٍ لَّا تَحْمِلُ رِزْقَهَا ٱللَّهُ يَرْزُقُهَا وَإِيَّاكُمْ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ 60
Translations
And how many a creature carries not its [own] provision. Allāh provides for it and for you. And He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
Transliteration
Wa-ka-ayyin min dabbatin la tahmilurizqaha allahu yarzuquha wa-iyyakum wa-huwa al-sameeul aleem
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah provides sustenance for countless creatures on earth that cannot store or carry their own provisions, and He similarly provides for humanity. Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this demonstrates Allah's complete control over rizq (provision) and His infinite mercy toward all creation, serving as reassurance to believers not to be anxious about their sustenance but to trust in divine providence.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Mecca during a period when early Muslims faced economic hardship and persecution. The surah contextually addresses trials of faith, and this ayah appears within a passage encouraging believers to trust Allah and not to despair, using the observable reality of how Allah sustains animals as evidence of His providential care for humans.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'If you trust Allah with true reliance, He will provide for you just as he provides for the birds. They go out hungry in the morning and return full in the evening' (Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2344). Also related: 'Provision is guaranteed; so do not kill yourselves seeking it' (Musnad Ahmad).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that excessive anxiety about provision contradicts trust in Allah's wisdom and care, and that just as Allah sustains all creatures without their effort to earn, believers should focus on obedience and lawful effort while entrusting outcomes to the All-Knowing Provider.