ءَأَنتُمْ أَنزَلْتُمُوهُ مِنَ ٱلْمُزْنِ أَمْ نَحْنُ ٱلْمُنزِلُونَ 69
Translations
Is it you who brought it down from the clouds, or is it We who bring it down?
Transliteration
A-antum anzaltumuh min al-muzni am nahnu al-munzilun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah poses a rhetorical question to humanity, asking whether they themselves cause rain to descend from the clouds (al-muzn) or whether it is Allah who sends it down. The verse is part of a series of rhetorical challenges in Surah Al-Waqi'ah designed to awaken human consciousness to Allah's complete sovereignty over natural phenomena. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this ayah is a clear proof of divine power and human dependence, as no human possesses the ability to produce or control rainfall despite their scientific knowledge and technological advancement.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan period within Surah Al-Waqi'ah, which focuses on the inevitability of the Day of Judgment and the signs of Allah's power. The surah uses observable natural phenomena—water, fire, vegetation, and sustenance—as evidence of Allah's omnipotence. The broader context (verses 63-74) discusses the creation of water and vegetation as blessings from Allah, making this verse part of a continuous argument about divine grace and human powerlessness.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best supplication is the supplication for rain' (Tirmidhi). Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Bukhari mentions the Prophet's prayer for rain during drought, illustrating humanity's complete dependence on Allah's provision of water.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to recognize their absolute dependence on Allah for survival and sustenance, humbling the human spirit against arrogance and self-sufficiency. It reminds us that despite advances in meteorology and technology, humans remain powerless over fundamental natural processes, and true gratitude should be directed toward Allah as the sole Provider.
Related Ayahs
وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
And to Allāh belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and to Allāh is the destination.
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَرِثُ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَنْ عَلَيْهَا وَإِلَيْنَا يُرْجَعُونَ
Indeed, it is We who will inherit the earth and whoever is on it, and to Us they will be returned.
هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَٱدْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ ۗ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
He is the Ever-Living; there is no deity except Him, so call upon Him, [being] sincere to Him in religion. [All] praise is [due] to Allāh, Lord of the worlds.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَقَالُوا۟ لِإِخْوَٰنِهِمْ إِذَا ضَرَبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَوْ كَانُوا۟ غُزًّى لَّوْ كَانُوا۟ عِندَنَا مَا مَاتُوا۟ وَمَا قُتِلُوا۟ لِيَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ حَسْرَةً فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
O you who have believed, do not be like those who disbelieved and said about their brothers when they traveled through the land or went out to fight, "If they had been with us, they would not have died or have been killed," so Allāh makes that [misconception] a regret within their hearts. And it is Allāh who gives life and causes death, and Allāh is Seeing of what you do.