هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً ۖ لَّكُم مِّنْهُ شَرَابٌ وَمِنْهُ شَجَرٌ فِيهِ تُسِيمُونَ 10
Translations
It is He who sends down rain from the sky; from it is drink and from it is foliage in which you pasture [animals].
Transliteration
Huwa alladhī anzala mina as-samāʾi māʾan lakum minhu sharābun wa minhu shajarun fīhi tusīmūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes Allah as the One who sends down water from the sky, which serves dual purposes: it provides drinking water for humans and sustenance for livestock through vegetation. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize this as evidence of Allah's divine care and provision for all His creation, demonstrating His perfect wisdom in creating an integrated system of sustenance where water nourishes both humans directly and animals indirectly through plants.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within Surah An-Nahl, which focuses on the signs (ayāt) of Allah's creation and His favors upon humanity. The surah systematically presents evidence of divine oneness through natural phenomena. This particular ayah is part of a sequence highlighting water as a fundamental blessing, establishing the theme of recognizing Allah's signs in the natural world—a common Meccan theme addressing polytheists who were urged to reflect on creation.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best charity is water' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). Additionally, in Sahih Bukhari, the Prophet emphasized gratitude for provisions, stating: 'None of you believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself,' which extends to sharing sustenance that comes from Allah's bounty.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us to recognize Allah's continuous provision in everyday blessings like water and vegetation, cultivating gratitude and awareness of divine care. It also reminds us of our responsibility to manage these resources wisely and ensure their availability for both human consumption and animal welfare, as part of our stewardship (khalīfah) on earth.