وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَةَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ 18
Translations
And if you should count the favors of Allāh, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
Transliteration
Wa-in ta'uddū ni'mata Allāhi lā tuḥṣūhā, inna Allāha laghafūrun raḥīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphasizes the countless and immeasurable blessings (ni'am) that Allah has bestowed upon humanity, which are beyond human capacity to enumerate or fully comprehend. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi explain that this verse invokes gratitude and humility, reminding believers that divine blessings encompass physical sustenance, intellectual faculties, spiritual guidance, and protection—all of which surpass enumeration. The concluding phrase 'Indeed, Allah is Most Forgiving and Most Merciful' provides reassurance that despite human inability to adequately thank Allah for His blessings, His forgiveness and mercy remain boundless.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah An-Nahl (Meccan surah), which extensively discusses divine signs and blessings in creation. The broader context addresses the ingratitude of disbelievers and idolaters who fail to recognize Allah's favors, positioning this verse as a call to reflection on the obvious yet often overlooked blessings permeating human existence.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Tirmidhi). Thematically related: 'Whoever is grateful, he is grateful for [the benefit of] himself; and whoever is ungrateful, then indeed, my Lord is Free of need and Generous' (27:40)—emphasizing gratitude for blessings.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to cultivate mindfulness of Allah's boundless blessings in daily life, recognizing that complete gratitude is impossible yet sincere attempts at thankfulness are spiritually elevating. It offers comfort that divine mercy encompasses our inevitable shortcomings in acknowledging these blessings.
Related Ayahs
بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَٱلزُّبُرِ ۗ وَأَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ٱلذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
[We sent them] with clear proofs and written ordinances. And We revealed to you the message [i.e., the Qur’ān] that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them and that they might give thought.
فَأَصَابَهُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتُ مَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ
So they were struck by the evil consequences of what they did and were enveloped by what they used to ridicule.
ٱدْعُ إِلَىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِٱلْحِكْمَةِ وَٱلْمَوْعِظَةِ ٱلْحَسَنَةِ ۖ وَجَـٰدِلْهُم بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ ۖ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ
Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided.
هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً ۖ لَّكُم مِّنْهُ شَرَابٌ وَمِنْهُ شَجَرٌ فِيهِ تُسِيمُونَ
It is He who sends down rain from the sky; from it is drink and from it is foliage in which you pasture [animals].