وَٱللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُم مِّنۢ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ وَٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةَ ۙ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ 78
Translations
And Allāh has extracted you from the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing, and He made for you hearing and vision and hearts [i.e., intellect] that perhaps you would be grateful.
Transliteration
Wallahu akhrajkum min butooni ummahatikum la ta'lamoon shay'an wa ja'ala lakumussam'a wal-absara wal-af'idah la'allakum tashkuroon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphasizes Allah's grace in bringing humans into existence helpless and then bestowing upon them the faculties of hearing, sight, and intellect as means of acquiring knowledge and understanding. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note that these three faculties are fundamental tools for perceiving Divine signs (ayat) in creation and for spiritual development. The ayah concludes with an exhortation to gratitude, suggesting that recognizing these blessings and their divine origin is the proper human response.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah An-Nahl, which is a Meccan surah focused on Allah's signs and blessings in creation. The broader context discusses various Divine favors (nikam) bestowed upon humanity and animals, with this particular ayah introducing the theme of human sensory and intellectual faculties as evidence of Allah's benevolence and design.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who have the best manners (akhlaq)' (Sahih Bukhari), relating to the use of our faculties righteously. Additionally, in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet emphasized the importance of knowledge acquired through hearing and understanding.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that our abilities to perceive and understand the world—through hearing, sight, and reason—are sacred trusts from Allah deserving of gratitude and responsible use. We should employ these faculties to recognize Divine signs, seek beneficial knowledge, and conduct ourselves ethically, making gratitude not merely verbal but demonstrated through righteous action.
Related Ayahs
وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولًا أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى ٱللَّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةُ ۚ فَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allāh and avoid ṭāghūt." And among them were those whom Allāh guided, and among them were those upon whom error was [deservedly] decreed. So proceed [i.e., travel] through the earth and observe how was the end of the deniers.
وَأَقْسَمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ ۙ لَا يَبْعَثُ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَمُوتُ ۚ بَلَىٰ وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
And they swear by Allāh their strongest oaths [that] Allāh will not resurrect one who dies. But yes - [it is] a true promise [binding] upon Him, but most of the people do not know.
وَمَآ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ إِلَّا لِتُبَيِّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ ۙ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ
And We have not revealed to you the Book, [O Muḥammad], except for you to make clear to them that wherein they have differed and as guidance and mercy for a people who believe.
۞ يَوْمَ تَأْتِى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ تُجَـٰدِلُ عَن نَّفْسِهَا وَتُوَفَّىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
On the Day when every soul will come disputing [i.e., pleading] for itself, and every soul will be fully compensated for what it did, and they will not be wronged [i.e., treated unjustly].