فَٱلْمُقَسِّمَـٰتِ أَمْرًا 4
Translations
And the [angels] apportioning [each] matter,
Transliteration
Fal-muqassimāti amrā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the angels who distribute divine commands and provisions among creation. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir interpret 'al-muqassimāt' (those who distribute/divide) as the angels assigned to apportion sustenance, blessings, and divine decree to all of Allah's creation. The ayah emphasizes Allah's perfect management of all affairs through His appointed celestial servants, affirming divine wisdom and providential care.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Adh-Dhariyat's opening oaths (51:1-4), where Allah swears by various celestial phenomena and angelic functions to establish the certainty of the Day of Judgment. The surah was revealed in Mecca to strengthen the believers' conviction in divine governance and resurrection during a period of Meccan opposition to the message.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'The angels are distributed in the heaven; they know how many are the inhabitants of the heavens, and they know how many sustenance you receive' (related to angelic distribution of provision). Also relevant: 'For every day, two angels descend to distribute the deeds of the children of Adam' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that behind the apparent functioning of the universe lies a divine order administered by Allah's angels, encouraging trust in Allah's providence even when we cannot perceive the unseen workings of His plan. We should recognize that our sustenance, circumstances, and life events are precisely distributed by Allah's wisdom through means both seen and unseen.