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
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].
وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُم بِٱلْأُنثَىٰ ظَلَّ وَجْهُهُۥ مُسْوَدًّا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ
And when one of them is informed of [the birth of] a female, his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief.
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ رِزْقًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ
And they worship besides Allāh that which does not possess for them [the power of] provision from the heavens and the earth at all, and [in fact], they are unable.
ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ أَنِ ٱتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ۖ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
Then We revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], to follow the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth; and he was not of those who associate with Allāh.