أَمَّن يُجِيبُ ٱلْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ ٱلسُّوٓءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَآءَ ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ أَءِلَـٰهٌ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ 62
Translations
Is He [not best] who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allāh? Little do you remember.
Transliteration
Amman yujeebu al-mudtarra iza da'ahu wa yakshifu as-su'a wa yaj'alukum khulafa'a al-ard. A ilahun ma'a Allah. Qalilan ma tathakkarun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah presents a rhetorical argument establishing Allah's unique divine attributes by asking: who responds to the distressed caller, removes harm, and grants you stewardship of the earth except Allah alone? Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir note this serves as a logical proof (dalil) against polytheism, emphasizing that these attributes of responding to supplication, removing afflictions, and granting authority belong exclusively to Allah. The concluding phrase 'how little you remember' expresses dismay at humanity's negligence in recognizing these signs despite their obviousness.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah An-Naml's broader Meccan context, which focuses on refuting polytheism and establishing monotheism through rational arguments and natural signs. The surah employs rhetorical questions throughout to convince the disbelievers of Allah's uniqueness, and this particular verse fits the pattern of presenting undeniable attributes only Allah possesses.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The supplication (du'a) is the most noble act of worship' (Tirmidhi). Also relevant: 'When one of you is in distress and calls upon Allah, He responds' - a principle affirmed in numerous hadiths about the power of sincere supplication.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that Allah alone deserves worship because He alone answers the desperate cries of His servants and relieves their suffering—a direct, personal relationship accessible to every believer. Modern readers should reflect on their own moments of distress and recognize them as opportunities to affirm tawhid and strengthen their reliance on Allah alone, rather than seeking help from false gods or idols of the contemporary world.
Related Ayahs
وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحْيَا
And that it is He who causes death and gives life
قُلْ أَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ أَتَّخِذُ وَلِيًّا فَاطِرِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ يُطْعِمُ وَلَا يُطْعَمُ ۗ قُلْ إِنِّىٓ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ ۖ وَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
Say, "Is it other than Allāh I should take as a protector, Creator of the heavens and earth, while it is He who feeds and is not fed?" Say, [O Muḥammad], "Indeed, I have been commanded to be the first [among you] who submit [to Allāh] and [was commanded], 'Do not ever be of the polytheists."
ضَرَبَ لَكُم مَّثَلًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ هَل لَّكُم مِّن مَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُكُم مِّن شُرَكَآءَ فِى مَا رَزَقْنَـٰكُمْ فَأَنتُمْ فِيهِ سَوَآءٌ تَخَافُونَهُمْ كَخِيفَتِكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
He presents to you an example from yourselves. Do you have among those whom your right hands possess [i.e., slaves] any partners in what We have provided for you so that you are equal therein [and] would fear them as your fear of one another [within a partnership]? Thus do We detail the verses for a people who use reason.
وَقَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَلَدًا
And they say, "The Most Merciful has taken [for Himself] a son."