أَمَّن يَهْدِيكُمْ فِى ظُلُمَـٰتِ ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ وَمَن يُرْسِلُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحَ بُشْرًۢا بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَحْمَتِهِۦٓ ۗ أَءِلَـٰهٌ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ تَعَـٰلَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ 63
Translations
Is He [not best] who guides you through the darknesses of the land and sea and who sends the winds as good tidings before His mercy? Is there a deity with Allāh? High is Allāh above whatever they associate with Him.
Transliteration
Amman yahdeekum fee zulumaat al-barri wa-al-bahri wa-man yursil al-riyaha bushran bayna yaday rahmatih? A-ilahun ma'a Allah? Ta'ala Allah 'amma yushrikun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rhetorically questions who guides travelers through the darknesses of land and sea, and who sends winds as glad tidings before His mercy (rain), highlighting Allah's exclusive divine attributes that no partner can share. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir interpret this as a powerful refutation of polytheism, as these magnificent acts of divine guidance and provision are exclusively Allah's domain, making the concept of associating partners with Him logically and spiritually absurd. The ayah concludes by exalting Allah above the shirk (association) that the disbelievers commit.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah An-Naml (a Meccan surah), which emphasizes Allah's signs and attributes throughout creation. It forms part of a series of rhetorical questions (27:60-65) that systematically refute polytheism by presenting examples of divine acts that only Allah controls, addressing the Meccan polytheists' denial of monotheism during the early Islamic period.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best remembrance is 'La ilaha illallah' (there is no deity except Allah)' (Sunan At-Tirmidhi 3383). This hadith reinforces the ayah's emphasis on Allah's exclusive divinity. Additionally, hadith collections document the Prophet's teachings about Allah's guidance and mercy in creation, supporting this ayah's thematic content.
Themes
Key Lesson
Recognizing Allah's exclusive control over the magnificent forces of nature—guidance, provision, and mercy—should strengthen our conviction in monotheism and inspire gratitude for His blessings. In our modern age, we should reflect on how scientific understanding of natural phenomena (navigation systems, meteorology, hydrology) ultimately points back to Allah's supreme wisdom, reinforcing our faith rather than diminishing it.