يَسْـَٔلُهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِى شَأْنٍ 29
Translations
Whoever is within the heavens and earth asks Him; every day He is in [i.e., bringing about] a matter.
Transliteration
Yas'aluhu man fi as-samawati wa-al-ardi. Kulla yawmin huwa fi sha'nin.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that all creatures in the heavens and earth constantly beseech Allah for their needs—sustenance, protection, guidance, and other necessities. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that 'Kulla yawmin huwa fi sha'nin' (Every day He is in a state of affairs/engaged in some matter) signifies Allah's continuous divine action and management of creation, such as answering prayers, sustaining life, decreeing events, and managing the affairs of the universe, demonstrating His absolute sovereignty and providential care.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Ar-Rahman (Medinan), a surah dedicated to enumerating the blessings and attributes of Allah (Ar-Rahman - The Beneficent). The broader context emphasizes Allah's mercy through creation, sustenance, and governance. There is no specific asbab al-nuzul recorded, but the ayah fits the surah's theme of reflecting on divine attributes and Allah's continuous care for all creation.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, 'Your Lord is more merciful than a mother is to her child' (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 5652), which relates to the theme of Allah's constant attention to His creation's needs. Additionally, 'Every day He is in a state of affairs' connects to the hadith about Allah's continuous actions in managing creation (Jami' at-Tirmidhi and other sources).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that Allah is continuously engaged in the affairs of His creation and hears the supplications of all creatures, encouraging constant reliance on Him through prayer and trust in His wisdom. It instills humility and gratitude, as it underscores human dependency on divine providence and the futility of placing ultimate trust in anything other than Allah.
Related Ayahs
وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْغَنِىُّ ذُو ٱلرَّحْمَةِ ۚ إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفْ مِنۢ بَعْدِكُم مَّا يَشَآءُ كَمَآ أَنشَأَكُم مِّن ذُرِّيَّةِ قَوْمٍ ءَاخَرِينَ
And your Lord is the Free of need, the possessor of mercy. If He wills, He can do away with you and give succession after you to whomever He wills, just as He produced you from the descendants of another people.
لَهُۥ مَقَالِيدُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. He extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]. Indeed He is, of all things, Knowing.
خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا مَا دَامَتِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتُ وَٱلْأَرْضُ إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ رَبُّكَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ
[They will be] abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except what your Lord should will. Indeed, your Lord is an effecter of what He intends.
فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَقُلْ حَسْبِىَ ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ ۖ وَهُوَ رَبُّ ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
But if they turn away, [O Muḥammad], say, "Sufficient for me is Allāh; there is no deity except Him. On Him I have relied, and He is the Lord of the Great Throne."