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
هُنَالِكَ ٱلْوَلَـٰيَةُ لِلَّهِ ٱلْحَقِّ ۚ هُوَ خَيْرٌ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ عُقْبًا
There the authority is [completely] for Allāh, the Truth. He is best in reward and best in outcome.
يَوْمَ لَا تَمْلِكُ نَفْسٌ لِّنَفْسٍ شَيْـًٔا ۖ وَٱلْأَمْرُ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلَّهِ
It is the Day when a soul will not possess for another soul [power to do] a thing; and the command, that Day, is [entirely] with Allāh.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَقَالُوا۟ لِإِخْوَٰنِهِمْ إِذَا ضَرَبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَوْ كَانُوا۟ غُزًّى لَّوْ كَانُوا۟ عِندَنَا مَا مَاتُوا۟ وَمَا قُتِلُوا۟ لِيَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ حَسْرَةً فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
O you who have believed, do not be like those who disbelieved and said about their brothers when they traveled through the land or went out to fight, "If they had been with us, they would not have died or have been killed," so Allāh makes that [misconception] a regret within their hearts. And it is Allāh who gives life and causes death, and Allāh is Seeing of what you do.
وَلَهُ ٱلْحَمْدُ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَعَشِيًّا وَحِينَ تُظْهِرُونَ
And to Him is [due all] praise throughout the heavens and the earth. And [exalted is He] at night and when you are at noon.