أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّا نَسُوقُ ٱلْمَآءَ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلْجُرُزِ فَنُخْرِجُ بِهِۦ زَرْعًا تَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ أَنْعَـٰمُهُمْ وَأَنفُسُهُمْ ۖ أَفَلَا يُبْصِرُونَ 27
Translations
Have they not seen that We drive water [in clouds] to barren land and bring forth thereby crops from which their livestock eat and [they] themselves? Then do they not see?
Transliteration
Awalam yaraw anna nasuqu al-maa ila al-ardi al-juruz fa nukhrihu bihi zar'an ta'kulu minhu an'amuhum wa anfusuhum a fa la yubsiroon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah challenges the disbelievers to observe the clear sign of Allah's power: He sends water to barren land and brings forth vegetation from it that sustains both their livestock and themselves. Ibn Kathir emphasizes this as evidence of Allah's creative power and mercy, while Al-Tabari notes that the ayah serves as an invitation to reflection on the cycle of life dependent entirely on divine provision. The rhetorical question 'Do they not see?' underscores that these signs are manifest and undeniable, yet many choose not to perceive them.
Revelation Context
As-Sajdah is a Meccan surah focused on refuting disbelief and establishing monotheism through observable natural phenomena. This ayah appears within a section (32:26-27) addressing the stubbornness of those who reject faith despite clear signs. The context is an argument for divine oneness through the testimony of creation itself.
Related Hadiths
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The best charity is water' (Tirmidhi), reflecting the precious nature of water in sustaining life. Additionally, the Quran states 'And We send down blessed water from the sky, then We produce therewith gardens and grain for harvest' (50:9), which parallels this ayah's theme.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah invites believers to recognize the continuous miracles in nature—particularly how water transforms barren land into abundance—as concrete evidence of Allah's existence, power, and care. It serves as both a call to gratitude for divine provision and a reminder that willful blindness to such clear signs is a choice for which people are accountable.