أَمَدَّكُم بِأَنْعَـٰمٍ وَبَنِينَ 133
Translations
Provided you with grazing livestock and children
Transliteration
Amdadakum bi-an'amin wa banin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah is part of Prophet Hud's remonstrance to his people, where he reminds them of Allah's blessings of livestock and children provided to them. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, Hud is emphasizing that despite receiving abundant material blessings from Allah—livestock for sustenance and wealth, and children for continuation of lineage—the people stubbornly rejected his message of tawhid (monotheism). The ayah serves as a rhetorical question highlighting the ingratitude and heedlessness of those who receive divine favors yet turn away from their Lord.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within Surah Ash-Shu'ara, a Meccan surah that recounts the stories of various prophets and their struggles with their respective peoples. Specifically, it is part of the narrative of Prophet Hud's call to his people ('Ad), emphasizing how they were blessed materially yet remained arrogant and disbelieving. The broader context shows the pattern of ingratitude that led to their destruction.
Related Hadiths
Tirmidhi reports a hadith where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family'—relating to the blessing of children and family. Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Bukhari states: 'Wealth and children are the adornment of this worldly life, but the everlasting good deeds are far better' (18:46), addressing the temporary nature of material blessings.
Themes
Key Lesson
While material blessings like wealth and family are gifts from Allah deserving of gratitude, they should never distract us from our primary obligation to worship Allah alone and obey His messengers. True success lies not in accumulating worldly possessions but in recognizing their source and using them righteously in service of our faith.