وَيُرِيكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ فَأَىَّ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ تُنكِرُونَ 81
Translations
And He shows you His signs. So which of the signs of Allāh do you deny?
Transliteration
Wa yurikum ayatihi fa-ayya ayati-llahi tunkirun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah displays His signs and miracles to humanity through creation, yet asks rhetorically which of Allah's signs do they deny or reject? This ayah emphasizes the clarity and abundance of divine proofs in the natural world, making denial inexcusable. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this is a powerful rhetorical challenge to those who turn away from obvious evidences of Allah's existence and power despite their manifestation in every aspect of creation.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Ghafir (Meccan), which addresses the Meccan disbelievers' rejection of the Message. The surah emphasizes Allah's mercy and forgiveness alongside His signs. This particular ayah follows the discussion of how Allah sends winds as signs and creates ships by His command, illustrating tangible examples of His miraculous signs that surround the deniers daily.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The greatest verse in the Qur'an is Ayat al-Kursi' (Sunan Ibn Majah), which relates to recognizing Allah's signs and majesty. Additionally, the hadith 'The heavens and the earth will be folded up on the Day of Judgment' (Sahih Bukhari) reflects the theme of pondering Allah's cosmic signs mentioned throughout this surah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that Allah's signs are evident and accessible to all humanity—from the natural world to our own existence—making willful denial a choice rather than an intellectual necessity. Believers should cultivate constant awareness of Allah's signs in creation as a means of strengthening faith and recognizing the futility of denying such clear evidence.