وَكَأَيِّن مِّنْ ءَايَةٍ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ يَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضُونَ 105
Translations
And how many a sign within the heavens and earth do they pass over while they, therefrom, are turning away.
Transliteration
Wa-ka-ayyin min ayatin fi al-samawati wa-al-ardi yamurrun alayha wa-hum anha mu'ridun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah highlights how countless signs (ayat) of Allah's power and wisdom are manifest in the heavens and the earth, yet many people pass by them heedlessly, turning away in indifference. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that these signs—from the celestial bodies to earthly phenomena—are clear proofs of Allah's existence and oneness, but human heedlessness and spiritual blindness prevent people from contemplating and benefiting from them. Al-Qurtubi notes that this aversion is a form of deliberate rejection despite the clarity of evidence.
Revelation Context
While no specific asbab al-nuzul is recorded for this ayah, it appears within Surah Yusuf's broader Meccan context of addressing the disbelievers of Mecca who rejected the Prophet's message. The ayah serves as a general rebuke to those who possess the cognitive ability to reflect upon creation yet choose willful ignorance instead.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Reflect upon creation, but do not reflect upon the Creator' (Sunan Ibn Majah). Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet emphasizes that 'In every creature there is a sign of Allah's oneness' relates to the theme of recognizing divine signs.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that spiritual blindness is often a choice rather than an inability—we are surrounded by undeniable proofs of Allah's majesty, yet our hearts must be actively willing to observe and reflect. For modern believers, this is a call to cultivate conscious awareness of the divine in nature and to examine whether we too pass through life heedless of the signs meant to draw us closer to our Creator.
Related Ayahs
وَشَرَوْهُ بِثَمَنٍۭ بَخْسٍ دَرَٰهِمَ مَعْدُودَةٍ وَكَانُوا۟ فِيهِ مِنَ ٱلزَّٰهِدِينَ
And they sold him for a reduced price - a few dirhams - and they were, concerning him, of those content with little.
وَجَآءُو عَلَىٰ قَمِيصِهِۦ بِدَمٍ كَذِبٍ ۚ قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًا ۖ فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ
And they brought upon his shirt false blood. [Jacob] said, "Rather, your souls have enticed you to something, so patience is most fitting. And Allāh is the one sought for help against that which you describe."
قَالَ تَزْرَعُونَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ دَأَبًا فَمَا حَصَدتُّمْ فَذَرُوهُ فِى سُنۢبُلِهِۦٓ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ
[Joseph] said, "You will plant for seven years consecutively; and what you harvest leave in its spikes, except a little from which you will eat.
إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ قُرْءَٰنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’ān that you might understand.