Surah Az-Zukhruf (43) — Ayah 10

(Ayah 10) ➊ {الَّذِيْ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْاَرْضَ مَهْدًا:} From here, Allah Almighty began to enumerate His favors to them while addressing them. Thus, this is the statement of Allah Almighty, not their words, otherwise the words would have been: {’’ اَلَّذِيْ جَعَلَ لَنَا الْأَرْضَ مَهْدًا… ‘‘} "He who made the earth a bed for us......."

➋ The meaning of {’’ مَهْدًا ‘‘} is both "bed" and "cradle of a child," that is, just as a person lies comfortably on a bed, in the same way, He made this magnificent globe a place of comfort for you, which is suspended in space, which on one hand is rotating on its axis at a speed of one thousand (1,000) miles per hour, and on the other hand is moving at a speed of sixty-six thousand six hundred (66,600) miles per hour, in whose belly there is fire capable of melting even stones and causing severe earthquakes, which sometimes, in the form of volcanoes, spews lava and makes you aware of its existence, but despite this, your Lord has made it so balanced and peaceful with the mountains that you walk, sleep, and rest on it comfortably. You do not feel even the slightest jolt, nor do you realize that you are riding on a vehicle faster than a bullet. Yes, sometimes a slight tremor in the form of an earthquake makes you aware of how terrifying a force Allah Almighty has subdued for you. See also Surah Al-Hijr (19), Ar-Ra'd (3), and Surah An-Nahl (15).

➌ { وَ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ فِيْهَا سُبُلًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُوْنَ:} Allah Almighty has here declared the making of paths in the earth as His favor. The passes in the mountains and the natural paths along the rivers in the plains and mountains are those by which mankind has spread all over the earth and travels to and from one another. Besides these, distinguishing marks in deserts and plains help a person to determine routes. If the mountains were in the form of solid walls or there were no signs of paths in the plains and deserts, a person would remain confined to the place where he was born. See also Surah An-Nahl (15, 16).

10. 1. Such a bedding, in which there is stability and firmness, you walk on it, stand and sleep on it, and wherever you wish, you roam. He has fixed it with mountains so that there is no movement or shaking in it.

10. 2. That is, He has made paths from one region to another and from one country to another so that you may come and go for business, trade, and other purposes.

10. He who made the earth a cradle [8] for you, and made pathways [9] for you therein, so that you may find your way.

[8]
How is the Earth a Cradle?

A child rests and sleeps very comfortably in a cradle, swaying gently. This is because the movement of the cradle is uniform. Exactly the same is the case with the earth, which is a very large, massive sphere. And it is suspended in the vast expanse of space, revolving at a tremendous speed of thousands of miles per minute. Yet, even in this rapid movement, there is uniformity. Because of this, you do not even feel its motion. If, from within it, a volcano or some combustible material were to erupt and an earthquake were to occur, your life would immediately be in danger, and you would begin to remember your Lord. And if, God forbid, there were any irregularity in its movement, your destruction would be certain. It is only Allah who, by keeping this mighty sphere under His control, has made it as comfortable as a cradle for you. You walk, move about, and live on it with great peace and tranquility.

[9]
Two Meanings of Finding the Way Through Paths:

When Allah Almighty made the earth, He did not make it uniform. There are depressions in some places, elevations in others; mountains in some places, and sand dunes in others. Then, even the heights of these mountains are not uniform. There are cuts and passes in some places. By crossing these, a person can go from one mountain to another or to another region. Then, He made valleys in these mountains, which are the pathways for water. Paths for walking were made along these passages. Then, countless distinguishing signs were made on the earth. The benefit of all these things is that, with the help of these signs and paths, a person can travel from one part of the world to another and does not get lost. If such signs did not exist and the whole earth were uniform, a person would neither be able to travel nor could paths be made. Although it is humans who make the paths, since the means for the paths are created by Allah Almighty, He directly attributed them to Himself. This verse has two meanings. One is clear from the translation, and the other is that by reflecting on these distinguishing signs, you may find the path of guidance and attain the recognition of Allah Almighty.