سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 78
وَٱللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُم مِّنۢ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ وَٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةَ ۙ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿78﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And Allâh has brought you out from the wombs of your mothers while you know nothing. And He gave you hearing, sight, and hearts that you might give thanks (to Allâh).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
أَخْرَجَكُم
akhrajakum
brought you forth
مِّنۢ
min
from
بُطُونِ
buṭūni
the wombs
أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ
ummahātikum
(of) your mothers
لَا
lā
not
تَعْلَمُونَ
taʿlamūna
knowing
شَيْـًۭٔا
shayan
anything
وَجَعَلَ
wajaʿala
and made
لَكُمُ
lakumu
for you
ٱلسَّمْعَ
l-samʿa
the hearing
وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ
wal-abṣāra
and the sight
وَٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةَ ۙ
wal-afidata
and the hearts
لَعَلَّكُمْ
laʿallakum
so that you may
تَشْكُرُونَ
tashkurūna
give thanks
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
78. 1. شَیْئًا is indefinite; you did not know anything, neither virtue nor wretchedness, nor benefit nor harm.
78. 2. So that through ears you may hear sounds, through eyes you may see things, and He gave you hearts—that is, intellect (because the center of intellect is the heart)—by which you can distinguish between things and recognize benefit and harm. As a person grows older, his intellect and senses also increase, until when he reaches the age of consciousness and maturity, these abilities also become strong, and then eventually reach perfection.
78. 3. That is, these abilities and powers have been granted by Allah so that man may use these organs and faculties in such a way that Allah becomes pleased. Through them, he should worship and obey Allah. This is the practical gratitude for these blessings of Allah. It is mentioned in the hadith: "Among the things by which My servant attains My closeness, the most beloved to Me are those which I have made obligatory upon him. In addition, through voluntary acts (nawafil) he also strives to attain My closeness, until I begin to love him. And when I begin to love him, I become his ear with which he hears, his eye with which he sees, his hand with which he grasps, his foot with which he walks. And if he asks Me, I give him, and if he seeks refuge with Me from anything, I grant him refuge."
Note: Some people misunderstand this hadith and attribute divine powers to the friends of Allah (awliya). Whereas the meaning of the hadith is that when a servant makes his obedience and worship sincere for Allah, then his every action is only for the pleasure of Allah. He hears only that which Allah has permitted with his ears, sees only that which Allah has permitted with his eyes, whatever he grasps with his hands or walks towards with his feet is only that which the Shariah has allowed. He does not use them in disobedience to Allah, but only in obedience.
78. 2. So that through ears you may hear sounds, through eyes you may see things, and He gave you hearts—that is, intellect (because the center of intellect is the heart)—by which you can distinguish between things and recognize benefit and harm. As a person grows older, his intellect and senses also increase, until when he reaches the age of consciousness and maturity, these abilities also become strong, and then eventually reach perfection.
78. 3. That is, these abilities and powers have been granted by Allah so that man may use these organs and faculties in such a way that Allah becomes pleased. Through them, he should worship and obey Allah. This is the practical gratitude for these blessings of Allah. It is mentioned in the hadith: "Among the things by which My servant attains My closeness, the most beloved to Me are those which I have made obligatory upon him. In addition, through voluntary acts (nawafil) he also strives to attain My closeness, until I begin to love him. And when I begin to love him, I become his ear with which he hears, his eye with which he sees, his hand with which he grasps, his foot with which he walks. And if he asks Me, I give him, and if he seeks refuge with Me from anything, I grant him refuge."
Note: Some people misunderstand this hadith and attribute divine powers to the friends of Allah (awliya). Whereas the meaning of the hadith is that when a servant makes his obedience and worship sincere for Allah, then his every action is only for the pleasure of Allah. He hears only that which Allah has permitted with his ears, sees only that which Allah has permitted with his eyes, whatever he grasps with his hands or walks towards with his feet is only that which the Shariah has allowed. He does not use them in disobedience to Allah, but only in obedience.
