سُوْرَةُ الْحِجْرِ
Surah Al-Hijr (15) — Ayah 22
وَأَرْسَلْنَا ٱلرِّيَـٰحَ لَوَٰقِحَ فَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَسْقَيْنَـٰكُمُوهُ وَمَآ أَنتُمْ لَهُۥ بِخَـٰزِنِينَ ﴿22﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And We send the winds fertilizing (to fill heavily the clouds with water), then cause the water (rain) to descend from the sky, and We give it to you to drink, and it is not you who are the owners of its stores [i.e. to give water to whom you like or to withhold it from whom you like].
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَأَرْسَلْنَا
wa-arsalnā
And We have sent
ٱلرِّيَـٰحَ
l-riyāḥa
the winds
لَوَٰقِحَ
lawāqiḥa
fertilizing
فَأَنزَلْنَا
fa-anzalnā
and We sent down
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱلسَّمَآءِ
l-samāi
the sky
مَآءًۭ
māan
water
فَأَسْقَيْنَـٰكُمُوهُ
fa-asqaynākumūhu
and We gave it to you to drink
وَمَآ
wamā
And not
أَنتُمْ
antum
you
لَهُۥ
lahu
of it
بِخَـٰزِنِينَ
bikhāzinīna
(are) retainers
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah22) ➊ {وَ اَرْسَلْنَا الرِّيٰحَ لَوَاقِحَ …: ’’ لَوَاقِحَ ‘‘ ’’لَاقِحٌ‘‘} can also be a plural; this word, despite being masculine, is feminine, just like {’’حَائِضٌ‘‘} and {’’ حَامِلٌ ‘‘، ’’ لِقَاحٌ ‘‘} refer to the specific fluid of a male animal. {’’لَاقِحٌ‘‘} is that she-camel which has accepted {’’لِقَاحٌ‘‘}, meaning she has become pregnant and is carrying the fetus in her belly. Allah Almighty has described the winds as carriers because, like pregnant she-camels, they carry the burden of such water vapors and clouds that become the means of rain. And this {’’لَاقِحٌ‘‘} can also be the plural of {’’مُلْقِحٌ‘‘} (active participle from the form of If‘aal, meaning the male who makes pregnant), that is, these winds become the means for acting upon clouds and female trees, such as date palms, or female flowers, so that through the winds, clouds become capable of raining, and through the winds, the pollen of male trees and male flowers reaches their female trees and flowers, which brings about the process of fruit-bearing. The perfection of eloquence in the verse is that the word {’’ لَوَاقِحَ ‘‘} is used, which conveys both meanings of being pregnant and making pregnant.
➋ {فَاَسْقَيْنٰكُمُوْهُ : ’’سَقٰي يَسْقِيْ‘‘} means to give to drink, {’’أَسْقٰي يُسْقِيْ‘‘} means to provide for drinking, to make available, that is, We sent down water from the sky and granted it to you so that you may give it to one another to drink, and to give your animals and plants to drink.
➌ { وَ مَاۤ اَنْتُمْ لَهٗ بِخٰزِنِيْنَ:} means that neither do you have control over the treasure of rain in the sky above, nor do you have any authority over the treasure of wells, springs, and ponds in the earth below. Allah Almighty alone keeps water in whatever quantity He wills; whenever He wills, He sends down rain—you cannot stop it; or whenever He wills, He withholds it—you cannot make it rain by your own will. Similarly, if He wills, all the stored water in springs and wells can be absorbed into the earth, and you would not get even a drop to drink.
➋ {فَاَسْقَيْنٰكُمُوْهُ : ’’سَقٰي يَسْقِيْ‘‘} means to give to drink, {’’أَسْقٰي يُسْقِيْ‘‘} means to provide for drinking, to make available, that is, We sent down water from the sky and granted it to you so that you may give it to one another to drink, and to give your animals and plants to drink.
➌ { وَ مَاۤ اَنْتُمْ لَهٗ بِخٰزِنِيْنَ:} means that neither do you have control over the treasure of rain in the sky above, nor do you have any authority over the treasure of wells, springs, and ponds in the earth below. Allah Almighty alone keeps water in whatever quantity He wills; whenever He wills, He sends down rain—you cannot stop it; or whenever He wills, He withholds it—you cannot make it rain by your own will. Similarly, if He wills, all the stored water in springs and wells can be absorbed into the earth, and you would not get even a drop to drink.
