سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 10
هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً ۖ لَّكُم مِّنْهُ شَرَابٌ وَمِنْهُ شَجَرٌ فِيهِ تُسِيمُونَ ﴿10﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
He it is Who sends down water (rain) from the sky; from it you drink and from it (grows) the vegetation on which you send your cattle to pasture.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
هُوَ
huwa
He
ٱلَّذِىٓ
alladhī
(is) the One Who
أَنزَلَ
anzala
sends down
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱلسَّمَآءِ
l-samāi
the sky
مَآءًۭ ۖ
māan
water
لَّكُم
lakum
for you
مِّنْهُ
min'hu
of it
شَرَابٌۭ
sharābun
(is) drink
وَمِنْهُ
wamin'hu
and from it
شَجَرٌۭ
shajarun
(grows) vegetation
فِيهِ
fīhi
in which
تُسِيمُونَ
tusīmūna
you pasture your cattle
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.
(Ayah10) ➊ The literal meaning of {هُوَ الَّذِيْۤ اَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً: ’’ السَّمَآءِ ‘‘} is "a high thing," because it is derived from {’’سُمُوٌّ‘‘}, which means "height." Therefore, this word is used for clouds, rain, roof (see Anbiya: 32), and sky, and in each place, its meaning is determined by the context. After mentioning animals as evidence of Allah's oneness and power, now water and plants are mentioned, because human food is completed by countless things produced from the earth such as proteins, starches, sugars, etc., and by water. Seventy (70) percent of the earth is extremely bitter sea, whose water is not suitable for human drinking, but for keeping the earth and sea safe from decay, its being salty is absolutely necessary; otherwise, due to stench and decay, nothing would remain alive in the sea or on the earth. It is the same Pure Being who, by turning this into vapor, sends down sweet water from the clouds; if He did not send down water, the name and sign of humans, animals, and plants would all be erased, and if He sent it down as extremely bitter as the sea, then also every living thing on land—humans, animals, and plants—would perish. He said: «{ لَوْ نَشَآءُ جَعَلْنٰهُ اُجَاجًا فَلَوْ لَا تَشْكُرُوْنَ }» [ الواقعۃ : ۷۰ ] "If We will, We can make it extremely salty, then why do you not give thanks?"
➋ {لَكُمْ مِّنْهُ شَرَابٌ …:} From this very water, a part is used for your drinking, and a part for growing plants, among which you graze your animals. If this were not so, neither you would remain, nor your plants, nor the animals that graze among them. {’’ شَجَرٌ ‘‘} Although it means a tree with a trunk, here it refers to everything that grows from the earth, the proof of which is {’’ فِيْهِ تُسِيْمُوْنَ ‘‘} (in it you graze).
➋ {لَكُمْ مِّنْهُ شَرَابٌ …:} From this very water, a part is used for your drinking, and a part for growing plants, among which you graze your animals. If this were not so, neither you would remain, nor your plants, nor the animals that graze among them. {’’ شَجَرٌ ‘‘} Although it means a tree with a trunk, here it refers to everything that grows from the earth, the proof of which is {’’ فِيْهِ تُسِيْمُوْنَ ‘‘} (in it you graze).
