سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ
Surah Al-Muminoon (23) — Ayah 78
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنشَأَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ وَٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةَ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿78﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
It is He Who has created for you (the sense of) hearing (ears), eyes (sight), and hearts (understanding). Little thanks you give.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَهُوَ
wahuwa
And He
ٱلَّذِىٓ
alladhī
(is) the One Who
أَنشَأَ
ansha-a
produced
لَكُمُ
lakumu
for you
ٱلسَّمْعَ
l-samʿa
the hearing
وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ
wal-abṣāra
and the sight
وَٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةَ ۚ
wal-afidata
and the feeling
قَلِيلًۭا
qalīlan
little
مَّا
mā
(is) what
تَشْكُرُونَ
tashkurūna
you give thanks
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.
(Ayah 78) ➊ { وَ هُوَ الَّذِيْۤ اَنْشَاَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَ الْاَبْصَارَ … :} Before this, the disbelievers were mentioned in the third person; now they are addressed directly and reminded of favors. This is a rhetorical shift from third person to second person, because sometimes threats do not have an effect, but a pleasant reminder of a favor can incline the heart.
➋ { وَ هُوَ الَّذِيْۤ اَنْشَاَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ …:} That is, those people neither bowed to their Lord nor adopted humility, even though the Lord is only He, no one else. He is the One who, without any prior example, created for you ears, eyes, and hearts, which are the centers of hearing, seeing, and understanding. These three things are mentioned because all bodily blessings are subject to them; if these do not exist, nothing else matters.
➌ { قَلِيْلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُوْنَ :} The statement that you give very little thanks can be understood in several ways. For example, think: if someone were to give you these three blessings and you wanted to repay him, what could you give? Or think this way: if Allah Almighty were to take these three blessings away from you, what would your condition be? Now, since He has given you all this, how much obedience are you showing in gratitude for these blessings? What greater ingratitude could there be than, while acknowledging your Creator and Master, instead of worshiping Him alone, you have made partners for Him, who have created nothing, and instead of believing in His Messenger, you are denying him? Gratitude for these faculties is to use them to seek guidance to the right path; otherwise, even other animals fulfill their physical and material desires through them. Your duty is that, through these faculties, you observe with your eyes, listen with your ears, and understand with your heart the proofs of monotheism found in the universe, and believe in the oneness of Allah with all your heart and soul.
➍ {’’ قَلِيْلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُوْنَ ‘‘} can also mean that you do not give thanks at all, because the Arabs use {’’قَلِيْلٌ‘‘} in the sense of nonexistence as well, as Abu Kabir Hudhali said in praise of {’’تَأَبَّطَ شَرًّا‘‘}:
{قَلِيْلُ التَّشَكِّيْ لِلْمُهِمِّ يُصِيْبُهُ ¤ كَثِيْرُ الْهَوٰي شَتَّي النَّوٰي وَ الْمَسَالِكِ}
“He complains very little about impending difficulties, has many objectives, and various intentions and paths.” By “complains very little,” it is meant that he does not complain at all.
➋ { وَ هُوَ الَّذِيْۤ اَنْشَاَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ …:} That is, those people neither bowed to their Lord nor adopted humility, even though the Lord is only He, no one else. He is the One who, without any prior example, created for you ears, eyes, and hearts, which are the centers of hearing, seeing, and understanding. These three things are mentioned because all bodily blessings are subject to them; if these do not exist, nothing else matters.
➌ { قَلِيْلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُوْنَ :} The statement that you give very little thanks can be understood in several ways. For example, think: if someone were to give you these three blessings and you wanted to repay him, what could you give? Or think this way: if Allah Almighty were to take these three blessings away from you, what would your condition be? Now, since He has given you all this, how much obedience are you showing in gratitude for these blessings? What greater ingratitude could there be than, while acknowledging your Creator and Master, instead of worshiping Him alone, you have made partners for Him, who have created nothing, and instead of believing in His Messenger, you are denying him? Gratitude for these faculties is to use them to seek guidance to the right path; otherwise, even other animals fulfill their physical and material desires through them. Your duty is that, through these faculties, you observe with your eyes, listen with your ears, and understand with your heart the proofs of monotheism found in the universe, and believe in the oneness of Allah with all your heart and soul.
➍ {’’ قَلِيْلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُوْنَ ‘‘} can also mean that you do not give thanks at all, because the Arabs use {’’قَلِيْلٌ‘‘} in the sense of nonexistence as well, as Abu Kabir Hudhali said in praise of {’’تَأَبَّطَ شَرًّا‘‘}:
{قَلِيْلُ التَّشَكِّيْ لِلْمُهِمِّ يُصِيْبُهُ ¤ كَثِيْرُ الْهَوٰي شَتَّي النَّوٰي وَ الْمَسَالِكِ}
“He complains very little about impending difficulties, has many objectives, and various intentions and paths.” By “complains very little,” it is meant that he does not complain at all.
