سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 15
وَأَلْقَىٰ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ رَوَٰسِىَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ وَأَنْهَـٰرًا وَسُبُلًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ﴿15﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And He has affixed into the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with you; and rivers and roads, that you may guide yourselves.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَأَلْقَىٰ
wa-alqā
And He has cast
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
رَوَٰسِىَ
rawāsiya
firm mountains
أَن
an
lest
تَمِيدَ
tamīda
it should shake
بِكُمْ
bikum
with you
وَأَنْهَـٰرًۭا
wa-anhāran
and rivers
وَسُبُلًۭا
wasubulan
and roads
لَّعَلَّكُمْ
laʿallakum
so that you may
تَهْتَدُونَ
tahtadūna
be guided
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
15. And He has placed firm mountains upon the earth lest it shake with you, and made rivers and pathways so that you may find your way.
[15]
The Benefits of Mountains:
Rawaasi refers to such mountain ranges that are spread over hundreds of miles. Allah Almighty has stated that the purpose of their creation is so that the earth does not sway, and from the hadith it is known that when the earth was created, it was unstable and swaying. Then Allah Almighty placed mountains upon it. [ترمذي، ابواب التفسير، سورة الناس]
This means that mountains on the earth have been created and placed with a specific order and wisdom. In some places, there are very high mountains; in others, the expanse is greater but the height is less; and in some places, there is no sign of mountains at all. All of this has been done to maintain the balance of the earth. Modern research has shown that the existence of mountains has proven to be very helpful in preventing earthquakes. Thus, one benefit of mountains is that humans can live peacefully on the earth. To understand this, consider the example of an empty boat that rocks and sways in the water; but when weight is placed in it, its rocking stops. According to the modern theory of astronomy, our earth is also swiftly floating in space. Allah Almighty has hammered proportionate and balanced mountains into it, stopping its swaying. It should be noted that the issue of the earth's rotation around the sun is a disputed matter, which has changed four times up to now. In any case, current research is that the earth is revolving around the sun. Allah knows best what the future holds. For further details, see my book "Al-Shams wal-Qamar Bi-Hisab." Also, the issue of this rotation has no connection with the issue of the earth's swaying. Then, from these very mountains, Allah has made rivers flow. Indeed, the sources of most of the world's rivers are located in the mountains. From these mountains, streams and brooks also emerge, and along with the rivers, pathways are also formed. The importance of these natural routes is very great in mountainous regions, though they are not much less important in the plains either.
[15]
The Benefits of Mountains:
Rawaasi refers to such mountain ranges that are spread over hundreds of miles. Allah Almighty has stated that the purpose of their creation is so that the earth does not sway, and from the hadith it is known that when the earth was created, it was unstable and swaying. Then Allah Almighty placed mountains upon it. [ترمذي، ابواب التفسير، سورة الناس]
This means that mountains on the earth have been created and placed with a specific order and wisdom. In some places, there are very high mountains; in others, the expanse is greater but the height is less; and in some places, there is no sign of mountains at all. All of this has been done to maintain the balance of the earth. Modern research has shown that the existence of mountains has proven to be very helpful in preventing earthquakes. Thus, one benefit of mountains is that humans can live peacefully on the earth. To understand this, consider the example of an empty boat that rocks and sways in the water; but when weight is placed in it, its rocking stops. According to the modern theory of astronomy, our earth is also swiftly floating in space. Allah Almighty has hammered proportionate and balanced mountains into it, stopping its swaying. It should be noted that the issue of the earth's rotation around the sun is a disputed matter, which has changed four times up to now. In any case, current research is that the earth is revolving around the sun. Allah knows best what the future holds. For further details, see my book "Al-Shams wal-Qamar Bi-Hisab." Also, the issue of this rotation has no connection with the issue of the earth's swaying. Then, from these very mountains, Allah has made rivers flow. Indeed, the sources of most of the world's rivers are located in the mountains. From these mountains, streams and brooks also emerge, and along with the rivers, pathways are also formed. The importance of these natural routes is very great in mountainous regions, though they are not much less important in the plains either.
