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Tafsir

Scholarly commentary explaining a verse — its context, its meaning and how the scholars have understood it.

Yunus 10:31

Word by word

قُلْ مَن يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ أَمَّن يَمْلِكُ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ وَمَن يُخْرِجُ ٱلْحَىَّ مِنَ ٱلْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَيِّتَ مِنَ ٱلْحَىِّ وَمَن يُدَبِّرُ ٱلْأَمْرَ ۚ فَسَيَقُولُونَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ فَقُلْ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ

Say, "Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? Or who controls hearing and sight and who brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living and who arranges [every] matter?" They will say, "Allāh," so say, "Then will you not fear Him?"

Ibn Kathir (Abridged) English Ma'arif al-Qur'an English Tafsir Muyassar Arabic Tafsir Ibn Kathir Arabic All sources

Ibn Kathir (Abridged)

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Idolators recognize Allah's Tawhid in Lordship and the Evidence is established against Them through this Recognition

Allah argues that the idolators' recognition of Allah's Oneness in Lordship is an evidence against them, for which they should admit and recognize the Oneness in divinity and worship. So Allah said: قُلْ مَن يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ وَالاٌّرْضِ(Say: "Who provides for you from the sky and the earth") meaning, who is He Who sends down water from the sky and splits the earth with His power and will and allows things to grow from it, أَءِلـهٌ مَّعَ اللهِ(Is there a god, besides Allah) 27:62 Who provides; فَأَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبّاً - وَعِنَباً وَقَضْباً - وَزَيْتُوناً وَنَخْلاً - وَحَدَآئِقَ غُلْباً - وَفَـكِهَةً وَأَبّاً (Grains. And grapes and clover plants. And olives and date palms. And gardens dense with many trees.

And fruits and herbage.)"80:27-31 فَسَيَقُولُونَ اللَّهُ(They will say: "Allah.") أَمَّنْ هَـذَا الَّذِى يَرْزُقُكُمْ إِنْ أَمْسَكَ رِزْقَهُ("Who is he that can provide for you if He should withhold His provision) 67:21 Allah's statement, أَمَّن يَمْلِكُ السَّمْعَ والاٌّبْصَـرَ(Or who owns hearing and sight) means that Allah is the One who granted you the power of sight and hearing. If He willed otherwise, He would remove these gifts and deprive you of them. Similarly, Allah said: قُلْ هُوَ الَّذِى أَنشَأَكُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالاٌّبْصَـرَ(Say it is He Who has created you, and endowed you with hearing and seeing.) 67:23 Allah also said: قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ سَمْعَكُمْ وَأَبْصَـرَكُمْ(Say: "Tell me, if Allah took away your hearing and your sight.)6:46 Then Allah said: وَمَن يُخْرِجُ الْحَىَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَىِّ(And who brings out the living from the dead and brings out the dead from the living) by His great power and grace.

وَمَن يُدَبِّرُ الاٌّمْرَ(And who disposes of the affairs) In Whose Hand is the dominion of everything Who protects all, while against Whom there is no protector Who is the One who judges with none reversing His judgement Who is the One that is not questioned about what He does while they will be questioned يَسْأَلُهُ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِى شَأْنٍ (Whosoever is in the heavens and on earth begs of Him. Every day He is (engaged) in some affair!)55:29 The upper and lower kingdoms and what is in them both, including the angels, humans, and Jinn are in desperate need of Him. They are His servants and are under His control. فَسَيَقُولُونَ اللَّهُ(They will say: "Allah.") they say this knowingly and they admit it.

فَقُلْ أَفَلاَ تَتَّقُونَ(Say: `Will you not then be afraid (of Allah's punishment)") meaning, don't you fear Him when you worship others because of your ignorance and false opinions Allah then said: فَذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمُ الْحَقُّ(Such is Allah, your Lord in truth.) This Lord that you admitted is the One Who does all this, is your Lord and the True Deity that deserves to be worshipped alone. فَمَاذَا بَعْدَ الْحَقِّ إِلاَّ الضَّلاَلُ(So after the truth, what else can there be, save error) any one worshipped other than Him is false, for there is no God but Allah, He Has no partners. فَأَنَّى تُصْرَفُونَ(How then are you turned away) How then can you turn away from His worship to worship others while you know that He is the Lord that has created everything, the One who controls and governs everything Allah then said: كَذَلِكَ حَقَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ فَسَقُواْ(Thus is the Word of your Lord justified against those who rebel,) These idolators disbelieved and continued to practice their Shirk, and worship others beside Allah.

But they knew that He is the Creator, the Sustainer and the only One of authority and control in this universe, the One Who sent His Messengers to single Him out for all worship. As they disbelieved and were persistent in their Shirk, Allah's Word proved true and was justified that they would be miserable inhabitants of the Fire. Allah said: قَالُواْ بَلَى وَلَـكِنْ حَقَّتْ كَلِمَةُ الْعَذَابِ عَلَى الْكَـفِرِينَ(They will say: "Yes," but the Word of torment has been justified against the disbelievers!) 39:71

Ma'arif al-Qur'an

Mufti Muhammad Shafi

In the seventh and the eighth verses (31, 32), the Holy Qur'an has, in its typically wise and patronizing manner, beamed a few questions at the Mushriks to help them regain their sanity. Addressing the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، it was said that he should ask these people: Who gives you sustenance from the heavens and the earth? Who is the master-controller of your ears and eyes in that you hear and see as He wills and you do not if He wills otherwise? Who brings forth the living from the dead, such as vegetation and trees from the soil? Or, who brings forth humans and animals from the sperm, or a bird from an egg? And who brings forth the dead from the living, such as a lifeless sperm from humans and animals? And who is it that plans and manages the affairs of the whole universe?

After that, it was said when these questions will be addressed to them, all of them would say that all these things were created by One Allah! Then, the Holy Prophet ﷺ was to ask them: Why then, would you not fear Allah? When you know that it is Allah alone who creates, sustains and manages everything, why do you have to take someone else other than Him as deserving of your devotion and obedience?

Tafsir Muyassar

Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia

قل -أيها الرسول- لهؤلاء المشركين: مَن يرزقكم من السماء، بما يُنزله من المطر، ومن الأرض بما ينبته فيها من أنواع النبات والشجر تأكلون منه أنتم وأنعامكم؟ ومَن يملك ما تتمتعون به أنتم وغيركم من حواسِّ السمع والأبصار؟ ومن ذا الذي يملك الحياة والموت في الكون كلِّه، فيخرج الأحياء والأموات بعضها من بعض فيما تعرفون من المخلوقات، وفيما لا تعرفون؟ ومَن يدبِّر أمر السماء والأرض وما فيهن، وأمركم وأمر الخليقة جميعًا؟ فسوف يجيبونك بأن الذي يفعل ذلك كله هو الله، فقل لهم: أفلا تخافون عقاب الله إن عبدتم معه غيره؟

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

يحتج تعالى على المشركين باعترافهم بوحدانيته وربوبيته على وحدانية الإله فقال : ( قل من يرزقكم من السماء والأرض ) أي : من ذا الذي ينزل من السماء ماء المطر ، فيشق الأرض شقا بقدرته ومشيئته ، فيخرج منها ( حبا وعنبا وقضبا وزيتونا ونخلا وحدائق غلبا وفاكهة وأبا ) [ عبس : 27 - 31 ] ، أإله مع الله ؟ فسيقولون : الله ، ( أمن هذا الذي يرزقكم إن أمسك رزقه ) [ الملك : 21 ] ؟ ، وكذلك قوله : ( أمن يملك السمع والأبصار ) [ يونس : 31 ] ؟ ؟

أي : الذي وهبكم هذه القوة السامعة ، والقوة الباصرة ، ولو شاء لذهب بها ولسلبكم إياها ، كما قال تعالى : ( قل هو الذي أنشأكم وجعل لكم السمع والأبصار والأفئدة قليلا ما تشكرون ) [ الملك : 23 ] ، وقال ( قل أرأيتم إن أخذ الله سمعكم وأبصاركم وختم على قلوبكم من إله غير الله يأتيكم به ) [ الأنعام : 46 ] .وقوله : ( ومن يخرج الحي من الميت ويخرج الميت من الحي ) أي : بقدرته العظيمة ، ومنته العميمة ، وقد تقدم ذكر الخلاف في ذلك ، وأن الآية عامة في ذلك كله .وقوله : ( ومن يدبر الأمر ) أي : من بيده ملكوت كل شيء وهو يجير ولا يجار عليه ، وهو المتصرف الحاكم الذي لا معقب لحكمه ، ولا يسأل عما يفعل وهم يسألون ، ( يسأله من في السماوات والأرض كل يوم هو في شأن ) [ الرحمن : 29 ] ، فالملك كله العلوي والسفلي ، وما فيهما من ملائكة وإنس وجان ، فقيرون إليه ، عبيد له ، خاضعون لديه ، ( فسيقولون الله ) أي : هم يعلمون ذلك ويعترفون به ، ( فقل أفلا تتقون ) أي : أفلا تخافون منه أن تعبدوا معه غيره بآرائكم وجهلكم ؟ .

Tafsir is provided for educational reference. Paragraph breaks are added for readability — the wording of each commentary is unchanged. For religious guidance, consult a qualified scholar.