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13 Jumada al-awwal 1448 AH Saturday, 24 October 2026
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Tafsir

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

Ar-Rahman 55:21

Word by word

فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

Ibn Kathir (Abridged)

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Creation of Humans and Jinns

Allah mentions that He created mankind from clay, like that used in pottery, and created the Jinns from the tip of the flame of a smokeless fire. This was said by Ad-Dahhak from Ibn `Abbas. It was also said by `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan and Ibn Zayd. Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas, "From the best part of the fire, from its smokeless flame." Imam Ahmad recorded that `A'ishah said that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said,«خُلِقَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ مِنْ نُورٍ، وَخُلِقَ الْجَانُّ مِنْ مَارِجٍ مِنْ نَارٍ، وَخُلِقَ آدَمُ مِمَّا وُصِفَ لَكُم»(The angels were created from light, the Jinns from a smokeless flame of fire, and `Adam from what was described to you.) Muslim also collected this Hadith. Allah's statement:فَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ(Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny) was explained above.

Allah is the Lord of the Two Easts and the Two Wests

Allah said,رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقَيْنِ وَرَبُّ الْمَغْرِبَيْنِ((He is) the Lord of the two easts and the Lord of the two wests.) meaning the sunrise of summer and winter and the sunset of summer and winter. Allah said in another Ayah,فَلاَ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَـرِقِ وَالْمَغَـرِبِ(So, I swear by the Lord of all the points of sunrise and sunset in the east and the west.)(70:40), referring to the different places from which the sun rises and then sets on people every day. Allah said in another Ayah,رَّبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلاً(The Lord of the east and the west; none has the right to be worshipped but He. So take Him alone as a trustee.)(73:9), referring to the different places of sunrise and sunset and the benefits that this variation brings to the created, mankind and Jinns,فَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ(Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny)Allah created Different Types of Water

Allah said,مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ(He has Maraja the two seas), or let them loose, according to Ibn `Abbas. Allah's statement,يَلْتَقِيَانِ(meeting together.) Ibn Zayd said, "He prevents them from meeting by the dividing barrier He placed between them to separate them." The two seas are the fresh and salty waters, the former coming from running rivers. We discussed this topic in Surat Al-Furqan when explaining Allah's statement;وَهُوَ الَّذِى مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ هَـذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ وَهَـذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخاً وَحِجْراً مَّحْجُوراً(And it is He Who has let free the two seas: one palatable and sweet, and the other salty and bitter; and He has set a barrier and a complete partition between them.)(25:53) Allah said,بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لاَّ يَبْغِيَانِ(Between them is a barrier which none of them can transgress.) meaning, He has placed a barrier of land between these two types of waters, so that they do not transgress upon each other, which would spoil the characteristics they were created with.

Allah said,يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا الُّلؤْلُؤُ وَالمَرْجَانُ(Out of them both come out pearls and Al-Marjan. ) pearls are well-known. As for Marjan they say it means small pearls. Mujahid, Qatadah, Abu Ruzayn, Ad-Dahhak said it, and it has also been reported from `Ali. It was also said that it means large, precious pearls, this was mentioned by Ibn Jarir from some of the Salaf. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Ibn `Abbas who said, "When it rains, the oysters in the sea open their mouths. What falls in them, the drops, turns into pearls." Its chain of narrators is Sahih.

Since this type of adornment is a favor from Allah to the people of earth, He reminded them of it,فَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ(Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny) Allah said,وَلَهُ الْجَوَارِ الْمُنشَئَاتُ(And His are Al-Jawar Al-Munsha'at), meaning the ships that float,فِى الْبَحْرِ(in the seas), Mujahid said, "Whatever ship hoists a sail, it is from Munsha'at, if it does not hoist a sail, it is not from the Munsha'at." Qatadah said, "Al-Munsha'at means created." Others said that it is Al-Munshi'at meaning, "launched."كَالاٌّعْلَـمِ(like A`lam.) This means, they are like mountains with their great size, and it also refers to the trade and commercial services they make possible, transporting cargo from one area to another and from one province to another. Ships provide various benefits for people, including transporting different types of goods they need.

Therefore,فَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ(Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny)كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ - وَيَبْقَى وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلْـلِ وَالإِكْرَامِ فَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Ma'arif al-Qur'an

Mufti Muhammad Shafi

Allah created Different Types of Waterمَرَ‌جَ الْبَحْرَ‌يْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ (He has set forth the two seas that meet together...55:19). Literally, the verb maraja means 'to let loose'. The word bahrain [ two seas or two types of waters ] refers to sweet and salty waters. Allah has created two types of waters. In some places the two seas meet together, the samples of which are available in every region of the world. However, where the sweet and salty waters meet, there is a distinct barrier between the sweet and salty waters. In some cases, the two types of waters are seen distinctly in higher or lower position. If the salty water overrides the sweet water, the characteristics of the sweet water will not be spoiled; nor will the characteristics of the salty water be affected in any way if the sweet water overrides it. Thus the Qur'an states: مَرَ‌جَ الْبَحْرَ‌يْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْ‌زَخٌ لَّا يَبْغِيَانِ He has set forth the two seas that meet together, while between them there is a barrier they do not transgress....55:20)

Tafsir Muyassar

Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia

فبأي نِعَم ربكما -أيها الثقلان- تكذِّبان؟

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

أي فبأي الآلاء يا معشر الثقلين من الإنس الجن تكذبان؟ قاله مجاهد وغير واحد ويدل عليه السياق بعده أي النعم ظاهرة عليكم وأنتم مغمورون بها لا تستطيعون إنكارها ولا جحودها فنحن نقول كما قالت الجن المؤمنون به اللهم ولا بشيء من آلائك ربنا نكذب فلك الحمد وكان ابن عباس يقول لا بأيها يا رب أي لا نكذب بشيء منها قال الإمام أحمد حدثنا يحيى بن إسحاق حدثنا ابن لهيعة عن أبي الأسود عن عروة عن أسماء بنت أبي بكر قالت سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو يقرأ وهو يصلي نحو الركن قبل أن يصدع بما يؤمر والمشركون يستمعون "فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان".

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.