Sūrat an-Naḥl
Section 5 of 17 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
The Bounties from the Opening
To return, then, to the beginning of the chapter, to the beginning of the sūrah. Allah (swt) begins to speak of the bounties He has given to human beings:
خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ تَعَـٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ مُّبِينٌ
“He created the heavens and the earth in the proper way. He is much higher than their ascribing partners to Him. He created man from a drop, and soon he turned into a debating person, expressing himself openly.” (16:3–4)
How Allah created the human being from a clot* — khalaqa al-insāna min nuṭfatin fa-idhā huwa khaṣīmun mubīn.
وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمَ خَلَقَهَا ۗ لَكُمْ فِيهَا دِفْءٌ وَمَنَـٰفِعُ وَمِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ
“He has created cattle in which there is warmth and other benefits for you; and from them you have food;” (16:5)
Again it speaks of the anʿām, the cattle, and of all the benefits you take from them: how you may eat of them, and how you may take from them your cloth to warm yourself. And then, in verse 7:
وَتَحْمِلُ أَثْقَالَكُمْ إِلَىٰ بَلَدٍ لَّمْ تَكُونُوا۟ بَـٰلِغِيهِ إِلَّا بِشِقِّ ٱلْأَنفُسِ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَرَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
“And they carry your loads to a city where you were not able to reach without putting yourselves to arduous labor. Surely, your Lord is Very-Kind, Very-Merciful.” (16:7)
Left to yourselves you could not have gone easily to far and distant places. But Allah (swt) has given you the horses, and has given you the camels and the donkeys, without which travel would be very hard for you. Inna rabbakum la-raʾūfun raḥīm — showing how Allah has put these at the disposal of the human being: go about the earth by means of these animals. Allah is compassionate and merciful.