Surah An-Naml — Verse 60

Word Meanings:

• Ḥadā’iq (حَدَائِق): Lush, verdant gardens and orchards.
• Dhāt Bahjah (ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ): Of exquisite beauty and splendor that delights the eye and fills the heart with joy.
• Tunbitū (تُنبِتُوا): To cause to grow or sprout.
• Ya‘dilūn (يَعْدِلُونَ): They deviate from the truth, equating others with Allah in worship — i.e., they commit shirk (associating partners with Allah).

Tafsir (Explanation):

In this verse, Allah turns the spotlight onto His own magnificent creation, challenging the polytheists with a question that strikes at the very heart of their misguided worship. He asks: "Is He who created the heavens and the earth..." — the vast cosmos with its celestial bodies, the earth with its mountains, seas, and all that sustains life — "...and sent down for you water from the sky..." — rain that falls in due measure, reviving barren lands and quenching the thirst of every living being — "...and We caused to grow thereby gardens of splendor and beauty..." — orchards and fields bursting with color, fragrance, and life, a sight that fills the soul with awe and gratitude.

Then comes the piercing reminder: "It was not for you to grow their trees." You, O humans, with all your intelligence and technology, cannot produce a single leaf, let alone a fruit-laden tree, without Allah’s decree and provision. The water, the soil, the sunlight, the intricate biological processes — all are His gifts. You are utterly dependent on Him, yet you turn away.

The verse then delivers its powerful rhetorical blow: "Is there a god with Allah?" Is there any deity besides Him who has done any of this? Can your idols, carved from stone or wood, create a single seed or command a single drop of rain? The answer is self-evident — there is no partner with Him in creation, so there should be no partner with Him in worship.

Yet, the verse concludes with a sobering truth: "Nay, they are a people who deviate." Despite the overwhelming evidence, these people stubbornly swerve from the path of truth. They see the signs but refuse to reflect; they witness the miracles of creation but persist in their falsehood. Their deviation is not due to lack of proof, but due to their own choice to turn away.

A Da‘wah Reflection:

Dear reader, pause for a moment and look around you. The sky above, the earth beneath, the trees swaying in the wind, the rain that nourishes the soil — every single one of these is a living sign pointing to its Creator. Allah did not leave you without guidance; He filled the universe with evidence of His existence, His power, and His mercy. The question is: will you be among those who reflect and return to Him, or among those who deviate despite the clarity of the signs? Open your heart, let your eyes see the truth, and let your soul find peace in worshipping the One who created it. There is no god but Allah — and no joy greater than submitting to Him.