Surah Nahl ayat 78 Tafsir Quran 16:78

﴿وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُم مِّن بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ ۙ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ﴾
[ النحل: 78]

16:78 And Allah has extracted you from the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing, and He made for you hearing and vision and intellect that perhaps you would be grateful.

And God brought you forth from the bellies of your mothers while you did not know anything the statement lā ta‘lamūna shay’an ‘while you did not know anything’ is a circumstantial qualifier and He gave you hearing and sight and hearts that perhaps you might give thanks to Him for this gift and become believers.

And it is Allah Who brought you of your mothers wombs to the external world unconscious of your surroundings, devoid of intellectual acquaintance or with perception of your environment and empty of all knowledge, and He provided you with the faculties of hearing and vision faculties divine, and He implanted in you the seat of feeling, understanding and thought –intellect- that you may hopefully be thankful

The Unseen belongs to Allah and only He has Knowledge of the Hour Allah tells us of the perfection of His knowledge and ability to do all things, by telling us that He alone knows the Unseen of the heavens and the earth.
No one knows anything about such things except for what Allah informs about as He wills.
His complete power, which no one can oppose or resist, means that when He wants a thing, He only has to say to it "Be!" and it is, as Allah says: وَمَآ أَمْرُنَآ إِلاَّ وَحِدَةٌ كَلَمْحٍ بِالْبَصَرِ ( And Our commandment is but one as the twinkling of an eye. ) ( 54:50 ) meaning, whatever He wills happens in blinking.
Thus Allah says here: وَمَآ أَمْرُ السَّاعَةِ إِلاَّ كَلَمْحِ الْبَصَرِ أَوْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ( And the matter of the Hour is not but as a twinkling of the eye, or even nearer.
Truly, Allah is Able to do all things. ) iElsewhere, Allah says: مَّا خَلْقُكُمْ وَلاَ بَعْثُكُمْ إِلاَّ كَنَفْسٍ وَحِدَةٍ ( The processes of creating you all and resurrecting you all are but like that of (the creation and resurrection of ) a single person.) ( 31:28 ) Among the Favors Allah has granted People are Hearing, Sight and the Heart Then Allah mentions His blessings to His servants in that He brought them from their mothers' wombs not knowing a thing, then He gives them hearing to recognize voices, sight to see visible things and hearts - meaning reason - whose seat, according to the correct view, is the heart, although it was also said that its seat is the brain.
With his reason, a person can distinguish between what is harmful and what is beneficial.
These abilities and senses develop gradually in man.
The more he grows, the more his hearing, vision and reason increase, until they reach their peak.
Allah has created these faculties in man to enable him to worship his Lord, so he uses all these organs, abilities and strengths to obey his Master.
Al-Bukhari reported in his Sahih from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«يَقُولُ تَعَالَى: مَنْ عَادَىىِلي وَلِيًّا فَقَدْ بَارَزَنِي بِالْحَرْبِ، وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَدَاءِ مَا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ كُنْتُ سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطِشُ بِهَا، وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وَلَئِنْ سَأَلَنِي لَأُعْطِيَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنْ دَعَانِي لَأُجِيبَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنِ اسْتَعَاذَ بِي لَأُعِيذَنَّهُ، وَمَا تَرَدَّدْتُ فِي شَيْءٍ أَنَا فَاعِلُهُ تَرَدُّدِي فِي قَبْضِ نَفْسِ عَبْدِي الْمُؤْمِنِ يَكْرَهُ الْمَوْتَ وَأَكْرَهُ مَسَاءَتَهُ وَلَا بُدَّ لَهُ مِنْه»
( Allah says: "Whoever takes My friend as an enemy, has declared war on Me.
My servant does not draw near to Me with anything better than his doing that which I have enjoined upon him, and My servant keeps drawing near to Me by doing Nawafil (supererogatory ) deeds until I love him.
And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his vision with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks.
Were he to ask Me for anything, I would give it to him, if he were to call on Me, I would respond, if he were to seek Me for refuge I would surely grant him it.
I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of My believing servant, because he hates death and I hate to upset him, but it is inevitable.") The meaning of the Hadith is that when a person is sincere in his obedience towards Allah, all his deeds are done for the sake of Allah, so he only hears for the sake of Allah, he only sees for the sake of Allah - meaning he only listens to or looks at what has been allowed by Allah.
He does not strike or walk except in obedience to Allah, seeking Allah's help in all of these things.
Thus in some versions of the Hadith, narrated outside the Sahih, after the phrase "his foot with which he walks", there is added:
«فَبِي يَسْمَعُ، وَبِي يُبْصِرُ، وَبِي يَبْطِشُ، وَبِي يَمْشِي»
( So through Me he hears, through Me he sees, through Me he strikes and through Me he walks. ) Thus Allah says: وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْسَّمْعَ وَالاٌّبْصَـرَ وَالأَفْئِدَةَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ( And He gave you hearing, sight, and hearts that you might give thanks. ) Elsewhere, He says: قُلْ هُوَ الَّذِى أَنشَأَكُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالاٌّبْصَـرَ وَالاٌّفْئِدَةَ قَلِيلاً مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ - قُلْ هُوَ الَّذِى ذَرَأَكُمْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَإِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ ( Say it is He Who has created you, and endowed you with hearing and seeing, and hearts.
Little thanks you give.
Say: "It is He Who has created you on the earth, and to Him shall you be gathered (in the Hereafter ).") ( 67:23-24 ) In the Subjection of the Birds in the Sky there is a Sign Then Allah tells His servants to look at the birds held ( flying ) in the sky, between heaven and earth, and how He has caused them to fly with their wings in the sky.
They are held up only by Him, it is He Who gave them the strength to do that, subjecting the air to carry them and support them.
As Allah says in Surat Al-Mulk: أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى الطَّيْرِ فَوْقَهُمْ صَــفَّـتٍ وَيَقْبِضْنَ مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلاَّ الرَّحْمَـنُ إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ بَصِيرٌ ( Do they not see the birds above them, spreading their wings out and folding them in None holds them up except the Most Gracious (Allah ).
Verily, He is the All-Seer of everything.) ( 67:19 ) And here Allah says: إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لآيَـتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ ( Verily, in this are clear signs for people who believe. ) وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّن بُيُوتِكُمْ سَكَنًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّن جُلُودِ الاٌّنْعَـمِ بُيُوتًا تَسْتَخِفُّونَهَا يَوْمَ ظَعْنِكُمْ وَيَوْمَ إِقَـمَتِكُمْ وَمِنْ أَصْوَافِهَا وَأَوْبَارِهَا وَأَشْعَارِهَآ أَثَـثاً وَمَتَـعاً إِلَى حِينٍ - وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّمَّا خَلَقَ ظِلَـلاً وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الْجِبَالِ أَكْنَـناً وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ سَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ الْحَرَّ وَسَرَبِيلَ تَقِيكُم بَأْسَكُمْ كَذَلِكَ يُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْلِمُونَ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَـغُ الْمُبِينُ

(16:78) Allah brought you out of your mothers' wombs in this state that you knew nothing: He gave you ears and eyes and thinking minds *72 so that you may be grateful. *73

And Allah has extracted you from the meaning

*72) This is to remind them that when they were born they were more helpless and ignorant than the young-one of an animal, but Allah gave them ears to hear, eyes to see and minds to think and reflect.
These have enabled them to acquire every kind of information and knowledge to carry on their worldly affairs efficiently.
So much so that these sensory faculties are the only means which help man attain so much progress as to rule over everything on the earth.

*73) That is, "You should be grateful to that Allah Who has bestowed upon you such blessings as these.
It will be ingratitude on your part if you hear everything with your ears except the Word of God, and see everything with your eyes except the Signs of Allah and consider seriously about all the matters except your Benefactor Who has blessed you with these favours.

 

The Unseen belongs to Allah and only He has Knowledge of the Hour Allah tells us of the perfection of His knowledge and ability to do all things, by telling us that He alone knows the Unseen of the heavens and the earth.
No one knows anything about such things except for what Allah informs about as He wills.
His complete power, which no one can oppose or resist, means that when He wants a thing, He only has to say to it "Be!" and it is, as Allah says: وَمَآ أَمْرُنَآ إِلاَّ وَحِدَةٌ كَلَمْحٍ بِالْبَصَرِ ( And Our commandment is but one as the twinkling of an eye. ) ( 54:50 ) meaning, whatever He wills happens in blinking.
Thus Allah says here: وَمَآ أَمْرُ السَّاعَةِ إِلاَّ كَلَمْحِ الْبَصَرِ أَوْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ( And the matter of the Hour is not but as a twinkling of the eye, or even nearer.
Truly, Allah is Able to do all things. ) iElsewhere, Allah says: مَّا خَلْقُكُمْ وَلاَ بَعْثُكُمْ إِلاَّ كَنَفْسٍ وَحِدَةٍ ( The processes of creating you all and resurrecting you all are but like that of (the creation and resurrection of ) a single person.) ( 31:28 ) Among the Favors Allah has granted People are Hearing, Sight and the Heart Then Allah mentions His blessings to His servants in that He brought them from their mothers' wombs not knowing a thing, then He gives them hearing to recognize voices, sight to see visible things and hearts - meaning reason - whose seat, according to the correct view, is the heart, although it was also said that its seat is the brain.
With his reason, a person can distinguish between what is harmful and what is beneficial.
These abilities and senses develop gradually in man.
The more he grows, the more his hearing, vision and reason increase, until they reach their peak.
Allah has created these faculties in man to enable him to worship his Lord, so he uses all these organs, abilities and strengths to obey his Master.
Al-Bukhari reported in his Sahih from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «يَقُولُ تَعَالَى: مَنْ عَادَىىِلي وَلِيًّا فَقَدْ بَارَزَنِي بِالْحَرْبِ، وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَدَاءِ مَا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ كُنْتُ سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطِشُ بِهَا، وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وَلَئِنْ سَأَلَنِي لَأُعْطِيَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنْ دَعَانِي لَأُجِيبَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنِ اسْتَعَاذَ بِي لَأُعِيذَنَّهُ، وَمَا تَرَدَّدْتُ فِي شَيْءٍ أَنَا فَاعِلُهُ تَرَدُّدِي فِي قَبْضِ نَفْسِ عَبْدِي الْمُؤْمِنِ يَكْرَهُ الْمَوْتَ وَأَكْرَهُ مَسَاءَتَهُ وَلَا بُدَّ لَهُ مِنْه» ( Allah says: "Whoever takes My friend as an enemy, has declared war on Me.
My servant does not draw near to Me with anything better than his doing that which I have enjoined upon him, and My servant keeps drawing near to Me by doing Nawafil (supererogatory ) deeds until I love him.
And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his vision with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks.
Were he to ask Me for anything, I would give it to him, if he were to call on Me, I would respond, if he were to seek Me for refuge I would surely grant him it.
I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of My believing servant, because he hates death and I hate to upset him, but it is inevitable.") The meaning of the Hadith is that when a person is sincere in his obedience towards Allah, all his deeds are done for the sake of Allah, so he only hears for the sake of Allah, he only sees for the sake of Allah - meaning he only listens to or looks at what has been allowed by Allah.
He does not strike or walk except in obedience to Allah, seeking Allah's help in all of these things.
Thus in some versions of the Hadith, narrated outside the Sahih, after the phrase "his foot with which he walks", there is added: «فَبِي يَسْمَعُ، وَبِي يُبْصِرُ، وَبِي يَبْطِشُ، وَبِي يَمْشِي» ( So through Me he hears, through Me he sees, through Me he strikes and through Me he walks. ) Thus Allah says: وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْسَّمْعَ وَالاٌّبْصَـرَ وَالأَفْئِدَةَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ( And He gave you hearing, sight, and hearts that you might give thanks. ) Elsewhere, He says: قُلْ هُوَ الَّذِى أَنشَأَكُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالاٌّبْصَـرَ وَالاٌّفْئِدَةَ قَلِيلاً مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ - قُلْ هُوَ الَّذِى ذَرَأَكُمْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَإِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ ( Say it is He Who has created you, and endowed you with hearing and seeing, and hearts.
Little thanks you give.
Say: "It is He Who has created you on the earth, and to Him shall you be gathered (in the Hereafter ).") ( 67:23-24 ) In the Subjection of the Birds in the Sky there is a Sign Then Allah tells His servants to look at the birds held ( flying ) in the sky, between heaven and earth, and how He has caused them to fly with their wings in the sky.
They are held up only by Him, it is He Who gave them the strength to do that, subjecting the air to carry them and support them.
As Allah says in Surat Al-Mulk: أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى الطَّيْرِ فَوْقَهُمْ صَــفَّـتٍ وَيَقْبِضْنَ مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلاَّ الرَّحْمَـنُ إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ بَصِيرٌ ( Do they not see the birds above them, spreading their wings out and folding them in None holds them up except the Most Gracious (Allah ).
Verily, He is the All-Seer of everything.) ( 67:19 ) And here Allah says: إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لآيَـتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ ( Verily, in this are clear signs for people who believe. ) وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّن بُيُوتِكُمْ سَكَنًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّن جُلُودِ الاٌّنْعَـمِ بُيُوتًا تَسْتَخِفُّونَهَا يَوْمَ ظَعْنِكُمْ وَيَوْمَ إِقَـمَتِكُمْ وَمِنْ أَصْوَافِهَا وَأَوْبَارِهَا وَأَشْعَارِهَآ أَثَـثاً وَمَتَـعاً إِلَى حِينٍ - وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّمَّا خَلَقَ ظِلَـلاً وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الْجِبَالِ أَكْنَـناً وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ سَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ الْحَرَّ وَسَرَبِيلَ تَقِيكُم بَأْسَكُمْ كَذَلِكَ يُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْلِمُونَ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَـغُ الْمُبِينُ

( And Allah brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers knowing nothing ) not knowing different kinds of things; it is also said that this means: not knowing anything, ( and gave you hearing ) with which you hear goodness ( and sight ) with which you see goodness ( and hearts ) with which you perceive goodness ( that haply ye might give thanks ) so that you give thanks to Allah for his blessings and believe in Him.

And Allah has brought you out from the wombs of your mothers while you know nothing. And He gave you hearing, sight, and hearts that you might give thanks (to Allah).

Page 275 English transliteration