Allah says: `If you, O Muhammad, were to ask these idolators who associate others with Allah and worship others besides Him,'

﴿ظ…ظ‘ظژظ†ظ’ ط®ظژظ„ظژظ‚ظژ ط§ظ„ط³ظ‘ظژظ…ظژظ€ظˆظژطھظگ ظˆظژط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط±ظ’ط¶ظژ ظ„ظژظٹظژظ‚ظڈظˆظ„ظڈظ†ظ‘ظژ ط®ظژظ„ظژظ‚ظژظ‡ظڈظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژط²ظگظٹط²ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژظ„ظگظٹظ…ظڈ﴾

("Who has created the heavens and the earth'' They will surely say: "The All-Mighty, the All-Knower created them.'') In other words, they will admit that the Creator of all that is Allah Alone, with no partner or associate, yet they still worship others -- idols and false gods -- alongside Him.

﴿ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظ‰ ط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظژ ظ„ظژظƒظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط±ظ’ط¶ظژ ظ…ظژظ‡ظ’ط¯ط§ظ‹﴾

(Who has made for you the earth like a bed,) means, smooth, stable and firm, so that you can travel about in it, and stand on it and sleep and walk about, even though it is created above water, but He has strengthened it with the mountains, lest it should shake.

﴿ظˆظژط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظژ ظ„ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظژط§ ط³ظڈط¨ظڈظ„ط§ظ‹﴾

(and has made for you roads therein,) means, paths between the mountains and the valleys.

﴿ظ„ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ‘ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ طھظژظ‡ظ’طھظژط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(in order that you may find your way.) means, in your journeys from city to city, region to region, land to land.

﴿ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظ‰ ظ†ظژط²ظ‘ظژظ„ظژ ظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ط³ظ‘ظژظ…ظژط¢ط،ظگ ظ…ظژط¢ط،ظ‹ ط¨ظگظ‚ظژط¯ظژط±ظچ﴾

(And Who sends down water from the sky in due measure, ) means, according to what is sufficient for your crops, fruits and drinking water for yourselves and your cattle.

﴿ظپظژط£ظژظ†ط´ظژط±ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط¨ظگظ‡ظگ ط¨ظژظ„ظ’ط¯ظژط©ظ‹ ظ…ظ‘ظژظٹظ’طھط§ظ‹﴾

(then We revive a dead land therewith,) means, a barren land, for when the water comes to it, it is stirred (to life), and it swells and puts forth every lovely kind (of growth). By referring to the revival of the earth, Allah draws attention to how He will bring bodies back to life on the Day of Resurrection, after they have been dead.

﴿ظƒظژط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظژ طھظڈط®ظ’ط±ظژط¬ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(and even so you will be brought forth.) Then Allah says:

﴿ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظ‰ ط®ظژظ„ظژظ‚ظژ ط§ظ„ط£ظژط²ظ’ظˆظژط¬ظژ ظƒظڈظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط§﴾

(And Who has created all the pairs) meaning, of everything that grows in the earth, all kinds of plants, crops, fruits, flowers, etc., and all different kinds of animals.

﴿ظˆظژط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظژ ظ„ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظپظڈظ„ظ’ظƒظگ﴾

(and has appointed for you ships) or vessels,

﴿ظˆظژط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒظ†ظ’ط¹ظژظ€ظ…ظگ ظ…ظژط§ طھظژط±ظ’ظƒظژط¨ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(and cattle on which you ride.) means, He has subjugated them to you and made it easy for you to eat their meat, drink their milk and ride on their backs. Allah says:

﴿ظ„ظگطھظژط³ظ’طھظژظˆظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط¸ظڈظ‡ظڈظˆط±ظگظ‡ظگ﴾

(In order that you may mount on their backs, ) meaning, sit comfortably and securely,

﴿ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط¸ظڈظ‡ظڈظˆط±ظگظ‡ظگ﴾

(on their backs) means, on the backs of these kinds of animals.

﴿ط«ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژ طھظژط°ظ’ظƒظڈط±ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ†ظگط¹ظ’ظ…ظژط©ظژ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظگظƒظڈظ…ظ’﴾

(and then may remember the favor of your Lord) means, whereby these animals are subjugated to you.

﴿ط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ط§ط³ظ’طھظژظˆظژظٹظ’طھظڈظ…ظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگ ظˆظژطھظژظ‚ظڈظˆظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط³ظڈط¨ظ’ط­ظژظ€ظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظ‰ ط³ظژط®ظ‘ظژط±ظژ ظ„ظژظ†ظژط§ ظ‡ظژظ€ط°ظژط§ ظˆظژظ…ظژط§ ظƒظڈظ†ظ‘ظژط§ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ…ظڈظ‚ظ’ط±ظگظ†ظگظٹظ†ظژ﴾

(when you mount thereon, and say: "Glory to Him Who has subjected this to us, and we could have never had it.'') means, if it were not for the fact that Allah has subjugated these things to us, we could never have done this by our own strength.' Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd said: "We could not have done this ourselves.''

﴿ظˆظژط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژط¢ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظگظ†ظژط§ ظ„ظژظ…ظڈظ†ظ‚ظژظ„ظگط¨ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(And verily, to Our Lord we indeed are to return.) means, `We will return to Him after our death, and our ultimate destination is with Him.' In this Ayah, mention of earthly journeys draws attention to the journey of the Hereafter, just as elsewhere, mention of earthly provision draws attention to the importance of ensuring provision for the Hereafter, as Allah says:

﴿ظˆظژطھظژط²ظژظˆظ‘ظژط¯ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظپظژط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط®ظژظٹظ’ط±ظژ ط§ظ„ط²ظ‘ظژط§ط¯ظگ ط§ظ„طھظ‘ظژظ‚ظ’ظˆظژظ‰﴾

(And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is the Taqwa) (2:197). And mention of earthly garments is also used to draw attention to the raiment of the Hereafter:

﴿ظˆظژط±ظگظٹط´ظ‹ط§ ظˆظژظ„ظگط¨ظژط§ط³ظڈ ط§ظ„طھظ‘ظژظ‚ظ’ظˆظژظ‰ ط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظژ ط®ظژظٹظ’ط±ظŒ﴾

(and as an adornment; and the raiment of the Taqwa, that is better) (7:26).

﴿ظˆظژط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ ط¹ظگط¨ظژط§ط¯ظگظ‡ظگ ط¬ظڈط²ظ’ط،ظ‹ط§ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ط¥ظ†ط³ظژظ€ظ†ظژ ظ„ظژظƒظژظپظڈظˆط±ظŒ ظ…ظ‘ظڈط¨ظگظٹظ†ظŒ - ط£ظژظ…ظگ ط§طھظ‘ظژط®ظژط°ظژ ظ…ظگظ…ظ‘ظژط§ ظٹظژط®ظ’ظ„ظڈظ‚ظڈ ط¨ظژظ†ظژط§طھظچ ظˆظژط£ظژطµظ’ظپظژظ€ظƒظڈظ… ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ’ط¨ظژظ†ظگظٹظ†ظژ - ظˆظژط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ط¨ظڈط´ظ‘ظگط±ظژ ط£ظژط­ظژط¯ظڈظ‡ظڈظ… ط¨ظگظ…ظژط§ ط¶ظژط±ظژط¨ظژ ظ„ظگظ„ط±ظ‘ظژط­ظ’ظ…ظژظ€ظ†ظگ ظ…ظژط«ظژظ„ط§ظ‹ ط¸ظژظ„ظ‘ظژ ظˆظژط¬ظ’ظ‡ظڈظ‡ظڈ ظ…ظڈط³ظ’ظˆظژط¯ظ‘ط§ظ‹ ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ظƒظژط¸ظگظٹظ…ظŒ - ط£ظژظˆظژظ…ظژظ† ظٹظڈظ†ظژط´ظ‘ظژط£ظڈ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظگظ„ظ’ظٹظژط©ظگ ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ’ط®ظگطµظژط§ظ…ظگ ط؛ظژظٹظ’ط±ظڈ ظ…ظڈط¨ظگظٹظ†ظچ - ظˆظژط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژظ„ظژظ€ط¦ظگظƒظژط©ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¹ظگط¨ظژط§ط¯ظڈ ط§ظ„ط±ظ‘ظژط­ظ’ظ…ظژظ€ظ†ظگ ط¥ظگظ†ظژظ€ط«ط§ظ‹ ط£ظژط´ظژظ‡ظگط¯ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط®ظژظ„ظ’ظ‚ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط³ظژطھظڈظƒظ’طھظژط¨ظڈ ط´ظژظ‡ظژظ€ط¯ظژطھظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظٹظڈط³ظ’ظ€ظژظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظˆظژظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ„ظژظˆظ’ ط´ظژط¢ط،ظژ ط§ظ„ط±ظ‘ظژط­ظ’ظ…ظژظ€ظ†ظڈ ظ…ظژط§ ط¹ظژط¨ظژط¯ظ’ظ†ظژظ€ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظ…ظ‘ظژط§ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈظ… ط¨ظگط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظژ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ ط¹ظگظ„ظ’ظ…ظچ ط¥ظگظ†ظ’ ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ظٹظژط®ظ’ط±ظڈطµظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(15. Yet, they assign to some of His servants a share with Him. Verily, man is indeed a manifest ingrate!) (16. Or has He taken daughters out of what He has created, and He has selected for you sons) (17. And if one of them is informed of the news of that which he sets forth as a parable to the Most Gracious, his face becomes dark, and he is filled with grief!) (18. A creature who is brought up in adornments, and who in dispute cannot make itself clear) (19. And they make females the angels who themselves are servants of the Most Gracious. Did they witness their creation Their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned!) (20. And they said: "If it had been the will of the Most Gracious,