Quran Universe
7:10

وَلَقَدۡ مَكَّنَّـٰكُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَجَعَلۡنَا لَكُمۡ فِيهَا مَعَٰيِشَۗ قَلِيلٗا مَّا تَشۡكُرُونَ

Walaqad makkannakum fee alardi wajaAAalna lakum feeha maAAayisha qaleelan ma tashkuroona

And We have certainly established you upon the earth and made for you therein ways of livelihood. Little are you grateful.

Word by word
  1. وَلَقَدۡAnd certainly
  2. مَكَّنَّـٰكُمۡWe established you
  3. فِيin
  4. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe earth
  5. وَجَعَلۡنَاand We made
  6. لَكُمۡfor you
  7. فِيهَاin it
  8. مَعَٰيِشَۗlivelihood
  9. قَلِيلٗاLittle
  10. مَّا(is) what
  11. تَشۡكُرُونَyou (are) grateful
Al-A'raf · 7:10Makkah

He settled you on earth and gave you a living.

Gifts that are easy to forget

What was given
a place on earthhomes, rivers, mountains
ways to earntrade, work, crafts
met with
little thanksmost barely notice
Where my living comes from
I earned it allmy own effort
He made the meansrain, land, work itself

After the warnings, the surah turns to gifts. The tafsir lists a stable earth, mountains, rivers, homes, rain, trade and professions. Yet most give little thanks.

Payday. The money lands and in the same minute it is gone in your head: rent, bills, the thing you want. The job, the health to do it, the road to get there. You forgot to say thank you for any of it.

I worked for my salary, so it is simply mine.

Even my ability to earn was set up for me by Allah.

Try this

On your next payday or purchase, say alhamdulillah before you spend.

Related14:34
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And surely, We gave you authority on the earth and appointed for you therein livelihoods. Little thanks do you give (10)

All Bounties in the Heavens and Earth are for the Benefit of Mankind

Allah reminds of His favor on His servants in that He made the earth a fixed place for dwelling, placed firm mountains and rivers on it and made homes and allowed them to utilize its benefits. Allah made the clouds work for them (bringing rain) so that they may produce their sustenance from them. He also created the ways and means of earnings, commercial activities and other professions. Yet, most of them give liltle thanks for this. Allah said in another Ayah,

وَإِن تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ

(And if you count the blessings of Allah,never will you be able to count them. Verily, man is indeed a wrongdoer, an ingrate.)[14:34]