Surah An-Nahl 16:8: And He creates what you do not yet know.

16:8

وَٱلۡخَيۡلَ وَٱلۡبِغَالَ وَٱلۡحَمِيرَ لِتَرۡكَبُوهَا وَزِينَةٗۚ وَيَخۡلُقُ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ

Waalkhayla waalbighala waalhameera litarkabooha wazeenatan wayakhluqu ma la taAAlamoona

And [He created] the horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride and [as] adornment. And He creates that which you do not know.

Word by word

وَٱلۡخَيۡلَAnd horses
وَٱلۡبِغَالَand mules
وَٱلۡحَمِيرَand donkeys
لِتَرۡكَبُوهَاfor you to ride them
وَزِينَةٗۚand (as) adornment
وَيَخۡلُقُAnd He creates
مَاwhat
لَاnot
تَعۡلَمُونَyou know

An-Nahl · 16:8Makkah

And He creates what you do not yet know.

Horses, mules, donkeys, and more to come

The riding animals

horsesto ride

mulesto ride

donkeysto ride

and

what you do not knowHe keeps creating

The list is not closed

what I can seethe full list

more than I knowHis creating goes on

Ibn Kathir explains that horses, mules and donkeys were made mainly for riding and as adornment, another blessing for travelers. Then the verse opens a door: He creates things you have no knowledge of.

Your grandparents could not picture the phone in your pocket or the train you take to work. You do not know what will carry your grandchildren. Every new thing you rely on was already in His plan before anyone invented it.

I already know the things that help me get through life.

There is always more He is creating than I have seen.

Try this

Think of one invention that made your life easier this week and thank Allah, not just the inventor.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And (He has created) horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride, and as an adornment. And He creates (other) things of which you have no knowledge (8)

This refers to another category of animals that Allah has created as a blessing for His servants,horses,mules and donkeys,all of which He made for riding and adornment.

This is the main purpose for which these animals were created. It was reported in the Two Sahihs that Jabir bin 'Abdullah said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade us to eat the meat of domestic donkeys, but he allowed us to eat the meat of horses."

Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawud reported with two chains of narration, each of which meet the conditions of Muslim, that Jabir said: "On the day of Khaybar we slaughtered horses, mules and donkeys. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade us from eating the mules and donkeys, but he did not forbid us from eating the horses."

According to Sahih Muslim, Asma' bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "At the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ we slaughtered a horse and ate it when we were in Al-Madinah."