Quran Universe
27:61

أَمَّن جَعَلَ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ قَرَارٗا وَجَعَلَ خِلَٰلَهَآ أَنۡهَٰرٗا وَجَعَلَ لَهَا رَوَٰسِيَ وَجَعَلَ بَيۡنَ ٱلۡبَحۡرَيۡنِ حَاجِزًاۗ أَءِلَٰهٞ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِۚ بَلۡ أَكۡثَرُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ

Amman jaAAala alarda qararan wajaAAala khilalaha anharan wajaAAala laha rawasiya wajaAAala bayna albahrayni hajizan ailahun maAAa Allahi bal aktharuhum la yaAAlamoona

Is He [not best] who made the earth a stable ground and placed within it rivers and made for it firmly set mountains and placed between the two seas a barrier? Is there a deity with Allah? [No], but most of them do not know.

Word by word
  1. أَمَّنOr Who
  2. جَعَلَmade
  3. ٱلۡأَرۡضَthe earth
  4. قَرَارٗاa firm abode
  5. وَجَعَلَand made
  6. خِلَٰلَهَآ(in) its midst
  7. أَنۡهَٰرٗاrivers
  8. وَجَعَلَand made
  9. لَهَاfor it
  10. رَوَٰسِيَfirm mountains
  11. وَجَعَلَand made
  12. بَيۡنَbetween
  13. ٱلۡبَحۡرَيۡنِthe two seas
  14. حَاجِزًاۗa barrier
  15. أَءِلَٰهٞIs there any god
  16. مَّعَwith
  17. ٱللَّهِۚAllah
  18. بَلۡNay
  19. أَكۡثَرُهُمۡmost of them
  20. لَا(do) not
  21. يَعۡلَمُونَknow
An-Naml · 27:61Makkah

Stable ground under your feet is a gift.

Earth, rivers, mountains, and a barrier

Made for living
stable earthdoes not shake
riverssweet, in every direction
mountainsholding it firm
a barriersweet and salt kept apart
What most do not know
it is just therethe earth is normal
it was arrangedby His mercy

Ibn Kathir explains the earth is made smooth and calm by His grace, since a shaking earth would be no place to live. Rivers flow where people need them, and a barrier keeps sweet and salt water apart so each stays as it is meant to be. Yet most of them do not know.

You fall asleep in an apartment building. You fill a glass from the tap. You never think the floor might move. Every quiet, ordinary day is resting on something He arranged.

Solid ground and clean water are just how the world is.

The ground that holds still and the water I drink are daily mercies from Allah.

Try this

Drink your next glass of water slowly and thank Allah for it before you swallow.

Related40:6425:53
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Is not He Who has made the earth as a fixed abode, and has placed rivers in its midst, and has placed firm mountains therein, and has set a barrier between the two seas (of salt and sweet water)? Is there any ilah (god) with Allah? Nay, but most of them know not (61)

Allah says:

أَمَّنْ جَعَلَ الْأَرْضَ قَرَارًا

(Is not He Who has made the earth as a fixed abode,) meaning, stable and stationary, so that it does not move or convulse, because if it were to do so, it would not be a good place for people to live on. But by His grace and mercy, He has made it smooth and calm, and it is not shaken or moved. This is like the Ayah,

اللَّهُ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ قَرَارًا وَالسَّمَاءَ بِنَاءً 

(Allah, Who has made for you the earth as a dwelling place and the sky as a canopy)(40:64).

وَجَعَلَ خِلَالَهَا أَنْهَارًا

(and has placed rivers in its midst,) means, He has placed rivers which are fresh and sweet, cutting through the earth, and He has made them of different types, large rivers, small rivers and some in between. He has caused them to flow in all directions, east, west, south, north, according to the needs of mankind in different areas and regions, as He has created them throughout the world and sends them their provision according to their needs.

وَجَعَلَ لَهَا رَوَاسِيَ

(and has placed firm mountains therein,) means, high mountains which stabilize the earth and make it steadfast, so that it does not shake.

وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ حَاجِزًا

(and has set a barrier between the two seas) means, He has placed a barrier between the fresh water and the salt water, to prevent them from mixing lest they corrupt one another. Divine wisdom dictates that each of them should stay as it is meant to be. The sweet water is that which flows in rivers among mankind, and it is meant to be fresh and palatable so that it may be used to water animals and plants and fruits. The salt water is that which surrounds the continents on all sides, and its water is meant to be salty and undrinkable lest the air be corrupted by its smell, as Allah says:

وَهُوَ الَّذِي مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ هَٰذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ وَهَٰذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخًا وَحِجْرًا مَحْجُورًا

(And it is He Who has let free the two seas, this is palatable and sweet, and that is salty and bitter; and He has set a barrier and a complete partition between them.)(25:53) Allah says:

أَإِلَٰهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ ۚ

(Is there any god with Allah?) meaning, any god who could do this, or who deserves to be worshipped? Both meanings are indicated by the context.

بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

(Nay, but most of them know not!) means, in that they worship others than Allah.