Quran Universe
32:9

ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِهِۦۖ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرَ وَٱلۡأَفۡـِٔدَةَۚ قَلِيلٗا مَّا تَشۡكُرُونَ

Thumma sawwahu wanafakha feehi min roohihi wajaAAala lakumu alssamAAa waalabsara waalafidata qaleelan ma tashkuroona

Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul and made for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful.

Word by word
  1. ثُمَّThen
  2. سَوَّىٰهُHe fashioned him
  3. وَنَفَخَand breathed
  4. فِيهِinto him
  5. مِنfrom
  6. رُّوحِهِۦۖHis spirit
  7. وَجَعَلَand made
  8. لَكُمُfor you
  9. ٱلسَّمۡعَthe hearing
  10. وَٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرَand the sight
  11. وَٱلۡأَفۡـِٔدَةَۚand feelings
  12. قَلِيلٗاlittle
  13. مَّا[what]
  14. تَشۡكُرُونَthanks you give
As-Sajdah · 32:9Makkah

Hearing, sight, a heart that understands, and so little thanks.

The gifts that make you human

What He gave
proportionedshaped upright
the soulbreathed in
hearing, sightand reason
Who is truly blessed
the one with giftsjust having them
the one who uses themto worship his Lord

Ibn Kathir says Allah shaped Adam, breathed in the soul, and gave hearing, sight and reason. Yet little thanks is given. The truly blessed one uses them to worship and obey his Lord.

Your ears took in two hours of podcasts today. Your eyes scrolled a few thousand posts. Your mind worried about a meeting. Three huge gifts, and how much of them went to Allah?

My senses are just how my body works.

Hearing, sight and thought are gifts to be used for my Lord.

Try this

Give your ears ten minutes of Qur'an today in place of other audio.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 32:7)

Who made everything He has created good and He began the creation of man from clay (7)Then He made his offspring from semen of despised water (8)Then He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him the soul; and He gave you hearing, sight and the sense of deduction. Little is the thanks you give (9)

The Creation of Man in Stages

Allah tells us that He has created everything well and formed everything in a goodly fashion. Malik said, narrating from Zayd bin Aslam:

الَّذِي أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ ۖ 

(Who made everything He has created good) means, "He created everything well and in a goodly fashion." When Allah mentions the creation of the heavens and the earth, He follows that by mentioning the creation of man. Allah says:

وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنْسَانِ مِنْ طِينٍ

(and He began the creation of man from clay.) meaning, He created the father of mankind, Adam, from clay.

ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسْلَهُ مِنْ سُلَالَةٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ مَهِينٍ

(Then He made his offspring from semen of despised water.) means, they reproduce in this fashion, from a Nutfah which comes from the loins of men and from between the ribs of women.

ثُمَّ سَوَّاهُ 

(Then He fashioned him in due proportion,) means, when He created Adam from clay, He created him and gave him shape and made him upright.

وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِهِ ۖ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ ۚ

(and breathed into him the soul; and He gave you hearing, sight and the sense of deduction.) means, reason.

قَلِيلًا مَا تَشْكُرُونَ

(Little is the thanks you give!) means, for these strengths with which Allah has provided you; the one who is truly blessed is the one who uses them to worship and obey his Lord, may He be exalted and glorified.