Quran Universe
35:3

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡۚ هَلۡ مِنۡ خَٰلِقٍ غَيۡرُ ٱللَّهِ يَرۡزُقُكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَۖ فَأَنَّىٰ تُؤۡفَكُونَ

Ya ayyuha alnnasu othkuroo niAAmata Allahi AAalaykum hal min khaliqin ghayru Allahi yarzuqukum mina alssamai waalardi la ilaha illa huwa faanna tufakoona

O mankind, remember the favor of Allah upon you. Is there any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the heaven and earth? There is no deity except Him, so how are you deluded?

Word by word
  1. يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاO
  2. ٱلنَّاسُmankind
  3. ٱذۡكُرُواْRemember
  4. نِعۡمَتَ(the) Favor
  5. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  6. عَلَيۡكُمۡۚupon you
  7. هَلۡIs
  8. مِنۡ(there) any
  9. خَٰلِقٍcreator
  10. غَيۡرُother (than) Allah
  11. ٱللَّهِother (than) Allah
  12. يَرۡزُقُكُمwho provides for you
  13. مِّنَfrom
  14. ٱلسَّمَآءِthe sky
  15. وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚand the earth
  16. لَآ(There is) no
  17. إِلَٰهَgod
  18. إِلَّاbut
  19. هُوَۖHe
  20. فَأَنَّىٰThen,how
  21. تُؤۡفَكُونَ(are) you deluded
Fatir · 35:3Makkah

Who else sends you rain and food?

Remembering the favor leads to the One who gives it

The question asked
from the skyrain
from the earthfood and provision
given by
Allah aloneno other creator
Where thanks goes
other godsthanked for what Allah gave
no god but Heso why turn away?

Makkah lived on rain, trade, and what the land could give. Yet its people turned to idols. The verse asks them to remember the favor and then asks plainly: how are you turned away?

Payday comes and you thank your company, your skills, your side hustle. The food on the table, the water in the tap, the air in your chest arrived without a thank you. Remembering is the first step back.

I earned what I have through my own work.

My work was the path, but every bit of provision came from Allah.

Try this

Before eating today, name where the food came from all the way back to rain. Then thank Allah.

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

O mankind! Remember the grace of Allah upon you! Is there any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the sky (rain) and the earth? La ilaha illa Huwa. How then are you turning away (from Him)(3)

The Evidence of Tawhid

Allah shows His servants that they should worship Him Alone, for just as He is Independent in His power of creation and provision, so He should be worshipped Alone with no partners or associates such as idols and false gods. So Allah says:

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ فَأَنَّىٰ تُؤْفَكُونَ

(La ilaha illa Huwa. How then are you turning away (from Him)) meaning, 'how can you turn away from Him after this has been made clear and this proof has been made obvious, but you still worship idols and false gods?' And Allah knows best.