Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nahl Verse 14

Mufti Taqi Usmani

He is the One who has subjugated the sea, so that you may eat fresh meat from it, and may take out from it ornaments you wear, and you see the boats cleaving through it, and so that you may seek His bounty, and that you may be grateful.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And He is the One Who has subjected the sea, so from it you may eat tender seafood and extract ornaments to wear. And you see the ships ploughing their way through it, so you may seek His bounty and give thanks ˹to Him˺.

Ruwwad Translation Center

It is He Who has subjected the sea, so that you may eat from it tender meat and extract ornaments to wear. And you see the ships cleaving their way through its waves, so that you may seek His bounty and so that you may give thanks.

A. J. Arberry

It is He who subjected to you the sea, that you may eat of it fresh flesh, and bring forth out of it ornaments for you to wear; and thou mayest see the ships cleaving through it; and that you may seek of His bounty, and so haply you will be thankful.

Abdul Haleem

It is He who made the sea of benefit to you: you eat fresh fish from it and bring out jewellery to wear; you see the ships cutting through its waves so that you may go in search of His bounty and give thanks.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And He it is who hath subjected the sea that ye may eat thereout flesh fresh and bring forth therefrom ornaments that ye wear. And thou beholdest ships ploughing therein, and it is in order that ye may seek of His grace, and that haply ye may give thanks.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It is He Who has made the sea subject, that ye may eat thereof flesh that is fresh and tender, and that ye may extract therefrom ornaments to wear; and thou seest the ships therein that plough the waves, that ye may seek (thus) of the bounty of Allah and that ye may be grateful.

Abul Ala Maududi

And He it is Who has subjected the sea that you may eat fresh fish from it and bring forth ornaments from it that you can wear. And you see ships ploughing their course through it so that you may go forth seeking His Bounty and be grateful to Him.

Ahmed Ali

It is He who has subdued the sea that you may eat fresh meat from it, and obtain ornaments to wear. You see the ships plough through it that you may seek of His bounties and, perhaps, be grateful.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And it is He Who subjected the sea for you, so you eat fresh meat from it, and extract ornaments from it which you wear; and you see ships ploughing through it and in order that you may seek His munificence and that you may give thanks.

Ali Quli Qarai

It is He who disposed the sea [for your benefit] that you may eat from it fresh meat, and obtain from it ornaments which you wear, and you see the ships plowing through it, that you may seek His bounty and that you may give thanks.

Ali Ünal

And He it is Who has made the sea to be of service (to you) so that you eat from it fresh meat, and draw out from it ornaments that you wear. And you see the ships plowing their course through it so that you may go forth in quest of His bounty and give thanks (to Him Who has created all this).

Amatul Rahman Omar

And He it is Who has made subservient (to you) the sea that you may eat of its fresh flesh (of fish), and may bring forth out of it (precious and beautiful things of) ornaments for your wear. And you see the ships cleaving through it. (They do so that you may journey with ease) and that you may seek of His bounty (in other ways) and that you may render thanks (to Him).

English Literal

And He is who manipulated/subjugated the sea/ocean to eat from it soft/tender meat , and you bring out from it a jewel/ornament you wear/dress it, and you see the ships audibly cutting/shearing in it, and to wish/desire from His grace/favour, and maybe/perhaps you thank/be grateful.

Faridul Haque

And it is He Who subjected the sea for you, so you eat fresh meat from it, and extract ornaments from it which you wear; and you see ships ploughing through it and in order that you may seek His munificence and that you may give thanks.

Hamid S. Aziz

He it is who has subjected the sea, that you may eat fresh flesh there from; and you bring forth from it ornaments which you wear,- and you may see the ships cleaving through it, and that you may search after His Bounty, and per chance (or possibly) you may give thanks.

Hilali & Khan

And He it is Who has subjected the sea (to you), that you eat thereof fresh tender meat (i.e. fish), and that you bring forth out of it ornaments to wear. And you see the ships ploughing through it, that you may seek (thus) of His Bounty (by transporting the goods from place to place) and that you may be grateful.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And what He has created for you in the earth is of varied hues. Surely there is a sign in this for a people who are mindful.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And He it is Who has made the sea subservient that you may eat fresh flesh from it and bring forth from it ornaments which you wear, and you see the ships cleaving through it, and that you might seek of His bounty and that you may give thanks.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And He it is Who hath constrained the sea to be of service that ye eat fresh meat from thence, and bring forth from thence ornaments which ye wear. And thou seest the ships ploughing it that ye (mankind) may seek of His bounty and that haply ye may give thanks.

Muhammad Sarwar

It is God who put the oceans at your disposal so that you could find therein fresh fish for food and ornaments with which to deck yourselves with. You will find ships that sail for you so that you may travel in search of the bounties of God and give Him thanks.

Qaribullah & Darwish

It is He who has subjected the sea to you, so that you eat of its soft flesh and bring up from it ornaments which you wear. And you see the ships plowingtheir course through it in order that you seek His bounty and give thanks.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And He it is Who subjected the sea (to you), that you may eat from the fresh tender meat, and that you bring forth out of it ornaments to wear. And you see the ships plowing through it, that you may seek from His bounty and that you may perhaps be grateful.

Wahiduddin Khan

It is He who subjected to you the sea, so that you may eat its fresh seafood and bring forth from it ornaments to wear. You see the ships cleaving through it. All this, so that you may seek His bounty and feel grateful.

Talal Itani

And it is He who made the sea to serve you, that you may eat from it tender meat, and extract from it ornaments that you wear. And you see the ships plowing through it, as you seek His bounties, so that you may give thanks.

Tafsir jalalayn

And He it is Who disposed the sea, [He it is Who] subdued it, that it might be sailed upon and dived in, that you may eat from it fresh meat, that is, fish, and bring forth from it ornaments which you wear, namely, pearls and coral. And you see, observe, the ships ploughing therein, ploughing through the water, that is, cleaving it as they sail upon it, coming and going with the same wind; and that you may seek (wa-li- tabtagh is a supplement to li-ta'kul, `that you may eat') of His bounty, exalted He be, by way of commerce, and that you might be thankful, to God for [all] that.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Signs in the Oceans, Mountains, Rivers, Roads and Stars

Allah tells;

وَهُوَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ الْبَحْرَ لِتَأْكُلُواْ مِنْهُ لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا وَتَسْتَخْرِجُواْ مِنْهُ حِلْيَةً تَلْبَسُونَهَا وَتَرَى الْفُلْكَ مَوَاخِرَ فِيه

And He it is Who subjected the sea (to you), that you may eat from the fresh tender meat, and that you bring forth out of it ornaments to wear.

And you see the ships plowing through it,

Allah tells us how He has subjected the seas, with their waves lapping the shores, and how He blesses His servants by subjecting the seas for them so that they may travel on them, and by putting fish and whales in them, by making their flesh permissible to eat - whether they are caught alive or dead - at all times, including when people are in a state of Ihram.

He has created pearls and precious jewels in the oceans, and made it easy for His servants to recover ornaments that they can wear from the ocean floor.

He made the sea such that it carries the ships which plow through it. He is the One Who taught mankind to make ships, which is the inheritance of their forefather Nuh. He was the first one to travel by ship, he was taught how to make them, then people took this knowledge from him and passed it down from generation to generation through the centuries, so that they could travel from country to country and from place to place, bringing goods from here to there and from there to here.

Thus Allah says;

وَلِتَبْتَغُواْ مِن فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ



that you may seek from His bounty and that you may perhaps be grateful.

for His bounty and blessings.

Allah says