Al-Qur'an Surah An-Nahl Verse 15

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And He placed mountains on the earth, lest it should shake with you, and rivers and tracks, so that you may find the right way,

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

He has placed into the earth firm mountains, so it does not shake with you, as well as rivers, and pathways so you may find your way.

Ruwwad Translation Center

And He has placed into the earth firm mountains, so it does not tremor with you, and there are rivers and pathways so that you may find your way,

A. J. Arberry

And He cast on the earth firm mountains, lest it shake with you, and rivers and ways; so haply you will be guided;

Abdul Haleem

He has made mountains stand firm on the earth, to prevent it shaking under you, and rivers and paths so that you may find your way,

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And He hath cast on the earth firm mountains lest it move away with you, and rivers and paths that haply ye may be directed.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And He has set up on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with you; and rivers and roads; that ye may guide yourselves;

Abul Ala Maududi

And He has placed firm mountains on the earth lest it should move away from you, and has made rivers and tracks that you may find your way,

Ahmed Ali

He placed stablisers in the earth so that while it revolves you live undisturbed, and rivers and tracks so that you may find your way;

Ahmed Raza Khan

And He placed mountains as anchors in the earth so that it may not shake along with you, and streams and roads for you to find course.

Ali Quli Qarai

He cast firm mountains in the earth lest it should shake with you, and [made] streams and ways, so that you may be guided

Ali Ünal

And He has cast firm mountains on the earth lest it should shake with you (with its movement), and rivers, and roads, so that you may find your way;

Amatul Rahman Omar

And He has placed firm mountains in the earth lest it shall quake and that they may be a source of benefit and provision of food for you, and (has made) rivers (flow on it), and many routes that you may take the right way to reach your goal.

English Literal

And He threw in the earth/Planet Earth anchors/mountains that (E) it sways and leans/moves and unsettles with you, and rivers/waterways and ways/paths , maybe/perhaps you be guided.

Faridul Haque

And He placed mountains as anchors in the earth so that it may not shake along with you, and streams and roads for you to find course.

Hamid S. Aziz

And He has cast firm mountains on the earth lest it shake with you; and rivers and roads; per chance (or possibly) you may be guided.

Hilali & Khan

And He has affixed into the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with you, and rivers and roads, that you may guide yourselves.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

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 thou seest the ships cleaving through it, so that you seek of His bounty and that you may give thanks.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And He has cast great mountains in the earth lest it might be convulsed with you, and rivers and roads that you may go aright,

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And He hath cast into the earth firm hills that it quake not with you, and streams and roads that ye may find a way.

Muhammad Sarwar

God has fixed the mountains on earth lest you should be hurled away when it quakes. Therein He has also made rivers and roads so that you will find your way.

Qaribullah & Darwish

He set firm mountains upon the earth lest it should shake with you; and rivers, and roads, in order that you are guided.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And He has driven firm standing mountains into the earth, lest it should shake with you; and rivers and roads, that you may guide yourselves.

Wahiduddin Khan

He has set up on the earth firm mountains, lest it shake under you, and rivers and tracks, so that you may find your way,

Talal Itani

And he cast mountains on the earth, lest it shifts with you; and rivers, and roads, so that you may be guided.

Tafsir jalalayn

And He cast into the earth firm mountains, lest it should shake, move, with you, and, He made therein, rivers, such as the Nile, and ways, roads, so that you might be guided, to your destinations,

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَأَلْقَى فِي الَارْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ

And He has driven firm standing mountains into the earth, lest it should shake with you;

Allah mentions the earth and how He placed in it mountains standing firm, which make it stable and keep it from shaking in such a manner that the creatures dwelling on it would not be able to live. Hence Allah says,

وَالْجِبَالَ أَرْسَـهَا

And the mountains He has fixed firmly. (79;32)

وَأَنْهَارًا وَسُبُلً

and rivers and roads,

meaning He has made rivers which flow from one place to another, bringing provision for His servants.

The rivers arise in one place, and bring provision to people living in another place. They flow through lands and fields and wildernesses, through mountains and hills, until they reach the land whose people they are meant to benefit. They meander across the land, left and right, north and south, east and west - rivers great and small - flowing sometimes and ceasing sometimes, flowing from their sources to the places where the water gathers, flowing rapidly or moving slowly, as decreed by Allah. There is no god besides Him and no Lord except Him.

He also made roads or routes along which people travel from one land or city to another, and He even made gaps in the mountains so that there would be routes between them, as He says;

وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا فِجَاجاً سُبُلً

And We placed broad highways for them to pass through. (21;31)

لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ



that you may guide yourselves