Al-Qur'an Surah An-Naml Verse 60

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Or the One who created the heavens and the earth and sent down for you water from the sky? Then We caused to grow with it gardens, full of glamour. It was not within your ability to grow their trees. Is there any god along with Allah? No, but they are a people who equate (others with Allah).

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Or ˹ask them,˺ “Who created the heavens and the earth, and sends down rain for you from the sky, by which We cause delightful gardens to grow? You could never cause their trees to grow. Was it another god besides Allah?” Absolutely not! But they are a people who set up equals ˹to Allah˺!

Ruwwad Translation Center

Is He [not better] Who created the heavens and earth, and sent down for you rain from the sky, by which We caused to grow gardens of cheerful beauty? You could never cause their trees to grow. Is there any god besides Allah? No, but they are people who ascribe equals [to Allah].

A. J. Arberry

He who created the heavens and earth, and sent down for you out of heaven water; and We caused to grow therewith gardens full of loveliness whose trees you could never grow. Is there a god with God? Nay, but they are a people who assign to Him equals!

Abdul Haleem

Who created the heavens and earth? Who sends down water from the sky for you- with which We cause gardens of delight to grow: you have no power to make the trees grow in them- is it another god beside God? No! But they are people who take others to be equal with God.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Is not he best Who hath created the heavens and the earth, and Who sendeth down water for you from the heaven wherewith We cause beauteous orchards to grow up, whereof it was not possible for you to cause the trees to grow up! Is there any god along with Allah! Nay! but they are a people who equalise.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Or, Who has created the heavens and the earth, and Who sends you down rain from the sky? Yea, with it We cause to grow well-planted orchards full of beauty of delight; it is not in your power to cause the growth of the trees in them. (Can there be another) god besides Allah? Nay, they are a people who swerve from justice.

Abul Ala Maududi

Who is it that has created the heavens and the earth and sent down for you water from the sky and then We caused to grow therewith orchards full of beauty whose trees you could never grow. Is there any god associated with Allah (in these tasks)?" Nay, they are a people who are veering away from the Right Path.

Ahmed Ali

Who created the heavens and the earth, who sends down water from the sky for you, with which He causes graceful gardens to grow? It was not in your power to make trees germinate. Is there any other god along with God. In fact they are a people who turn away (from the truth).

Ahmed Raza Khan

Or He Who created the heavens and the earth, and sent down water from the sky for you; so We grew delightful gardens with it; you had no strength to grow its trees; is there a God along with Allah?! In fact they are those who shun the right path.

Ali Quli Qarai

Is He who created the heavens and the earth, and sends down for you water from the sky, whereby We grow delightful gardens, whose trees you could never cause to grow...? What! Is there a god besides Allah? Indeed, they are a lot who equate [others with Allah].

Ali Ünal

Or He Who has created the heavens and the earth, and sends down for you water from the sky? –We cause to grow with it gardens full of loveliness and delight: it is not in your power to cause their trees to grow. Is there another deity besides God? No, but they are a people who veer away (from truth). –

Amatul Rahman Omar

Or Who is it that created the heavens and the earth, and sends down water for you from the clouds? (It is We.) Then We cause to grow with it orchards full of bloom and loveliness. You had no power to cause their trees to grow. Is there any god with Allâh? (There is none;) yet there are a people who ascribe (to Him) equals (in all these works, and deviate from the right path).

English Literal

Or Who created the skies/space and the earth/Planet Earth, and He descended for you from the sky water, so We sprouted/grew with it fenced gardens of beauty/splendor , (it) was not for you, that you sprout/grow its trees, is (there) a god with God? But they are a nation making equals (to Him).

Faridul Haque

Or He Who created the heavens and the earth, and sent down water from the sky for you; so We grew delightful gardens with it; you had no strength to grow its trees; is there a God along with Allah?! In fact they are those who shun the right path.

Hamid S. Aziz

Say, "Praise belongs to Allah; and peace be upon His servants whom He has chosen! Is Allah best, or what they associate as partners with Him?"

Hilali & Khan

Is not He (better than your gods) Who created the heavens and the earth, and sends down for you water (rain) from the sky, whereby We cause to grow wonderful gardens full of beauty and delight? It is not in your ability to cause the growth of their trees. Is there any ilah (god) with Allah? Nay, but they are a people who ascribe equals (to Him)!

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And We rained on them a rain; so evil was the rain on those who had been warned.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Nay, He Who created the heavens and the earth, and sent down for you water from the cloud; then We cause to grow thereby beautiful gardens; it is not possible for you that you should make the trees thereof to grow. Is there a god with Allah? Nay! they are people who deviate.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Is not He (best) Who created the heavens and the earth, and sendeth down for you water from the sky wherewith We cause to spring forth joyous orchards, whose trees it never hath been yours to cause to grow. Is there any Allah beside Allah? Nay, but they are folk who ascribe equals (unto Him)!

Muhammad Sarwar

"(Are the idols worthier or) the One who has created the heavens and the earth, who has sent water from the sky for you, who has established delightful gardens and you could not even plant one tree? Is there any Lord besides God? In fact, the unbelievers are the ones who deviate from the right path.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Is He who created the heavens and the earth, and sent water from the sky for you and caused gardens to grow full of beauty of which its tree you could never grow, is there a god with Allah? No, but they are a nation who set up equals with Him!

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth, and sends down for you water from the sky, whereby We cause to grow wonderful gardens full of beauty and delight It is not in your ability to cause the growth of their trees. Is there any god with Allah Nay, but they are a people who ascribe equals!

Wahiduddin Khan

Who created the heavens and the earth and sends down water for you from the sky, by which We make luxuriant gardens grow, you could never make such trees grow in them, is it another deity besides God? No indeed, but they are a people who equate others with Him.

Talal Itani

Or, who created the heavens and the earth, and rains down water from the sky for you? With it We produce gardens full of beauty, whose trees you could not have produced. Is there another god with God? But they are a people who equate.

Tafsir jalalayn

Or He Who created the heavens and the earth, and sends down for you water from the heaven, whereby We cause to grow (there is a shift here from third person to that of the first person [plural]) splendid gardens (had'iq is the plural of hadqa, which is an enclosed garden) whose trees you could never cause to grow?, because of you do not have the ability for it. Is there a god (a-ilhun, here and in the seven instances in which it occurs, read by pronouncing both hamzas, or by not pronouncing the second, inserting an alif between the two in both cases) with God?, who has helped Him in [all of] this? In other words, there is no god with Him. Nay, but they are a people who ascribe equals [to Him], who associate with God others.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

أَمَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَْرْضَ

Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth,

meaning, He created those heavens which are so high and serene, with their shining stars and revolving planets. And He created the earth, with its varying heights and densities, and He created everything in it, mountains, hills, plains, rugged terrain, wildernesses, crops, trees, fruits, seas and animals of all different kinds and colors and shapes, etc.

وَأَنزَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ السَّمَاء مَاء

and sends down for you water from the sky,

means, He sends it as a provision for His servants,

فَأَنبَتْنَا بِهِ حَدَايِقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ

whereby We cause to grow wonderful gardens full of beauty and delight

means, beautiful and delightful to behold.

مَّا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَن تُنبِتُوا شَجَرَهَا

It is not in your ability to cause the growth of their trees.

meaning, `you are not able to cause their trees to grow. The One Who is able to do that is the Creator and Provider, Who is doing all this Alone and Independent of any idol and other rival.'

The idolators themselves admitted this, as Allah says in another Ayah;

وَلَيِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ

And if you ask them;"Who has created them!" they will certainly say;"Allah." (31;25)

وَلَيِن سَأَلْتَهُمْ مَّن نَّزَّلَ مِنَ السَّمَأءِ مَأءً فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الاٌّرْضَ مِن بَعْدِ مَوْتِهَا لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّه

And if you were to ask them;"Who sends down water from the sky, and gives life therewith to the earth after its death!" they will surely reply;"Allah." (29;63)

Meaning they will admit that He is the One Who does all these things, Alone, with no partner or associate, but then they worship others alongside Him, others who they admit cannot create or provide anything. But the Only One Who deserves to be worshipped is the Only One Who can create and provide,

Allah says;

أَإِلَهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ

Is there any god with Allah,

meaning, `is there any god that can be worshipped alongside Allah, when it is clear to you and anyone who with reason that He is the Creator and Provider, as you yourselves admit!'

Then Allah says;

بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ يَعْدِلُونَ



Nay, but they are a people who ascribe equals (to Him)!

meaning, they describe others as being equal and comparable to Allah