Surah Al-Mulk Ayat 16 (67:16 Quran) With Tafsir

Ala-Maududi

(67:16) Do you feel secure that He Who is in the heaven^[25] will not cause the earth to cave in with you, and then suddenly it will begin to rock violently?

25. This does not mean that Allah lives in the heavens, but it has been so said because man naturally looks up to the heaven whenever he wants to turn to Allah, raises his hands heavenward in prayer and implores Allah turning his eyes up to heaven whenever he finds himself helpless in an affliction. Then whenever a calamity befalls him suddenly, he says it has descended from heaven; whenever something unusual happens, he says it has come from heaven; and he calls the Books revealed by Allah as heavenly Books. Accordingly to a tradition in Abu Daud, a person came before the Prophet (peace be upon him) with a black slavegirl and said: It has become obligatory on me to set a slave free; can I set this slave-girl free? Prophet (peace be upon him) asked the slave-girl: Where is Allah? She pointed heavenward with her forger. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: Who am I? She first pointed towards him and then towards the heaven, by which she obviously meant to say: You have come from Allah. Thereupon the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Set her free; she is a believer. (A story closely resembling this has been narrated in Muwatta, Muslim and Nasai also). About Khawla bint Thaibah, Umar once said to the people: She is the lady whose complaint was heard above the seven heavens. In (Surah al-Mujadalah, ayat 1) note 2, we have given full details concerning this). All this clearly shows that it is natural with man that whenever he thinks of God, his mind turns to the heaven above and not to the earth below. In view of this very thing the words man fis-samaa (He Who is in the heaven) have been used about Allah. There is no room here for any doubt that the Quran regards Allah Almighty as living in the heaven. In fact, there cannot be any basis for this doubt, for in the very beginning of this Surah Al-Mulk, it has been stated: He Who created seven heavens, one above the other, and in Surah Al-Baqarah it has been said: You will face Allah in whatever direction you turn your face. (verse 115).

Ibn-Kathir

16. Do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven, will not cause the earth to sink with you, and then it should quake 17. Or do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven, will not send against you a Hasib Then you shall know how has been My warning. 18. And indeed those before them rejected, then how terrible was My reproach 19. Do they not see the birds above them, spreading out their wings and folding them in None upholds them except the Most Gracious. Verily, He is the All-Seer of everything.

This is another indication of His gentleness and His mercy with His creatures. He is able to punish them because some of them disbelieve in Him and worship others besides Him, yet He is forbearing, He pardons, and He gives respite for an appointed time without hastening. This is as He says,

(And if Allah were to punish men for that which they earned, He would not leave a moving creature on the surface of the earth; but He gives them respite to an appointed term: and when their term comes, then verily, Allah is Ever All-Seer of His servants.) ﴿35:45﴾ Here Allah says,

(Do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven, will not cause the earth to sink with you, and then it should quake) meaning, that it would move back and forth, and be disrupted.

(Or do you feel secure that He, Who is over the heaven, will not send against you a Hasib) meaning, a wind containing gravel that will strike you, as Allah says in another Ayah,

(Do you then feel secure that He will not cause a side of the land to swallow you up, or that He will not send against you a violent sandstorm Then, you shall find no trustee.) ﴿17:68﴾ And similarly, here Allah threatens them with His statement,

(Then you shall know how has been My warning.) meaning, `how is My admonition and what will happen to those who disregard and reject it.’ Then Allah says,

(And indeed those before them rejected,) meaning, from the previous nations and the old generations that have passed. Then Allah says,

(then how terrible was My reproach) meaning, `how was My rebuke of them and my punishment of them.’ Meaning, it was great, severe and painful.

Allah says,

(Do they not see the birds above them, spreading out their wings and folding them in) meaning, sometimes they spread their wings out in the wind (gliding) and other times they gather and spread (flapping) the wings in flight

(None upholds them) meaning, in the air,

(except the Most Gracious.) meaning, Allah holds them up in the air by subjecting the air to them out of His mercy and His gentleness.

(Verily, He is the All-Seer of everything.) means, with what is beneficial and suitable for all of His creatures. This is similar to His statement,

(Do they not see the birds held in the midst of the sky None upholds them but Allah. Verily, in this are clear Ayat for people who believe.) ﴾16:79﴿