Tafsir of Surah Ghafir - Verse 80

The Cattle are also a Blessing from Allah and a Sign from Him

Allah reminds His servants of His blessing in that He created the cattle Al-An`am for them, which refers to camels, cows and sheep; some of them they ride and some of them they eat. Camels may be ridden or eaten; their milk is drunk and they are used for carrying heavy burdens on journeys to distant lands. Cattle are eaten and their milk is drunk; they are also used for plowing the earth. Sheep are eaten and their milk is also drunk. The hair and wool of all of these animals is used to make tents, clothing and furnishings, as we have already discussed in Surat Al-An`am and Surat An-Nahl, etc. Allah says here:

اللَّهُ الَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الاٌّنْعَـمَ لِتَرْكَـبُواْ مِنْهَا وَمِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ - وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَنَـفِعُ وَلِتَـبْلُغُواْ عَلَيْهَا حَاجَةً فِى صُدُورِكُمْ وَعَلَيْهَا وَعَلَى الْفُلْكِ تُحْمَلُونَ

(Allah, it is He Who has made cattle for you, that you may ride on some of them, and of some you eat. And you have (many other) benefits from them, and that you may reach by their means a desire that is in your breasts, and on them and on ships you are carried.)

وَيُرِيكُمْ آيَـتِهِ

(And He shows you His Ayat.) means, `His proof and evidence, on the horizons and in yourselves.'

فَأَىَّ ءَايَـتِ اللَّهِ تُنكِرُونَ

(Which, then of the Ayat of Allah do you deny) means, you cannot deny any of His signs and proofs, unless you are stubborn and arrogant.

أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَيَنظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ كَانُواْ أَكْـثَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَأَشَدَّ قُوَّةً وَءَاثَاراً فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَمَآ أَغْنَى عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُواْ يَكْسِبُونَ - فَلَمَّا جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ فَرِحُواْ بِمَا عِندَهُمْ مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ - فَلَمَّا رَأَوْاْ بَأْسَنَا قَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ وَكَـفَرْنَا بِمَا كُنَّا بِهِ مُشْرِكِينَ

In verse 77, it was said: فَاصْبِرْ‌ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّـهِ حَقٌّ فَإِمَّا نُرِ‌يَنَّكَ (Therefore, be patient. Surely, the promise of Allah is true. Then, whether We show you [ in your life ] a part of the promise We are making to them, or make you die [ before they are punished ], in any case they have to be returned to Us). From this verse it appears that the Holy Prophet ﷺ was hopefully waiting for the disbelievers to be punished. Therefore, it was to comfort him that he was asked to be somewhat patient about it. The promise of Allah for them, that they will be punished, will certainly be fulfilled - may be during his lifetime, or after he has departed from the mortal world. Waiting for the disbelievers to be punished apparently seems contrary to the dignity of one who was sent with universal mercy. But, here the matter is different. When the purpose of punishing criminals is to bring comfort to innocent believers who were oppressed, then, the punishment of criminals is not contrary to compassion and mercy. Nobody regards the punishment given to a criminal against the dictate of mercy.

Man needs many things for the upkeep of his existence and the development of human civilization, such as food, mounts, different types of industries, means of transportation etc. All these things exist in plenty in the present world. God has created the physical world in such a way that it is subservient and capable of being used by man for meeting his requirements. All these things are, so to say, signs from God. Though this declaration is in indirect language, it is in man’s interest to understand it, because when God resorts to direct communication, it will mark the end of the period allowed for the performance of good or bad deeds and not the beginning.