Surah Ar-Rahman 55:10
سُورَةُ الرَّحۡمَٰن · Medinan · Verse 10 of 78
وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَضَعَهَا لِلْأَنَامِ
Translation
He set down the Earth for His creatures,
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
'And the earth He laid down for all creatures.' al-Saadi and Ibn Ashur note the word 'lil-anam', for all living beings, not humans alone: the earth was spread and settled as a shared table set for every creature that breathes. Ask yourself: I move through the world as though it were arranged primarily for me, my resources, my convenience, my dominion. This verse quietly widens the frame: the earth was laid down for all creatures, and I am one guest among many at a table I did not set. Does that reframe how I treat the other lives I share it with, the animals, the land itself, from things for my use into fellow guests of the same generous Host?
Grounded in classical tafsir: al-Saadi, Ibn Ashur, al-Biqa'i.
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Ar-Rahman 55:10 is discussed in 4 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Ar-Rahman 55:10 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.