Yusuf · Makki · ayah 105 of 111

Yusuf 12:105

وَكَأَيِّن مِّنْ ءَايَةٍ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ يَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضُونَ

“And how many a sign within the heavens and earth do they pass over while they, therefrom, are turning away.”

Saheeh International

Essence

The heavens and the earth are crowded with waymarks pointing to Allah, and people ride past them every day, showing them only their shoulder.

A reflection

He is not diminished by being ignored

The ayah opens with a word of counting that cannot finish counting: kaʾayyin, how many. How many a sign in the heavens and the earth.

One commentary tries to list them and gives up in praise. Stars fixed and stars wandering, all held to their course. Neighbouring tracts of land, gardens, rooted mountains, swelling seas, crashing waves, vast wastes. Living and dead, animal and plant. Fruits alike and unlike in taste, scent and colour. Then it breaks off: so glory be to the One, the Unique, Creator of every kind of thing.

And people pass them by.

It is tempting to read this as if Allah were slighted, like a host whose guests ignore the feast. But He loses nothing. The Prophet ﷺ relayed a report from his Lord. Allah says that if the first and last of creation shared the most God-fearing heart, it would add nothing to His dominion. If they all had the most wicked heart, it would take nothing from it (Muslim 6572).

So the loss in this ayah falls entirely on the one who turns away.

And the turning is not usually ignorance. It is the ego's preoccupation with itself. Pride sees no need to look up. Self-importance fills the whole field of vision. A busy life arranged around me, my plans, my image, has no room left for anything pointing past me.

The signs do not need our attention. We need theirs.

The full entry has 6 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.