Tafseer of Ornaments of gold · Az-Zukhruf · 43:10
[The one] who has made for you the earth a bed and made for you upon it roads that you might be guided
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الأرْضَ مَهْدًا ("He who has made the earth a resting-place for you")
He says: He who has spread out the earth for you and made it a bed for you which you tread with your feet and over which you walk with your legs. وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ فِيهَا سُبُلا ("and who has made roads for you therein") — He says: and He has leveled out for you therein roads which you traverse from one city to another, for your livelihood and your trade.
As Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ فِيهَا سُبُلا ("and who has made roads for you therein"), that is to say: roads. Muḥammad related to us, he said: Aḥmad related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الأرْضَ مَهْدًا ("He who has made the earth a resting-place for you"), he said: a carpet; وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ فِيهَا سُبُلا ("and who has made roads for you therein"), he said: the roads. لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ("that you may be guided") — He says: that you may be guided by those roads to wherever you wish of the cities, the villages, and the regions. Were it not for that, you would not be able to leave your lands and your dwellings, but it is a mercy with which He has favored you.
