Tafseer of The Sovereignty · Al-Mulk · 67:30
Say, "Have you considered: if your water was to become sunken [into the earth], then who could bring you flowing water?"
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.
The explanation of the word of the Exalted: قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَصْبَحَ مَاؤُكُمْ غَوْرًا فَمَنْ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِمَاءٍ مَعِينٍ (30) ("Say: have you considered: if your water were to sink away, who then would bring you flowing water? (30)").
The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says to His prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: قُلْ ("Say"), O Muḥammad, to these polytheists (mushrikīn): أَرَأَيْتُمْ ("have you considered"), O people who ascribe partners to Allah, إِنْ أَصْبَحَ مَاؤُكُمْ غَوْرًا ("if your water were to sink away") — He says: sinking down so that the buckets cannot reach it — فَمَنْ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِمَاءٍ مَعِينٍ ("who then would bring you flowing water") — He says: who would supply you with water that is "maʿīn"? By "al-maʿīn" is meant: that which the eyes see visibly before them.
And in agreement with what we have said about this, the exegetes (ahl al-taʾwīl) also spoke.
* Mention of who said this:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: فَمَنْ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِمَاءٍ مَعِينٍ — he says: with sweet, fresh water.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā ibn Wāṣil related to us, he said: ʿUbayd ibn Qāsim al-Bazzāz related to me, he said: Sharīk related to us, on the authority of Sālim, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, concerning His word: إِنْ أَصْبَحَ مَاؤُكُمْ غَوْرًا ("if your water were to sink away") — so that the buckets cannot reach it — فَمَنْ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِمَاءٍ مَعِينٍ he said: the visible [water].
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَصْبَحَ مَاؤُكُمْ غَوْرًا — that is to say: vanished — فَمَنْ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِمَاءٍ مَعِينٍ he said: the "maʿīn"-water: the flowing.
It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd related to us, he said: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His word: مَاؤُكُمْ غَوْرًا ("your water sunk away"): vanished; فَمَنْ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِمَاءٍ مَعِينٍ : flowing.
And "ghawran" was said, whereby the water is described with the verbal noun (maṣdar), as one says: "laylatun ʿammun" (an enveloping night), by which is meant: "laylatun ʿāmmatun" (an encompassing night).
