Surah An-Nahl 16:15

Signs in the Oceans, Mountains, Rivers, Roads and Stars

Allah tells us how He has subjected the seas, with their waves lapping the shores, and how He blesses His servants by subjecting the seas for them so that they may travel on them, and by putting fish and whales in them, by making their flesh permissible to eat - whether they are caught alive or dead - at all times, including when people are in a state of Ihram. He has created pearls and precious jewels in the oceans, and made it easy for His servants to recover ornaments that they can wear from the ocean floor. He made the sea such that it carries the ships which plow through it. He is the One Who taught mankind to make ships, which is the inheritance of their forefather Nuh. He was the first one to travel by ship, he was taught how to make them, then people took this knowledge from him and passed it down from generation to generation through the centuries, so that they could travel from country to country and from place to place, bringing goods from here to there and from there to here. Thus Allah says:

(that you may seek from His bounty and that you may perhaps be grateful.) - for His bounty and blessings. Then Allah mentions the earth and how He placed in it mountains standing firm, which make it stable and keep it from shaking in such a manner that the creatures dwelling on it would not be able to live. Hence Allah says,

(And the mountains He has fixed firmly.) (79: 32).

(and rivers and roads) meaning He has made rivers which flow from one place to another, bringing provision for His servants. The rivers arise in one place, and bring provision to people living in another place. They flow through lands and fields and wildernesses, through mountains and hills, until they reach the land whose people they are meant to benefit. They meander across the land, left and right, north and south, east and west - rivers great and small - flowing sometimes and ceasing sometimes, flowing from their sources to the places where the water gathers, flowing rapidly or moving slowly, as decreed by Allah. There is no god besides Him and no Lord except Him. He also made roads or routes along which people travel from one land or city to another, and He even made gaps in the mountains so that there would be routes between them, as He says:

(And We placed broad highways for them to pass through.) 21:31

(And landmarks) meaning, signs like great mountains and small hills, and so on, things that land and sea travelers use to find their way if they get lost.

(and by the stars (during the night), they (mankind) guide themselves.) meaning, in the darkness of the night. This was the opinion of Ibn `Abbas.

Worship is Allah's Right

Then Allah tells us of His greatness, and that worship should be directed to Him alone, not to any of the idols which do not create but are rather themselves created. Thus He says

(Is then He, Who creates, the same as one who does not create Will you not then reflect)(16:17). Then He shows His servants some of the many blessings He granted for them, and the many kinds of things that He has done for them. He says;

(And if you would try to count the favors of Allah, you would never be able to count them. Truly, Allah is Forgiving, Most Merciful.) (16:18) meaning that He pardons and forgives them. If He were to ask you to thank Him for all of His blessings, you would not be able to do so, and if He were to command you to do so, you would be incapable of it. If He punishes you, He is never unjust in His punishment, but He is Forgiving and Most Merciful, He forgives much and rewards for little. Ibn Jarir said: "It means that Allah is Forgiving when you fail to thank Him properly, if you repent and turn to Him in obedience, and strive to do that which pleases Him. He is Merciful to you and does not punish you if you turn to Him and repent."

Allah swt juga menyebutkan nikmat yang didapat manusia secara tidak langsung. Dia menciptakan gunung-gunung di bumi supaya bumi itu tidak goncang. Dengan demikian, binatang-binatang serta manusia yang berada di permukaannya dapat hidup tenang. Gambaran yang dapat diambil dari ayat ini ialah bahwa gunung diciptakan oleh Allah sebagai pemelihara keseimbangan bumi sehingga dapat berputar dengan tenang. Mengenai ketenangan bumi karena adanya gunung itu dapat diumpamakan seperti tenangnya perahu di atas air. Apabila perahu itu tidak diberi beban, ia mudah tergoncang oleh gelombang ombak. Tetapi apabila diberi beban yang cukup berat, maka perahu itu tidak mudah oleng.

Allah swt menciptakan sungai di permukaan bumi yang mengalir dari suatu tempat ke tempat lain sebagai nikmat yang diberikan pada hamba-Nya. Sungai itu berfungsi sebagai sumber pengairan yang dapat diatur untuk mengairi sawah dan ladang, sehingga manusia dapat bercocok tanam untuk memenuhi segala macam kebutuhannya. Di samping itu, sungai dapat juga dijadikan sebagai sarana lalu lintas guna kepentingan pengangkutan barang-barang dagangan manusia.

Allah juga menciptakan daratan yang dapat digunakan sebagai sarana perhubungan dan transportasi dari suatu negeri ke negeri yang lain. Jalan-jalan itu terbentang mulai dari tepi pantai, menembus hutan-hutan, dan melingkari gunung-gunung, sehingga dengan demikian manusia dapat mencapai tujuannya tanpa tersesat ke tempat lain. Itulah sebabnya di akhir ayat ini, Allah swt menyebutkan bahwa manfaat dari jalan-jalan itu agar manusia mendapat petunjuk. Artinya tidak tersesat tanpa arah tujuan.

Firman Allah:

Dan Kami telah menjadikan di bumi ini gunung-gunung yang kokoh agar ia (tidak) guncang bersama mereka, dan Kami jadikan (pula) di sana jalan-jalan yang luas, agar mereka mendapat petunjuk. (al-Anbiya'/21: 31)

Ayat 15 Surah an-Nahl/16 ini juga menyiratkan bagaimana proses geologi berjalan, yang pada dasarnya berupa siklus yang tiada berhenti. Ketika proses erosi terjadi maka seluruh material hasil erosi dihamparkan dan diendapkan pada tempat-tempat yang lebih rendah, bahkan mencapai wilayah-wilayah terendah seperti palung-palung yang terdapat di sebelah barat pulau Sumatera ataupun di selatan pulau Jawa. Kumpulan material akibat erosi selama jutaan tahun ini secara bersamaan dihimpit oleh lempengan-lempengan yang terus bergerak dan lambat laun menghasilkan pegunungan.

Proses geologi selalu menuju ke keseimbangan yang terukur. Pada pegunungan yang menjulang tinggi, maka beban ini menekan kerak bumi di bawahnya dan menyebabkan kerakbumi menekuk lebih dalam, ibarat sebuah akar yang menunjam dalam dan membuat bumi stabil. Jadi, di bawah pegunungan terdapat akar yang ketebalannya prororsional dengan beratnya (terukur). Contoh dari fenomena adalah dibawah pengunungan Himalaya yang menjulang tinggi terdapat akar yang dalam.