Surah Al-Ankaboot: Verse 60 - وكأين من دابة لا تحمل... - English

وَكَأَيِّن مِّن دَابَّةٍ لَّا تَحْمِلُ رِ‌زْقَهَا اللَّـهُ يَرْ‌زُقُهَا وَإِيَّاكُمْ (And how many an animal there is that does not carry its provision. Allah gives provision to it as well as to you, - 29:60), that is, ` You should ponder over the fact that there are innumerable animals on earth who do not collect and store their sustenance, nor do they worry about its collection. But Allah Ta’ ala provides them their sustenance daily by His grace'. This applies to almost all animals, except a few. For instance, ants and rats are two such animals that store their food. Ants do not come out of their holes in winter; hence store the food during the summer season. Among the birds crow is the only one that collects food in its nest, but then forgets it. Thus, all the countless animals living on earth are those who neither collect their food for the next day, nor do they have means to do so. It is stated in a hadith that all the birds set off from their nests at dawn in a state of hunger, and return in the evening satiated. They all get their sustenance daily from the bounty of Allah Ta’ ala, and the practice goes on throughout their lifetime.