And Allāh has made for you, from that which He has created, shadows [i.e., shade] and has made for you from the mountains, shelters and has made for you garments which protect you from the heat and garments [i.e., coats of mail] which protect you from your [enemy in] battle. Thus does He complete His favor upon you that you might submit [to Him].
Homes, Furnishings and Clothing are also Blessings from Allah
Allah mentions His great blessings for His servant in that He has given them homes to dwell in and protect themselves with, in which they find all kinds of benefits. He has also given them homes from the hides of cattle, i.e., leather, which are light and easy to carry on journeys and can be erected wherever they stop, whether they are traveling or are settled. Thus Allah says:
Finally, a note about the statement: سَرَابِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ الْحَرَّ (shirts which protect you from heat - 81). Here, protection from heat has been identified as the purpose of a shirt - though, a shirt protects one from heat and cold both. This has been answered by Imam Al-Qurtubi and other commentators by saying that the Holy Qur’ an has been revealed in the Arabic language, its first addressees are Arabs, therefore, it speaks by taking Arab habits and needs into account. Arabia is a hot country where the very thought of snow and winter chill is far-fetched, therefore, the statement was left with the mention of protection from heat as being sufficient. Yet another explanation for this has been given by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanavi in Bayan al-Qur’ an by saying that in the beginning of this Surah, the Qur’ an had already said: لَكُمْ فِيهَا دِفْءٌ (and for you, there is provision against cold in them - 16:5). Thus, it was in view of this earlier mention of beating cold and having warmth that only protection from heat has been mentioned here.
Tazkirul Quran
Maulana Wahiduddin KhanOn ayahs 81–82
The importance of the shade of a roof or trees can be imagined when a man finds himself in a desert where there is no shade of any kind. The result of the sun’s heat being so well regulated is that an ordinary barrier gives us comfortable shade. Had the sun’s heat been more than at present, which is quite possible, our shaded dwellings would have become burning hot ovens. There being caves in hard rocks where man can make his dwellings and there being such materials in the world which, made into thin fibres provide clothes for the protection of man’s body, are very important factors for a creature like a human being, so much so that if they had not been available, there would have been no human beings and no human civilization on the earth. This realization develops two kinds of feelings in man—firstly, the feeling of obligation towards God, because He is the one who has given to man such valuable bounties and, secondly, a feeling of fear, because if God were to take away these bounties, man would have no other recourse. If such feelings awaken man’s inner self to such an extent that he spontaneously kneels down before his Lord, then this is indeed true worship (la‘allakum tuslimun).
Uthmani text of the Madinah mushaf (King Fahd Complex). Translation: Saheeh International. Tafsir via Quran.com.
![Surah An-Nahl 16:81 in Arabic with its translation: “And Allāh has made for you, from that which He has created, shadows [i.e., shade] and has made for you from…”](/surah/an-nahl/81/image.jpg)