Surah Ya-Sin, Ayah 73

There is a Sign and a Blessing in Cattle

Allah mentions the blessing that He has bestowed upon His creation by subjugating these cattle for their use.

فَهُمْ لَهَا مَـلِكُونَ

(so that they are their owners.) Qatadah said, "They are their masters." Meaning, He has made them subdue them. So they are submissive towards them and do not resist them; even if a young child comes to a camel he can make it kneel down, and if he wants to, he can make it stand up and can drive it, and it will meekly be led by him. Even if the train consists of a hundred or more camels, they could all be led by a young child.

فَمِنْهَا رَكُوبُهُمْ وَمِنْهَا يَأْكُلُونَ

(some of them they have for riding and some they eat.) means, some of them they ride on their journeys, and use them to carry their burdens to all regions.

وَمِنْهَا يَأْكُلُونَ

(and some they eat.) means, if they want to, and they slaughter and sacrifice them.

وَلَهُمْ

(And they have (other) benefits from them,) means, from their wool, fur, and hair, furnishings and articles of convenience, comfort for a time.

فِيهَا

(and (they get to) drink. ) means, their milk, and their urine for those who need it as medicine, and so on.

أَفَلاَ يَشْكُرُونَ

(Will they not then be grateful) means, `will they not worship the Creator and Subduer of that, without showing gratitude to others'

In verse 72: وَذَلَّلْنَاهَا لَهُمْ (And We have brought them under their control), yet another favor and blessing has been pointed to. If one were to look at the camel, horse, elephant, ox and other animals, it will be realized that they are seemingly far stronger than human beings. Man is weak as compared to them - as a result of which, it should have not been possible for him to tame and control them. But, Allah Ta` la had it arranged in His own way. The way He created these animals and gifted them to human beings, in the same way, He made these free animals naturally subservient to man. A boy reins a strong horse and rides on its back to anywhere he likes to go. This thing too is no achievement of man. This comes from Allah Ta` H1a as His grace, a blessing that is given to man without asking.

The miraculous literary style of the Quran also attracted listeners. The opponents of the Prophet used this to deride the importance of the Quran by referring to it as a poetic work and not a Divine Discourse. This was a baseless assertion. The extremely serious tone of the Quran; the unveiling of hidden facts; its teachings concerning the realisation of God; its rare unity of thought from the beginning till the end and the indescribable glimpses of God that it provides—all these firmly indicate that it is much more than a work of man-made poetry. The Quran’s veracity will be evident only to those whose souls are truly alive, and only such people will admit the Truth.