In Surat Muminoon, Allah Almighty says:
وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۢ بِقَدَرٍۢ فَأَسْكَنَّـٰهُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰ ذَهَابٍۭ بِهِۦ لَقَـٰدِرُونَ
And We sent down water from the sky in due measure, then We lodged it in the earth, and of course, We are able to take it away. [23:18]
We don’t notice our blessings
This ayah seems to be saying something very obvious: that Allah creates the rain and makes it fall from the sky. Even though it goes without saying, sometimes we need to be reminded of these things as familiarity makes us take them for granted and stop reflecting on them.
Similarly with the fact that we wake up every morning and can see when we open our eyes, or can stand up and walk, or can taste food: often we don’t appreciate these blessings until we lose one of these senses.
Taking things for granted is not the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. We should appreciate everything we have been given.
The literal meaning of the ayah
No life on Earth would exist without water, and Allah is reminding us that He is the one who sends it to us. He made it settle in different places in the ground – some on the surface, some in deep aquifers, in rivers and oceans, etc. He could have made all of it snow or ice, but instead He made each type in its measure.
A number of ayahs mention some of the plants and animals that depend on this water, such as date palms, olive trees and cattle.
And just as He created the water, He can also take it away. This is why there is a special sunnah prayer for seeking rain – although we don’t need it much in England! It is used in other parts of the world.
The metaphorical meaning
As well as the physical water, Imam al-Qushairi commented that this ayah also has a metaphorical meaning. Thus We send down from the sky the water of mercy, and it revives the hearts. Yet people differ in how they partake of it: some are granted abundant provision from it, while others are given only a limited, constrained share. There are times when it pours down heavily, and times when it is withheld.
Just as water sustains every living thing on Earth, Allah also sends down His mercy and provisions to sustain us.
He showers His gifts on His servants, just like the rain. Some people will collect them in containers and use them for good, some will waste them, and some won’t notice them at all.
These gifts come at different times: Ramadan and especially Laylatul Qadr are full of extra boosters, although they are available throughout the year as well. But the amount you receive will vary depending on whether you are seeking them and prepared to receive them. Some people will receive them on a surface level, whereas others will internalise them deep down: sincerity is the key differentiator.
The gift of the Quran
One of these special gifts is the mercy of the Quran. It is a cleansing agent for the heart every time we read it, washing away any dirt or dust. Many scholars of tasawwuf (purification of the heart) use rain as a metaphor in this way for the mercy, provisions and knowledge that bring you closer to Allah.
We ask Allah to revive our hearts with special knowledge, barakah, mercy and rizq from Him. Ameen.
Delivered by Shaykh Haytham Tamim on Ramadan Night 25. Transcribed by Hana Khan.
Water from the sky, mercy for the heart
By Samia Ahmed
Tonight, Shaykh Haytham began his reminder around a beautiful verse that many of us perhaps have recited countless times, yet perhaps not paused long enough to truly reflect upon.
Allah says:
وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً بِقَدَرٍ فَأَسْكَنَّاهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰ ذَهَابٍ بِهِ لَقَادِرُونَ
“And We sent down water from the sky in due measure, and We settled it in the earth, and surely We are able to take it away.” (Qur’an 23:18)
At first glance the meaning seems obvious. Allah sends rain. Water goes into the earth. Life continues.
But the Qur’an constantly invites us to move beyond the obvious. Familiarity can sometimes prevent reflection. We see water every day. We drink it, wash with it, cook with it, walk in the rain. Because it surrounds us so constantly, we rarely pause to recognise its value.
Yet the moment something is taken away, only then do we realise what we had.
Allah is reminding us here of our reality. The water that sustains life is not random, and it is not guaranteed. It is sent “in due measure”. The balance of rain, rivers, groundwater and oceans is perfectly maintained by Allah.
Through this verse Allah is showing us His attribute Al Khaliq, the Creator, the One who creates with perfect balance and precision. The entire system of life depends upon this delicate balance.
If water disappears, life disappears.
Allah says elsewhere in the Qur’an:
“Say: Have you considered, if your water were to sink deep into the earth, who then could bring you flowing water?” (67:30)
A simple question, yet one that shakes the heart. Everything we rely upon is sustained by Allah alone.
This is why the Qur’an repeatedly links rain to reflection. Allah says:
“And it is He who sends the winds as good news before His mercy, and We send down pure water from the sky, so that We may bring to life with it a dead land.” (25:48–49)
Rain revives the earth. Dead land becomes green. Seeds buried in the soil suddenly awaken.
But the scholars of spirituality also reflected on a deeper meaning behind this image.
Imam al Qushayri explained that rain can also be understood metaphorically. Just as rain revives the earth, divine mercy revives the heart.
Revelation, knowledge and guidance descend from Allah like rain. Hearts that are ready receive it and flourish. Hearts that are sealed remain dry even when the rain falls.
Allah describes this spiritual reality when speaking about the Qur’an:
“Allah has sent down the best of speech… from it the skins of those who fear their Lord tremble, then their skins and hearts soften to the remembrance of Allah.” (39:23)
The Qur’an cleanses the heart just as water cleanses the body.
The Prophet ﷺ described this purification in a powerful analogy:
“If one of you had a river at his door and bathed in it five times a day, would any dirt remain on him?”
They said, “No dirt would remain.”
He said, “That is the example of the five daily prayers. Allah wipes away sins through them.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Each prayer washes the heart again and again, just as water washes the body.
In the same way that rain revives the earth, Allah sends special showers of mercy upon His servants.
One example is Laylat al Qadr. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever stands in prayer on Laylat al Qadr with faith and seeking reward, all of his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
It is as if Allah sends a powerful spiritual rainfall that revives the heart after dryness.
Yet these gifts are not limited to Ramadan. Shaykh Haytham reminded us that Allah’s blessings descend throughout the year. The more sincere a person is in seeking Allah, the more they receive from these gifts.
Allah promises this increase:
“Those who strive for Us, We will surely guide them to Our paths.” (29:69)
Knowledge itself is a mercy from Allah. The more a person sincerely seeks it, the more Allah opens the doors of understanding.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever travels a path seeking knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise.” (Muslim)
Just as rain falls across the land, divine guidance spreads across creation. But every heart receives according to its readiness.
Some hearts are fertile soil.
Some hearts are hard ground.
Some hearts allow the rain to revive them completely.
The lesson of this verse therefore is not only about water. It is about gratitude.
Before a blessing disappears and forces us to recognise its value, Allah invites us to reflect upon it while it is still present.
Water. Life. Knowledge. Guidance. Faith.
All of these are gifts from Allah.
And just as rain revives the earth, the Qur’an revives the heart.
May Allah allow our hearts to receive His mercy like fertile earth receives rain.
May He make the Qur’an a cleansing light for our hearts.
And may He allow us to recognise His blessings before they are taken away.
Ameen.