Az-Zukhruf (Ornaments of gold)

13. In order that you may mount on their backs and then may remember the Favor of your Lord when you mount thereon and say “Glory to Him Who has subjected this to us and we could never have it [by making efforts].”

14. And indeed to our Lord we shall return.

Benefiting from Divine Bounties is to be accompanied by remembrance of God Almighty and gratitude toward Him rather than vanity and negligence. Divine Bounties and their due measure is a reflection of Divine Lordship.

The blessed Verse says that when you mount on ships and quadrupeds, you should be aware that they are Bounties bestowed upon you by your Creator. You are supposed to say that God Almighty Who has subjected all these creatures in the heaven and on the earth are All-Glorious and man is too weak to subject such overpowering creatures to his will.

Thus man is supposed to be grateful toward God Almighty for the innumerable Bounties bestowed upon man. He should never be neglectful of remembering his Lord.

The Verse says:

“And indeed to our Lord we shall return”

which alludes to the remembrance of the Divine Origin of creation and the Hereafter. Whoever reflects and acknowledges through certain knowledge (‘ilm al-yaqin) that God Almighty has subjected all creatures for human growth and perfection and each being is ordained to have a purpose and final end, he will acknowledge that man who is the ultimate end (ghayat al-ghayat) is supposed to attain to the final end of his being which is to return to his Origin.

Such return shall be done on the Day of Resurrection as the final stage of human development. Returning to God Almighty is a great Favor for righteous believers bestowed by God Almighty Whose Most Beautiful Names include the All-Compassionate (al-Rahman) and the All-Gracious (al-Rahim).

Au contraire, disbelievers and hypocrites return to God Almighty Who is Wrathful and Whose Most Beautiful Names include All-Subjugating (al-Qahhar) and Strict in Punishment (Shadid al-‘Iqab).