Surah Al-Waaqia 56:21 — Meaning, Translation & Reflection
سُورَةُ الوَاقِعَةِ · Meccan · Verse 21 of 96
وَلَحْمِ طَيْرٍۢ مِّمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ
English: the meat of any bird they like;
Bengali: এবং রুচিমত পাখীর মাংস নিয়ে।
Meaning & Reflection
'And the flesh of fowl, from whatever they desire.' Ibn Ashur and al-Saadi note again 'mimma yashtahun' — provision matched exactly to desire, delicacy given precisely as wished. Ask yourself: notice how insistently the Surah repeats that theme — 'whatever they choose', 'whatever they desire'. It keeps hammering the one thing this life can never guarantee: getting exactly what you want, fully, with nothing withheld and nothing spoiled. The repetition is itself instructive: my chronic dissatisfaction here is not a flaw to be fixed by finally acquiring the right thing, but a signpost that complete satisfaction is kept elsewhere. Am I still trying to wring perfect, desire-matching fulfilment out of a world that keeps, deliberately, holding a little back — so that I keep looking up?
Grounded in classical tafsir: Ibn Ashur, al-Saadi, al-Biqa'i.
Reflect with the Five Lenses
Maani's framework for Tadabbur (heart-centred reflection) on Surah Al-Waaqia 56:21:
- Wording. Look closely at the specific words and structure. Which word stands out, and why might Allah have chosen it here?
- Quranic Worlds. Place the verse in its context — what is happening around it, and what world does it open up?
- Personal Experience. Ask not just what this means, but what it means TO me and FOR me, right now in my life.
- Connections. How does this verse connect to other verses, to the Sunnah, or to themes across the Quran?
- General Lessons. What timeless lesson or action point can I carry away and live by?