َ أَمَّنْ هَذَا الَّذِي يَرْزُقُكُمْ إِنْ أَمْسَكَ رِزْقَهُ بَلْ لَجُّوا فِي عُتُوٍّ وَنُفُورٍ ﴿۲۱﴾ أَفَمَنْ يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلَى وَجْهِهِ أَهْدَى أَمَّنْ يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ ﴿۲۲﴾ قُلْ هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْشَأَكُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ قَلِيلًا مَا تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿۲۳﴾ قُلْ هُوَ الَّذِي ذَرَأَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَإِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ ﴿۲۴﴾

﴾21﴿ Amman haazal lazee yarzuqukum in amsaka rizqah; bal lajjoo fee 'utuwwinw wa nufoor
﴾22﴿ Amman haazal lazee yarzuqukum in amsaka rizqah; bal lajjoo fee 'utuwwinw wa nufoor
﴾23﴿ Qul huwal lazee ansha akum wa ja'ala lakumus sam'a wal absaara wal af'idata qaleelam maa tashkuroon
﴾24﴿ Qul huwal lazee zara akum fil ardi wa ilaihi tuhsharoon

﴾21﴿ But who is it that will provide for you if Allah withholds His provision, Nay, they persist in arrogance and aversion
﴾22﴿ Is the one who walks fallen on his face better guided, or the one who walks upright on a straight path
﴾23﴿ Say, He is the One who created you and made for you hearing, sight, and hearts. Little do you give thanks
﴾24﴿ Say, He is the One who has dispersed you throughout the earth, and to Him you will be gathered

[21] This is another rebuke against shirk (associating partners with Allah). (إِنْ أَمْسَكَ رِزْقَهُ) – Withholding provision means blocking its causes: not sending rain, making the earth barren, drying up water, extinguishing fire, sealing mouths, closing throats, etc.
So who is the old, poor, or anyone else who can produce these means of sustenance? (There is none.)
This same argument is also mentioned in Surah Al-‘Ankabut (29:17) and Surah An-Nahl (16:83).
(بَلْ لَجُّوا فِي عُتُوٍّ وَنُفُورٍ) – Bal adds emphasis to the rebuke, meaning: it has been proven that no one other than Allah the Exalted is the Helper or the Provider, so it was necessary for them to repent from shirk—but instead, they remain firmly rooted in opposition and denial.
(لَجُّوا) – Lajj means to persist in something forcefully despite obstacles—extending hostility and stubbornly continuing in it.
(عُتُوٍّ) – Arrogance that crosses all limits.
(نُفُورٍ) – Turning away from the truth and showing aversion due to pride, belittling the truth and those who uphold it.
[22] This too is a rebuke, showing that these polytheists follow their path without any proof, and it also refutes the delusions of the ignorant.
Some of them regard polytheists and monotheists as equal, while others consider the polytheists to be guided and the believers to be misguided.
This verse refutes that delusion.
(يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلَى وَجْهِهِ) – In this metaphor, it describes the followers and their paths.
The first example is of a misguided, imitative polytheist who blindly follows others—he walks with his head down, meaning he does not look at any proof nor follows people of reason. His path also opposes the truth.
The second example is of a monotheist (who follows reason), acting upon research and evidence. His path is established upon sound proofs.
Thus, the two cannot be equal. The second is certainly guided, and the first is certainly misguided.
[23] This is a rational argument in support of the surah's call, by mentioning inner blessings (those related to the human being).
(أَنْشَأَكُمْ) – This word points to the creation of humans in various stages (drop of fluid, clot, lump of flesh, bones, and the breathing of the soul), because inshā’ implies gradual development and increase.
(وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ) – These three blessings (hearing, sight, and hearts) are mentioned specifically because they are the means of acquiring knowledge and understanding.
And knowledge of sensory things comes before intellectual understanding—therefore, hearing and sight are mentioned before hearts (i.e., intellect or insight).
(قَلِيلًا مَا تَشْكُرُونَ) – This is a rebuke for associating others with Allah, because the greatest ingratitude is using the body and these senses to glorify other than Allah.
[24] This is another internal (anfusi) proof: the expansion of a single person's lineage is also a blessing from Allah the Exalted.
In the previous argument, the creation of the human being was mentioned, and in this one, the continuation (preservation) of human existence is mentioned—alongside the mention of death and resurrection.