Is this explaining the water cycle?
The provided tafsir for 16:10 does not explicitly use the term "water cycle," but it describes key components and benefits of the hydrological process.
Ibn Kathir explains that Allah sends down rain (مَآءًۭ) from the sky (مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ). This water serves multiple purposes:
1. **Drinking water for humans:** لَّكُم مِّنْهُ شَرَابٌ (from it you drink). Ibn Kathir emphasizes its purity, stating it is "fresh and pure so that they can drink it, not salty and undrinkable."
2. **Vegetation for grazing animals:** وَمِنْهُ شَجَرٌۭ فِيهِ تُسِيمُونَ (and from it (grows) the vegetation on which you send your cattle to pasture). This highlights the role of rain in supporting flora for livestock.
3. **Agricultural growth:** يُنبِتُ لَكُمْ بِهِ الزَّرْعَ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالنَّخِيلَ وَالأَعْنَـبَ وَمِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَتِ (With it He causes crops to grow for you, olives, date palms, grapes, and every kind of fruit). The tafsir notes that "with this one kind of water, He makes the earth sprout plants with different tastes, colors, scents and shapes."
The verse concludes with إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لآيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ (Verily, in this there is indeed an evident proof and a manifest sign for people who give thought), indicating that these processes are signs of Allah's power and oneness (27:60). While not a scientific treatise on the water cycle's mechanics, the verse describes the crucial stages of precipitation and its subsequent benefits, which are integral to the water cycle.
📚 Sources: Classical tafsir (multi-source)