163. That is: On the Day of Judgment every person will be anxious for his or her salvation, and he or she will offer all kinds of excuses in their defense.

164. It is only the case of the Meccan people that has been narrated in the form of an example. They were leading a secure and comfortable life and their articles of food, etc., were coming to the city from every side. But instead of appreciating these blessings from Allah, they became ungrateful, because of which Allah subjected them to famine conditions. This famine was so severe that people were starving and there was fear of loss of life.

165. The conditions of the people of Makkah as related above was instrumental in Allah’s sending His messenger from amongst them. But instead of appreciating this favour of Allah, they refused to accept him as Allah’s messenger and stuck to polytheism, which is the worst kind of wrong. Ultimately Allah subjected them to the severest punishment. This punishment was to be their fate in the near future, that is why it has been so narrated as if they had already received the punishment.

For the polytheists of Makkah the form of punishment was this that a few years after the revelation of these ayat, the Battle of Badr took place, in which big leaders of the Meccan people were killed. Thereafter other battles were also fought, and thus Allah’s punishment came down on the idolaters in the form of Muslims’ swords so effectively and conclusively that after this not a trace of polytheism or polytheists remained in that region.

166. The polytheists used to claim to be God worshippers in spite of their idolatry, therefore, they were told that if they were really worshippers of a Single God, it was necessary for them that they should eat only the food provided by Him which is clean and declared lawful by Him, and should not indulge in declaring such food as forbidden under the influence of polytheistic superstitions. It is also the demand of God’s worship that for the favours and blessing bestowed by Him, He should be thanked, and sacrificing animals in other than Allah’s name, offering gifts as a token of devotion to others (than Allah) be given up, as they are equivalent to worshipping other than Allah and are contradictory to worshipping the One and Only God.

This is a reference to the superstition of the polytheists who used to let loose some cattle in the name of idols and avoided drinking their milk or eating their flesh or riding them. In this way they were guilty of making unlawful what was declared to be lawful by God, and by assigning the bounty granted by Him to others they were showing their ingratitude.(For further explanation, see Surah Maidah Note No.249, and Surah An’am Notes Nos. 251 and 253).

Here the command to eat the flesh of such animals means that you should end the ‘religious sanctity’ that you have engendered in them and you should appreciate the favour of Allah and slaughter the animals provided by Him in His name only and eat them.

167. For the explanation of these things, please: see Surah Baqarah Notes Nos. 209 to 213). It should be noted that only that slaughtered animal is lawful to be eaten which has been slaughtered in the name of Allah, because the act of slaughtering in itself is a, form of worship and nearness to Allah. If any Muslim invokes the name of Allah while slaughtering an animal, and at the same time he also invokes the name of a saint or ‘peer’, then it will also amount to invoking the name of a person other than Allah.

168.This has been explained in Note No.214, Surah Baqarah.

169. The meaning of saying that a certain thing is halal (lawful) or haram (forbidden) is that Allah has commanded it to be so. To such a claim there should be some plausible proof, and this could only be Allah’s Shariah, which is received by mankind through the prophets. Therefore, without any supporting proof from the Shariah to declare that a thing is halal or haram, merely to suit one’s own desire is to invent a lie concerning Allah. This was the lie of the polytheists, but the greater falsehood is that which has been invented by the irreligious people of the modern times and that is God does not exist and that He is the creation of man’s own imagination, and therefore, the question of what is lawful and forbidden does not arise. (MayAllah give us refuge from such a blasphemy)

170. That is: Those who invent lies against Allah can enjoy their worldly pleasures only for a few days, but neither this worldly life of theirs is successful nor will they achieve any success in the life of the Hereafter. There they will have to undergo very grievous punishment.

171. Refers to Surah An’am, Ayah No.146. It should be noted that Surah An’am was revealed after the Surah Nahl, but these few ayat of Surah Nahl in which answers to some objections in connection with the Jews have been given, were revealed after Surah An’am, and their place was fixed in the Surah Nahl in view of their subject matter.

172. For explanation, please see Surah An’am Note No.266.

However, verily your Lord for those who did evil in ignorance and afterwards repented and amended— verily (for them) your Lord thereafter is indeed Forgiving, Merciful. (Al-Quran)

173. This verse invites those who are indulging in wrong religiosity on account of their ignorance to repent and amend.