Surah 16. An-Nahl

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Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-21 [2], 22-25 [3], 26-34 [4], 35-40 [5], 41-50 [6], 51-60 [7], 61-65 [8], 66-70 [9], 71-76 [10], 77-83 [11], 84-89 [12], 90-100 [13], 101-110 [14], 111-119 [15], 120-128 [16]

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Quran Text of Verse 10-21هُوَHeالَّذِیْۤ(is) the One Whoاَنْزَلَsends downمِنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe skyمَآءًwaterلَّكُمْfor youمِّنْهُof itشَرَابٌ(is) drinkوَّ مِنْهُand from itشَجَرٌ(grows) vegetationفِیْهِin whichتُسِیْمُوْنَ you pasture your cattle یُنْۢبِتُHe causes to growلَكُمْfor youبِهِwith itالزَّرْعَthe cropsوَ الزَّیْتُوْنَand the olivesوَ النَّخِیْلَand the date-palmsوَ الْاَعْنَابَand the grapesوَ مِنْand ofكُلِّevery kindالثَّمَرٰتِ ؕ(of) fruitsاِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَاٰیَةًsurely (is) a signلِّقَوْمٍfor a peopleیَّتَفَكَّرُوْنَ who reflect وَ سَخَّرَAnd He has subjectedلَكُمُfor youالَّیْلَthe nightوَ النَّهَارَ ۙand the dayوَ الشَّمْسَand the sunوَ الْقَمَرَ ؕand the moonوَ النُّجُوْمُand the starsمُسَخَّرٰتٌۢ(are) subjectedبِاَمْرِهٖ ؕby His commandاِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَاٰیٰتٍsurely (are) signsلِّقَوْمٍfor a peopleیَّعْقِلُوْنَۙwho use reason وَ مَاAnd whateverذَرَاَHe multipliedلَكُمْfor youفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthمُخْتَلِفًا(of) varyingاَلْوَانُهٗ ؕcolorsاِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَاٰیَةًsurely (is) a signلِّقَوْمٍfor a peopleیَّذَّكَّرُوْنَ who remember وَ هُوَAnd Heالَّذِیْ(is) the One Whoسَخَّرَsubjectedالْبَحْرَthe seaلِتَاْكُلُوْاfor you to eatمِنْهُfrom itلَحْمًاmeatطَرِیًّاfreshوَّ تَسْتَخْرِجُوْاand that you bring forthمِنْهُfrom itحِلْیَةًornamentsتَلْبَسُوْنَهَا ۚ(that) you wear themوَ تَرَیAnd you seeالْفُلْكَthe shipsمَوَاخِرَploughingفِیْهِthrough itوَ لِتَبْتَغُوْاand that you may seekمِنْofفَضْلِهٖHis Bountyوَ لَعَلَّكُمْand that you mayتَشْكُرُوْنَ (be) grateful 16. An-Nahl Page 269وَ اَلْقٰیAnd He has castفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthرَوَاسِیَfirm mountainsاَنْlestتَمِیْدَit should shakeبِكُمْwith youوَ اَنْهٰرًاand riversوَّ سُبُلًاand roadsلَّعَلَّكُمْso that you mayتَهْتَدُوْنَۙbe guided وَ عَلٰمٰتٍ ؕAnd landmarksوَ بِالنَّجْمِAnd by the starsهُمْtheyیَهْتَدُوْنَ guide themselves اَفَمَنْThen is He Whoیَّخْلُقُcreatesكَمَنْlike one whoلَّا(does) notیَخْلُقُ ؕcreateاَفَلَاThen will you notتَذَكَّرُوْنَ remember وَ اِنْAnd ifتَعُدُّوْاyou should countنِعْمَةَthe Favors of Allahاللّٰهِthe Favors of Allahلَاnotتُحْصُوْهَا ؕyou could enumerate themاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahلَغَفُوْرٌ(is) Oft-Forgivingرَّحِیْمٌ Most Merciful وَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahیَعْلَمُknowsمَاwhatتُسِرُّوْنَyou concealوَ مَاand whatتُعْلِنُوْنَ you reveal وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whomیَدْعُوْنَthey invokeمِنْbesidesدُوْنِbesidesاللّٰهِAllahلَاnotیَخْلُقُوْنَthey createشَیْـًٔاanythingوَّ هُمْbut (are) themselvesیُخْلَقُوْنَؕcreated اَمْوَاتٌ(They are) deadغَیْرُnotاَحْیَآءٍ ۚaliveوَ مَاAnd notیَشْعُرُوْنَ ۙthey perceiveاَیَّانَwhenیُبْعَثُوْنَ۠they will be resurrected

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Translation of Verse 10-21

10. He it is who sent down water from the sky, which you drink, and from which grow plants on which you feed your cattle.

11. Thereby He causes crops to grow for you, and the olive, and date-palm and grapes and all kinds of fruit. Verily there is a sign for thinking men.¹⁸

12. And for you He has subjected the night and the day, and the sun and the moon to be of service,¹⁹ and the stars are also subjected in service by His command.²⁰ Verily, herein are signs for the people who have sense.²¹

13. And whatever He has created for you on the earth of diverse colors, verily therein is a sign for the people who remember (Allah).²²

14. And He it is who has subjected the sea to be of service that you eat fresh meat from it,²³ and bring out from there ornaments that you wear.²⁴ And you see the ships ploughing it so that you may seek His grace,²⁵ and so that you may be grateful to Him.

15. And He has set firm mountains upon the earth, lest it should shake with you,²⁶ and rivers and roads²⁷ that you may find a way.²⁸

16. And landmarks (too),²⁹ and by stars also men find their way.³⁰

17. Is then He who creates like one who creates not?³¹ Do you not then remember?

18. And if you would count the favours of Allah, you cannot reckon it.³² Verily Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.³³

19. And Allah knows that which you hide and that which you proclaim.³⁴

20. And those whom they invoke beside Allah created nothing, but were themselves created.

21. (They are) dead, not living. And they do not (even) know when they will be raised.³⁶

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Commentary

18. If man contemplates the gifts which are available to him as food and drink in daily life, he will recognize his Lord, who has created him and will realize that in reality He is his real benefactor. Modern man uses his energy in trying to find out what vitamins are found in which food and how many calories it contains, but he does not care to discover who has granted him these gifts, and what should be his attitude towards this benefactor and how should he show his gratitude. If man does not use his intelligence for this purpose, then he remains merely an animal.

19. That is: They have been so fixed that they function to serve mankind and be useful to them. For further explanation, please see Note No. 41, Surah Ibrahim.

20. Some benefits accruing from stars are obvious, e.g. their being decorative for the sky, which provides a pleasant sight for man, their rising and setting helps in calculating the time, they are a means of ascertaining the direction, and therefore, their help in the journeys in the desert or sea-travel is well-known. Allah knows better in what other ways they are being helpful to mankind.

21. If man uses his common sense, he cannot help realize that his Creator has not only spread His treasure of blessings and favors on the land but that He has also devised a gathering of stars and planets in the sky. When a man realizes this fact, the path of guidance opens up before him.

22. Are not these things of diverse colors samples of the best art, and do not they provide any lesson for you? Those who have a mind to learn take lesson from the writings of the Great Artists on every leaf in the nature.

23. The ocean has also been made beneficial for mankind by the great might of the Almighty. Accordingly, the ocean provides food to mankind in the form of fishes.

24. That is: pearls, shells and other ornamental stones, taken out from the see, are worn by women, which is also a great favor of Allah on mankind.

25. That is: By undertaking trade travels, you should meet your needs in a lawful way.

26. The three-fourth part of the earth is occupied by the sea. The planet earth is hanging in space, therefore, it may not be unlikely that like a ship, which becomes stable after the necessary ballast is placed in it, our earth might have been unstable in its earlier days and the ballast of mountains might have afforded the desired stability.

27. Means natural pathways.

28. That is: You may reach your destination.

29. That is: Such signs by seeing which the travelers may find their way and may reach their destination.

30. Stars are the means of finding direction, therefore, in the olden times in navigation help of stars is sought in finding the right directions.

31. When it is an inviolable reality that all gifts of nature are created by Allah, then His status has automatically become of God. Then those who have had no part or share in creation, but are themselves created by Him, how can they enjoy the status of God? To place the Creator and the created on par is most unreasonable and unjustifiable. The real waywardness of the polytheists is that they do not distinguish between the Creator and the created, and they associate the created ones with the Creator in His attributes, rights and authority. It may either be idolatry or hero-worship, all are the result of this false belief and practice.

32. It has been explained in Note No.43, Surah Ibrahim.

33. Allah is a great Forgiver, therefore, He is inviting you to appreciate His favors and turn towards His forgiveness, and He is Most Merciful, therefore, He wants that you should join the band of His slaves and come under the blissful shadow of His mercy.

34. This is a warning that if you deny the blessings of Allah then you should know that Allah knows all your hidden and proclaimed dealings and thoughts, and a day will surely dawn when He will place all these things before you.

35. Here particularly those gods of the polytheists are mentioned which were the historical personalities of the past, as is clear from the following ayah.

36. Means those personalities of the past whom the polytheists used to invoke for meeting their needs. They used to pray to them, appeal to them for help, and considered them interceders with Allah on their behalf. Here their false belief is refuted by saying that first of all they are not alive to hear your appeals for help, for they have long past left this world. As for their spirits in the world of Barzakh, they do no even know when the Day of Resurrection will occur and when they will be raised for living again. When these spirits do not know their own condition and future, how can they be able to meet your needs and come to your rescue ? For being able to meet the needs of others, first of all it is necessary to have the knowledge of the Unseen so that the condition of everyone may be known and his call for help may be heard. This is the specific attribute of Allah and there is no sharer or associate in this attribute.

To consider persons who are dead as alive and present and able to see everything like Allah is quite senseless and there is no argument in its favour, and this is the root cause of polytheism.

The polytheists of Arabia had no belief in the life after death, but the spirits of some past personages in whom they believed were believed to be having some say in the divine management, that they were in a position to go to their help, they could influence their luck, they could intercede with Allah in their behalf, and through their agency, they could attain Allah’s nearness, and therefore, there was nothing wrong in invoking them for meeting their needs. But Qur’an has declared their entire concept as false and polytheistic.

Generally the commentators have considered this ayah to be applicable to the idols, but the wording of the ayah does not conform to their interpretation, particularly the portion that states that they do not even know when they will be raised. In this connection obviously only human beings can be the right subject meant and there should be no difficulty in accepting this view.