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 22-25اِلٰهُكُمْYour godاِلٰهٌ(is) Godوَّاحِدٌ ۚOneفَالَّذِیْنَBut those whoلَا(do) notیُؤْمِنُوْنَbelieveبِالْاٰخِرَةِin the Hereafterقُلُوْبُهُمْtheir heartsمُّنْكِرَةٌrefuseوَّ هُمْand theyمُّسْتَكْبِرُوْنَ (are) arrogant لَاNoجَرَمَdoubtاَنَّthatاللّٰهَAllahیَعْلَمُknowsمَاwhatیُسِرُّوْنَthey concealوَ مَاand whatیُعْلِنُوْنَ ؕthey revealاِنَّهٗIndeed, Heلَا(does) notیُحِبُّloveالْمُسْتَكْبِرِیْنَ the arrogant ones وَ اِذَاAnd whenقِیْلَit is saidلَهُمْto themمَّا ذَاۤWhatاَنْزَلَhas your Lord sent downرَبُّكُمْ ۙhas your Lord sent downقَالُوْۤاThey sayاَسَاطِیْرُTalesالْاَوَّلِیْنَۙ(of) the ancient لِیَحْمِلُوْۤاThat they may bearاَوْزَارَهُمْtheir own burdensكَامِلَةً(in) fullیَّوْمَon (the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ ۙ(of) the Resurrectionوَ مِنْand ofاَوْزَارِthe burdensالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whomیُضِلُّوْنَهُمْthey misled [them]بِغَیْرِwithoutعِلْمٍ ؕknowledgeاَلَاUnquestionablyسَآءَevilمَا(is) whatیَزِرُوْنَ۠they will bear

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Translation of Verse 22-25

22. Your God is one God. But those who do not believe in the Hereafter, their hearts are confirmed deniers and they are proud.³⁷

23. Undoubtedly Allah knows what they keep hidden and what they proclaim. Verily, He does not like the proud.

24. And when they are asked: “What has your Lord sent down?” they say: “Fables of the ancient.”³⁸

25. So that they may bear their own full burden on the Day of Resurrection, with a part of the burdens of those whom they mislead without knowledge.³⁹ Lo! Evil is that which they bear.

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Commentary

37. It is an obvious fact that God is one, but since belief in monotheism necessitates belief in the Hereafter, those who want to lead an unbridled life in the world are not prepared to accept that belief and as a result of false belief they consider bowing before the truth an act below their dignity.

38. In the Qur’an chronicles of the past nations providing lessons for thought and the events of struggle between the truth and falsehood have been narrated. It had disturbed the mental peace of the people who used to ask their chiefs and leaders as to what kind of writing was Qur’an. They used to reply unhesitatingly that it was a book of fables of the ancient people, and nothing real.

39. That is: These chiefs and leaders who are misleading the people will not only be bearing their own burdens of sins undiminished but will also have to bear the burdens of sins of those whom they had misled. In a hadith, the Prophet (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) has stated:

“And he who invited (others) towards misguidance, on him there will be the burden of sins in the same way as it will be on those who followed him, without there being any diminishing in their sins.” -(Muslim)

and ‘without knowledge’ means whatever they say about God and religion is merely a talk of ignorance. The light of knowledge of truth is not available to them. It is obvious that about God only what He Himself has disclosed can be said to be based on knowledge, and not what man says about God from his own imagination; and the method of Allah’s disclosing knowledge is what he sends down as revelation to His chosen prophets, which is a special means of knowledge. Therefore, the things which are received through the agency of prophets is based on solid knowledge.

It is thus revealed that all polytheistic philosophies and unbelieving theories, in however alluring and academic colour they may be presented, are absolutely based on ignorance, they have no relation with reality.