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 35-4016. An-Nahl Page 271وَ قَالَAnd saidالَّذِیْنَthose whoاَشْرَكُوْاassociate partners (with Allah)لَوْIfشَآءَAllah (had) willedاللّٰهُAllah (had) willedمَاnotعَبَدْنَاwe (would) have worshippedمِنْother than Himدُوْنِهٖother than Himمِنْanyشَیْءٍthingنَّحْنُweوَ لَاۤand notاٰبَآؤُنَاour forefathersوَ لَاand notحَرَّمْنَاwe (would) have forbiddenمِنْother than Himدُوْنِهٖother than Himمِنْanythingشَیْءٍ ؕanythingكَذٰلِكَThusفَعَلَdidالَّذِیْنَthose whoمِنْ(were) before themقَبْلِهِمْ ۚ(were) before themفَهَلْThen is (there)عَلَیonالرُّسُلِthe messengersاِلَّاexceptالْبَلٰغُthe conveyanceالْمُبِیْنُ clear وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyبَعَثْنَاWe sentفِیْintoكُلِّeveryاُمَّةٍnationرَّسُوْلًاa MessengerاَنِthatاعْبُدُواWorshipاللّٰهَAllahوَ اجْتَنِبُواand avoidالطَّاغُوْتَ ۚthe false deitiesفَمِنْهُمْThen among themمَّنْ(were some) whomهَدَیAllah guidedاللّٰهُAllah guidedوَ مِنْهُمْand among themمَّنْ(were) someحَقَّتْwas justifiedعَلَیْهِon themالضَّلٰلَةُ ؕthe strayingفَسِیْرُوْاSo travelفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthفَانْظُرُوْاand seeكَیْفَhowكَانَwasعَاقِبَةُthe endالْمُكَذِّبِیْنَ (of) the deniers اِنْIfتَحْرِصْyou desireعَلٰی[for]هُدٰىهُمْtheir guidanceفَاِنَّthen indeedاللّٰهَAllahلَا(will) notیَهْدِیْguideمَنْwhomیُّضِلُّHe lets go astrayوَ مَاand not (are)لَهُمْfor themمِّنْanyنّٰصِرِیْنَ helpers وَ اَقْسَمُوْاAnd they swearبِاللّٰهِby Allahجَهْدَstrongestاَیْمَانِهِمْ ۙ(of) their oathsلَاAllah will not resurrectیَبْعَثُAllah will not resurrectاللّٰهُAllah will not resurrectمَنْ(one) whoیَّمُوْتُ ؕdiesبَلٰیNayوَعْدًا(it is) a promiseعَلَیْهِupon Himحَقًّا(in) truthوَّ لٰكِنَّbutاَكْثَرَmostالنَّاسِ(of) the mankindلَا(do) notیَعْلَمُوْنَۙknow لِیُبَیِّنَThat He will make clearلَهُمُto themالَّذِیْthatیَخْتَلِفُوْنَthey differفِیْهِwhereinوَ لِیَعْلَمَand that may knowالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْۤاdisbelievedاَنَّهُمْthat theyكَانُوْاwereكٰذِبِیْنَ liars اِنَّمَاOnlyقَوْلُنَاOur Wordلِشَیْءٍto a thingاِذَاۤwhenاَرَدْنٰهُWe intend itاَنْ(is) thatنَّقُوْلَWe sayلَهٗto itكُنْBeفَیَكُوْنُ۠and it is

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Translation of Verse 35-40

35. And the polytheists say: “Had Allah willed, we would not have worshipped anything beside Him, neither we nor our forefathers, nor would we have declared anything forbidden without (command from) Him.” Such was the way in which those who passed before them⁵⁴ had acted. Then what responsibility is on the messengers save clear conveyance of the message?

36. And verily We have sent in every nation a messenger (with the message): Worship Allah and shun Taghut (Idols).⁵⁵ Then some of them (there were) whom Allah guided, and some of them (there were) who were destined to go astray.⁵⁶ So travel in the land and see what was the fate of the deniers.

37. And if you keenly desire that they be rightly guided, Allah will not guide those whom He misleads,⁵⁷ and they shall have no helpers.

38. And they solemnly swear by Allah that Allah will not raise the dead to life. Nay, it is a promise (binding) upon Him in truth, but most men do not know.⁵⁸

39. So that He may manifest to them that in which they differ, and that those who disbelieved may know that they were liars.⁵⁹

40. Our word for a thing when We intend it, We merely say for it: Be! and it is.⁶⁰

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Commentary

54. These are mere excuses for avoiding the responsibility of accepting the truth. Such excuses and such arguments were also proffered by some nations in the past. The shifting of responsibility of their own waywardness and wrong-doing on to Allah is the work of those who are not at all serious or sober.

55. Here Taghut means idols, and they have been termed “Taghut” because man on worshipping them turns a rebel against God, as if the idols are the manifestation and source of rebellion and transgression. And shunning taghut means to shun worshipping idols. Accordingly, in the Quran at another place it is stated: “Those who shunned taghut lest they should worship them and turn to Allah (in repentance), for them there are glad tidings.” — (Az—Zumar —17). “So shun the filth of idols...” — (Al-Hajj — 30). “(Ibrahim prayed): Preserve me and my sons from worshipping idols.” — (Ibrahim —35). The verse means that every messenger from Allah had been preaching to his nations to shun idolatry, which has been a great means of rebellion against God, and the dawah of every messenger had been that his followers should worship Allah and only Allah. It may be noted that the word taghut is applicable to Satan and to the false gods, to the rebel human leaders and chiefs, and also to those who legislate against the divine law, and those rulers who give judgments according to their own self-made laws as against the divine laws. But every applicability has its occasion, and here the particular reference to context is the argument for its applicability to shunning idolatry. For further explanation of taghut, please see Surah Baqarah, Note No.418, Surah Nisa, Note No.118, and No. 143, and also Surah Maidah, Note No.180.

56. As a result of the message of truth of these prophets one group of people, by the grace of God, was blessed with guidance, and another group, on account of its obstinacy, was deprived of guidance, and was destined to go astray.

57. That is: Those on whom Allah’s law of straying is made applicable, for them the path for guidance will never be opened, however keenly you may desire it.

58. This is a sure and definite promise of Allah that he will revive all mankind that had been dead on the Day of Resurrection, so that the judgment for the reward or punishment, as the case may be, be given. But many people are unaware of this promise, that is why they confidently deny it. But their ignorance will not change the reality. The revival of the dead on the Day of Resurrection will certainly take place, whether one may believe it or not.

59. As differences concerning God and religion have cropped up between different groups of men, and as varied and diverse practices have become rampant, it has become necessary that all should be raised to life again and gathered at one place and the reality may be unveiled before them; those who have been denying the reality, their lie and falsehood be substantially proved so that they may taste the bitter fruits of their straying. This is the obvious demand of justice and fairplay, therefore, the news about revival is not unreasonable, but it is absolutely reasonable.

60. This is the answer to the doubt of the deniers as to how it is possible to raise to life such a countless number of people. The answer is that when Allah wills something, he has not to do anything, He merely commands “Be!” and the thing comes into existence. For such an Almighty Being, reviving of the mankind is not at all difficult.

The fact is that man is very narrow-minded. He measures Allah’s might by his own parameters, and considers only what exists as possible. He is not prepared to accept the possibility of existence of a non-present thing, even though the intimation of its coming into existence is being given by the Creator of the Universe.