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

(16:10) It is He who sends down to you out of heaven water: for you a drink thereof, by which the trees (grow) and wherewith you pasture (the flock).¹⁷

(16:11) He causes to grow for you thereby: crops, olives, date-palm, grapes and all manner of fruit. Surely, in that is a sign for those who reflect.

(16:12) And He subjected to you the night and the day, the sun and the moon. And the stars are subjected to His command. Surely, in that are signs for a people who reason.

(16:13) And in what He spread out in the earth, in various hues.¹⁸ Surely, in that is a sign for a people who remember.¹⁹

(16:14) And it is He who subjected the seas²⁰ so that you may eat out of it tender meat and seek from it ornaments that you wear.²¹ And you see the ships ploughing through it,²² so that you may seek His bounty and haply you will give thanks.

(16:15) And He cast in the earth mountains, lest it shakes with you,²³ as (He also placed) rivers, and paths, so that you might be guided.

(16:16) And waymarks. And by the stars they are guided.²⁴

(16:17) Is He then who creates, like him who does not create? Will you not receive admonition?

(16:18) And, if you were to count His blessings, you will not number them. Verily, Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Kind.²⁵

(16:19) And Allah knows what you conceal and what you reveal.²⁶

(16:20) As for those they invoke besides Allah, they do not create anything. In fact, they themselves are created.

(16:21) Dead. Not alive;²⁷ and know not when they will be resurrected.

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Commentary

17. The translation reflects the understanding of Ibn ‘Abbas, ‘Ikrimah, Dahhak, Qatadah and others as in Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir, Shawkani and others.

18. Everything that Allah has provided of His bounty such as, animals, plants and minerals, with all their varieties, is included in the verse (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

19. Note the sequence. Allah first spoke of the creation of the heavens and the earth (verse 3), man (verse 4), animals (verse 5-8), plants (verse 11), laws of nature (verse 12), and, finally, just about everything else that He created (verse 13) - Au.

20. For man to be able to ride over the seas and make uses of them in a variety of ways is his subjection of it (Qurtubi).

21. That is, ‘your womenfolk.’

Shanqiti writes: As Ibn Hajr has written in Futh, it is not allowed for men to wear clothes adorned with pearls and rich stones in view of the hadith which prohibits that men and women adopt dresses specific to the other gender and thus look alike.

However, a piece or two, of pearls or rich stones, should not matter, since (a) that cannot be termed an imitation of women, which is disapproved, (b), the above Qur’anic verse is unconditional, that is, it does not exclude men, (c) there is no hadith prohibiting it, as there are ahadith prohibiting gold for men and (d) there is no consensus among the fuqaha’ over its prohibition (Au.).

22. “Mawakhir” has its root in “makhr” which is for cleaving through, or splitting something, as the boat splits water and air while it moves forward.

23. Qays b. ‘Ibad and Hasan said that when the earth was created, it was very unstable. Angels remarked that no one could live on it. So Allah pitched the pegs and it became stable (Ibn Jarir). ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib however added, “Now it is stable, (but only) as stable as a piece of trembling flesh” (Ibn Kathir). It might be noted how close the description comes to what modern geologists say in connection with the theory of Plate Tectonic, viz., that the upper crust consisting of some seven plates is in slow motion, whose friction against each other causes earthquakes as well as creates mountains (Au.).

24. In the country side waymarks help in locomotion. What about deserts and the seas? The answer is, stars serve that function.

25. That is, since you will not be able to number Allah’s blessings, you will not be able to thank for them, but Allah is Most Forgiving, if you fail to do that, Most Kind (Ibn Jarir, Zamakhshari).

In general terms, man owes to Allah profound thanks for the countless favors He bestows on him, every moment of his existence. But, instead, he shows stubborn ingratitude and crosses all limits by attributing the favors to someone other than Him. In consequence, he deserves to be destroyed. But if he is alive, and thriving, it is because Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Kind (Au.).

26. That is, if punishment does not follow the rebellion, it is not because Allah is unaware of what’s going on in the earth. Equal unto him are the concealed thoughts and the revealed acts. But He grants respite.

27. Those to whom the people devote themselves are either lifeless idols carved from wood, mud or stone, in short, inanimate objects, or saints and religious figures who are also dead, long reduced to dust. What is the point in worshiping either? (Shabbir, Mawdudi).