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 120-128اِنَّIndeedاِبْرٰهِیْمَIbrahimكَانَwasاُمَّةًa nationقَانِتًاobedientلِّلّٰهِto Allahحَنِیْفًا ؕuprightوَ لَمْand notیَكُhe wasمِنَofالْمُشْرِكِیْنَۙthe polytheists شَاكِرًاThankfulلِّاَنْعُمِهٖ ؕfor His favorsاِجْتَبٰىهُHe chose himوَ هَدٰىهُand guided himاِلٰیtoصِرَاطٍthe wayمُّسْتَقِیْمٍ straight وَ اٰتَیْنٰهُAnd We gave himفِیinالدُّنْیَاthe worldحَسَنَةً ؕgoodوَ اِنَّهٗand indeed heفِیinالْاٰخِرَةِthe Hereafterلَمِنَ(he) will surely (be) amongالصّٰلِحِیْنَؕthe righteous ثُمَّThenاَوْحَیْنَاۤWe revealedاِلَیْكَto youاَنِthatاتَّبِعْYou followمِلَّةَ(the) religionاِبْرٰهِیْمَ(of) Ibrahimحَنِیْفًا ؕuprightوَ مَاand notكَانَhe wasمِنَofالْمُشْرِكِیْنَ the polytheists اِنَّمَاOnlyجُعِلَwas appointedالسَّبْتُthe Sabbathعَلَیforالَّذِیْنَthose whoاخْتَلَفُوْاdifferedفِیْهِ ؕin itوَ اِنَّAnd indeedرَبَّكَyour Lordلَیَحْكُمُwill surely judgeبَیْنَهُمْbetween themیَوْمَ(on) the Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrectionفِیْمَاin whatكَانُوْاthey used (to)فِیْهِ[in it]یَخْتَلِفُوْنَ differ اُدْعُCallاِلٰیtoسَبِیْلِ(the) wayرَبِّكَ(of) your Lordبِالْحِكْمَةِwith the wisdomوَ الْمَوْعِظَةِand the instructionالْحَسَنَةِthe goodوَ جَادِلْهُمْand discuss with themبِالَّتِیْin thatهِیَwhichاَحْسَنُ ؕ(is) bestاِنَّIndeedرَبَّكَyour LordهُوَHeاَعْلَمُ(is) most knowingبِمَنْof whoضَلَّhas strayedعَنْfromسَبِیْلِهٖHis wayوَ هُوَAnd Heاَعْلَمُ(is) most knowingبِالْمُهْتَدِیْنَ of the guided ones وَ اِنْAnd ifعَاقَبْتُمْyou retaliateفَعَاقِبُوْاthen retaliateبِمِثْلِwith the likeمَاof whatعُوْقِبْتُمْyou were afflictedبِهٖ ؕwith [it]وَ لَىِٕنْBut ifصَبَرْتُمْyou are patientلَهُوَsurely (it) isخَیْرٌbetterلِّلصّٰبِرِیْنَ for those who are patient وَ اصْبِرْAnd be patientوَ مَاand notصَبْرُكَ(is) your patienceاِلَّاbutبِاللّٰهِfrom Allahوَ لَاAnd (do) notتَحْزَنْgrieveعَلَیْهِمْover themوَ لَاand (do) notتَكُbeفِیْinضَیْقٍdistressمِّمَّاfor whatیَمْكُرُوْنَ they plot اِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahمَعَ(is) withالَّذِیْنَthose whoاتَّقَوْاfear (Him)وَّ الَّذِیْنَand those whoهُمْ[they]مُّحْسِنُوْنَ۠(are) good-doers

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Translation of Verse 120-128

(16:120) Indeed Abraham was a whole community by himself,¹¹⁹ obedient to Allah, exclusively devoted to Him. And he was never one of those who associated others with Allah in His Divinity.

(16:121) He rendered thanks to Allah for His bounties so that Allah chose him (for His favours) and directed him to the Right Way.

(16:122) We bestowed good upon him in this world, and in the Hereafter he shall certainly be among the righteous.

(16:123) Then We revealed to you: "Follow the way of Abraham with exclusive devotion to Allah. He was not one of those who associated others¹²⁰ with Allah in His Divinity."

(16:124) As for the Sabbath, it was made incumbent only on those who differed about its laws.¹²¹ Certainly your Lord will judge on the Day of Resurrection between them regarding the matters they disputed.

(16:125) (O Prophet), call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation,¹²² and reason with them in the best manner possible.¹²³ Surely your Lord knows best who has strayed away from His path, and He also knows well those who are guided to the Right Way.

(16:126) If you take retribution, then do so in proportion to the wrong done to you. But if you can bear such conduct with patience, indeed that is best for the steadfast.

(16:127) And bear with patience, (O Muhammad) - and your patience is only because of the help of Allah - and do not grieve over them, nor feel distressed by their evil plans.

(16:128) For surely Allah is with those who hold Him in fear and do good.¹²⁴

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Commentary

119. Abraham was indeed a whole community by himself. For when there was not a single Muslim on earth, all being steeped in unbelief, Abraham stood out as the sole standard-bearer of Islam. He single-handedly performed a task that was stupendous enough to have been performed by a whole community.

120. This constitutes a full-scale refutation of the unbelievers’ objection. The refutation consists of two main points. First, that contrary to their inference on the basis of the apparent difference between some injunctions of the Old Testament and the Qur’an, there is no contradiction in God’s Law. The Jews had been prohibited certain bounties in retribution for their transgression. There was obviously no reason to deprive others of those bounties. The second point brought home in this verse is that Muhammad (peace be on him) has been commanded to follow the way of Abraham. It is common knowledge that several things which are unlawful in Mosaic Law were not so in Abrahamic Law. To cite a few examples, the Jews are not supposed to eat the flesh of the camel, whereas it was permissible for the Abrahamic community to do so. Likewise, ostrich, duck and rabbit are forbidden in Jewish Law while they were perfectly lawful for the followers of Abraham.

After clarifying this point, the Makkan unbelievers are emphatically told that neither they nor the Jews have any true affinity with Abraham. This is for the simple reason that both are guilty of polytheism. The only true followers of the Abrahamic way are Muhammad (peace be on him) and his Companions whose beliefs and actions show no trace of polytheism.

121. This is in response to another objection made by the Makkan unbelievers. It was hardly necessary to point out that the law of the Sabbath itself was meant for the Jews alone. The restrictions of the Sabbath were simply unknown to Abraham and his followers. All this was far too well known to the Makkans to be clearly mentioned here. Hence, it was deemed sufficient to implicitly express the idea that the Sabbath did not belong to the early period — the period of Abraham. It was only at a relatively later time that the restrictions of the Sabbath were introduced in view of the known misdeeds of the Jews.

This cursory statement of the Qur’an can perhaps best be appreciated only after taking note of the passages in the Bible which deal with the Sabbath laws. In order to become acquainted with the laws of the Sabbath see Exodus 20: 8-11; 23: 12-13; 31: 12-17; 35: 2-3 and Numbers 15: 32-6. These should, however, be read in conjunction with the passages which mention the audacity with which the Jews violated those laws. See, for example, Jeremiah 17: 21-7; and Ezekiel 20: 12-14.

122. In calling people to the truth one should bear in mind two things — wisdom and good counsel. Wisdom requires that in calling people to the truth, one should be conscious of the predilections and biases as well as the mental capacities and circumstances of the people to whom the message is being addressed. One should also be sensitive to the context in which the message is given to the people. Nor should one fail to note the diversities between different individuals and groups. Instead, when one comes into contact with an individual or a group, one should try to understand the background of that individual or group. This should be followed by a reasoned discourse that penetrates the hearts and minds of the persons concerned.

As for ‘good counsel’, this denotes two things. First, that one should not be content with merely trying to convince people with the help of rational arguments. Instead, one should also appeal to the nobler emotions of man. For instance, one should not merely muster rational arguments so as to negate and show the falsity of erroneous doctrines or unrighteous behavior. In addition, one should also evoke the instinctive repugnance to evil which is embodied in human nature and shake people into realizing the horrible consequences of their misdeeds. Likewise, in addition to supporting sound doctrines and righteous behavior with the help of rational arguments, an attempt should also be made to create a relish for them.

Another meaning of ‘good counsel’ is counselling people in such a manner that one’s deep sympathy, compassion and concern for the people in question does not go unnoticed by them. One should be quite conscious of the fact that ‘counselling’ people should not be allowed to be misunderstood as an act emanating from the presumption of one’s own superior status, or of the inferior status of the audience.

123. This represents an important note of caution. When someone presents a doctrine, that necessarily generates discussion with those who do not agree with that doctrine. Those who seek to promote the cause of God should be exceedingly cautious about allowing this discussion to degenerate into a polemical or intellectual bout. Such discussions should not be marred by obstinate refusal to see the strength of the other party’s arguments or by slanderous allegations, or attacks and taunts.

The purpose of the discussion too should not be to render the other party speechless, or to establish one’s superior eloquence. On the contrary, one’s discourse should be gracious and refined. It should also reflect the person's higher moral stature and courteous disposition. Moreover, the arguments should appeal to good sense. Likewise, the statements made in the course of the discussion should be so couched as not to arouse obstinacy. In such discussions, one should try to express one’s viewpoint in a straightforward and elegant manner, taking good care not to arouse adamance and egotistical feelings in the audience. However, as soon as one realizes that the other party has been so provoked as to cling, out of sheer obstinacy, to his viewpoint, one should put an end to the discussion. For continuing it any further might cause the other person to veer even further away from the truth.

124. They are the ones who, out of their God-fearingness, refrain from evil and adhere to good behavior. No matter how others treat them, they return even their evil with good.