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 26-34قَدْVerilyمَكَرَplottedالَّذِیْنَthose whoمِنْ(were) before themقَبْلِهِمْ(were) before themفَاَتَیbut Allah cameاللّٰهُbut Allah cameبُنْیَانَهُمْ(at) their buildingمِّنَfromالْقَوَاعِدِthe foundationsفَخَرَّso fellعَلَیْهِمُupon themالسَّقْفُthe roofمِنْfromفَوْقِهِمْabove themوَ اَتٰىهُمُand came to themالْعَذَابُthe punishmentمِنْfromحَیْثُwhereلَاthey (did) not perceiveیَشْعُرُوْنَ they (did) not perceive 16. An-Nahl Page 270ثُمَّThenیَوْمَ(on) the Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ(of) the ResurrectionیُخْزِیْهِمْHe will disgrace themوَ یَقُوْلُand sayاَیْنَWhereشُرَكَآءِیَ(are) My partnersالَّذِیْنَthose (for) whomكُنْتُمْyou used (to)تُشَآقُّوْنَopposeفِیْهِمْ ؕ[in them]قَالَWill sayالَّذِیْنَthose whoاُوْتُواwere givenالْعِلْمَthe knowledgeاِنَّIndeedالْخِزْیَthe disgraceالْیَوْمَthis Dayوَ السُّوْٓءَand evilعَلَی(are) uponالْكٰفِرِیْنَۙthe disbelievers الَّذِیْنَThose whomتَتَوَفّٰىهُمُtake them in deathالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةُthe Angelsظَالِمِیْۤ(while) wrongingاَنْفُسِهِمْ ۪themselvesفَاَلْقَوُاthen they would offerالسَّلَمَthe submissionمَاNotكُنَّاwe wereنَعْمَلُdoingمِنْanyسُوْٓءٍ ؕevilبَلٰۤیNayاِنَّindeedاللّٰهَAllahعَلِیْمٌۢ(is) All-Knowerبِمَاof whatكُنْتُمْyou used (to)تَعْمَلُوْنَ do فَادْخُلُوْۤاSo enterاَبْوَابَ(the) gatesجَهَنَّمَ(of) Hellخٰلِدِیْنَ(to) abide foreverفِیْهَا ؕin itفَلَبِئْسَSurely wretchedمَثْوَی(is the) abodeالْمُتَكَبِّرِیْنَ (of) the arrogant وَ قِیْلَAnd it will be saidلِلَّذِیْنَto those whoاتَّقَوْاfear Allahمَا ذَاۤWhatاَنْزَلَhas your Lord sent downرَبُّكُمْ ؕhas your Lord sent downقَالُوْاThey will sayخَیْرًا ؕGoodلِلَّذِیْنَFor those whoاَحْسَنُوْاdo goodفِیْinهٰذِهِthisالدُّنْیَاworldحَسَنَةٌ ؕ(is) a goodوَ لَدَارُand the homeالْاٰخِرَةِof the Hereafterخَیْرٌ ؕ(is) betterوَ لَنِعْمَAnd surely excellentدَارُ(is) the homeالْمُتَّقِیْنَۙ(of) the righteous جَنّٰتُGardensعَدْنٍ(of) Edenیَّدْخُلُوْنَهَاwhich they will enterتَجْرِیْflowsمِنْfromتَحْتِهَاunderneath themالْاَنْهٰرُthe riversلَهُمْFor themفِیْهَاthereinمَا(will be) whateverیَشَآءُوْنَ ؕthey wishكَذٰلِكَThusیَجْزِیAllah rewardsاللّٰهُAllah rewardsالْمُتَّقِیْنَۙthe righteous الَّذِیْنَThose whomتَتَوَفّٰىهُمُtake them in deathالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةُthe Angelsطَیِّبِیْنَ ۙ(when they are) pureیَقُوْلُوْنَsayingسَلٰمٌPeaceعَلَیْكُمُ ۙ(be) upon youادْخُلُواEnterالْجَنَّةَParadiseبِمَاfor whatكُنْتُمْyou used (to)تَعْمَلُوْنَ do هَلْDoیَنْظُرُوْنَthey waitاِلَّاۤexceptاَنْthatتَاْتِیَهُمُ(should) come to themالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةُthe Angelsاَوْorیَاْتِیَ(should) comeاَمْرُ(the) Commandرَبِّكَ ؕ(of) your LordكَذٰلِكَThusفَعَلَdidالَّذِیْنَthose whoمِنْ(were) before themقَبْلِهِمْ ؕ(were) before themوَ مَاAnd notظَلَمَهُمُwronged themاللّٰهُAllahوَ لٰكِنْbutكَانُوْۤاthey wereاَنْفُسَهُمْthemselvesیَظْلِمُوْنَ wronging فَاَصَابَهُمْThen struck themسَیِّاٰتُ(the) evil (results)مَا(of) whatعَمِلُوْاthey didوَ حَاقَand surroundedبِهِمْthemمَّاwhatكَانُوْاthey used (to)بِهٖ[of it]یَسْتَهْزِءُوْنَ۠mock

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Translation of Verse 26-34

(16:26) Surely many people before them had plotted in a similar manner to (vanquish the Truth), but Allah uprooted the whole structure of their plot from its foundations so that the roof fell in upon them, and the chastisement (of Allah) visited them from unknown directions.

(16:27) And again, on the Day of Resurrection, He will bring them to disgrace, and say: "Tell Me, now, where are those to whom you ascribed a share in My Divinity, and for whose sake you disputed (with the upholders of the Truth)?" Those²³ who were endowed with knowledge (in the world) will say: "Surely today humiliation and misery shall be the lot of the unbelievers";

(16:28) the same²⁴ unbelievers who, when the angels seize them and cause them to die while they are engaged in wrong-doing, they will proffer their submission²⁵ saying: "We were engaged in no evil." (The angels will answer them): "Surely Allah knows well all that you did.

(16:29) Go now, and enter the gate of Hell, and abide in it for ever.²⁶" Evil indeed is the abode of the arrogant.

(16:30) And when the God-fearing are asked: "What has your Lord revealed?" they answer: "Something excellent!"²⁷ Good fortune in this world awaits those who do good; and certainly the abode of the Hereafter is even better for them. How excellent is the abode of the God-fearing:

(16:31) everlasting gardens that they shall enter; the gardens beneath which rivers shall flow, and where they shall have whatever they desire! Thus does Allah reward the God-fearing,²⁸

(16:32) those whose souls the angels seize while they are in a state of purity, saying: "Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise as a reward for your deeds."

(16:33) (O Muhammad), are they waiting for anything else than that the angels should appear before them, or that your Lord's judgement should come?²⁹ Many before them acted with similar temerity. And then what happened with them was not Allah's wrong-doing; they rather wronged themselves.

(16:34) The evil consequences of their misdeeds overtook them and what they mocked at overwhelmed them.

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Commentary

23. There is a subtle gap between the answer and the preceding question.

The reader is left to fill this gap with a little reflection. God will ask: ‘Tell Me, now where are those of whom you ascribe a share in My divinity and for whose sake you disputed [with the upholders of the truth]?’ This will leave all unbelievers and polytheists dumbfounded. Then a conversation will take place among those endowed with knowledge. That conversation is alluded to here.

24. This is what God, Himself, will say in addition to what was said by ‘people endowed with knowledge’. What God says is by way of further explanation. Some commentators of the Qur’an consider this to be a part of the statement by ‘people endowed with knowledge’. Scholars who took this view, however, had to resort to far-fetched explanations, and despite all their efforts, their statements remain unpersuasive.

25. That is, when angels seize their souls at the time of death.

26. This and the following verse which mention the conversation between the righteous and the angels after the latter have seized the souls, are among several verses in the Qur’an which prove beyond doubt that people will be both rewarded and punished in the grave. : In the Hadith the expression qabr is used metaphorically for barzakh, for the state in which men’s souls will remain starting from the last moment of earthly life until their resurrection in the Hereafter. Those who reject the Hadith consider it to be a period of non-existence, a period: when men will be devoid of any feeling or perception, and during which men will receive neither reward nor punishment. However, in light of the above verse, it is clear that when the souls of the unbelievers are seized, they find the new world beyond the present one totally at odds with their expectations. Hence, they try to deceive the angels and plead their innocence. In response, however, the angels rebuke them and tell them that they are destined for Hell. When the souls of the righteous are seized, however, the angels welcome them and felicitate them in advance for their being destined for Paradise. Is it necessary, then, to look for any further evidence to prove that people will have life, feeling, consciousness, reward and punishment in the state known as barzakh? A statement similar to the one made here occurs in al-Nisa’. (4: 97) which recounts the conversation between the angels and. those Muslims who had failed to migrate in the cause of God. The most unambiguous statement of punishment is made in al-Mu’min (40: 45-6). Regarding Pharaoh and his people, God says: but the brunt of the punishment encompassed the people of Pharaoh on all sides. They are exposed to the Fire, morning and evening, and when the Day of Judgement will arrive, the sentence will be issued: ‘‘Cast the people of Pharaoh into the severest punishment’’.” The portrayal of the intervening period between man’s death and the Day of Resurrection in the Qur’an and the Hadith is identical. Death is merely separation of the soul from the body. It does not signify the annihilation of the soul. Also, after separation from the body, and unlike it, the soul does not suffer decomposition. It rather exists along with the personality shaped by its experience during earthly life and by its mental and moral attainments.

Consciousness, feeling, observation and experience of the soul in this state resembles that of a dream. The interrogation of a convict’s soul, its experience of punishment and torture, and its exposure to Hell are similar to the nightmare which a murderer experiences before his execution. Likewise, the reception accorded to the soul of a righteous person, the glad tidings about its entry into Paradise, and its experience of the breeze and fragrance of Paradise are similar to the sweet dreams of the official who sees in them that he has been summoned to receive a great award in recognition of ‘this excellent performance.

All dreams come to an end with the blowing of the Trumpet for the Resurrection and the evil-doers will suddenly find themselves alive both in body and soul. In utter surprise’ they will exclaim: ‘Ah! Woe unto us! (Ya Sin 36: 52). The righteous, however, will say with full conviction: ‘This is what Allah, Most Gracious, had promised; and true was the word of the Messengers’ (Ya Sin 36: 52). The immediate reaction of the evil-doers will be as if they had been asleep in their beds for an hour or so. They will find themselves awakened and will run for their lives. However, the believers’ reaction will be marked by firm conviction. They will say: ‘Indeed you did tarry, within Allah’s decree, to the Day of Resurrection, and this is the Day of Resurrection; but you were not aware!’ (al-Rum 30: 56).

27. The reply of the God-fearing and the righteous to the queries of people outside Makka concerning the Prophet (peace be on him) and his teachings is radically different from that of the unbelievers who lied. What distinguishes the former is that they do not engage in false propaganda. Nor do they try to deceive or confuse people. They simply express their appreciation of the Prophet (peace be on him) and his message, and apprise people of the facts as they are.

28. This succinctly expresses what Paradise will be like. Its basic characteristic is that man will be able to have what he wishes. Nothing will happen in it which is opposed to his desire and liking. It is obvious that no matter how resourceful any person may be in this world, he can never enjoy a similar privilege. Hence, every inmate of Paradise will attain the zenith of joy and satisfaction insofar as everything will happen as he desires. All his yearnings will be satisfied. All his dreams will come true.

29. This is said by way of advice as well as warning. For as far as explaining truths is concerned, the Prophet (peace be on him) carried out that task quite adequately. He did not fail to. reinforce his discourse with persuasive arguments. He also adduced every possible evidence drawn from the phenomena of the universe in support of his message. In short, he left no room for any reasonable person to persist in polytheism. What is it, then, that prevents the unbelievers from accepting an obvious truth? Are they waiting for the angel of death to approach them such that they embrace the true faith with their last breath? Will they see reason only after they have experienced the first blow of God’s punishment?