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 61-65وَ لَوْAnd ifیُؤَاخِذُAllah were to seizeاللّٰهُAllah were to seizeالنَّاسَthe mankindبِظُلْمِهِمْfor their wrongdoingمَّاnotتَرَكَHe (would) have leftعَلَیْهَاupon itمِنْanyدَآبَّةٍmoving creatureوَّ لٰكِنْbutیُّؤَخِّرُهُمْHe defers themاِلٰۤیforاَجَلٍa termمُّسَمًّی ۚappointedفَاِذَاThen whenجَآءَcomesاَجَلُهُمْtheir termsلَاnotیَسْتَاْخِرُوْنَthey (will) remain behindسَاعَةًan hourوَّ لَاand notیَسْتَقْدِمُوْنَ they can advance (it) وَ یَجْعَلُوْنَAnd they assignلِلّٰهِto Allahمَاwhatیَكْرَهُوْنَthey dislikeوَ تَصِفُand assertاَلْسِنَتُهُمُtheir tonguesالْكَذِبَthe lieاَنَّthatلَهُمُfor themالْحُسْنٰی ؕ(is) the bestلَاNoجَرَمَdoubtاَنَّthatلَهُمُfor themالنَّارَ(is) the Fireوَ اَنَّهُمْand that theyمُّفْرَطُوْنَ (will) be abandoned تَاللّٰهِBy AllahلَقَدْcertainlyاَرْسَلْنَاۤWe have sentاِلٰۤیtoاُمَمٍnationsمِّنْbefore youقَبْلِكَbefore youفَزَیَّنَbut made fair-seemingلَهُمُto themالشَّیْطٰنُthe Shaitaanاَعْمَالَهُمْtheir deedsفَهُوَSo heوَلِیُّهُمُ(is) their allyالْیَوْمَtodayوَ لَهُمْand for themعَذَابٌ(is) a punishmentاَلِیْمٌ painful وَ مَاۤAnd notاَنْزَلْنَاWe revealedعَلَیْكَto youالْكِتٰبَthe Bookاِلَّاexceptلِتُبَیِّنَthat you make clearلَهُمُto themالَّذِیthat whichاخْتَلَفُوْاthey differedفِیْهِ ۙin itوَ هُدًیand (as) a guidanceوَّ رَحْمَةًand mercyلِّقَوْمٍfor a peopleیُّؤْمِنُوْنَ who believe 16. An-Nahl Page 274وَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahاَنْزَلَsends downمِنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe skyمَآءًwaterفَاَحْیَاthen gives lifeبِهِby itالْاَرْضَ(to) the earthبَعْدَafterمَوْتِهَا ؕits deathاِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَاٰیَةً(is) surely a Signلِّقَوْمٍfor a peopleیَّسْمَعُوْنَ۠who listen

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Translation of Verse 61-65

(16:61) Were Allah to take people to task for their wrong-doing, He would not have spared even a single living creature on the face of the earth. But He grants them respite until an appointed term. And when that term arrives, they have no power to delay it by a single moment, nor to hasten it.

(16:62) They assign to Allah what they dislike for themselves and their tongues utter a sheer lie in stating that a happy state awaits them. Without doubt the Fire awaits them and it is to it that they shall be hastened.

(16:63) By Allah, (O Muhammad), We sent Messengers to other communities before you but Satan made their evil deeds attractive to them (so they paid no heed to the call of the Messengers). The same Satan is their patron today and they are heading towards a painful chastisement.

(16:64) We have sent down the Book that you may explain to them the truth concerning what they are disputing and that the Book may serve as a guidance and mercy for those who believe in it.⁵³

(16:65) Allah sends down water from the heaven, and thereby He instantly revives the earth after it lay dead. Verily there is a sign in it for those who have ears.

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Commentary

53. In the absence of revelation, men are liable, under the influence of personal fancies or inherited beliefs, to divide themselves into a myriad of religious groups. However, revelation of the Qur’an has provided a solid basis of truth which can prove a rallying-point for all human beings. It is unfortunate that despite this favor granted by God, some people prefer to cling to their former state. It is obvious that such an attitude is bound to bring destruction and disgrace upon them. Only those who decide to accept and be guided by this Book will be directed to the right way and receive the blessings and bounties of the Qur’an.

53(a). Man witnesses an instructive spectacle every year. He observes that during the course of each year a time comes when the earth turns altogether barren, becoming bereft of every.sign of life and fertility. One does not even “see a blade of grass, nor plants or leaves, nor vines or flowers, nor even insects.

Then suddenly the rainy season sets in. The very first shower causes life to well up from the depths of the earth. Innumerable roots that lay crushed under layer upon layer of earth are suddenly revived, causing the plants which had appeared on the surface a year ago and had then withered away, to make their appearance once again. Likewise, innumerable insects, every trace of which had. been destroyed by the heat of summer, make their reappearance. Men observe this spectacle year after year— that life is followed by death and death by life.

Despite all this, when the Prophet (peace be on him) tells men that God will restore people to life after death, they are struck with surprise. This reaction clearly indicates that their observation of the phenomenon of life following death is one akin to the observation of irrational brutes who can hardly make any intelligent sense of what they see. For even if they note the phenomena of nature which makes them wonder, they are still unable to perceive the signs of the power and wisdom of God behind them. Had it not been so, their reaction to the Prophet’s statement regarding the Next Life should have been different.

They should have cried out that the innumerable signs which they themselves observed testified to it.