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 77-83وَ لِلّٰهِAnd to Allah (belongs)غَیْبُ(the) unseenالسَّمٰوٰتِ(of) the heavensوَ الْاَرْضِ ؕand the earthوَ مَاۤAnd notاَمْرُ(is the) matterالسَّاعَةِ(of) the Hourاِلَّاbutكَلَمْحِas a twinklingالْبَصَرِ(of) the eyeاَوْorهُوَitاَقْرَبُ ؕ(is) nearerاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahعَلٰیonكُلِّeveryشَیْءٍthingقَدِیْرٌ (is) All-Powerful وَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahاَخْرَجَكُمْbrought you forthمِّنْۢfromبُطُوْنِthe wombsاُمَّهٰتِكُمْ(of) your mothersلَاnotتَعْلَمُوْنَknowingشَیْـًٔا ۙanythingوَّ جَعَلَand madeلَكُمُfor youالسَّمْعَthe hearingوَ الْاَبْصَارَand the sightوَ الْاَفْـِٕدَةَ ۙand the heartsلَعَلَّكُمْso that you mayتَشْكُرُوْنَ give thanks اَلَمْDo notیَرَوْاthey seeاِلَیtowardsالطَّیْرِthe birdsمُسَخَّرٰتٍcontrolledفِیْinجَوِّthe midstالسَّمَآءِ ؕ(of) the skyمَاNoneیُمْسِكُهُنَّholds them upاِلَّاexceptاللّٰهُ ؕAllahاِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَاٰیٰتٍ(are) Signsلِّقَوْمٍfor a peopleیُّؤْمِنُوْنَ who believe 16. An-Nahl Page 276وَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahجَعَلَ(has) madeلَكُمْfor youمِّنْۢ[from]بُیُوْتِكُمْyour homesسَكَنًاa resting placeوَّ جَعَلَand madeلَكُمْfor youمِّنْfromجُلُوْدِthe hidesالْاَنْعَامِ(of) the cattleبُیُوْتًاtentsتَسْتَخِفُّوْنَهَاwhich you find lightیَوْمَ(on) the dayظَعْنِكُمْ(of) your travelوَ یَوْمَand the dayاِقَامَتِكُمْ ۙ(of) your encampmentوَ مِنْand fromاَصْوَافِهَاtheir woolوَ اَوْبَارِهَاand their furوَ اَشْعَارِهَاۤand their hairاَثَاثًا(is) furnishingوَّ مَتَاعًاand a provisionاِلٰیforحِیْنٍ a time وَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahجَعَلَ(has) madeلَكُمْfor youمِّمَّاfrom whatخَلَقَHe createdظِلٰلًاshadesوَّ جَعَلَand (has) madeلَكُمْfor youمِّنَfromالْجِبَالِthe mountainsاَكْنَانًاsheltersوَّ جَعَلَand (has) madeلَكُمْfor youسَرَابِیْلَgarmentsتَقِیْكُمُto protect youالْحَرَّ(from) the heatوَ سَرَابِیْلَand garmentsتَقِیْكُمْto protect youبَاْسَكُمْ ؕfrom your (mutual) violenceكَذٰلِكَThusیُتِمُّHe completesنِعْمَتَهٗHis Favorعَلَیْكُمْupon youلَعَلَّكُمْso that you mayتُسْلِمُوْنَ submit فَاِنْThen ifتَوَلَّوْاthey turn awayفَاِنَّمَاthen onlyعَلَیْكَupon youالْبَلٰغُ(is) the conveyanceالْمُبِیْنُ the clear یَعْرِفُوْنَThey recognizeنِعْمَتَ(the) Favorاللّٰهِ(of) Allahثُمَّthenیُنْكِرُوْنَهَاthey deny itوَ اَكْثَرُهُمُAnd most of themالْكٰفِرُوْنَ۠(are) the disbelievers

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Translation of Verse 77-83

(16:77) Allah has full knowledge of the truths beyond the reach of perception both in the heavens and the earth;⁷⁰ and the coming of the Hour will take no more than the twinkling of an eye; it may take even less.⁷¹ Indeed Allah has power over everything.

(16:78) Allah has brought you forth from your mothers' wombs when you knew nothing, and then gave you hearing, and sight and thinking hearts⁷² so that you may give thanks.⁷³

(16:79) Have they never noticed the birds how they are held under control in the middle of the sky, where none holds them (from falling) except Allah? Surely there are signs in this for those who believe.

(16:80) Allah has made your houses a repose, and has provided you with the skins of the cattle for your habitation⁷⁴ which are light to handle both when you travel and when you camp;⁷⁵ and out of their wool and their fur and their hair He has given you furnishings and goods for use over a period of time.

(16:81) And Allah has provided shade for you out of some of the things He has created; and He has provided you with shelters in the mountains, and has given you coats that protect you from heat⁷⁶ as well as coats that protect you in battle.⁷⁷ Thus does He complete His favour upon you⁷⁸ that you may submit to Him.

(16:82) But if they turn away, your only duty is to clearly deliver the message of the truth.

(16:83) They are aware of the favours of Allah, and yet refuse to acknowledge them.⁷⁹ Most of them are determined not to accept the Truth.

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Commentary

70. Taken together with the following verse this verse constitutes a rejoinder to the oft-repeated question of the Makkan unbelievers as to when Resurrection would take place. The question is answered here without explicitly mentioning it.

71. Resurrection would not come about gradually. Men will not be able to observe it approaching. It will rather overtake them suddenly and no one will have the time to make amends. Hence it is imperative that people give serious thought to the matter and make up their minds as to what they ought to do. No one should relax under the illusion that the Day of Judgement is far off. For when it is evident that the Day of Judgement is close at hand, no one will be able to make amends.

The question of the After-life has been introduced with seeming abruptness in this discussion for good reason. The purpose is to drive home to people that the choice between monotheism and polytheism is not just a theoretical issue.

They should rather be conscious, quite conscious, that the Day of Judgement will suddenly overtake them and decide man’s success or failure in the Next Life. With this note of warning, the discourse on God’s unity is resumed.

72. This refers to the resources which enable man to obtain knowledge and to administer the affairs of the world. At the time of his birth a human child is much more helpless and ignorant than the new-born of any animal. However, it is by dint of the means of obtaining knowledge bestowed upon him by God — hearing, sight, reason — that he gains mastery over all other earthly creatures.

73. Man is asked to give thanks to God Who has bestowed on him such invaluable bounties. It is the height of ingratitude that man should use his faculty of hearing and listening to everything except God’s message: that he should use the faculty of sight to observe everything except God’s signs; that he should use his intellect to reflect about every possible thing except the question as to who it is who has lavished all possible bounties on him.

74, This refers to a tent of skin which is quite a common feature in Arabia.

75. When they embark on a journey, they easily fold the tent and carry it, and when they decide to stay somewhere they easily unfold and pitch the tent they were carrying.

76. Here no reference is made to winter clothing. One possible reason could be that summer clothing represents the height of human civilization. Having mentioned that, there is, therefore, no need to refer to something which represents a lower stage of civilization. Another possible reason could be that lands such as Arabia are subject to the ravaging simoom, the blazing wind of the hot, scorching desert. Given this, summer clothing is of much greater importance than winter clothing. If one does not cover one’s head, neck, ears — in fact the whole of one’s body — one may be scorched to death by the simoom.

77. That is, coat of mail.

78. The completion of God’s favor upon man means that God takes note of all man’s needs in life and provides him with them all. An instance in point is the protection of the human body against the in clemencies of the weather. In this regard, God has made such elaborate arrangements in response to such a wide variety of needs that were one to write about them in some detail, it would run into a voluminous book. In fact, a whole volume is needed simply in connection with clothing and shelter. However, man also needs food. In this regard we know that God has provided an abundance of resources to feed human beings on such a wide scale and with such a baffling variety that no requirement of man for food remains unfulfilled. Were one to enumerate the different varieties and forms of food, this would also run into a huge book. This would be the completion of God’s favor concerning food. In like manner, if we were to scan man’s needs in all his different spheres of life, it is quite evident that God has lavished His bounties on all. ‘

79. Here ‘refusal to acknowledge’ God’s favors signify not so much the refusal to acknowledge it in words as in practice. The Makkan unbelievers did not verbally deny that God had done them a great variety of favors. Yet they believed that God’s favors upon them were due to the intercession of their saints and deities. Hence, they thanked the beings which, in their view, interceded on their behalf more amply than they thanked God. It is precisely this which God regards as denial of His favor and downright ingratitude to Him.