Verses 15–26
16. An-Nahl · The Bee
Makkan128 verses
وَأَلْقَىٰ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ رَوَٰسِىَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ وَأَنْهَٰرًۭا وَسُبُلًۭا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
16:15He cast firm mountains in the earth lest it should shake with you, and [made] streams and ways, so that you may be guided1
وَعَلَٰمَٰتٍۢ ۚ وَبِٱلنَّجْمِ هُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ
16:16—and the landmarks [as well]—and by the stars they are guided.
أَفَمَن يَخْلُقُ كَمَن لَّا يَخْلُقُ ۗ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ
16:17Is He who creates like one who does not create? Will you not then take admonition?
وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَةَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ
16:18If you enumerate Allah’s blessings, you will not be able to count them. Indeed Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful,
وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُسِرُّونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ
16:19and Allah knows whatever you hide and whatever you disclose.
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْـًۭٔا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ
16:20Those whom they invoke besides Allah do not create anything and are themselves created.
أَمْوَٰتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَآءٍۢ ۖ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ
16:21They are dead and lifeless, and are not aware when they will be resurrected.
إِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌۭ وَٰحِدٌۭ ۚ فَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْءَاخِرَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مُّنكِرَةٌۭ وَهُم مُّسْتَكْبِرُونَ
16:22Your God is the One God. Those who do not believe in the Hereafter, their hearts are in denial [of the truth], and they are arrogant.
لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ
16:23Undoubtedly, Allah knows whatever they hide and whatever they disclose. Indeed, He does not like the arrogant.2
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُم مَّاذَآ أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ ۙ قَالُوٓا۟ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
16:24When they are asked, ‘What is it that your Lord has sent down?’ They say, ‘Myths of the ancients,’3
لِيَحْمِلُوٓا۟ أَوْزَارَهُمْ كَامِلَةًۭ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ۙ وَمِنْ أَوْزَارِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُضِلُّونَهُم بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۗ أَلَا سَآءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ
16:25[with the result] that they will bear the full weight of their own burden on the Day of Resurrection, along with part of the burden of those whom they mislead without any knowledge. Behold! Evil is what they bear!
قَدْ مَكَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنْيَٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلسَّقْفُ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَأَتَىٰهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ
16:26Those who were before them [had also] schemed. Then Allah came at their edifice from the foundations and the roof fell down upon them from above and the punishment overtook them whence they were not aware.4
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 15
1.Man should consider that Allah has buried His treasure of bounties and mercy in each particle of universe. First of all the earth, then establishment of the earth on water, then casting of the huge mountains to prevent the movement of the earth, then roads to go aright, canals and then He has created the landmarks between the rivers and roads, then He has created the stars to find way in the night and besides this numerous creations that we guess, Allah is Able, Merciful and compassionate. It is surprising that people bring their lifeless idols in comparison to Allah, the Able while their gods are of no use to anyone. Of course, the writers have indicated beautifully this sentence that the sense of a man is the last stage of degradation that they compare their stone gods with Allah the Almighty, on which the impure dogs and other animals urinate.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
It should be clear that just as there are mountains and other signs on the earth and stars in the sky in the same way in the religious world Purified Imams (a.s.) are the signs of guidance and the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is the star of guidance without whom it is impossible to find the path of truth and there is a chance of every people to lose their way.
- 1
Rawaai is a strong mountain and Maed is the shaking of the boats.
- 2
Laajarama - In some people’s opinion is a word that means certainly and according to some people it is a compound meaning doubtlessly or without any doubt.
- 3
Asaateer is the plural or Istaurah just as aajeeb is the plural or Ajooba. Asaateeran means imaginative stories that are not based on facts
- 4
Qawaid are the pillars on which a building stands. As if the divine punishment has destroyed the whole edifice of imagination.
Benefit
It should be clear that the responsibility of the sins of others is the product of this method or deviated word which has misled and deviated others and in this way the load of their own sins has been ascribed to them as they caused deviation and misguidance.