Verses 88–93
16. An-Nahl · The Bee
Makkan128 verses
ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَصَدُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ زِدْنَٰهُمْ عَذَابًۭا فَوْقَ ٱلْعَذَابِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يُفْسِدُونَ
16:88Those who are faithless and bar from the way of Allah—We shall add punishment to their punishment because of the corruption they used to cause.
وَيَوْمَ نَبْعَثُ فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍۢ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْهِم مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ شَهِيدًا عَلَىٰ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ ۚ وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ تِبْيَٰنًۭا لِّكُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ وَهُدًۭى وَرَحْمَةًۭ وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ
16:89The day We raise in every nation a witness against them from among themselves, We shall bring you as a witness against these. We have sent down the Book to you as a clarification of all things and as guidance, mercy and good news for the Muslims.1
۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلْإِحْسَٰنِ وَإِيتَآئِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْبَغْىِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
16:90Indeed Allah enjoins justice and kindness, and generosity towards relatives, and He forbids indecency, wrongdoing, and aggression. He advises you, so that you may take admonition.2
وَأَوْفُوا۟ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ إِذَا عَٰهَدتُّمْ وَلَا تَنقُضُوا۟ ٱلْأَيْمَٰنَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُمُ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيْكُمْ كَفِيلًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ
16:91Fulfill Allah’s covenant when you pledge, and do not break [your] oaths, after pledging them solemnly and having made Allah a witness over yourselves. Indeed Allah knows what you do.3
وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّتِى نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِنۢ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَٰثًۭا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَٰنَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا بَيْنَكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِىَ أَرْبَىٰ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ ۚ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ مَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ
16:92Do not be like her who would undo her yarn, breaking it up after [spinning it to] strength, by making your oaths a means of [mutual] deceit among yourselves, so that one community may become more affluent than another community. Indeed Allah tests you thereby, and He will surely clarify for you on the Day of Resurrection what you used to differ about.4
وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ وَلَٰكِن يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَلَتُسْـَٔلُنَّ عَمَّا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
16:93Had Allah wished, He would have made you one community, but He leads astray whomever He wishes and guides whomever He wishes, and you will surely be questioned concerning what you used to do.
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 90
1.Ibne Masood has stated that this Ayat of the Holy Quran is best and comprehensive of good and evils than other Ayats. This Ayat contains the commands and goodness and has prevented from all kinds of evils. Uthman Bin Mazoun says that I was converted to Islam and satisfied after the revelation of this Ayat that really the teaching of Islam is comprehensive and useful teaching.
Verse 92
2.There was a foolish woman in Mecca who was spun thread the whole day and broke it in the evening. The Holy Quran compared this woman to one who is not true to one’s word. These people promise but do not fulfill it. Be it known that if you do not remember Allah in mutual resolution it is a promise and if you mention the name of Allah it is an oath. It is a moral duty to fulfill a promise and to make good one’s word is an obligation that if you go against it, expiation becomes obligatory.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
It is ‘Tibyaan’ because except Tibyaan and Talqaa this root is used with the zabar of Ta. (Ruhul Bayaan).
- 1
Although the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) had only one community in this world, in Qiyamat he shall be brought as a witness over al1 the nations and the prophets. This indicates that his prophethood is concerned with all nations and all prophets.
- 2
Fahshaa - Evil deeds like adultery, sodomy, alcoholism, gambling, lying, false accusation etc. Munkar - Every action that is regarded as bad by reason or shariat. Bagiyy - To oppress someone by words or by actions.
- 3
Ahad - Anything that a person makes obligatory on himself.
- 4
Inkaath - It is the plural of Nakatha - That is bits and pieces. Dakhal - any improper action that is brought in between.
Benefit
‘Tibyaan le kulle shayyin’ denotes all the affairs that are necessary for the training of man. Or it is the root and source of all affairs whose explanation could be known from the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and the UIiI Amr. Note that Quran is bayaan in the first stage, after this it is guidance, then a mercy for those who do good deeds and in the final stage it is good news for those who obey in the completion of deeds.