Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 16 An-Nahl, Ayat 61-65

وَلَوۡ يُؤَاخِذُ اللّٰهُ النَّاسَ بِظُلۡمِهِمۡ مَّا تَرَكَ عَلَيۡهَا مِنۡ دَآبَّةٍ وَّلٰـكِنۡ يُّؤَخِّرُهُمۡ اِلٰٓى اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى​​ۚ فَاِذَا جَآءَ اَجَلُهُمۡ لَا يَسۡتَـاۡخِرُوۡنَ سَاعَةً​ وَّلَا يَسۡتَقۡدِمُوۡنَ‏ ﴿16:61﴾ وَيَجۡعَلُوۡنَ لِلّٰهِ مَا يَكۡرَهُوۡنَ وَتَصِفُ اَلۡسِنَـتُهُمُ الۡـكَذِبَ اَنَّ لَهُمُ الۡحُسۡنٰى​ؕ لَا جَرَمَ اَنَّ لَهُمُ النَّارَ وَ اَنَّهُمۡ مُّفۡرَطُوۡنَ‏  ﴿16:62﴾ تَاللّٰهِ لَـقَدۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَاۤ اِلٰٓى اُمَمٍ مِّنۡ قَبۡلِكَ فَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيۡطٰنُ اَعۡمَالَهُمۡ فَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُمُ الۡيَوۡمَ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ اَلِيۡمٌ‏  ﴿16:63﴾ وَمَاۤ اَنۡزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡكَ الۡـكِتٰبَ اِلَّا لِتُبَيِّنَ لَهُمُ الَّذِى اخۡتَلَـفُوۡا فِيۡهِ​ۙ وَهُدًى وَّرَحۡمَةً لِّـقَوۡمٍ يُّؤۡمِنُوۡنَ‏ ﴿16:64﴾ وَاللّٰهُ اَنۡزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَاَحۡيَا بِهِ الۡاَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَا​ؕ اِنَّ فِىۡ ذٰ لِكَ لَاٰيَةً لِّقَوۡمٍ يَّسۡمَعُوۡنَ‏ ﴿16:65﴾

(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.


Notes

53. That is, this Book has afforded them an excellent opportunity to resolve their differences which have been caused by the superstitious creeds of their forefathers, and which have divided, them into warring factions. They can then unite on the permanent basis of the truth presented by the Quran, but those foolish people preferring their former condition even after the coming of this blessing, shall meet with disgrace and torment. On the other hand, only those, who believe in this Book, will find the right way and blessed with mercy and favors from Allah. 65. And Allah sends down from the sky water, then He revives therewith the earth after its death. Indeed, in this is a sure sign for a people who listen.

53a. That is, had you listened to the message of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and observed those signs carefully, you would have cried from the core of your heart. These signs support his message. Year after year you witness these signs. There is the land, all barren before you, without any sign of life, no blade of grass, no bud or flower, and no insect. Then comes rain. All of a sudden, the same land is covered with life. There crop upon numerous kinds of insects of which no vestige had been left. You witness this process of life and death, and death and life, repeated year after year. Yet you doubt this when the Prophet (peace be upon him) tells you that Allah will again bring to life all human beings after their death. This is because you see these signs as animals do, who do not see the wisdom of the Creator underlying this phenomenon; otherwise you would have discovered that these signs support the message of the Prophet (peace be upon him).