Tafheem ul Quran
Surah 16 An-Nahl, Ayat 61-65
وَلَوۡ يُؤَاخِذُ اللّٰهُ النَّاسَ بِظُلۡمِهِمۡ مَّا تَرَكَ عَلَيۡهَا مِنۡ دَآبَّةٍ وَّلٰـكِنۡ يُّؤَخِّرُهُمۡ اِلٰٓى اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّىۚ فَاِذَا جَآءَ اَجَلُهُمۡ لَا يَسۡتَـاۡخِرُوۡنَ سَاعَةً وَّلَا يَسۡتَقۡدِمُوۡنَ
﴿16:61﴾
وَيَجۡعَلُوۡنَ لِلّٰهِ مَا يَكۡرَهُوۡنَ وَتَصِفُ اَلۡسِنَـتُهُمُ الۡـكَذِبَ اَنَّ لَهُمُ الۡحُسۡنٰىؕ 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 فِيۡهِۙ وَهُدًى وَّرَحۡمَةً لِّـقَوۡمٍ يُّؤۡمِنُوۡنَ
﴿16:64﴾
وَاللّٰهُ اَنۡزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَاَحۡيَا بِهِ الۡاَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَاؕ 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).