Islamicstudies.info
Tafheem.net | About |
Zoom Page: Ctrl+, Ctrl-, Ctrl0
Font | Contact us
Towards Understanding the Quran
With kind permission: Islamic Foundation UK
Introduction to Tafheem | Glossary | Verbs
Tafsirs: Maarif | Dawat | Ishraq | Clear

 Surah An-Nahl 16:71-76 [10/16]
  
|
Intro
 
Display
 
Recite
|
Display Options [
V1 /
V2 /
V3 /
Book /
S1 /
S2 /
En /
Ar |
W
]
Section
Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
فَضَّلَhas favored
بَعْضَكُمْsome of you
عَلَىٰover
بَعْضٍothers
فِىin
ٱلرِّزْقِ‌ۚ[the] provision.
فَمَاBut not
ٱلَّذِينَthose who
فُضِّلُواْwere favored
بِرَآدِّىwould hand over
رِزْقِهِمْtheir provision
عَلَىٰto
مَاwhom
مَلَكَتْpossess
أَيْمَـٰنُهُمْtheir right hands,
فَهُمْso (that) they
فِيهِ(are) in it
سَوَآءٌ‌ۚequal.
أَفَبِنِعْمَةِThen is it the Favor
ٱللَّهِof Allah
يَجْحَدُونَthey reject?
﴿٧١﴾
وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
جَعَلَ(has) made
لَكُمfor you
مِّنْfrom
أَنفُسِكُمْyourselves
أَزْوَٲجًاspouses,
وَجَعَلَand has made
لَكُمfor you
مِّنْfrom
أَزْوَٲجِكُمyour spouses
بَنِينَsons
وَحَفَدَةًand grandsons
وَرَزَقَكُمand has provided for you
مِّنَfrom
ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ‌ۚthe good things.
أَفَبِٱلْبَـٰطِلِThen in falsehood do
يُؤْمِنُونَthey believe,
وَبِنِعْمَتِand the Favor
ٱللَّهِof Allah
هُمْthey
يَكْفُرُونَdisbelieve?
﴿٧٢﴾
وَيَعْبُدُونَAnd they worship
مِن دُونِother than
ٱللَّهِAllah
مَاwhich
لَاnot
يَمْلِكُpossesses
لَهُمْfor them
رِزْقًاany provision
مِّنَfrom
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِthe heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضِand the earth
شَيْــًٔا[anything],
وَلَاand not
يَسْتَطِيعُونَthey are able.
﴿٧٣﴾
فَلَاSo (do) not
تَضْرِبُواْput forth
لِلَّهِfor Allah
ٱلْأَمْثَالَ‌ۚthe similitude.
إِنَّIndeed,
ٱللَّهَAllah
يَعْلَمُknows
وَأَنتُمْand you
لَا(do) not
تَعْلَمُونَknow.
﴿٧٤﴾
۞ ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُAllah sets forth
مَثَلاًthe example
عَبْدًا(of) a slave
مَّمْلُوكًا(who is) owned,
لَّاnot
يَقْدِرُhe has power
عَلَىٰon
شَىْءٍanything
وَمَنand (one) whom
رَّزَقْنَـٰهُWe provided him
مِنَّاfrom Us
رِزْقًاa provision
حَسَنًاgood,
فَهُوَso he
يُنفِقُspends
مِنْهُfrom it,
سِرًّاsecretly
وَجَهْرًا‌ۖand publicly.
هَلْCan
يَسْتَوُۥنَ‌ۚthey be equal?
ٱلْحَمْدُAll praise
لِلَّهِ‌ۚ(is) for Allah!
بَلْNay,
أَكْثَرُهُمْbut most of them
لَا(do) not
يَعْلَمُونَknow.
﴿٧٥﴾
وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُAnd Allah sets forth
مَثَلاًan example
رَّجُلَيْنِ(of) two men,
أَحَدُهُمَآone of them
أَبْكَمُ(is) dumb,
لَاnot
يَقْدِرُhe has power
عَلَىٰon
شَىْءٍanything,
وَهُوَwhile he
كَلٌّ(is) a burden
عَلَىٰon
مَوْلَـٰهُhis master.
أَيْنَمَاWherever
يُوَجِّههُّhe directs him
لَاnot
يَأْتِhe comes
بِخَيْرٍ‌ۖwith any good.
هَلْIs
يَسْتَوِىequal
هُوَhe
وَمَنand (the one) who
يَأْمُرُcommands
بِٱلْعَدْلِ‌ۙ[of] justice,
وَهُوَand he
عَلَىٰ(is) on
صِرَٲطٍa path
مُّسْتَقِيمٍstraight?
﴿٧٦﴾


وَاللّٰهُ فَضَّلَ بَعۡضَكُمۡ عَلٰى بَعۡضٍ فِى الرِّزۡقِ​ۚ فَمَا الَّذِيۡنَ فُضِّلُوۡا بِرَآدِّىۡ رِزۡقِهِمۡ عَلٰى مَا مَلَـكَتۡ اَيۡمَانُهُمۡ فَهُمۡ فِيۡهِ سَوَآءٌ​ ؕ اَفَبِنِعۡمَةِ اللّٰهِ يَجۡحَدُوۡنَ‏  وَاللّٰهُ جَعَلَ لَـكُمۡ مِّنۡ اَنۡفُسِكُمۡ اَزۡوَاجًا وَّ جَعَلَ لَـكُمۡ مِّنۡ اَزۡوَاجِكُمۡ بَنِيۡنَ وَحَفَدَةً وَّرَزَقَكُمۡ مِّنَ الطَّيِّبٰتِ​ؕ اَفَبِالۡبَاطِلِ يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ وَبِنِعۡمَتِ اللّٰهِ هُمۡ يَكۡفُرُوۡنَۙ‏  وَيَعۡبُدُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ مَا لَا يَمۡلِكُ لَهُمۡ رِزۡقًا مِّنَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ شَيۡـئًا وَّلَا يَسۡتَطِيۡعُوۡنَ​ۚ‏  فَلَا تَضۡرِبُوۡا لِلّٰهِ الۡاَمۡثَالَ​ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَعۡلَمُ وَاَنۡـتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ‏  ضَرَبَ اللّٰهُ مَثَلًا عَبۡدًا مَّمۡلُوۡكًا لَّا يَقۡدِرُ عَلٰى شَىۡءٍ وَّمَنۡ رَّزَقۡنٰهُ مِنَّا رِزۡقًا حَسَنًا فَهُوَ يُنۡفِقُ مِنۡهُ سِرًّا وَّجَهۡرًا​ؕ هَلۡ يَسۡتَوٗنَ​ؕ اَ لۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ​ؕ بَلۡ اَكۡثَرُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ‏  وَضَرَبَ اللّٰهُ مَثَلاً رَّجُلَيۡنِ اَحَدُهُمَاۤ اَبۡكَمُ لَا يَقۡدِرُ عَلٰى شَىۡءٍ وَّهُوَ كَلٌّ عَلٰى مَوۡلٰٮهُۙ اَيۡنَمَا يُوَجِّههُّ لَا يَاۡتِ بِخَيۡرٍ​ؕ هَلۡ يَسۡتَوِىۡ هُوَۙ وَمَنۡ يَّاۡمُرُ بِالۡعَدۡلِ​ۙ وَهُوَ عَلٰى صِرَاطٍ مُّسۡتَقِيۡمٍ‏  

Translation
(16:71) Allah has favoured some of you with more worldly provisions than others. Then those who are more favoured do not give away their provisions to their slaves lest they become equal sharers in it. Do they, then, deny the favour of Allah?62 (16:72) And Allah has given you spouses from your kind, and has granted you through your spouses, sons and grandsons, and has provided you wholesome things as sustenance. (After knowing all this), do they still believe in falsehood63 and deny Allah's bounty,64 (16:73) and worship instead of Allah, those helpless beings who have no control over providing them any sustenance from the heavens and the earth; do you worship those who have no power to do anything of this sort? (16:74) So do not strike any similitudes to Allah.65 Allah knows whereas you do not know. (16:75) Allah sets forth a parable:66 There is one who is a slave and is owned by another and has no power over anything; and there is one whom We have granted good provision Ourselves, of which he spends both secretly and openly. Can they be equal? All praise be to Allah.67 But most of them do not even know (this simple fact).68 (16:76) Allah sets forth another parable: There are two men, one of whom is dumb and has no power over anything; he is a burden to his master, and wheresoever his master directs him, he fails to bring forth any good. Can such a person be the equal69 of one who enjoins justice and himself follows the Right Way?

Commentary

62. It will be worthwhile to give deep thought to the meanings of this verse, for some modern commentators of the Quran have founded strange economic theories and systems on it. Their interpretation is an instance of perverting the meaning of the Quran by isolating verses from their context and treating it as a separate whole in order to formulate a new philosophy and law of Islamic Economics. In their opinion the verse implies this: Those people to whom Allah has given more provisions than others, should share these equally with their servants and slaves: otherwise they shall be guilty of ingratitude to Allah in regard to the wealth with which He had blessed them. This commentary on the verse is obviously wrong and farfetched because in the context it occurs there is no mention at all of any law of economics. The whole passage in which this verse occurs deals with the refutation of shirk and proof of Tauhid. The same themes are continued in the subsequent verses. There seems to be no reason why an economic law should have been inserted here, which would have been absolutely irrelevant, to say the least. On the contrary, when the verse is considered in its context, it becomes quite obvious that it is no more than the statement of a fact to prove the same theme that is contained in this passage. It argues like this: When you yourselves do not make your servants and slaves equal partners in your wealth, which in fact is given to you by Allah, how is it that you join other gods with God in your gratitude to Him for the favors with which He has blessed you. You know that these gods have no powers to bestow anything on anyone, and, therefore, have no right in your worship of Allah, for they are after all His slaves and servants.

This interpretation of the verse under discussion is corroborated by (Surah Ar-Room, Ayat 28): “Allah sets forth to you an instance from your own selves. Do your slaves share with you the wealth We have bestowed on you so that you and they become equals in this? And do you fear them as you fear one another? Thus We make clear Our signs to those who use their common sense.” A comparison of the two verses makes it quite clear that these have been cited to bring home to the mushriks that they themselves do not associate their slaves with themselves in their wealth and status, but they have the impudence and folly to set up His own creature as partner with God. It appears that the erroneous interpretation has been strengthened by the succeeding sentence: What! do they then deny to acknowledge Allah’s favor? As this sentence immediately follows the similitude of the rich people and their slaves, they conclude that it will be ingratitude on the part of those, who possess more wealth not to share it equally with those who have less. As a matter of fact, everyone who has studied the Quran critically knows that ingratitude to Allah is to show gratitude to others than Allah for His blessings. This interpretation is so patently wrong that those who are well versed in the teachings of the Quran can have no misconception about it. And such verses as these can mislead only those who have a cursory knowledge of the Quran.

Now that the significance of the ingratitude towards Allah’s blessing has become plain, the meaning of the verse will be quite clear, and it is this: When the Mushriks understand the implication of the difference between the master and his slave and observe this distinction in their own lives, why do they then persist in ignoring the immense difference between the Creator and His creatures and set up the latter as His partners and pay homage of gratitude to them for the blessings bestowed on them by Allah.

63. “Is then in falsehood that they believe”: they have this false and baseless belief that there are certain gods and goddesses, jinns and saints, dead and alive, who possess the power to make or mar their fates, fulfill their desires and answer their prayers, give them children, cure their diseases and help them win law suits.

64. “In the bounty of Allah that they disbelieve”: by associating others with Allah in offering gratitude to Him for His favors, though they did not have any proof or authority that their false gods had played any part in regard to those favors. The Quran considers such an association to be the denial of Allah’s favors. It puts forward the fundamental principle: It is the denial of the favor of the real benefactor to offer gratitude for his favor to anyone who has not done that favor, or to presume without any proof or reason that the real benefactor has nor granted that favor of his own accord but because of the mediation or regard or recommendation or intercession of this or that person.

65. “So do not make up any similitude for Allah”: You should not compare Allah with others nor consider Him to be unapproachable like worldly kings and rulers, to whom none can have access without the mediation and intercession of their courtiers and servants. As Allah is not surrounded by angels, saints, favorites, etc. everyone can have direct access to Him without mediation by anyone. 7

66. In the preceding verse, the mushriks were told not to make comparisons between Allah and His creatures, for there is nothing like Him. As the bases of their comparison were wrong, their conclusions were also misleading. In this verse appropriate similitude have been cited and right comparisons have been made to lead them to reality.

67. Between the last question and “Praise be to Allah” there is a gap which is to be filled with the help of the latter. When the question was posed, obviously the mushriks could not say that the two men were equal. So some of them would have admitted that they were not equal, while the others would have kept quiet for fear that in case of admission, they would have to abide by its logical conclusion, that is, the admission of refutation of the doctrine of shirk. Therefore, the words, “Praise be to Allah” have been put in the mouth of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in answer to both kinds of the response to the question. In the first case, it would mean: “Praise be to Allah” you have admitted at least so much. In the second case, it would mean: “Praise be to Allah” you have kept quiet in spite of all your obduracy and have not had the audacity to say that both were equal.

68. “But most of them do not know” this simple thing that while they feel and carefully observe the distinction between those who have powers and those who are powerless, they neither feel nor observe the clear distinction between the Creator and His creation. That is why they associate the creatures with the Creator in His Attributes and Powers and show the kind of allegiance to them as is the exclusive right of the Creator. The pity is that in their everyday life, they would beg for some thing from the master of the house and not from the servants but in contrast to this, they would beg for their needs from the servants of Allah and not from Him.

69. In the first similitude, distinction between Allah and false gods has been made clear in regard to the possession of powers and the lack of these. In the second one, the emphasis is on the use of those powers. Allah is not only All Powerful, but also hears all the prayers and fulfills all the needs, while the slave is utterly powerless. He does not and cannot hear prayers, nor can make a response to them nor has the power to do anything at all. He is totally dependent on the Master and quite incapable of doing anything by himself. On the other hand, the Master is All-Powerful and All-Wise. He enjoins justice on the world: whatever He does is right and accurate. Ask them: Is it then a point of wisdom to regard such Master and such a slave as equal?