سورة النحل   

Surah Name: An-Nahl Meaning: The Bee

  • Revealed at Makkah
  • This Surah, also revealed in Makkah, carries on the discussion initiated in the preceding Surah, extending it to the evidence or the inevitability of the Day of Judgement. It also presents the various creations of Allah-SWT as testimony to His-SWT Unity: amongst them the honeybee has been especially mentioned. This is why the Surah is named An-Nahl.
  • Total Number of Rukū / Sections 16
  • Total Number of Āyāt / Parts 128
  • Sūrah / Chapter number 16
  • Rukū / Section 15 contains Āyāt / Parts 9
  • Siparah/ Volume 14

bismillah

يَوْمَ تَأْتِي كُلُّ نَفْسٍ تُجَادِلُ عَن نَّفْسِهَا وَتُوَفَّى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ

Yawma tatee kullu nafsin tujadilu AAan nafsiha watuwaffa kullu nafsin maAAamilat wahum la yuthlamoon(a)

Beware of a Day whereon every soul will come pleading for itself, and every soul will be paid in full what it has wrought, and they shall not be wronged.

(16:111)

وَضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلاً قَرْيَةً كَانَتْ آمِنَةً مُّطْمَئِنَّةً يَأْتِيهَا رِزْقُهَا رَغَدًا مِّن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ فَكَفَرَتْ بِأَنْعُمِ اللّهِ فَأَذَاقَهَا اللّهُ لِبَاسَ الْجُوعِ وَالْخَوْفِ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَصْنَعُونَ

Wadaraba Allahu mathalan qaryatan kanat aminatan mutmainnatan yateeharizquha raghadan min kulli makanin fakafarat bianAAumi Allahi faathaqaha Allahu libasa aljooAAi wa(a)lkhawfi bima kanoo yasnaAAoon(a)

Allah-SWT propounds a similitude: a town which was secure and at rest, to which came its provisions abundantly from every place; then it denied ungratefully the favours of Allah-SWT; therefore Allaah-SWT made it taste the extreme of hunger and fear, because of what they were used to perform.

(16:112)

وَلَقَدْ جَاءهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَخَذَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَهُمْ ظَالِمُونَ

Walaqad jaahum rasoolun minhum fakaththaboohu faakhathahumu alAAathabu wahum thalimoon(a)

And assuredly there came to them a Messenger-AS from amongst them, but they belied him, wherefore Our-SWT torment seized them, while yet they were wrongdoers.

(16:113)

فَكُلُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ اللّهُ حَلالاً طَيِّبًا وَاشْكُرُواْ نِعْمَتَ اللّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ

Fakuloo mimma razaqakumu Allahu halalan tayyiban wa(o)shkuroo niAAmata Allahi in kuntum iyyahu taAAbudoon(a)

So eat of what Allaah-SWT has provided you of lawful and clean things, and give thanks for Allah-SWT's Favour, if it is He-SWT Whom-SWT you are used to worship.

(16:114)

إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةَ وَالْدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ الْخَنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّهِ بِهِ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلاَ عَادٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Innama harrama AAalaykumu almaytata wa(al)ddama walahma alkhinzeeri wamaohilla lighayri Allahi bihi famani idturra ghayra baghin wala AAadin fainna Allaha ghafoorun raheem(un)

He-SWT has disallowed to you only the dead-meat and blood and swine-flesh and that over which is invoked the name of other than Allaah-SWT : then whosoever is driven by necessity, not lusting nor transgressing, verily Allaah-SWT is Forgiving, Merciful.

(16:115)

وَلاَ تَقُولُواْ لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ الْكَذِبَ هَـذَا حَلاَلٌ وَهَـذَا حَرَامٌ لِّتَفْتَرُواْ عَلَى اللّهِ الْكَذِبَ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللّهِ الْكَذِبَ لاَ يُفْلِحُونَ

Wala taqooloo lima tasifu alsinatukumu alkathiba hatha halalun wahatha haramun litaftaroo AAala Allahi alkathiba inna allatheena yaftaroona AAala Allahi alkathiba la yuflihoon(a)

And do not say concerning that wherein your tongues utter a lie: this is allowed and this is forbidden, that you may forge a lie against Allah-SWT; those who forge a lie against Allaah-SWT shall not prosper.

(16:116)

مَتَاعٌ قَلِيلٌ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

MataAAun qaleelun walahum AAathabun aleem(un)

A passing enjoyment; and then unto them shall be a torment afflictive.

(16:117)

وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ حَرَّمْنَا مَا قَصَصْنَا عَلَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَمَا ظَلَمْنَاهُمْ وَلَـكِن كَانُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ

WaAAala allatheena hadoo harramna ma qasasna AAalayka min qablu wamathalamnahum walakin kanoo anfusahum yathlimoon(a)

To those who are Judaised We-SWT had forbidden what We-SWT have already recounted unto you; and We-SWT wronged them not but themselves they were used to wrong.

(16:118)

ثُمَّ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لِلَّذِينَ عَمِلُواْ السُّوءَ بِجَهَالَةٍ ثُمَّ تَابُواْ مِن بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُواْ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ مِن بَعْدِهَا لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Thumma inna rabbaka lillatheena AAamiloo a(l)ssooa bijahalatin thumma taboo min baAAdi thalika waaslahoo inna rabbaka min baAAdiha laghafoorun raheem(un)

Then, verily your Rabb-SWT unto those who work evil from ignorance and then repent and amend-your Rabb-SWT thereafter is to such Forgiving, Merciful.

(16:119)

In The Name of Allah-SWT the Most Gracious, The Most Merciful
SECRETS OF REVELATION:

The Day of Judgement will be so traumatic that every one will be worried for his ownself, crying and yelling. The temporal relationships and ties will avail no body whatsoever. This hue and cry will be of no use either, as the requital will be thoroughly just and balanced without the slightest unfairness to anyone. His-SWT Mercy and Forgiveness will favour people whereby their insignificant virtuous deeds will be rewarded manifold, while the crimes and sinful acts will receive punishment only as much as they deserve. And Allaah-SWT ’s disobedience is a grave crime and the punishment it earns will not be light. History proves that there existed towns that offered an affluent and peaceful living. .They were prosperous and rich in opportunity, but the dwellers failed to appreciate the Divine Favours. So Allaah-SWT inflicted them with hunger and fear, as a consequence of their misconduct The Makkans themselves were a living example, inflicted with famine after the Holy Prophet-SW had migrated to Madinah. They were forced to consume not only the cats and dogs but even the refuse. Then Abu Sufyan who had not yet converted to Islam, requested him, invoking his benevolence and kindness, that afterall Makkans were his people and were on the verge of annihilation. The Holy Prophet-SW accepting his appeal sent food supplies from Madinah and also prayed for them. It was only thfen that the Makkans got a relief from famine.

 

Disbelief and disobedience cause poverty

It is established that disbelief and disobedience invoke famine, poverty; and fear. The pro-Western class of our society often thinks aloud why these punishments are not seen in the non believing and immoral West. This is because they only see the outward glitter and are unaware of its inner state. In Europe and America, people cannot afford to host guests in their homes. They can neither feed their old parents, nor bring up their little kids without the Government support. This is despite the fact that a vast majority has to take up more than one job and struggle round the clock to make both ends meet. Such is their economic situation. Yet the most threatening and incurable ailment of that immoral society is fear. It is pitiful that they do not even know what they are afraid of, or what is the nature of this fear That is why they call it 'Fear of the Unknown*. In fact, if we take a look at our own society, we will realize that an evildoer, despite being a millionaire, will also be a loan defaulter and will be haunted by fear. If only our countrymen could be forced out of Allah-SWT's disobedience by the authorities, all these problems would be automatically solved. Whenever any nation was similarly punished, the reason was always the same: they received Allah-SWT's Message but refuted His-SWT Messenger-AS. And they were seized by His-SWT Punishment; no one wronged them but they wronged themselves.

Therefore, enjoy the provision of life created for you but do earn lawfully, choosing the pure and the permissible. And be grateful to Him-SWT for His-SWT blessings, acknowledging His-SWT Greatness and proving as His humble worshipper.

 

Lawful Food

Food affects the conduct of its consumer. Permissible and pure food facilitate a capacity to be grateful to and worship Allaah-SWT . According to a saying of the Holy Prophet-SW ' unlawful food in the stomach makes prayers unacceptable and the flesh built by such food will not escape Fire.

There are foods which Allaah-SWT has forbidden, for example, carrion in any form. Even if the animal was otherwise permissible, but died without formal slaughtering, it would be carrion. Blood and swine are also unlawful and those animals on which other than Allaah-SWT ’s Name is invoked at the time of slaughtering. Of these, if someone on the verge of starvation consumes a little to save his life, and not to his fill or enjoyment there is no blame on him, for Allaah-SWT is Forgiving and Merciful. The polytheists had on their own proclaimed many things as unlawful, of which only the above mentioned four had been forbidden by Allaah-SWT . The rest were their own fabrications. To declare something as forbidden or permissible at one's discretion amounts to fabricating lie on Allaah-SWT .And this indeed is a crime grave enough for the guilty to be deprived of salvation forever. If they misconceive this temporary respite as success, it is of no avail. This life is extremely short while the punishment in store is very painful indeed. According to the Commentary by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi-RUA of the things declared forbidden by the polytheists only these four were in fact forbidden. However, there were other prohibitions for the Jews, which have been mentioned earlier. The Holy Prophet-SW is informed that Allaah-SWT had not wronged them, rather the prohibition was a result of their own misconduct. Allaah-SWT is indeed Forgiving and Merciful. In the era of ignorance if any one indulged in any malpractice or was trapped in sin and disobedience, he may repent and will be forgiven. Besides, repentance refers to reformation of conduct and once that is achieved Allaah-SWT ’s Forgiveness will closely follow.

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