English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 16: Al-Nahl — The Bee (Revealed at Makkah: 16 sections, 128 verses)
Section 6 (Verses 16:41–16:50): Doom of Opponents is Coming
Translation:
وَ الَّذِیۡنَ ہَاجَرُوۡا فِی اللّٰہِ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَا ظُلِمُوۡا لَـنُبَوِّئَنَّہُمۡ فِی الدُّنۡیَا حَسَنَۃً ؕ وَ لَاَجۡرُ الۡاٰخِرَۃِ اَکۡبَرُ ۘ لَوۡ کَانُوۡا یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۴۱﴾
16:41 And those who flee for Allah’s sake after they are oppressed, We shall certainly give them a good abode in the world; and the reward of the Hereafter is much greater, if only they knew1 —
الَّذِیۡنَ صَبَرُوۡا وَ عَلٰی رَبِّہِمۡ یَتَوَکَّلُوۡنَ ﴿۴۲﴾
16:42 those who are steadfast and on their Lord they rely.
وَ مَاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلِکَ اِلَّا رِجَالًا نُّوۡحِیۡۤ اِلَیۡہِمۡ فَسۡـَٔلُوۡۤا اَہۡلَ الذِّکۡرِ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۴۳﴾
16:43 And We did not send before you any but men to whom We sent revelation — so ask the followers of the Reminder if you do not know2 —
بِالۡبَیِّنٰتِ وَ الزُّبُرِ ؕ وَ اَنۡزَلۡنَاۤ اِلَیۡکَ الذِّکۡرَ لِتُبَیِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ اِلَیۡہِمۡ وَ لَعَلَّہُمۡ یَتَفَکَّرُوۡنَ ﴿۴۴﴾
16:44 with clear arguments and Scriptures. And We have revealed to you the Reminder that you may make clear to people what has been revealed to them, and that perhaps they may reflect.
اَفَاَمِنَ الَّذِیۡنَ مَکَرُوا السَّیِّاٰتِ اَنۡ یَّخۡسِفَ اللّٰہُ بِہِمُ الۡاَرۡضَ اَوۡ یَاۡتِیَہُمُ الۡعَذَابُ مِنۡ حَیۡثُ لَا یَشۡعُرُوۡنَ ﴿ۙ۴۵﴾
16:45 Are they, then, who plan evil (plans), secure that Allah will not humble them in the earth, or that punishment will not come upon them from where they do not perceive?
اَوۡ یَاۡخُذَہُمۡ فِیۡ تَقَلُّبِہِمۡ فَمَا ہُمۡ بِمُعۡجِزِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۴۶﴾
16:46 Or that He will not seize them in their going to and fro, then they will not be able to escape?
اَوۡ یَاۡخُذَہُمۡ عَلٰی تَخَوُّفٍ ؕ فَاِنَّ رَبَّکُمۡ لَرَءُوۡفٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ ﴿۴۷﴾
16:47 Or that He will not seize them with a gradual reduction?3 Your Lord is surely Compassionate, Merciful.
اَوَ لَمۡ یَرَوۡا اِلٰی مَا خَلَقَ اللّٰہُ مِنۡ شَیۡءٍ یَّتَفَیَّؤُا ظِلٰلُہٗ عَنِ الۡیَمِیۡنِ وَ الشَّمَآئِلِ سُجَّدًا لِّلّٰہِ وَ ہُمۡ دٰخِرُوۡنَ ﴿۴۸﴾
16:48 Do they not see everything that Allah has created? Its (very) shadows return from right and left, making submission to Allah, while they are in utter humility.
وَ لِلّٰہِ یَسۡجُدُ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ مِنۡ دَآبَّۃٍ وَّ الۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃُ وَ ہُمۡ لَا یَسۡتَکۡبِرُوۡنَ ﴿۴۹﴾
16:49 And to Allah submits every living creature that is in the heavens and that is in the earth, and the angels (too) and they are not proud.
یَخَافُوۡنَ رَبَّہُمۡ مِّنۡ فَوۡقِہِمۡ وَ یَفۡعَلُوۡنَ مَا یُؤۡمَرُوۡنَ ﴿٪ٛ۵۰﴾
16:50 They fear their Lord above them and do what they are commanded.Prostration
Commentary:
- Here is a clear prophecy regarding those Muslims who had to flee their homes on account of the persecutions of the Quraish. They are promised not only a reward of the Hereafter but a good abode in this world, too. Those who fled their homes in utter helplessness, and were in danger of their very lives, were given the clearest promise of a great future in this life, and this promise proved true despite the hard struggle of a powerful nation to exterminate Islam. ↩
- By the followers of the Reminder are generally understood the Jews and the Christians, to whom the disbelievers of the Quraish are referred. But the mention in the very next verse of the Reminder being sent to the Holy Prophet shows that the words apply to the Muslims. Some commentators take the words generally as meaning learned men. ↩
- As verses 41–42 speak of a prosperous future for those who accepted the truth and now were suffering the severest persecutions, verses 45–47 speak prophetically of the different forms of punishment to which the persecutors of the righteous were to be subjected, v. 47 stating that they would be reduced gradually. This was their end, as their power went on waning till the whole of Arabia bowed before Islam. ↩