16. An-Nahl

And if God were to take mankind to task for their wrongdoing wrongdoing through acts of disobedience He would not leave upon it that is upon the earth any living being any single living thing moving upon it; but He gives them respite until an appointed term; and when their term comes they will not defer from it by a single hour nor advance it.

By God We verily sent to communities before you messengers. But Satan adorned for them their deeds their evil deeds so that they considered them to be good deeds and therefore they denied the messengers. So he is their patron the guardian of their affairs today that is now in this world and for them there will be a painful chastisement in the Hereafter. It is also said that by al-yawm ‘today’ is meant the Day of Resurrection narrating the events as though they are taking place now. In other words they have no guardian other than him in other words Satan and as he is incapable of helping himself how could he possibly help them?

And We have not revealed to you O Muhammad (s) the Book the Qur’ān except for the purpose that you may make clear to them to mankind that wherein they differ in the matter of religion and as a guidance wa-hudan is a supplement to wa-li-tubayyina ‘and that you may make clear’ and as a mercy for a people who believe in it.

And God sends down water from the heaven and therewith revives the earth with plants after its death after its drying up. Surely in that which is mentioned there is a sign indicating the truth of the Resurrection for a people who listen listening and then reflecting.

And truly for you there is in the cattle a lesson an example to learn from. We give you to drink — this introduces the explanation of the ‘lesson’ — of that which is in their bellies the cattle’s bellies from min indicates a new subject and is semantically connected to nusqīkum ‘We give you to drink’ between the refuse the intestinal waste and the blood pure milk uncontaminated by either the refuse or the blood neither in its taste odour or colour even though it the milk is situated between the two palatable to drinkers easily passing down their throats not causing any choking.

And of the fruits of date-palms and vines comes forth a fruit from which you draw an intoxicant a wine that intoxicates — it the wine is referred to by the verbal noun sakaran ‘intoxicant’ and this verse came before it was prohibited — and goodly provision such as dates raisins vinegar and molasses. Surely in that which is mentioned there is a sign indicating His power exalted be He for a people who understand a people who reflect.

And your Lord revealed to the bee a revealing effected through inspiration saying an ‘that’ is either explicative or relates to the verbal noun ‘Choose among the hills habitations to which you can resort and among the trees also habitations and among the trellises which they raise that is the places which humans build for you — for otherwise it the bee would not resort to these places.

Then eat from every kind of fruit and follow enter the ways of your Lord follow His paths in seeking pastures ways made easily accessible’ dhululan is the plural of dhalūl and is a circumstantial qualifier referring to al-subul ‘the ways’ in other words those paths disposed for you such that they pose no difficulty for you even if it should be rough terrain and such that you would not lose your way when returning therefrom even if it be far away; it dhululan is also said to be a circumstantial qualifier referring to the person of the pronominal suffix of fa’slukī ‘you follow’ meaning in this case follow those paths in compliance with what is required of you. There comes forth from their bellies a drink namely honey of diverse hues wherein is a cure for mankind from all ailments; it is also said that it means that it is a cure only for some ailments as indicated by the indefinite noun shifā’un ‘a cure’; or that it is a cure for all ailments when supplemented with some other remedy; or without these other remedies but with the resolve niyya to get better. The Prophet s used to prescribe it for anyone suffering from stomach pains as reported by the two Shaykhs Bukhārī and Muslim. Surely in that there is a sign for a people who reflect upon God’s handiwork exalted be He.

And God has created you when you were nothing then He takes you in death when your terms of life are concluded; and there are some among you who are relegated to the most abject stage of life that is the most diminished because of old-age and senility so that he knows nothing after having possessed some knowledge. ‘Ikrima said ‘Whoever recites the Qur’ān will not come to such a predicament’. God is Knowing of how to manage the affairs of His creation Powerful in doing what He will.