16. An-Nahl

The Bee · Meccan · 128 ayahs

سُورَةُ النَّحۡلِ

Reading Tafsir al-Jalalayn by Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli & Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti

Ayahs 91–100 of 128

وَأَوْفُوا۟ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ إِذَا عَٰهَدتُّمْ وَلَا تَنقُضُوا۟ ٱلْأَيْمَٰنَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُمُ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيْكُمْ كَفِيلًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ

And fulfill the covenant of Allah when you have taken it, [O believers], and do not break oaths after their confirmation while you have made Allah, over you, a witness. Indeed, Allah knows what you do.

And fulfil God’s covenant effected by way of pledges of allegiance and oaths and in other ways when you made a covenant and do not break your oaths after pledging them and having made God surety over you that you will fulfill the covenant for you have sworn the oath by Him the sentence wa-qad ja‘altumu’Llāha ‘alaykum kafīlan ‘and having made God surety over you’ is a circumstantial qualifier. Truly God knows what you do — this is a threat for them.

An-Nahl 16:91Listen in Qur'an →

وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّتِى نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِنۢ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَٰثًۭا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَٰنَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا بَيْنَكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِىَ أَرْبَىٰ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ ۚ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ مَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ

And do not be like she who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong [by] taking your oaths as [means of] deceit between you because one community is more plentiful [in number or wealth] than another community. Allah only tries you thereby. And He will surely make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that over which you used to differ.

And do not be like her who undoes spoils her yarn that which she has spun after having made it strong having set and spun it breaking it up into fibres ankāthan is a circumstantial qualifier ankāth is the plural of nikth and means that which is undone yunkathu — this was an imbecile Meccan woman who used to spin all day and then undo it — by making tattakhidhūna is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the person of the verb takūnū ‘do not be like’ in other words what is meant is ‘do not be like her by making’ your oaths a means of deceit dakhal is what enters yadkhulu into something but does not belong to it in other words as a means of causing mischief or as trickery between you by breaking these oaths so that one group may become more numerous than another group. They used to enter into an alliance with a given group but if they encountered another more numerous and more powerful group they would renege on their alliance with the former and forge a new alliance with these latter. God only tries tests you thereby in other words by that which He enjoins in the way of fulfilling the covenant so that He may observe the obedient and the disobedient among you or when it is the case that one group is more numerous than another that He may observe whether you fulfil your obligation to them or not; and certainly He will make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that wherein you used to differ during the life of this world with regard to covenants and otherwise by punishing he who reneged and rewarding he who was faithful to his covenant.

An-Nahl 16:92Listen in Qur'an →

وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ وَلَٰكِن يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَلَتُسْـَٔلُنَّ عَمَّا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

And if Allah had willed, He could have made you [of] one religion, but He causes to stray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And you will surely be questioned about what you used to do.

For if God had willed He could have made you one community people of a single religion but He leads astray whom He will and guides whom He will and you will surely be questioned on the Day of Resurrection a questioning of rebuke about what you used to do so that you might be requited for it.

An-Nahl 16:93Listen in Qur'an →

وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ أَيْمَٰنَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا بَيْنَكُمْ فَتَزِلَّ قَدَمٌۢ بَعْدَ ثُبُوتِهَا وَتَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلسُّوٓءَ بِمَا صَدَدتُّمْ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَلَكُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌۭ

And do not take your oaths as [means of] deceit between you, lest a foot slip after it was [once] firm, and you would taste evil [in this world] for what [people] you diverted from the way of Allah, and you would have [in the Hereafter] a great punishment.

And do not make your oaths a means of deceit between you — He repeats this here for emphasis — lest a foot should slip that is lest your feet should slip off the path of Islam after being steady having been set upon it and lest you should taste evil that is chastisement forasmuch as you barred people from the way of God in other words for your refraining to fulfil covenants or barring others from doing this since your custom once established will be followed by others and there be a tremendous chastisement for you in the Hereafter.

An-Nahl 16:94Listen in Qur'an →

وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا۟ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ ثَمَنًۭا قَلِيلًا ۚ إِنَّمَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

And do not exchange the covenant of Allah for a small price. Indeed, what is with Allah is best for you, if only you could know.

And do not sell God’s covenant for a small price of this world so that you break it in return for this small price. For truly what is with God of reward is better for you than all that is in this world — if you should know this then do not break it.

An-Nahl 16:95Listen in Qur'an →

مَا عِندَكُمْ يَنفَدُ ۖ وَمَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ بَاقٍۢ ۗ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوٓا۟ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ

Whatever you have will end, but what Allah has is lasting. And We will surely give those who were patient their reward according to the best of what they used to do.

That which is with you of the things of this world will come to an end will perish but that which is with God remains it is everlasting. And He shall surely pay read la-yajziyanna or la-najziyanna ‘We shall surely pay’ those who were patient in fulfilling their covenants their reward according to the best of what they used to do ‘the best’ here means ‘the good’.

An-Nahl 16:96Listen in Qur'an →

مَنْ عَمِلَ صَٰلِحًۭا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌۭ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُۥ حَيَوٰةًۭ طَيِّبَةًۭ ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ

Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.

Whoever acts righteously whether male or female and is a believer him verily We shall revive with a goodly life. This is said to be life in Paradise; or it is life on earth when it is one of contentedness or one of wholesome halāl provision. And We shall surely pay them their reward according to the best of what they used to do.

An-Nahl 16:97Listen in Qur'an →

فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ فَٱسْتَعِذْ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ

So when you recite the Qur'an, [first] seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy].

And when you recite the Qur’ān that is when you intend to recite it seek refuge in God from Satan the outcast in other words say a‘ūdhu bi’Lllāhi min al-shaytān al-rajīm ‘I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan’.

An-Nahl 16:98Listen in Qur'an →

إِنَّهُۥ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ سُلْطَٰنٌ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ

Indeed, there is for him no authority over those who have believed and rely upon their Lord.

Indeed he has no power sway over those who believe and put their trust in their Lord.

An-Nahl 16:99Listen in Qur'an →

100

إِنَّمَا سُلْطَٰنُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَوَلَّوْنَهُۥ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِهِۦ مُشْرِكُونَ

His authority is only over those who take him as an ally and those who through him associate others with Allah.

His Satan’s power is only over those who choose him as their patron by obeying him and those who ascribe partners to Him that is to God.

An-Nahl 16:100Listen in Qur'an →

Commentary: Tafsir al-Jalalayn by Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli & Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.