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Surah 16. An-Nahl

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16:66
وَإِنَّ لَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ لَعِبْرَةً ۖ نُّسْقِيكُم مِّمَّا فِى بُطُونِهِۦ مِنۢ بَيْنِ فَرْثٍ وَدَمٍ لَّبَنًا خَالِصًا سَآئِغًا لِّلشَّـٰرِبِينَ Wainna lakum fee alanAA a mi laAAibratan nusqeekum mimm a fee bu t oonihi min bayni farthin wadamin labanan kh a li s an s a ighan li l shsh a ribeen a
And, behold, in the cattle [too] there is indeed a lesson for you: We give you to drink of that [fluid] which is [secreted from] within their bellies between that which is to be eliminated [from the animal's body] and [its] life-blood: milk pure and pleasant to those who drink it.75
  - Mohammad Asad

Milk - in itself a glandular secretion - is not necessary for the mother-animal's life (or, as it is here metonymically described, its "blood"); on the other hand, it is not just something that the body eliminates as being of no further use to its metabolism: hence it is referred to as a substance "between that which is to be eliminated [from the animal's body] and [its] life-blood".

Surely there is a lesson for you in cattle. We give you to drink of what is in their bellies, between bowels and blood - pure milk - pleasant for those who drink it.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
And there is certainly a lesson for you in cattle: We give you to drink of what is in their bellies, from between digested food and blood: pure milk, pleasant to drink.1
  - Mustafa Khattab

 lit., pleasant for those who drink.

And lo! in the cattle there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, from betwixt the refuse and the blood, pure milk palatable to the drinkers.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And verily in cattle (too) will ye find an instructive Sign. From what is within their bodies between excretions and blood We produce for your drink milk pure and agreeable to those who drink it. 2093 2094 2095
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The spiritual sustenance which Allah gives is typified by the wonderful ways of sustenance in the physical world, which figure forth Allah's providence and loving care for His creation. And the wonderful transformations in the physical world, which all tend to the benefit of man, are also Signs of His supreme wisdom. In the previous verse rain was mentioned, which gives new life to dead nature. In this and the following two verses our attention is drawn to milk, the products of the date and the vine, and honey.

Their; in the Arabic, it is "its", in the singular number, for two reasons: (1) cattle is the generic plural, and may be treated as a singular noun; (2) the instructive Sign is in cattle collectively, but the milk is the product of each single individual.

Milk is a secretion in the female body, like other secretions, but more specialised. Is it not wonderful that the same food, eaten by males and females, produces in the latter, when they have young, the wholesome and complete food, known as milk? Then, when cattle are tamed and specially bred for milk, the supply of milk is vastly greater than is necessary for their young and lasts for a longer time than during the period they give suck to their young. And it is a wholesome and agreeable diet for man. It is pure, as typified by its whiteness. Yet it is a secretion like other secretions, between the excretions which the body rejects as worthless and the precious blood-stream which circulates within the body and is the symbol of life itself to the animal which produces it.

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16:67
وَمِن ثَمَرَٰتِ ٱلنَّخِيلِ وَٱلْأَعْنَـٰبِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِنْهُ سَكَرًا وَرِزْقًا حَسَنًا ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ Wamin thamar a ti a l nnakheeli wa a laAAn a bi tattakhi th oona minhu sakaran warizqan h asanan inna fee tha lika la a yatan liqawmin yaAAqiloon a
And [We grant you nourishment] from the fruit of date-palms and vines: from it you derive intoxicants as well as wholesome sustenance - in this, behold, there is a message indeed for people who use their reason!76
  - Mohammad Asad

The term sakar (lit., "wine" or, generically, "intoxicants") is contrasted here with rizq hasan ("wholesome sustenance"), thus circumscribing both the positive and the negative properties and effects of alcohol. Although this surah was revealed about ten years before the Qur'anic prohibition of intoxicants in {5:90-91}, there is no doubt that their moral condemnation is already implied in the above verse (Ibn 'Abbas, as quoted by Tabari; also Razi).

Likewise in the fruits of the date-palm and the grapes, from which you derive intoxicants and wholesome food, certainly there is a sign for those people who use their common sense.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
And from the fruits of palm trees and grapevines you derive intoxicants1 as well as wholesome provision. Surely in this is a sign for those who understand.
  - Mustafa Khattab

 Intoxicants were later prohibited in the Quran in three stages: 2:19, 4:43, and finally 5:90-91.

And of the fruits of the date palm, and grapes, whence ye derive strong drink and (also) good nourishment. Lo! therein, is indeed a portent for people who have sense.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And from the fruit of the date-palm and the vine ye get out wholesome drink and food: behold in this also is a Sign for those who are wise. 2096
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

There are wholesome drinks and foods that can be got out of the date-palm and the vine: e.g., non-alcoholic drinks from the date and the grape, vinegar, date-sugar, grape-sugar, and dates and grapes themselves for eating. If sakar is taken in the sense of fermented wine, it would refer to the time before intoxicants were prohibited, for this is a Makkan Sura and the prohibition came in Madinah. In such a case it would imply a subtle disapproval of the use of intoxicants and mark the first of a series of steps that in time culminated in total prohibition.

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16:68
وَأَوْحَىٰ رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلنَّحْلِ أَنِ ٱتَّخِذِى مِنَ ٱلْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا وَمِنَ ٱلشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ Waaw ha rabbuka il a a l nna h li ani ittakhi th ee mina aljib a li buyootan wamina a l shshajari wamimm a yaAArishoon a
And [consider how] thy Sustainer has inspired the bee:77 "Prepare for thyself dwellings in mountains and in trees, and in what [men] may build [for thee by way of hives];
  - Mohammad Asad

The expression "He has inspired" (awha) is meant to bring out the wonderful quality of the instinct which enables the lowly insect to construct the geometrical masterpiece of a honeycomb out of perfectly-proportioned hexagonal, prismatic wax cells - a structure which is most economical, and therefore most rational, as regards space and material. Together with the subsequently mentioned transmutation, in the bee's body, of plant juices into honey, this provides a striking evidence of "God's ways" manifested in all nature.

Behold! Your Rabb inspired the bees to build their hives in the mountains, in the trees, and in anything which men may build for beekeeping,
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
And your Lord inspired the bees: 'Make 'your' homes in the mountains, the trees, and in what people construct,
  - Mustafa Khattab
And thy Lord inspired the bee, saying: Choose thou habitations in the hills and in the trees and in that which they thatch;
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And thy Lord taught the Bee to build its cells in hills on trees and in (men's) habitations; 2097
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Auha: wahyun ordinarily means inspiration, the Message put into the mind or heart by Allah. Here the Bee's instinct is referred to Allah's teaching, which it undoubtedly is. In xcix. 5, it is applied to the earth; we shall discuss the precise meaning when we come to that passage. The honey-comb, itself, with its hexagonal cells, geometrically perfect, is a wonderful structure, and is well called buyut, homes. And the way the bee finds out inaccessible places, in the hills, in the trees, and even among the habitations of men, is one of the marvels of Allah's working in His Creation.

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16:69
ثُمَّ كُلِى مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ فَٱسْلُكِى سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلًا ۚ يَخْرُجُ مِنۢ بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَٰنُهُۥ فِيهِ شِفَآءٌ لِّلنَّاسِ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ Thumma kulee min kulli a l ththamar a ti fa o slukee subula rabbiki th ululan yakhruju min bu t oonih a shar a bun mukhtalifun alw a nuhu feehi shif a on li l nn a si inna fee tha lika la a yatan liqawmin yatafakkaroon a
and then eat of all manner of fruit, and follow humbly the paths ordained for thee by thy Sustainer."78 [And lo!] there issues from within these [bees] a fluid of many hues, wherein there is health for man. In all this, behold, there is a message indeed for people who think!
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "thy Sustainer's paths".

and feed on every kind of fruit and follow the smooth ways of your Rabb. From its belly comes forth a syrup of different colors, which contains a healing for mankind. Certainly in this there is a sign for those who think.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
and feed from 'the flower of' any fruit 'you please' and follow the ways your Lord has made easy for you.' From their bellies comes forth liquid of varying colours, in which there is healing for people. Surely in this is a sign for those who reflect.
  - Mustafa Khattab
Then eat of all fruits, and follow the ways of thy Lord, made smooth (for thee). There cometh forth from their bellies a drink diverse of hues, wherein is healing for mankind. Lo! herein is indeed a portent for people who reflect.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Then to eat of all the produce (of the earth) and find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord: there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colors wherein is healing for men: verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought. 2098 2099
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The bee assimilates the juice of various kinds of flowers and fruit, and forms within its body the honey which it stores in its cells of wax. The different kinds of food from which it makes its honey give different colours to the honey, e.g., it is dark-brown, light-brown, yellow, white, and so on. The taste and flavour also varies, as in the case of heather honey, the honey formed from scented flowers, and so on. As food it is sweet and wholesome, and it is used in medicine. Note that while the instinctive individual acts are described in the singular number, the produce of "their bodies" is described in the plural, as the result of their collective effort.

Zululan: two meanings are possible; (1) ways easy and spacious, referring to the unerring way in which bees find their way from long distances to their combs; and (2) the idea of humility and obedience in them.

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16:70
وَٱللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ يَتَوَفَّىٰكُمْ ۚ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰٓ أَرْذَلِ ٱلْعُمُرِ لِكَىْ لَا يَعْلَمَ بَعْدَ عِلْمٍ شَيْـًٔا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ قَدِيرٌ Wa A ll a hu khalaqakum thumma yatawaff a kum waminkum man yuraddu il a ar th ali alAAumuri likay l a yaAAlama baAAda AAilmin shayan inna All a ha AAaleemun qadeer un
AND GOD has created you, and in time will cause you to die; and many a one of you is reduced in old age to a most abject state, ceasing to know anything of what he once knew so well.79 Verily, God is all-knowing, infinite in His power!
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "is reduced to a most abject age, so that he knows nothing after [having had] knowledge": alluding to the organic curve of man's growth, his acquisition of bodily strength, intelligence and experience, followed by gradual decay and, in some cases, the utter helplessness of senility, comparable to the helplessness of a new-born child. See also 22:5.

Allah is the One Who created you, then He causes you to die; there are some amongst you whose lives are prolonged to an abject old age so that they know nothing after having known much. In fact Allah is the All-Knowing , Almighty.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Allah has created you, and then causes you to die. And some of you are left to reach the most feeble stage of life so that they may know nothing after having known much. Indeed, Allah is All-Knowing, Most Capable.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And Allah createth you, then causeth you to die, and among you is he who is brought back to the most abject stage of life, so that be knoweth nothing after (having had) knowledge. Lo ! Allah is Knower, Powerful.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
It is Allah who creates you and takes your souls at death; and of you there are some who are sent back to a feeble age so that they know nothing after having known (much): for Allah is All-Knowing All-Powerful. 2100 2101
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Besides the mystery and beauty of the many processes going on in the working of Allah's Creation, there is the wonderful life of man himself on this earth; how he is created as a child; how he grows in intelligence and knowledge; and how his soul is taken back and his body suffers dissolution. In some cases he lives so long that he falls into a feeble old age like a second childhood; he forgets what he learnt and seems almost to go back in Time. Is not all this wonderful, and evidence of the Knowledge and Power of Allah?

Our attention having been called to the remarkable transformations in life and nature, by which the Knowledge and Power of Allah work out His beneficient Plan for His creatures, we are reminded that man at best is but a feeble creature, but for the grace of Allah. We then pass on in the next Section to the differences in the gifts which men themselves enjoy, distinguishing them into so many categories. How much greater is the difference between the created things and their Creator?

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16:71
وَٱللَّهُ فَضَّلَ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ فِى ٱلرِّزْقِ ۚ فَمَا ٱلَّذِينَ فُضِّلُوا۟ بِرَآدِّى رِزْقِهِمْ عَلَىٰ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُمْ فَهُمْ فِيهِ سَوَآءٌ ۚ أَفَبِنِعْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ Wa A ll a hu fa dd ala baAA d akum AAal a baAA d in fee a l rrizqi fam a alla th eena fu dd iloo bir a ddee rizqihim AAal a m a malakat aym a nuhum fahum feehi saw a on afabiniAAmati All a hi yaj h adoon a
And on some of you God has bestowed more abundant means of sustenance than on others: and yet, they who are more abundantly favoured are [often] unwilling to share their sustenance with those whom their right hands possess, so that they [all] might be equal in this respect.80 Will they, then, God's blessings [thus] deny?
  - Mohammad Asad

The phrase "to share their sustenance with...", etc., reads, literally, "to turn over their sustenance to". The expression "those whom their right hands possess" (i.e., "those whom they rightfully possess") may relate either to slaves taken captive in a war in God's cause (see surah {2}, notes [167] and [168], and surah {8}, note [72]) or, metonymically, to all who are dependent on others for their livelihood and thus become the latters' responsibility. The placing of one's dependents on an equal footing with oneself with regard to the basic necessities of life is a categorical demand of Islam; thus, the Prophet said: "They are your brethren, these dependents of yours (khawalukum) whom God has placed under your authority [lit., "under your hand"]. Hence, whoso has his brother under his authority shall give him to eat of what he eats himself, and shall clothe him with what he clothes himself. And do not burden them with anything that may be beyond their strength; but if you [must] burden them, help them yourselves." (This authentic Tradition, recorded by Bukhari in several variants in his Sahih, appears in the compilations of Muslim, Tirmidhi and Ibn Hanbal as well.) However, men often fail to live up to this consciousness of moral responsibility: and this failure amounts, as the sequence shows, to a denial of God's blessings and of His unceasing care for all His creatures.

Allah has made some of you excel in sustenance over the others; those who are so favored, do not give away their sustenance to their slaves so as to make them their equals. How can you think that Allah will allow other deities to be His equals? Would they refuse to acknowledge the favors of Allah?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
And Allah has favoured some of you over others in provision. But those who have been much favoured would not share their wealth with those 'bondspeople' in their possession, making them their equals.1 Do they then deny Allah's favours?
  - Mustafa Khattab

 In other words, if the pagan slave-masters are not willing to be equal to their slaves, why would they make anyone equal to Allah—the Supreme Master and Creator of all things?

And Allah hath favored some of you above others in provision. Now those who are more favored will by no means hand over their provision to those (slaves) whom their right hands possess, so that they may be equal with them in respect thereof. Is it then the grace of Allah that they deny?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Allah has bestowed His gifts of sustenance more freely on some of you than on others; those more favored are not going to throw back their gifts to those whom their right hands possess so as to be equal in that respect. Will they then deny the favors of Allah? 2102
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Even in the little differences in gifts, which men enjoy from Allah, men with superior gifts are not going to abandon them so as to be equal with men of inferior gifts, whom, perhaps, they hold in subjection. They will never deny their own superiority. How then (as the argument is pursued in the two following verses), can they ignore the immense difference between the Creator and created things, and make the latter, in their thoughts, partners with Allah?

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16:72
وَٱللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَزْوَٰجِكُم بَنِينَ وَحَفَدَةً وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ ۚ أَفَبِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ يُؤْمِنُونَ وَبِنِعْمَتِ ٱللَّهِ هُمْ يَكْفُرُونَ Wa A ll a hu jaAAala lakum min anfusikum azw a jan wajaAAala lakum min azw a jikum baneena wa h afadatan warazaqakum mina a l tt ayyib a ti afabi a lb at ili yuminoona wabiniAAmati All a hi hum yakfuroon a
And God has given you mates of your own kinds81 and has given you, through your mates, children and children's children, and has provided for you sustenance out of the good things of life. Will men,82 then, [continue to] believe in things false and vain, and thus blaspheme against God's blessings? -
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "has made [or "provided"] for you mates out of yourselves". The term zawj denotes not only "a pair" or "a couple" but also - as in this instance - "one of a pair" or "a mate" of the opposite sex; hence, with reference to human beings, the plural azwaj signifies both "husbands" and "wives".

Lit., "they", i.e., those who deny the truth of God's existence and/or oneness.

It is Allah Who has made for you mates from your own species and He is the One Who gives you sons and grandsons through those wives, and provides for you good things to eat: will they then, after knowing all that, believe that falsehood and disbelieve Allah's favors?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
And Allah has made for you spouses of your own kind, and given you through your spouses children and grandchildren.1 And He has granted you good, lawful provisions. Are they then faithful to falsehood and ungrateful for Allah's favours?
  - Mustafa Khattab

 Ḥafadah means grandchildren, but can also mean children-in-law.

And Allah hath given you wives of your own kind, and hath given you, from your wives, sons and grandsons, and hath made provision of good things for you. Is it then in vanity that they believe and in the grace of Allah that they disbelieve?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And Allah has made for you mates (and companions) of your own nature. And made for you out of them sons and daughters and grandchildren and provided for you sustenance of the best: will they then believe in vain things and be ungrateful for Allah's favors? 2103 2104
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Of your nature: or of yourselves. Cf. iv. 1 and n. 504, Self, or Personality, or Soul, all imply a bundle of attributes, capacities, predilections, and dispositions, which we may sum up in the word Nafs, or nature. Woman was made to be (1) a mate or companion for man; (2) except for sex, of the same nature as man, and therefore, with the same moral and religious rights and duties; and (3) she is not to be considered a source of all evil or sin, as the Christian monks characterised her but rather as a blessing, one of the favours (Ni'mat) of Allah.

Hafadat: collective plural, grandchildren, and descendants. The root hafada also implies obedient service and ministration. Just as the sons (first mentioned) should be a source of strength, so daughters and grandchildren should serve and contribute to the happiness of fathers and grandparents, and are to be looked upon as further blessings.

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16:73
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ رِزْقًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ WayaAAbudoona min dooni All a hi m a l a yamliku lahum rizqan mina a l ssam a w a ti wa a lar d i shayan wal a yasta t eeAAoon a
and will they [continue to] worship, instead of God, something that has it not within its power to provide for them any sustenance whatever from the heavens or the earth,83 and can do nothing at all?
  - Mohammad Asad

For the comprehensive meaning embodied in the term rizq, see the first sentence of note [4] on 2:3 .

They worship those deities other than Allah, who neither provide them anything for sustenance from the heavens or the earth, nor have any power to do so?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Yet they worship besides Allah those 'idols' who do not afford them any provision from the heavens and the earth, nor do they have the power to.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And they worship beside Allah that which owneth no provision whatsoever for them from the heavens or the earth, nor have they (whom they worship) any power.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And worship others than Allah such as have no power of providing them for sustenance with anything in heavens or earth and cannot possibly have such power? 2105
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Sustenance" (rizq) in all this passage (xvi. 65-74), as elsewhere, implies all that is necessary for man's life and growth, physical, mental, moral, and spiritual. Milk, fruit, and honey are examples of physical gifts, with a metaphorical reference to mental and moral health; family life is an example of moral and social and (ultimately) spiritual opportunities in the life of man; and in xvi. 65 is an example of rain in the physical world as a type of Allah's revelation in the spiritual world.

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16:74
فَلَا تَضْرِبُوا۟ لِلَّهِ ٱلْأَمْثَالَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ Fal a ta d riboo lill a hi alamth a la inna All a ha yaAAlamu waantum l a taAAlamoon a
Hence, do not coin any similitudes for God!84 Verily, God knows [all], whereas you have no [real] knowledge.
  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., "do not blaspheme against God by regarding anyone or anything as comparable with Him, or by trying to define Him in any terms whatsoever" - since "definition" is, in the last resort, equivalent to a delimitation of the qualities of the object thus to be defined in relation to, or in comparison with, another object or objects: God, however, is "sublimely exalted above anything that men may devise by way of definition" (see last sentence of 6:100 , and the corresponding note [88]).

Therefore, compare none with Allah. Surely Allah knows and you do not know.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
So do not set up equals to Allah, for Allah certainly knows and you do not know.
  - Mustafa Khattab
So coin not similitudes for Allah. Lo! Allah knoweth; ye know not.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Invent not similitudes for Allah: for Allah knoweth and ye know not. 2106
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xvi. 60 above, and n. 2086. One instance of false similitudes is where Pagans say their gods are mere types of symbols, or where men pray to men as Intercessors.

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16:75
ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا عَبْدًا مَّمْلُوكًا لَّا يَقْدِرُ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍ وَمَن رَّزَقْنَـٰهُ مِنَّا رِزْقًا حَسَنًا فَهُوَ يُنفِقُ مِنْهُ سِرًّا وَجَهْرًا ۖ هَلْ يَسْتَوُۥنَ ۚ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ D araba All a hu mathalan AAabdan mamlookan l a yaqdiru AAal a shayin waman razaqn a hu minn a rizqan h asanan fahuwa yunfiqu minhu sirran wajahran hal yastawoona al h amdu lill a hi bal aktharuhum l a yaAAlamoon a
God propounds [to you] the parable of [two men -] a man enslaved, unable to do anything of his own accord, and a [free] man upon whom We have bestowed goodly sustenance [as a gift] from Ourselves, so that he can spend thereof [at will, both] secretly and openly. Can these [two] be deemed equal?85 All praise is due to God [alone]: but most of them do not understand it.
  - Mohammad Asad

The obvious answer is that they cannot. The implication is equally clear: if even these two kinds of man cannot be deemed equal, how could any created being, with its intrinsic, utter dependence on other created beings, or any force of nature conceivable or imaginable by man, be thought of as possessing powers comparable with those of God, who is almighty, limitless, unconceivable - the self-sufficient fount of all that exists? (This argument is continued and further elaborated in the subsequent parable.)

Allah gives you another example of two men: one of them is a slave, the property of the other, and has no power over anything; and the other man is one on whom We have bestowed Our bounty, from which he freely spends secretly and openly. Ask them: "Are those two men equal?" Praise be to Allah - most of them do not understand this simple thing.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Allah sets forth a parable: a slave who lacks all means, compared to a 'free' man to whom We granted a good provision, of which he donates 'freely,' openly and secretly. Are they equal? Praise be to Allah. In fact, most of them do not know.
  - Mustafa Khattab
Allah coineth a similitude: (on the one hand) a (mere) chattel slave, who hath control of nothing, and (on the other hand) one on whom We have bestowed a fair provision from Us, and he spendeth thereof secretly and openly. Are they equal? Praise be to Allah! But most of them know not.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Allah sets forth the Parable (of two men: one) a slave under the dominion of another; he has no power of any sort; and (the other) a man on whom We have bestowed goodly favors from ourselves and he spends thereof (freely) privately and publicly: are the two equal? (By no means); praise be to Allah. But most of them understand not. 2107
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The first parable is of two men, one of whom is a slave completely under the dominion of another, with no powers of any sort, and another a free man, who is gifted in every way, and is most generous in bestowing out of his opulent wealth (material as well as intangible), privately and publicly, without let or hindrance; for he is his own master and owes no account to any one. The first is like the imaginary gods which men set up,-whether powers of nature, which have no independent existence but are manifestations of Allah, or deified heroes or men, who can do nothing of their own authority but are subject to the Will and Power of Allah; the second describes in a faint way the position of Allah, the Self-Subsistent, to Whom belongs the dominion of all that is in heaven and earth, and Who bestows freely of His gifts on all His creatures.

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16:76
وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا رَّجُلَيْنِ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَبْكَمُ لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍ وَهُوَ كَلٌّ عَلَىٰ مَوْلَىٰهُ أَيْنَمَا يُوَجِّههُّ لَا يَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ ۖ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى هُوَ وَمَن يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ ۙ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ Wa d araba All a hu mathalan rajulayni a h aduhum a abkamu l a yaqdiru AAal a shayin wahuwa kallun AAal a mawl a hu aynam a yuwajjihhu l a yati bikhayrin hal yastawee huwa waman yamuru bi a lAAadli wahuwa AAal a s ir at in mustaqeem in
And God propounds [to you] the parable of two [other] men - one of them dumb,86 unable to do anything of his own accord, and a sheer burden on his master: to whichever task the latter directs him,87 he accomplishes no good. Can such a one be considered the equal of [a wise man] who enjoins the doing of what is right and himself follows a straight way?88
  - Mohammad Asad

The term abkam signifies "dumb" both in the literal, physiological sense and (as in colloquial English) in the sense of being "unable to speak properly" on account of intellectual weakness: i.e., "dull-witted" or "stupid". Both these meanings are contained in the above Qur'anic description.

Or: "wherever he sends him".

I.e., who is not only wise and righteous but also has the strength and authority to enjoin a righteous way of living upon others. Thus, while in the first parable the main issue is the contrast between freedom and bondage or - more generally - between dependence and independence, in the second parable we are given the antithesis of dumbness and incompetence, on the one hand, and wisdom, justice and competence, on the other; and in both parables the implication is the same (see note [85] above).

Well! Allah gives you another example of two men: one of them is dumb and has no ability do anything - a burden on his master - whenever he sends him on an errand, he does nothing useful. Can he be equal to the one who executes orders properly and follows the directions in a Right Way?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
And Allah sets forth a parable of two men: one of them is dumb, incapable of anything. He is a burden on his master. Wherever he is sent, he brings no good. Can such a person be equal to the one who commands justice and is on the Straight Path?1
  - Mustafa Khattab

 The two parables emphasize that Almighty Allah masterfully conducts the affairs of the heavens and the earth, whereas false gods are incapable of anything. If this is the case, these gods are not His equal and He is the only one worthy of worship.

And Allah coineth a similitude. Two men, one of them dumb, having control of nothing, and he is a burden on his owner; whithersoever he directeth him to go, he bringeth no good. Is he equal with one who enjoineth justice and followeth a straight path (of conduct)?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Allah sets forth (another) Parable of two men: one of them dumb with no power of any sort; a wearisome burden is he to his master; whichever way he directs him he brings no good: is such a man equal with one who commands justice and is on a straight way? 2108 2109
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

In the second Parable, one man is dumb; he can explain nothing, and he can certainly do nothing; he is only a wearisome burden to his master, no matter what his master asks him to do; or perhaps he is really harmful instead of bringing any good; such are idols (literal and metaphorical) when taken as false gods. The other man is in a position to command, and he commands what is just and righteous; not only his commands but his doings also are on the path of righteousness. Such are the qualities of Allah.

The gist of the argument is that those who deviate from the worship of Allah commit twofold treason. (1) They do not recognise the immense difference between the Creator and created things, although, in their own little selfish lives, they are tenacious of any little differences there may be between themselves and other fellow-creatures not so gifted. (2) They are guilty of gross ingratitude in forgetting that the source of goodness and power is Allah, to Whom alone they owe all the gifts they enjoy in life.

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16:77
وَلِلَّهِ غَيْبُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَمَآ أَمْرُ ٱلسَّاعَةِ إِلَّا كَلَمْحِ ٱلْبَصَرِ أَوْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ Walill a hi ghaybu a l ssam a w a ti wa a lar d i wam a amru a l ss a AAati ill a kalam h i alba s ari aw huwa aqrabu inna All a ha AAal a kulli shayin qadeer un
And89 God's [alone] is the knowledge of the hidden reality of the heavens and the earth.90 And so, the advent of the Last Hour will but manifest itself [in a single moment,] like the twinkling of an eye, or closer still:91 for, behold, God has the power to will anything.
  - Mohammad Asad

This passage connects with the second sentence of verse {74} - "Verily, God knows [all], whereas you have no [real] knowledge."

As may be inferred from the sequence, the term ghayb - rendered here as the "hidden reality" - alludes in this context to the coming of the Last Hour, the time whereof is known to God alone (Zamakhshari). Parallel with this, it may also relate to God's Own existence, which cannot be directly established by the testimony of our senses (Baydawi) but, as the Qur'an consistently points out, may be inferred from the observable effects of His creativeness.

Lit., "the case [i.e., the manifestation] of the [Last] Hour will be like...", etc. - implying that it will be characterized by utter suddenness and unpredictability, both of them an outcome of the absence of any time-interval between God's decreeing it and its materialization: and this explains the phrase "or closer still" at the end of the above sentence.

Allah Alone has knowledge of the unseen things of the Heavens and the Earth. As for the taking place of the Hour of Judgment, it will be like a twinkling of an eye or even quicker: surely Allah has power over everything.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
To Allah 'alone' belongs 'the knowledge of' the unseen in the heavens and the earth. Bringing about the Hour would only take the blink of an eye, or even less. Surely Allah is Most Capable of everything.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And unto Allah belongeth the Unseen of the heavens and the earth, and the matter of the Hour (of Doom) is but as a winkling of the eye, or it is nearer still. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
To Allah belongeth the mystery of the heavens and the earth. And the decision of the Hour (of Judgment) is as the twinkling of an eye or even quicker: for Allah hath power over all things. 2110 2111
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The key to all things-not only those which we see and understand, but those which we do not see or of which we have no idea-is with Allah, Whose knowledge and power are supreme.

Lures of this world and its fleeting pleasures often make man forget that the life hereafter is an imminent reality. Many of those who claim to believe in the life to come act and behave as if it belonged to a distant future, and had no relevance to their present activities and mode of living. The Qur-An repeatedly reminds man that the Hour of Reckoning is not a distant possibility, but very close to man, and could come to pass any moment. The wisest course for man, therefore, is to be always alert and watchful and steer clear of all forms of sin and impiety, for when the Promised Hour comes it will come all of a sudden and without any prior notice. See also x. 45; xxx. 55, xlv. 35.

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16:78
وَٱللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُم مِّنۢ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ وَٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةَ ۙ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ Wa A ll a hu akhrajakum min bu t ooni ommah a tikum l a taAAlamoona shayan wajaAAala lakumu a l ssamAAa wa a lab sa ra wa a lafidata laAAallakum tashkuroon a
And God has brought you forth from your mothers' wombs knowing nothing - but He has endowed you with hearing, and sight, and minds, so that you might have cause to be grateful.
  - Mohammad Asad
Allah brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing, and He gave you hearing, sight and intelligence so that you may give thanks to Him.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
And Allah brought you out of the wombs of your mothers while you knew nothing, and gave you hearing, sight, and intellect so perhaps you would be thankful.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And Allah brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers knowing nothing, and gave you hearing and sight and hearts that haply ye might give thanks.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when ye knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affections: that ye may give thanks (to Allah). 2112
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Literally, 'hearts,' which are considered the centres of the affections, and in Arabic idiom, of intelligence also. We should therefore give thanks to Allah, not to imaginary deities or powers or forces.

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16:79
أَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ إِلَى ٱلطَّيْرِ مُسَخَّرَٰتٍ فِى جَوِّ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ Alam yaraw il a a l tt ayri musakhkhar a tin fee jawwi a l ssam a i m a yumsikuhunna ill a All a hu inna fee tha lika la a y a tin liqawmin yuminoon a
Have, then, they [who deny the truth] never considered the birds, enabled [by God] to fly in mid-air,92 with none but God holding them aloft? In this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who will believe!
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "subservient [to God's laws] in the air of the sky".

Do they not see the birds, that wing their flight in the air towards the sky? Who holds them up but Allah? Surely in this there are signs for the true believers.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Have they not seen the birds glide in the open sky? None holds them up except Allah. Surely in this are signs for those who believe.
  - Mustafa Khattab
Have they not seen the birds obedient in mid-air? None holdeth them save Allah. Lo! herein, verily, are portents for a people who believe.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Do they not look at the birds held poised in the midst of (the air and) the sky? Nothing holds them up but (the power of) Allah. Verily in this are Signs for those who believe. 2113
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

All the wonderful things in creation are due to the artistry, power, and wisdom of Allah. Such is the flight of birds in mid-air. So also are the inventions and discoveries, due to man's intelligence, in the next verse; for man's intelligence is a gift direct from Allah.

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16:80
وَٱللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنۢ بُيُوتِكُمْ سَكَنًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّن جُلُودِ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ بُيُوتًا تَسْتَخِفُّونَهَا يَوْمَ ظَعْنِكُمْ وَيَوْمَ إِقَامَتِكُمْ ۙ وَمِنْ أَصْوَافِهَا وَأَوْبَارِهَا وَأَشْعَارِهَآ أَثَـٰثًا وَمَتَـٰعًا إِلَىٰ حِينٍ Wa A ll a hu jaAAala lakum min buyootikum sakanan wajaAAala lakum min juloodi alanAA a mi buyootan tastakhiffoonah a yawma th aAAnikum wayawma iq a matikum wamin a s w a fih a waawb a rih a waashAA a rih a ath a than wamat a AAan il a h een in
And God has given you [the ability to build] your houses as places of rest, and has endowed you with [the skill to make] dwellings out of the skins of animals93 - easy for you to handle when you travel and when you camp - and [to make] furnishings and goods for temporary use of their [rough] wool and their soft, furry wool94 and their hair.
  - Mohammad Asad

The term julud (sing. jild) denotes, literally, "skins", but apparently comprises here also the wool which grows on the skins of domesticated animals. It is to be noted that in Arabian usage the noun bayt ("house") signifies not only a solid building but also a "tent" - in brief, every kind of dwelling, whether permanent or temporary.

Wabar (here given in its plural, awbar) is the soft wool growing on the shoulders of camels ("camel-hair"), used in the weaving of fine cloths and sometimes also of bedouin tents.

Allah has made your homes the place for your rest, and animal skins for tents like houses so that you may find them light when you travel and easy to pitch when you stop; while from their wool, fur, and hair He provides you household items and articles of convenience for your prescribed term of life.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
And Allah has made your homes a place to rest, and has given you tents from the hide of animals, light to handle when you travel and when you camp. And out of their wool, fur, and hair He has given you furnishings and goods for a while.
  - Mustafa Khattab
And Allah hath given you in your houses an abode, and hath given you (also), of the hides of cattle, houses which ye find light (to carry) on the day of migration and on the day of pitching camp; and of their wool and their fur and their hair, caparison and comfort for a while.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
It is Allah who made your habitations homes of rest and quiet for you; and made for you out of the skins of animals (tents for) dwellings which ye find so light (and handy) when ye travel and when ye stop (in your travels); and out of their wool and their soft fibers (between wool and hair) and their hair rich stuff and articles of convenience (to serve you) for a time. 2114 2115 2116 2117
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Man's social, intellectual, and spiritual gifts make, of his permanent dwellings, homes of rest and quiet, of refinement and the purer affections, which are the types, in this earthly life, of the highest spiritual Good, the love of Allah. The pure Home thus becomes the type of the highest spiritual Destiny of man. And these capacities in man are the gifts of Allah.

When man travels, he wants temporary dwellings, tents, which he can make of the skins of animals, or of the fabrics of vegetable fibres, similar to the skins of animals. These tents are easy to carry when moving, and easy to pitch during halts.

Suf, wool, is what we get from sheep. Sha'r, hair, is what we get from goats or similar animals, for weaving into fabrics. Wabar is the soft camel's hair of which, also, fabrics are woven; they may be considered intermediate between the other two; by extension and analogy the term may be applied to furs and such things, by way of illustration.

All such articles of refined luxury, and useful articles of comfort and convenience only last for a while, but they must be considered as Allah's gifts.

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