An-Nahl 16:20
The Bee · Juz 14 · Page 269
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَخۡلُقُونَ شَيۡـٔٗا وَهُمۡ يُخۡلَقُونَ ٢٠
And those they invoke other than Allāh create nothing, and they [themselves] are created.
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 16:19–21
The gods of the Idolators are created; they do not create
Then Allah tells us that the idols which people call on instead of Him cannot create anything; they are themselves created, as Al-Khalil (Ibrahim) said:
قَالَ أَتَعْبُدُونَ مَا تَنْحِتُونَ - وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمْ وَمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
("Do you worship that which you (yourselves) carve, while Allah has created you and what you make!") (37:-96).
أَمْوتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَآءٍ
((They are) dead, not alive) means, they are inanimate and lifeless; they do not hear, see, or think.
وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ
(and they know not when they will be resurrected.) Meaning, they do not know when the Hour will come, so how can anyone hope for any benefit or reward from these idols? They should hope for it from the One Who knows all things and is the Creator of all things.
Page 269
16:15
وَأَلۡقَىٰ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ رَوَٰسِيَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمۡ وَأَنۡهَٰرٗا وَسُبُلٗا لَّعَلَّكُمۡ تَهۡتَدُونَ ١٥
And He has cast into the earth firmly set mountains, lest it shift with you, and [made] rivers and roads, that you may be guided,
16:16
وَعَلَٰمَٰتٖۚ وَبِٱلنَّجۡمِ هُمۡ يَهۡتَدُونَ ١٦
And landmarks. And by the stars they are [also] guided.1
1 translator’s note
- Through the desert or the sea at night. ↩
16:17
أَفَمَن يَخۡلُقُ كَمَن لَّا يَخۡلُقُۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ ١٧
Then is He who creates like one who does not create? So will you not be reminded?
16:18
وَإِن تَعُدُّواْ نِعۡمَةَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحۡصُوهَآۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ ١٨
And if you should count the favors of Allāh, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
16:19
وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ مَا تُسِرُّونَ وَمَا تُعۡلِنُونَ ١٩
And Allāh knows what you conceal and what you declare.
16:20
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَخۡلُقُونَ شَيۡـٔٗا وَهُمۡ يُخۡلَقُونَ ٢٠
And those they invoke other than Allāh create nothing, and they [themselves] are created.
16:21
أَمۡوَٰتٌ غَيۡرُ أَحۡيَآءٖۖ وَمَا يَشۡعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبۡعَثُونَ ٢١
They are [in fact] dead,1 not alive, and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., inanimate or without understanding. ↩
16:22
إِلَٰهُكُمۡ إِلَٰهٞ وَٰحِدٞۚ فَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مُّنكِرَةٞ وَهُم مُّسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ ٢٢
Your god is one God. But those who do not believe in the Hereafter - their hearts are disapproving, and they are arrogant.
16:23
لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعۡلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعۡلِنُونَۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُسۡتَكۡبِرِينَ ٢٣
Assuredly, Allāh knows what they conceal and what they declare. Indeed, He does not like the arrogant.
16:24
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُم مَّاذَآ أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمۡ قَالُوٓاْ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ٢٤
And when it is said to them, "What has your Lord sent down?" they say, "Legends of the former peoples,"
16:25
لِيَحۡمِلُوٓاْ أَوۡزَارَهُمۡ كَامِلَةٗ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ وَمِنۡ أَوۡزَارِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُضِلُّونَهُم بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٍۗ أَلَا سَآءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ ٢٥
That they may bear their own burdens [i.e., sins] in full on the Day of Resurrection and some of the burdens of those whom they misguide without [i.e., by lack of] knowledge. Unquestionably, evil is that which they bear.
16:26
قَدۡ مَكَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنۡيَٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلسَّقۡفُ مِن فَوۡقِهِمۡ وَأَتَىٰهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ ٢٦
Those before them had already plotted, but Allāh came at [i.e., uprooted] their building from the foundations, so the roof fell upon them from above them,1 and the punishment came to them from where they did not perceive.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., Allāh caused their plan to fail and exposed their plot. ↩
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy