An-Nahl 16:28
The Bee · Juz 14 · Page 270
ٱلَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ ظَالِمِيٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡۖ فَأَلۡقَوُاْ ٱلسَّلَمَ مَا كُنَّا نَعۡمَلُ مِن سُوٓءِۭۚ بَلَىٰٓۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمُۢ بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٢٨
The ones whom the angels take in death [while] wronging themselves,1 and [who] then offer submission, [saying], "We were not doing any evil." But, yes! Indeed, Allāh is Knowing of what you used to do.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., having made punishment due to them for their numerous sins and crimes. ↩
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 16:28–29
The Condition of the Disbeliever during and after Death
Allah informs us of the state of the idolators who are doing wrong to themselves when death approaches and the angels come to seize their evil souls.
فَأَلْقَوُاْ السَّلَمَ
(Then, they will (falsely) submit) meaning, they will make it appear as if they used to listen and obey by saying,
مَا كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ مِن سُوءٍ
(We did not do any evil.) Similarly, on the Day of Resurrection, they will say,
وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ
(By Allah, our Lord, we were not idolators.) 6:23
يَوْمَ يَبْعَثُهُمُ اللَّهِ جَمِيعاً فَيَحْلِفُونَ لَهُ كَمَا يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ
(On the Day when Allah will resurrect them all together; then they will swear to Him as they swear to you.) 58:18 Allah says, rejecting what they say,
الَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّهُمُ الْمَلَئِكَةُ ظَالِمِى أَنفُسِهِمْ فَأَلْقَوُاْ السَّلَمَ مَا كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ مِن سُوءٍ بَلَى إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ - فَادْخُلُواْ أَبْوَابَ جَهَنَّمَ خَلِدِينَ فِيهَا فَلَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ
("Yes! Truly, Allah is Most Knowing of what you did. So enter the gates of Hell, to abide therein, and indeed, what an evil abode there is for the arrogant.") (16:28-29), meaning, a miserable position in the abode of humiliation for those who were too arrogant to pay atten- tion to the signs of Allah and follow His Messengers. They will enter Hell from the day they die with their souls, and their bodies will feel the heat and hot winds of their graves. When the Day of Resurrec- tion comes, their souls will be reunited with their bodies, to abide forever in the fire of Hell, and
لاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَمُوتُواْ وَلاَ يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمْ مِّنْ عَذَابِهَا
(It will not be complete enough to kill them nor shall its torment be lightened for them.) (35:36) As Allah says,
النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوّاً وَعَشِيّاً وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُواْ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ
(The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and afternoon. And on the Day when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): "Cause Fir'awn's people to enter the severest torment!") (40:46).
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16:27
ثُمَّ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ يُخۡزِيهِمۡ وَيَقُولُ أَيۡنَ شُرَكَآءِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُنتُمۡ تُشَٰٓقُّونَ فِيهِمۡۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ إِنَّ ٱلۡخِزۡيَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ وَٱلسُّوٓءَ عَلَى ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ٢٧
Then on the Day of Resurrection He will disgrace them and say, "Where are My 'partners' for whom you used to oppose [the believers]?" Those who were given knowledge will say, "Indeed disgrace, this Day, and evil are upon the disbelievers" -
16:28
ٱلَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ ظَالِمِيٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡۖ فَأَلۡقَوُاْ ٱلسَّلَمَ مَا كُنَّا نَعۡمَلُ مِن سُوٓءِۭۚ بَلَىٰٓۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمُۢ بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٢٨
The ones whom the angels take in death [while] wronging themselves,1 and [who] then offer submission, [saying], "We were not doing any evil." But, yes! Indeed, Allāh is Knowing of what you used to do.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., having made punishment due to them for their numerous sins and crimes. ↩
16:29
فَٱدۡخُلُوٓاْ أَبۡوَٰبَ جَهَنَّمَ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَاۖ فَلَبِئۡسَ مَثۡوَى ٱلۡمُتَكَبِّرِينَ ٢٩
So enter the gates of Hell to abide eternally therein, and how wretched is the residence of the arrogant.
16:30
۞ وَقِيلَ لِلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوۡاْ مَاذَآ أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمۡۚ قَالُواْ خَيۡرٗاۗ لِّلَّذِينَ أَحۡسَنُواْ فِي هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةٞۚ وَلَدَارُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ خَيۡرٞۚ وَلَنِعۡمَ دَارُ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ ٣٠
And it will be said to those who feared Allāh, "What did your Lord send down?" They will say, "[That which is] good." For those who do good in this world is good; and the home of the Hereafter is better. And how excellent is the home of the righteous -
16:31
جَنَّٰتُ عَدۡنٖ يَدۡخُلُونَهَا تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُۖ لَهُمۡ فِيهَا مَا يَشَآءُونَۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَجۡزِي ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ ٣١
Gardens of perpetual residence, which they will enter, beneath which rivers flow. They will have therein whatever they wish. Thus does Allāh reward the righteous -
16:32
ٱلَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ طَيِّبِينَ يَقُولُونَ سَلَٰمٌ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱدۡخُلُواْ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٣٢
The ones whom the angels take in death, [being] good and pure; [the angels] will say, "Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise for what you used to do."
16:33
هَلۡ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن تَأۡتِيَهُمُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ أَوۡ يَأۡتِيَ أَمۡرُ رَبِّكَۚ كَذَٰلِكَ فَعَلَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۚ وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَٰكِن كَانُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ يَظۡلِمُونَ ٣٣
Do they [i.e., the disbelievers] await except that the angels should come to them or there comes the command of your Lord? Thus did those do before them. And Allāh wronged them not, but they had been wronging themselves.
16:34
فَأَصَابَهُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتُ مَا عَمِلُواْ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِۦ يَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ ٣٤
So they were struck by the evil consequences of what they did and were enveloped by what they used to ridicule.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy