An-Nahl 16:33
The Bee · Juz 14 · Page 270
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.
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Commentary on 16:33–34
The Disbelievers' Refrain from Faith means that They were simply awaiting Punishment
Threatening the idolators for their persistence in falsehood and their conceited delusions about this world, Allah says: Are these people waiting only for the angels to come and take their souls Qatadah said:
أَوْ يَأْتِىَ أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ
(Or there comes the command of your Lord) means the Day of Resurrection and the terror that they will go through."
كَذَلِكَ فَعَلَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ
(Thus did those before them.) means, thus did their predecessors and those who were like them among the idolators persist in their Shirk, until they tasted the wrath of Allah and experienced the punishment and torment that they suffered.
وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ اللَّهُ
(And Allah did not wrong them.) because by sending His Messengers and revealing His Books He gave them enough warning and clearly demonstrated His proofs to them.
وَلَكِن كَانُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
(but they were wronging themselves.) meaning, by opposing the Messengers and denying what they brought. For this reason Allah's punishment tormented them.
وَحَاقَ بِهِم
(they were surrounded) meaning, they were overwhelmed by the painful torment.
مَا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ
(by that which they used to mock.) meaning, they used to make fun of the Messengers when they warned them Allah's punishment, and for this it will be said to them on the Day of Resurrection:
هَذِهِ النَّارُ الَّتِى كُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ
(This is the Fire which you used to belie.) (52:14).
Page 270
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