An-Nahl 16:60
The Bee · Juz 14 · Page 273
لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ مَثَلُ ٱلسَّوۡءِۖ وَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡمَثَلُ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٦٠
For those who do not believe in the Hereafter is the description [i.e., an attribute] of evil;1 and for Allāh is the highest attribute. And He is Exalted in Might, the Wise.
1 translator’s note
- Such as that described in the previous two verses. ↩
Tafsir · in Arabic
Al-Alusi
Detailed
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Commentary on 16:60
﴿لِلَّذِينَ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالآخِرَةِ﴾ مِمَّنْ ذُكِرَتْ قَبائِحُهم ﴿مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ﴾ صِفَةُ السَّوْءِ الَّتِي هي كالمَثَلِ في القُبْحِ وهي الحاجَةُ إلى الوَلَدِ لِيَقُومَ مَقامَهم بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِمْ ويَبْقى بِهِ ذِكْرُهُمْ، وإيثارُ الذُّكُورِ لِلِاسْتِظْهارِ، ووَأْدُ البَناتِ لِدَفْعِ العارِ أوْ خَشْيَةِ الإمْلاقِ عَلى حَسَبِ اخْتِلافِ أغْراضِ الوائِدِينَ المُنادِي كُلُّ واحِدٍ مِن ذَلِكَ بِالعَجْزِ والقُصُورِ والشُّحِّ البالِغِ. وعَنِ ابْنِ عَبّاسٍ ﴿مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ﴾ النّارُ، وأظُنُّهُ لا يَصِحُّ عَنْهُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعالى عَنْهُ، ومِنهُ ابْنُ عَطِيَّةَ حَمَلَ المَثَلَ عَلى الصِّفَةِ وقالَ: إنَّهُ لا يُضْطَرُّ إلَيْهِ لِأنَّهُ خُرُوجٌ عَنِ اللَّفْظِ بَلْ هو عَلى بابِهِ، وذَلِكَ أنَّهم قالُوا: إنَّ البَناتِ لِلَّهِ سُبْحانَهُ فَقَدْ جَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وجَلَّ مَثَلًا فَإنَّ البَناتِ مِنَ البَشَرِ وكَثْرَةُ البَناتِ أمْرٌ مَكْرُوهٌ عِنْدَهم ذَمِيمٌ فَهو المَثَلُ السُّوءُ الَّذِي أخْبَرَ اللَّهُ تَعالى بِأنَّهُ لَهُمْ، ولَيْسَ في البَناتِ فَقَطْ بَلْ لَمّا جَعَلُوا لَهُ تَعالى البَناتِ جَعَلَهُ هو سُبْحانَهُ لَهم عَلى الإطْلاقِ في كُلِّ سَوْءٍ ولا غايَةَ أبْعَدُ مِن عَذابِ النّارِ اه، وهو أشْبَهُ عِنْدِي بِالرَّطانَةِ كَما لا يَخْفى ووَضْعُ المَوْصُولِ مَوْضِعَ الضَّمِيرِ لِلْإشْعارِ بِأنَّ مَدارَ اتِّصافِهِمْ بِتِلْكَ القَبائِحِ هو الكُفْرُ بِالآخِرَةِ
﴿ولِلَّهِ المَثَلُ الأعْلى﴾ أيِ الصِّفَةُ العَجِيبَةُ الشَّأْنِ الَّتِي هي مَثَلٌ في العُلُوِّ مُطْلَقًا وهو الوُجُوبُ الذّاتِيُّ والغِنى المُطْلَقُ والجُودُ الواسِعُ والنَّزاهَةُ عَنْ صِفاتِ المَخْلُوقِينَ ويَدْخُلُ فِيهِ عُلُوُّهُ تَعالى عَمّا يَقُولُ عُلُوًّا كَبِيرًا. وأخْرَجَ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ وغَيْرُهُ عَنْ قَتادَةَ أنَّ المَثَلَ الأعْلى شَهادَةٌ عَلى لا إلَهَ إلّا اللَّهُ وهو رِوايَةٌ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبّاسٍ. والَّذِي أخْرَجَهُ عَنْهُ البَيْهَقِيُّ في الأسْماءِ والصِّفاتِ وغَيْرُهُ هو ﴿لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ﴾ ﴿وهُوَ العَزِيزُ﴾ المُنْفَرِدُ بِكَمالِ القُدْرَةِ عَلى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ ومِن ذَلِكَ مُؤاخَذَتُهم بِقَبائِحِهِمْ، وقِيلَ: هو الَّذِي لا يُوجَدُ لَهُ نَظِيرٌ ﴿الحَكِيمُ﴾ الَّذِي يَفْعَلُ كُلَّ ما يَفْعَلُ بِمُقْتَضى الحِكْمَةِ البالِغَةِ.
Page 273
16:55
لِيَكۡفُرُواْ بِمَآ ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُمۡۚ فَتَمَتَّعُواْ فَسَوۡفَ تَعۡلَمُونَ ٥٥
So they will deny what We have given them. Then enjoy yourselves, for you are going to know.
16:56
وَيَجۡعَلُونَ لِمَا لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ نَصِيبٗا مِّمَّا رَزَقۡنَٰهُمۡۗ تَٱللَّهِ لَتُسۡـَٔلُنَّ عَمَّا كُنتُمۡ تَفۡتَرُونَ ٥٦
And they assign to what they do not know1 [i.e., false deities] a portion of that which We have provided them. By Allāh, you will surely be questioned about what you used to invent.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., that of which they have no knowledge; rather, they have mere assumption based upon tradition or the claims of misguided men. ↩
16:57
وَيَجۡعَلُونَ لِلَّهِ ٱلۡبَنَٰتِ سُبۡحَٰنَهُۥ وَلَهُم مَّا يَشۡتَهُونَ ٥٧
And they attribute to Allāh daughters1 - exalted is He - and for them is what they desire [i.e., sons].
1 translator’s note
- By claiming that the angels are His daughters. ↩
16:58
وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُم بِٱلۡأُنثَىٰ ظَلَّ وَجۡهُهُۥ مُسۡوَدّٗا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٞ ٥٨
And when one of them is informed of [the birth of] a female, his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief.
16:59
يَتَوَٰرَىٰ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ مِن سُوٓءِ مَا بُشِّرَ بِهِۦٓۚ أَيُمۡسِكُهُۥ عَلَىٰ هُونٍ أَمۡ يَدُسُّهُۥ فِي ٱلتُّرَابِۗ أَلَا سَآءَ مَا يَحۡكُمُونَ ٥٩
He hides himself from the people because of the ill of which he has been informed. Should he keep it in humiliation or bury it in the ground? Unquestionably, evil is what they decide.
16:60
لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ مَثَلُ ٱلسَّوۡءِۖ وَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡمَثَلُ ٱلۡأَعۡلَىٰۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٦٠
For those who do not believe in the Hereafter is the description [i.e., an attribute] of evil;1 and for Allāh is the highest attribute. And He is Exalted in Might, the Wise.
1 translator’s note
- Such as that described in the previous two verses. ↩
16:61
وَلَوۡ يُؤَاخِذُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّاسَ بِظُلۡمِهِم مَّا تَرَكَ عَلَيۡهَا مِن دَآبَّةٖ وَلَٰكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمۡ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٖ مُّسَمّٗىۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمۡ لَا يَسۡتَـٔۡخِرُونَ سَاعَةٗ وَلَا يَسۡتَقۡدِمُونَ ٦١
And if Allāh were to impose blame on the people for their wrongdoing, He would not have left upon it [i.e., the earth] any creature, but He defers them for a specified term. And when their term has come, they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede [it].
16:62
وَيَجۡعَلُونَ لِلَّهِ مَا يَكۡرَهُونَۚ وَتَصِفُ أَلۡسِنَتُهُمُ ٱلۡكَذِبَ أَنَّ لَهُمُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰۚ لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّ لَهُمُ ٱلنَّارَ وَأَنَّهُم مُّفۡرَطُونَ ٦٢
And they attribute to Allāh that which they dislike [i.e., daughters], and their tongues assert the lie that they will have the best [from Him]. Assuredly, they will have the Fire, and they will be [therein] neglected.1
1 translator’s note
- Another meaning is "...and they will be made to precede [all others thereto]." ↩
16:63
تَٱللَّهِ لَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمَمٖ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ فَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ أَعۡمَٰلَهُمۡ فَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ ٦٣
By Allāh, We did certainly send [messengers] to nations before you, but Satan made their deeds attractive to them. And he is their [i.e., the disbelievers] ally today [as well], and they will have a painful punishment.
16:64
وَمَآ أَنزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡكَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ إِلَّا لِتُبَيِّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلَّذِي ٱخۡتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ وَهُدٗى وَرَحۡمَةٗ لِّقَوۡمٖ يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٦٤
And We have not revealed to you the Book, [O Muḥammad], except for you to make clear to them that wherein they have differed and as guidance and mercy for a people who believe.