An-Nahl 16:70
The Bee · Juz 14 · Page 274
وَٱللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمۡ ثُمَّ يَتَوَفَّىٰكُمۡۚ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰٓ أَرۡذَلِ ٱلۡعُمُرِ لِكَيۡ لَا يَعۡلَمَ بَعۡدَ عِلۡمٖ شَيۡـًٔاۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٞ قَدِيرٞ ٧٠
And Allāh created you; then He will take you in death. And among you is he who is reversed to the most decrepit [old] age so that he will not know, after [having had] knowledge, a thing. Indeed, Allāh is Knowing and Competent.
Tafsir · in Arabic
Al-Biqa'i
Detailed
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Commentary on 16:70
ولَمّا أيْقَظَهم مِن رَقْدَتِهِمْ؛ ونَبَّهَهم عَلى عَظِيمِ غَفْلَتِهِمْ؛ عَنْ عُمُومِ القُدْرَةِ؛ وشُمُولِ العِلْمِ؛ المُقْتَضِي لِلْفِعْلِ بِالِاخْتِيارِ؛ المُحَقِّقِ لِلْبَعْثِ وغَيْرِهِ؛ مِن كُلِّ ما يُرِيدُهُ - سُبْحانَهُ - بِبَعْضِ آياتِهِ المَبْثُوثَةِ في الآفاقِ؛ مِن جَمادٍ؛ ثُمَّ حَيَوانٍ؛ وخَتَمَ ذَلِكَ بِما هو شِفاءٌ؛ ثَنّى بِبَعْضِ ما في أنْفُسِهِمْ مِنَ الأدِلَّةِ عَلى ذَلِكَ؛ مُذَكِّرًا بِمَراتِبِ عُمْرِ الإنْسانِ الأرْبَعِ؛ وهي سِنُّ الطُّفُولِيَّةِ والنُّمُوِّ؛ ثُمَّ سِنُّ الشَّبابِ؛ الَّذِي يَكُونُ عِنْدَ انْتِهائِهِ الوُقُوفُ؛ ثُمَّ سِنُّ الكُهُولَةِ؛ وفِيهِ يَكُونُ الِانْحِطاطُ؛ مَعَ بَقاءِ القُوَّةِ؛ ثُمَّ سِنُّ الِانْحِطاطِ مَعَ ظُهُورِ الضَّعْفِ؛ وهو الشَّيْخُوخَةُ؛ مُضَمَّنًا ما لا يُغْنِي عَنْهُ دَواءٌ؛ حَثًّا عَلى التَّفَكُّرِ في آياتِهِ؛ والتَّعَقُّلِ لَها قَبْلَ حُلُولِ ذَلِكَ الحادِثِ؛ فَيَفُوتَ الفَوْتُ؛ ويَنْدَمُوا حَيْثُ لا يَنْفَعُ النَّدَمُ؛ فَقالَ: ﴿واللَّهُ﴾؛ أيْ: المُحِيطِ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ قُدْرَةً وعِلْمًا؛ ﴿خَلَقَكُمْ﴾؛ فَجَعَلَكم بَعْدَ العَدَمِ أحْياءً؛ فُهَّمًا؛ خِصَّمًا؛ ﴿ثُمَّ يَتَوَفّاكُمْ﴾؛ عَلى اخْتِلافِ الأسْنانِ؛ فَلا يَقْدِرُ الصَّغِيرُ عَلى أنْ يُؤَخِّرَ؛ ولا الكَبِيرُ عَلى أنْ يُقَدِّمَ؛ فَمِنكم مَن يَمُوتُ حالَ قُوَّتِهِ؛﴿ومِنكم مَن يُرَدُّ﴾؛ أيْ: بِأيْسَرِ أمْرٍ مِنّا؛ لا يَقْدِرُ عَلى مُخالَفَتِهِ بِوَجْهٍ؛ ﴿إلى أرْذَلِ العُمُرِ﴾؛ لِأنَّهُ يَهْرَمُ؛ فَيَصِيرُ إلى مِثْلِ حالِ الطُّفُولِيَّةِ (p-٢٠٦)فِي الضَّعْفِ؛ مَعَ اسْتِقْذارِ غَيْرِهِ لَهُ؛ ولا يُرْجى بَعْدَهُ؛ ﴿لِكَيْ لا يَعْلَمَ﴾؛ ولَمّا كانَ مَقْصُودُ السُّورَةِ الدَّلالَةَ عَلى تَمامِ القُدْرَةِ؛ وشُمُولِ العِلْمِ؛ والتَّنَزُّهِ عَنْ كُلِّ شائِبَةِ نَقْصٍ؛ وكانَ السِّياقُ هُنا لِذَلِكَ أيْضًا؛ بِدَلِيلِ خَتْمِ الآيَةِ؛ نَزَعَ الخافِضَ لِلدَّلالَةِ عَلى اسْتِغْراقِ الجَهْلِ لِزَمَنِ ما بَعْدَ العِلْمِ؛ فَيَتَّصِلُ بِالمَوْتِ؛ ولا يَنْفَعُ فِيهِ دَواءٌ؛ ولا تُجْدِي مَعَهُ حِيلَةٌ؛ فَقالَ: ﴿بَعْدَ عِلْمٍ شَيْئًا﴾؛ لا يُوجَدُ في شَيْءٍ مِن ذَلِكَ عِنْدَ إحْلالِهِ شِفاءٌ؛ ولا يَمْنَعُهُ دَواءٌ: فَبادِرُوا إلى التَّفَكُّرِ؛ والِاعْتِبارِ؛ قَبْلَ حُلُولِ أحَدِ هَذَيْنِ؛ ثُمَّ عَلَّلَ ذَلِكَ بِقَوْلِهِ (تَعالى): ﴿إنَّ اللَّهَ﴾؛ أيْ: الَّذِي لَهُ الإحاطَةُ الكامِلَةُ؛ ﴿عَلِيمٌ قَدِيرٌ﴾؛ أيْ: بالِغُ العِلْمِ؛ شامِلُ القُدْرَةِ؛ فَمَهْما أرادَ؛ كانَ؛ ومَهْما أرادَ غَيْرُهُ ولَمْ يُرِدْهُ هُوَ؛ أحاطَ بِهِ عِلْمُهُ؛ فَسَبَّبَ لَهُ بِقُدْرَتِهِ ما يَمْنَعُهُ.
Page 274
16:65
وَٱللَّهُ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ فَأَحۡيَا بِهِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَآۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَسۡمَعُونَ ٦٥
And Allāh has sent down rain from the sky and given life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who listen.
16:66
وَإِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ لَعِبۡرَةٗۖ نُّسۡقِيكُم مِّمَّا فِي بُطُونِهِۦ مِنۢ بَيۡنِ فَرۡثٖ وَدَمٖ لَّبَنًا خَالِصٗا سَآئِغٗا لِّلشَّٰرِبِينَ ٦٦
And indeed, for you in grazing livestock is a lesson. We give you drink from what is in their bellies - between excretion and blood - pure milk, palatable to drinkers.
16:67
وَمِن ثَمَرَٰتِ ٱلنَّخِيلِ وَٱلۡأَعۡنَٰبِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِنۡهُ سَكَرٗا وَرِزۡقًا حَسَنًاۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَعۡقِلُونَ ٦٧
And from the fruits of the palm trees and grapevines you take intoxicant and good provision.1 Indeed in that is a sign for a people who reason.
1 translator’s note
- This verse was revealed before the prohibition of intoxicants. It alludes to the fact that there are both evil and good possibilities in certain things. ↩
16:68
وَأَوۡحَىٰ رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلنَّحۡلِ أَنِ ٱتَّخِذِي مِنَ ٱلۡجِبَالِ بُيُوتٗا وَمِنَ ٱلشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعۡرِشُونَ ٦٨
And your Lord inspired to the bee, "Take for yourself among the mountains, houses [i.e., hives], and among the trees and [in] that which they construct.
16:69
ثُمَّ كُلِي مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ فَٱسۡلُكِي سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلٗاۚ يَخۡرُجُ مِنۢ بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٞ مُّخۡتَلِفٌ أَلۡوَٰنُهُۥ فِيهِ شِفَآءٞ لِّلنَّاسِۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ٦٩
Then eat from all the fruits1 and follow the ways of your Lord laid down [for you]." There emerges from their bellies a drink, varying in colors, in which there is healing for people. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., delicious substances found by the bee. ↩
16:70
وَٱللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمۡ ثُمَّ يَتَوَفَّىٰكُمۡۚ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰٓ أَرۡذَلِ ٱلۡعُمُرِ لِكَيۡ لَا يَعۡلَمَ بَعۡدَ عِلۡمٖ شَيۡـًٔاۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٞ قَدِيرٞ ٧٠
And Allāh created you; then He will take you in death. And among you is he who is reversed to the most decrepit [old] age so that he will not know, after [having had] knowledge, a thing. Indeed, Allāh is Knowing and Competent.
16:71
وَٱللَّهُ فَضَّلَ بَعۡضَكُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ فِي ٱلرِّزۡقِۚ فَمَا ٱلَّذِينَ فُضِّلُواْ بِرَآدِّي رِزۡقِهِمۡ عَلَىٰ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡ فَهُمۡ فِيهِ سَوَآءٌۚ أَفَبِنِعۡمَةِ ٱللَّهِ يَجۡحَدُونَ ٧١
And Allāh has favored some of you over others in provision. But those who were favored [i.e., given more] would not hand over their provision to those whom their right hands possess [i.e., slaves] so they would be equal to them therein.1 Then is it the favor of Allāh they reject?
1 translator’s note
- The argument presented in this verse is that if they cannot consider their own possessions equal to themselves, then how can they consider Allāh's creations as being equal to Him? ↩
16:72
وَٱللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَزۡوَٰجٗا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَزۡوَٰجِكُم بَنِينَ وَحَفَدَةٗ وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِۚ أَفَبِٱلۡبَٰطِلِ يُؤۡمِنُونَ وَبِنِعۡمَتِ ٱللَّهِ هُمۡ يَكۡفُرُونَ ٧٢
And Allāh has made for you from yourselves mates and has made for you from your mates sons and grandchildren and has provided for you from the good things. Then in falsehood do they believe and in the favor of Allāh they disbelieve?