An-Nahl 16:89
The Bee · Juz 14 · Page 277
وَيَوۡمَ نَبۡعَثُ فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٖ شَهِيدًا عَلَيۡهِم مِّنۡ أَنفُسِهِمۡۖ وَجِئۡنَا بِكَ شَهِيدًا عَلَىٰ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِۚ وَنَزَّلۡنَا عَلَيۡكَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ تِبۡيَٰنٗا لِّكُلِّ شَيۡءٖ وَهُدٗى وَرَحۡمَةٗ وَبُشۡرَىٰ لِلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ ٨٩
And [mention] the Day when We will resurrect among every nation a witness over them from themselves [i.e., their prophet]. And We will bring you, [O Muḥammad], as a witness over these [i.e., your nation]. And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things and as guidance and mercy and good tidings for the Muslims.1
1 translator’s note
- Those who have submitted themselves to Allāh. ↩
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Commentary on 16:89
Every Prophet will bear Witness against his Nation on the Day of Resurrection
Allah addressed His servant and Messenger Muhammad ﷺ, saying:
وَيَوْمَ نَبْعَثُ فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْهِمْ مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ شَهِيدًا عَلَى هَؤُلآءِ
(And on the Day when We resurrect a witness from each nation from among themselves, and We bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these.), meaning, your Ummah. The Ayah means: remember that Day and its terrors, and the great honor and high position that Allah has bestowed upon you. This Ayah is like the Ayah with which `Abdullah bin Mas`ud ended when he recited to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from the beginning of Surat An-Nisa'. When he reached the Ayah:
فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جِئْنَا مِن كُلِّ أمَّةٍ بِشَهِيدٍ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ عَلَى هَؤُلاءِ شَهِيداً
(How (will it be) then, when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these) 4:41 the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him:
«حَسْبُك»
(Enough.) Ibn Mas`ud said: "I turned to him and saw his eyes streaming with tears."
The Qur'an explains Everything
وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَبَ تِبْيَانًا لِّكُلِّ شَىْءٍ
(And We revealed the Book (the Qur'an) to you as an explanation of everything,) Ibn Mas`ud said: "Allah made it clear that in this Qur'an there is complete knowledge and about everything." The Qur'an contains all kinds of beneficial knowledge, such as reports of what happened in the past, information about what is yet to come, what is lawful and unlawful, and what people need to know about their worldly affairs, their religion, their livelihood in this world, and their destiny in the Hereafter.
وَهَدَى
(a guidance) means, for their hearts.
وَرَحْمَةً وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ
(a mercy, and good news for the Muslims.) Al-Awza`i said:
وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَبَ تِبْيَانًا لِّكُلِّ شَىْءٍ
(And We have revealed the Book (the Qur'an) as an explanation of everything,) meaning, with the Sunnah. The is the reason why the phrase,
وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَبَ
(And We have revealed the Book to you) is mentioned immediately after the phrase,
وَجِئْنَا بِكَ شَهِيدًا عَلَى هَؤُلآءِ
(And We shall bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these. ) the meaning - and Allah knows best - is that the One Who obligated you to convey the Book which He revealed to you, will also ask you about that on the Day of Resurrection.
فَلَنَسَْلَنَّ الَّذِينَ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَنَسَْلَنَّ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
(Then We shall indeed question those (people) to whom it (the Book) was sent and We shall indeed question the Messengers.) (7:6)
فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسَْلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ - عَمَّا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ
(So by your Lord We question them all about what they did.) (15:92-92)
يَوْمَ يَجْمَعُ اللَّهُ الرُّسُلَ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَآ أُجِبْتُمْ قَالُواْ لاَ عِلْمَ لَنَآ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ
(On the Day when Allah gathers the Messengers together and says to them: "What was the response you received (to your Message)" They will say: "We have no knowledge, indeed only You are the Knower of all that is hidden.") (5:109) And Allah says:
إِنَّ الَّذِى فَرَضَ عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْءَانَ لَرَآدُّكَ إِلَى مَعَادٍ
(Verily, He Who obligated the Qur'an upon you (O Muhammad) will surely bring you back to the return.) 28:85 meaning, the One Who gave you the obligation of conveying the Qur'an will bring you back to Him, and your return will be on the Day of Resurrection, and He will question you about you commission of the duty He gave you. This is one of the opinions, and it presents a good understanding of it.
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16:88
ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَصَدُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ زِدۡنَٰهُمۡ عَذَابٗا فَوۡقَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ بِمَا كَانُواْ يُفۡسِدُونَ ٨٨
Those who disbelieved and averted [others] from the way of Allāh - We will increase them in punishment over [their] punishment for what corruption they were causing.
16:89
وَيَوۡمَ نَبۡعَثُ فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٖ شَهِيدًا عَلَيۡهِم مِّنۡ أَنفُسِهِمۡۖ وَجِئۡنَا بِكَ شَهِيدًا عَلَىٰ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِۚ وَنَزَّلۡنَا عَلَيۡكَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ تِبۡيَٰنٗا لِّكُلِّ شَيۡءٖ وَهُدٗى وَرَحۡمَةٗ وَبُشۡرَىٰ لِلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ ٨٩
And [mention] the Day when We will resurrect among every nation a witness over them from themselves [i.e., their prophet]. And We will bring you, [O Muḥammad], as a witness over these [i.e., your nation]. And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things and as guidance and mercy and good tidings for the Muslims.1
1 translator’s note
- Those who have submitted themselves to Allāh. ↩
16:90
۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأۡمُرُ بِٱلۡعَدۡلِ وَٱلۡإِحۡسَٰنِ وَإِيتَآيِٕ ذِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَيَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَٱلۡبَغۡيِۚ يَعِظُكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ ٩٠
Indeed, Allāh orders justice and good conduct and giving [help] to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.
16:91
وَأَوۡفُواْ بِعَهۡدِ ٱللَّهِ إِذَا عَٰهَدتُّمۡ وَلَا تَنقُضُواْ ٱلۡأَيۡمَٰنَ بَعۡدَ تَوۡكِيدِهَا وَقَدۡ جَعَلۡتُمُ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ كَفِيلًاۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعۡلَمُ مَا تَفۡعَلُونَ ٩١
And fulfill the covenant of Allāh when you have taken it, [O believers], and do not break oaths after their confirmation while you have made Allāh, over you, a security [i.e., witness]. Indeed, Allāh knows what you do.
16:92
وَلَا تَكُونُواْ كَٱلَّتِي نَقَضَتۡ غَزۡلَهَا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَٰثٗا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيۡمَٰنَكُمۡ دَخَلَۢا بَيۡنَكُمۡ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِيَ أَرۡبَىٰ مِنۡ أُمَّةٍۚ إِنَّمَا يَبۡلُوكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦۚ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ مَا كُنتُمۡ فِيهِ تَخۡتَلِفُونَ ٩٢
And do not be like she who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong [by] taking your oaths as [means of] deceit between you because one community is more plentiful [in number or wealth] than another community.1 Allāh only tries you thereby. And He will surely make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that over which you used to differ.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., do not swear falsely or break a treaty or contract merely for a worldly advantage. ↩
16:93
وَلَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمۡ أُمَّةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ وَلَٰكِن يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَلَتُسۡـَٔلُنَّ عَمَّا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٩٣
And if Allāh had willed, He could have made you [of] one religion, but He sends astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills.1 And you will surely be questioned about what you used to do.
1 translator’s note
- According to His knowledge of each soul's preference. ↩