An-Nahl 16:92
The Bee · Juz 14 · Page 277
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. ↩
Tafsir · in English
Al-Jalalayn
Brief · The traditional first tafsir: a few words per phrase.
Change
Commentary on 16:92
And do not be like her who undoes, spoils, her yarn, that which she has spun, after having made it strong, [having] set and spun it, [breaking it up] into fibres (ankāthan is a circumstantial qualifier, [ankāth is] the plural of nikth, and means that which is undone [yunkathu]) — this was an imbecile Meccan woman who used to spin all day and then undo it — by making (tattakhidhūna is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the person of [the verb] takūnū, ‘[do not] be like’), in other words, [what is meant is] ‘do not be like her by making’, your oaths a [means of] deceit, (dakhal, is what enters [yadkhulu] into something but does not belong to it), in other words, as [a means of causing] mischief or as trickery, between you, by breaking these [oaths], so that one group may become more numerous than [another] group. They used to enter into an alliance with a given group, but if they encountered another more numerous and more powerful [group], they would renege on their alliance with the former and forge a [new] alliance with these [latter]. God only tries, tests, you thereby, in other words, by that which He enjoins, in the way of fulfilling the covenant, so that He may observe the obedient and the disobedient among you, or when [it is the case that] one group is more numerous [than another], that He may observe whether you fulfil [your obligation to them] or not; and certainly He will make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that wherein you used to differ, during [the life of] this world, with regard to covenants and otherwise, by punishing he who reneged and rewarding he who was faithful [to his covenant].
Page 277
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. ↩