In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Conclusion from Al-Tabari’s interpretation
It was summarized by Dr. Aqeel bin Salem Al-Shammari
Surah An-Nahl
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
God gave the example of a possessed slave who was unable to do anything
He is not able to do anything, and whoever We have provided him with a good provision, he will spend from it secretly and openly. Are they equal?
Praise be to God, but most of them do not know
He has drawn a similarity to you, O people, to the unbeliever among his servants and the believer among them
As for the example of an infidel, he does not act in obedience to God and does not do good
Like an owned slave who cannot afford anything and spends it
As for the believer in God, he works in obedience to God and spends his money in His cause
Like a free man to whom God has given money, he spends it secretly and openly
Is the servant who has nothing and is not able to do it equal?
This free man whom God has provided a good provision for, he spends as described
Likewise, the infidel who acts in disobedience to God and the believer who acts in obedience to Him are not equal
Praise be to God, sincerely, without the idols that you people call upon other than Him
It is not what you do or what you say
Their idols have no power to praise
But most of these infidels do not know that this is so
Through their ignorance, they make them partners in worship and praise to God
Like two men, one of whom is mute and unable to do anything
He is not capable of anything, and he is dependent on his master. Wherever he directs him, he will not bring any good
Wherever he directs it, it brings no good
Is he and those who command justice equal?
Is he equal to the one who commands justice while he is on a straight path?
This is a parable that God set for himself and for the gods that are worshiped besides him
So God gave the example of two men, one of whom was mute and unable to do anything
This means that the idol does not hear anything or speak
He is dependent on his cousin, his allies, and the people of his state
Likewise, the idol is the burden of all who worship it
He needs to be carried, placed and served
Like a mute who does not bring any good wherever his guardian directs him
Likewise, the idol does not understand what is said to it
He does not speak to command or prohibit
Is this mute equal to someone who is articulate and articulate?
He commands the truth and calls for it
With his command of justice, he is on a straight path
He does not deviate from the truth and does not deviate from it
To God belongs the unseen of the heavens and the earth
The matter of the Hour is only as flashing as an eye, or it is even closer
God is powerful over everything
O people, God has dominion over what has escaped your sight in the heavens and the earth
The command of the Resurrection is only like a glimpse of the eye
Or it's closer than the blink of an eye
Because that is to say to him, “Be,” and he is
God is able to establish the Hour in the nearest blink of an eye
And whatever he wants of all things
Nothing he wants is withheld from him
By God, He brought you out of your mothers’ wombs without knowing anything
You know nothing. He has given you reputation, eyes, and hearts, so that you may be grateful
And God knows what you did not know
After He brought you out of your mothers’ wombs, you will not understand anything nor know anything
So He gave you the reputation by which you can hear voices
So some of you will understand from each other what you are discussing among yourselves
And He gave you visions by which you can see people and by them you can come to know each other
And the hearts with which you know things
So you memorize it and think and understand it
We did that to you
So thank God for what He has bestowed upon you, rather than gods and equals
Have they not seen the birds subjected to the atmosphere of the sky, and no one holds them except God?
Indeed, in that are signs for people who believe
Have you not seen, O polytheists of God?
To the birds, harnessed in the air of the sky between them and the earth
Its flight in the air is only due to God
Even if he took away what he gave her of flying
She couldn't get up higher
In God's subjugation is the bird
And it enables her to fly in the sky
For signs and indications that there is no god but God alone, with no partners
For people who acknowledge the existence of what their eyes see and their senses sense
And God has made for you a residence in your homes and made for you homes in which you hide yourself
You will hide it on the day of your affliction and on the day of your residence, and from its wool, fur, and hair, as furniture and belongings for a while.
And God has made for you, O people, a place to live in your homes
You will live in your country during the days of your residence
And He made for you houses of hair, wool, and hair from the skins of cattle
You underestimate carrying and transporting it on the day you leave your country and the day you reside in your country
From its wool, fur, and hair you make household furniture and belongings
God made this a message for you that you can reach and be content with until your time of death
And God made for you shades from among what He created, and made shelters for you from the mountains, and made for you robes to protect you from heat, and robes to protect you from heat.
Thus He will complete His blessing upon you so that you may submit
It is God’s blessing upon you, O people, that He made for you shades from the trees and other things He created for you to seek shade from the intense heat
He made the mountains places for you to dwell in, and He made cotton, linen, and wool clothing and their shirts to protect you from the heat
And He made for you shields to protect you from weapons that reach you, just as your Lord gave you these things
Thus He will complete His blessing upon you so that you may submit to God in obedience and devote worship to Him sincerely
But if they turn away, then it is your duty to deliver the clear message
O Muhammad, if these polytheists turn away from the truth with which I sent you to them, then you are not to blame. All you have to do is convey to them the message that is made clear to whoever hears it so that they understand it.
They know the blessing of God and then deny it, and most of them are disbelievers
These polytheists know God's blessing upon them by sending Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace
Then they deny you and deny your prophecy, and most of your people who deny your prophecy are those who acknowledge it
And on the Day when We will raise from every nation a witness, then no permission will be given to those who disbelieve, nor will they be asked to blame
They recognize the blessing of God, then they deny it, and they will denounce the Day when We will raise from every nation a witness, and he is their Messenger who was sent to them. Then those who disbelieve will not be given permission to apologize, so they will make excuses for what they were in God and His Messenger. They disbelieve, but they will not be asked to reproach, so they will abandon returning to this world, so they will repent and repent.
And when those who wronged see the torment, it will not be lightened for them, nor will they be respite
And when those who lied to you, O Muhammad, see the torment of God, nothing will save them from the torment of God, because they are not given permission, so they apologize, and the torment is lightened for them with the excuse they claim, and they do not hope for punishment.
And when the polytheists see on the Day of Resurrection the gods, idols, and other things that they used to worship besides God, they will say, “Our Lord, these are our partners in disbelief in You.”
And the partners whom we used to call gods besides you. Their partners said, “You are certainly liars, O polytheists. We did not call you to worship us.”
And they were brought to God on the Day of Permission of Peace, and what they had invented will go away from them
And the polytheists submitted to God on the day of permission of peace, and they surrendered and were humbled by His rule over them, and their gods, their people, and their clans did not avail them, and their gods missed what they had hoped for from intercession with God for salvation.
Those who disbelieve and turn away from the path of God, We have increased for them a torment beyond the torment because they were corrupting
Those who, O Muhammad, denied your prophethood and turned away from belief in God and His Messenger, We will increase their torment on the Day of Resurrection in Hell above the torment in which they are in.
It was said that this increase was scorpions and snakes with fangs like tall palm trees, because in this world they disobeyed God and commanded His servants to disobey Him, so that was their corruption.
And on the Day when We will raise up in every nation a witness against them from among themselves, and We bring you as a witness against these, and We have sent down to you the Writing as an explanation of everything, and as guidance and mercy and good tidings for the Muslims.
And on the day when We ask their Prophet whom We sent to them from themselves, what did they respond to you and what did they respond to you? And We bring you, O Muhammad, as a witness to your nation regarding what they responded to you and what they did with what I sent you to them with.
And We have sent down to you, O Muhammad, this Qur’an as an explanation of everything that people need, such as knowledge of what is permissible and what is forbidden, reward and punishment, a guidance from misguidance, a mercy for whoever believes in it and acts according to what is in it, and good news for whoever obeys God and submits to Him with monotheism, giving him good tidings of his great reward in the Hereafter and his great dignity.
Tafsir al-Tabari