• Justice and Charity enjoined

• Whatever is with man shall perish and whatever is with God remains for ever

• Patience and Charity enjoined

An-Nahl (The Bee) Verses 90 – 100

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

Verily, God enjoineth justice and benevolence (to others) and giving1unto the kindred, and forbiddeth lewdness, and evil, and rebellion; He exhorteth you that ye may take heed. (16:90)2

وَأَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ إِذَا عَاهَدْتُمْ وَلَا تَنْقُضُوا الْأَيْمَانَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُمُ اللَّهَ عَلَيْكُمْ كَفِيلًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ

And fulfil ye the covenant of God when ye have covenanted, and break ye not the oaths after ratification3thereof while indeed ye have appointed God over you a surety (for it); Verily God knoweth (everything) what ye do. (16:91)

وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّتِي نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِنْ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنْكَاثًا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَانَكُمْ دَخَلًا بَيْنَكُمْ أَنْ تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِيَ أَرْبَىٰ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ اللَّهُ بِهِ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مَا كُنْتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ

And be not like unto her who unraveleth her yarn, dis joining it into thin filaments, after she hath made it spun strong, ye take your oaths as means of deceit between you for one nation is more flourishing than (other) nation. Verily God only trieth you by this; And most assuredly He will make it clear unto you on the Day of Judgment about what ye were differing. (16:92)

وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَٰكِنْ يُضِلُّ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَلَتُسْأَلُنَّ عَمَّا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

And if God willeth He would surely make you all a single nation, but He leaveth to err whomsoever He willeth4and guideth whomsoever He willeth; And certainly will ye be question ed of what ye were doing. (16:93)5

وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْ دَخَلًا بَيْنَكُمْ فَتَزِلَّ قَدَمٌ بَعْدَ ثُبُوتِهَا وَتَذُوقُوا السُّوءَ بِمَا صَدَدْتُمْ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَكُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

And take ye not your oaths a means of deceit between you, lest slippeth a foot after it hath been firmly fixed, and ye taste the evil for ye hindered (others) from God’s way; and for you be a great torment. (16:94)6

وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا إِنَّمَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

Sell ye not the covenant of God for a mean7price; for verily with God is that which is better for you, if ye only knew. (16:95)

مَا عِنْدَكُمْ يَنْفَدُ وَمَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ بَاقٍ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا أَجْرَهُمْ بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

What (ever) is with you passeth away and what is with God is everlasting; and certainly We will give those who exercise patience, their return, with8the best of what they were doing. (16:96)9

مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

Whosoever did good, whether male or female, and he be a believer, then We will certainly make him live a life good and pure, and certainly We will give them their return with10the best of what they were doing. (16:97)11

فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

And when recitest thou the Qur’an seek thou refuge with God from Satan the accursed. (16:98)

إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَهُ سُلْطَانٌ عَلَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ

Verily there is no authority for him over those who believe and rely on their Lord. (16:99)

إِنَّمَا سُلْطَانُهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَتَوَلَّوْنَهُ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ بِهِ مُشْرِكُونَ

Verily, his authority is only over those who befriend him and those who associate others with 12Him. (16:100)13

Commentary

Verse 90

The Fifth Holy Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir said that ‘Giving to the relatives’ stands for the relatives of the Holy Prophet, i.e., Ahl al-Bayt, as in the case of verses 8:41; 17:26; 30:38; 59:7. It is left for every student of the Holy Qur’an to consider that God’s command is to deliver to the relatives their due. How could the Holy Prophet himself go against such an explicit ordinance of the Lord and deny his only issue Fatema her due to inherit from her father. But history records the violation of this ordinance in denying Fatema her right over Fadak, the legacy left behind by the Holy Prophet.

It is narrated that ʿUthman ibn Maz’un one of the staunchest believers of the earliest Meccian days said: “I embraced Islam first because of the Holy Prophet’s friendship who would insist me to accept the faith but the faith did not take any footing in my heart. Once when I was with him, the revelation came to him and he recited to me the revealed Verse and it was this Verse. Then Islam got hold of my heart and I went to his uncle Abu Talib and informed him of the revealed Verse. He said: ‘O’ people of Quraysh, follow Muhammad and you will attain what is right, for certainly he does not order you except virtues and excellent character.’”

This was the verdict of Abu Talib and Uthman says: ‘I went to Walid ibn al-Mughirah and recited the passage to him. He appreciated the context hut he expressed his doubt saying’:

“Muhammad has said this, he has said certainly the excellent thing, and if his God has said it that also, He has said an excellent thing.”

Such was the firmness of the faith of Abu Talib in the truthfulness of his nephew and his teachings which is self-evident, at a time when none of the later companions had not responded to the call of Islam. (A.P.).

Verse 91

Was not the ‘Bayʿah’ taken by the Holy Prophet from the Muslim for Ali Ibn Abi Talib at Ghadir Khumm on 18-12-10 A.H. with a covenant and should it not be honoured and do not those who break that covenant violate this ordinance.

The Verse emphatically enjoins the fulfilment of any promise, undertaking, pact or covenant provided it is not ungodly or illegal as it is implied in the phrase ‘Ahdillah’ particularly such pacts and promises in which God has been pledged as the guarantee for the fulfilment of it. For details refer to ‘Fiqh’ (A.P.).

Verse 92

To appreciate the exact significance of this Verse one should refer to the sermon by Lady Zainab, the daughter of Ali and Fatema and the sister of Husayn, in the Bazaar of Kufa when she was taken as a captive after the martyrdom of Husayn at Karbala. She addressed the Muslims and reminded them of their covenants with God and the Holy Prophet and quoted this passage pointing out and saying, ‘you broke your promise just because you joined one group more flourishing (in worldly gains) than the other. “You are mistaking this vicissitude of fortune as a test of your faith.” Having the application of this Verse in view one would easily appreciate the justification of taking ‘Ummat’ here as to mean ‘Imam’. In the same way that the word ‘Ummat’ is used in verses 2:143, 3:103 & 3:109. (A.P.).

• 1. Benevolently.
• 2. Refer to verses 8:41, 17:26, 30:38 & 59:7.
• 3. Solemnizing them.
• 4. This does not mean compulsion.
• 5. Refer to verses 2:26, 14:4 & 39:23.
• 6. Refer to verses 33:11 & 29:1-3.
• 7. Worldly gain.
• 8. For Punishment or reward in this life is given for the sake of the act but in the hereafter the same evil or goodness done here, the worst or the best of it will be returned.
• 9. Refer to verse 3:194.
• 10. Refer to note on verse 16:96.
• 11. Except Islam no other religion has given such a position to woman.
• 12. God.
• 13. Refer to verse 14:22.