• Those who plan against the truth shall meet disgrace in return

• The reward which the righteous will gain

• Those who mock at the truth, their own earnings shall overtake them

An-Nahl (The Bee) Verses 26 – 34

قَدْ مَكَرَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَانَهُمْ مِنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَأَتَاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ

Indeed did plot those before them, and then (the wrath of) God came1(and destroyed) their structure (from) the foundations, and fell on them the roof from above them, and came on them the torment whence they perceived not. (16:26)2

ثُمَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُخْزِيهِمْ وَيَقُولُ أَيْنَ شُرَكَائِيَ الَّذِينَ كُنْتُمْ تُشَاقُّونَ فِيهِمْ قَالَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ إِنَّ الْخِزْيَ الْيَوْمَ وَالسُّوءَ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ

Then on the Day of Resurrection He will bring them to disgrace and say: “Where are My partners (which ye ascribed unto Me), about whom ye have been disputing;3Those who have been given the knowledge will say: “Verily the disgrace this day and evil is upon the infidels,” (16:27)4

الَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ ظَالِمِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ فَأَلْقَوُا السَّلَمَ مَا كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ مِنْ سُوءٍ بَلَىٰ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

Those whom the angels terminate their life while they are unjust5unto themselves, then they would offer submission (saying): “We used not to do any evil,” (the angels will reply): “Aye! Verily knoweth God well what ye were doing.” (16:28)

فَادْخُلُوا أَبْوَابَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا فَلَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ

“Therefore enter ye the gates of Hell, to abide in it; Woeful indeed will be the abode of the haughty6ones!” (16:29)

وَقِيلَ لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا مَاذَا أَنْزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ قَالُوا خَيْرًا لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا فِي هَٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ وَلَدَارُ الْآخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ وَلَنِعْمَ دَارُ الْمُتَّقِينَ

And it is said unto those who guard themselves against evil: “What is that hath sent down your Lord?” Say they: “Good; For those who do good in this world is good; and indeed the abode of the hereafter is better; and excellent indeed is the abode of the pious ones,” (16:30)

جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ لَهُمْ فِيهَا مَا يَشَاءُونَ كَذَٰلِكَ يَجْزِي اللَّهُ الْمُتَّقِينَ

Gardens of eternity, they shall enter therein, beneath them flow rivers; they shall have in them whatever they desire for; Thus doth God reward the pious ones, (16:31)

الَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ طَيِّبِينَ يَقُولُونَ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمُ ادْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

Those whom the angels take away in a good state, (the angels) while receiving them will say: “Peace be on you; Enter ye the Garden, for what ye were doing.” (16:32)

هَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَوْ يَأْتِيَ أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ كَذَٰلِكَ فَعَلَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلَٰكِنْ كَانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ

What! Await they aught save that come7unto them the angels or cometh (to pass) the decree of thy Lord? Thus did those before them; And God was not unjust unto them, but they were unto their own selves unjust. (16:33)

فَأَصَابَهُمْ سَيِّئَاتُ مَا عَمِلُوا وَحَاقَ بِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

So afflicted them the evils what they did; and encompassed them that which they were scoffing at. (16:34)8

Commentary

Verse 26

God gives the rope of the length of the respite to the disbelievers and the wicked to hang themselves, by frustrating their plans at the end. The disbelievers are allowed to complete their plans and then when they have exerted themselves to the maximum limits possible for them and exhaust all their resources, then all that they have wrought is made null and void.9

Some say the reference is also to the building of extraordinary height which Nimrod had erected at Babel which at its completion was simply pulled down by the gush of a wind, and suddenly the people forgot their language and began to speak about seventy different languages each quite different from the other and one group of people were totally unable to understand what the other group uttered. Thus, a confusion of wonderful differences among the people themselves was inflicted upon them.

Verse 27

‘Utu al-ʿIlm’, i.e., those gifted with knowledge. This clearly indicates that there are some, whom God has Himself gifted them with knowledge and they could not be other than the Apostles of God, and the Holy Imams who are Divinely commissioned to preserve and maintain the truth preached, in its original purity and fulness.10 The term is applicable in the first place to those whom God has Himself purified, i.e., the Holy Ahl al-Bayt.11

• 1. attacked or commanded.
• 2. Refer to verse 39:25.
• 3. Opposed or turned hostile.
• 4. Refer to verses 3:6-17, 4:162 & 29:49.
• 5. Sinners.
• 6. Arrogant ones.
• 7. The coming of the angels to execute the decree of the punishment to them.
• 8. Refer to verse 39:51.
• 9. See verse 8:36.
• 10. See verses 3:6, 3:17; 4:162, 29:49, & 58:11.
• 11. Refer to verse 33:33.