An-Nahl (The Bee) Section 5 – Every People Had The Guidance Through An Apostle From God
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Every people had the guidance through an apostle from God
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The wrong belief that the dead will not be raised
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Anything, God wills, takes existence
An-Nahl (The Bee) Verses 35 – 40
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا لَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا عَبَدْنَا مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ نَحْنُ وَلَا آبَاؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمْنَا مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ كَذَٰلِكَ فَعَلَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَهَلْ عَلَى الرُّسُلِ إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ
And say they who associated (other gods with God) “If God had willed, we had worshipped not aught besides Him, (neither) we nor our fathers1; nor had we (forbidden) aught without a (decree from) Him;” Even so did (say) those before them; Is then (aught) incumbent upon (Our) apostles save a clear delivery (plain preaching of the message)?” (16:35)
وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَسُولًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ هَدَى اللَّهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلَالَةُ فَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ
And indeed raised We in every nation an apostle (of Ours) (preaching) that “Worship ye God (only), and 2shun ye (the worship of every kind of) idol,” so of them were some whom God guided, and of them were others on whom error was confirmed; Therefore travel ye in the earth, then see what hath been the end of the beliers. (16:36)3
إِنْ تَحْرِصْ عَلَىٰ هُدَاهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ يُضِلُّ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِنْ نَاصِرِينَ
If covetest4thou5for their guidance, yet verily God guideth not those whom He leaveth to stray, and neither for them shall be any of the helpers. (16:37)
وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ لَا يَبْعَثُ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَمُوتُ بَلَىٰ وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
And swear they by God, with the strongest of their oaths that God will raise not one who dieth; Nay, but it is a promise binding on Him in truth, but most people know it not, (16:38)
لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمُ الَّذِي يَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا كَاذِبِينَ
(They will be raised up) so that He might manifest unto them that which they differed about, and (that) those who disbelieved might know that they were liars. (16:39)
إِنَّمَا قَوْلُنَا لِشَيْءٍ إِذَا أَرَدْنَاهُ أَنْ نَقُولَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ
Verily only Our word for a thing when We will it is that We say unto it, ‘Be’ and it exists. (16:40)6
Commentary
Verse 35
This is a common plea of all evil doers to throw the responsibility of their actions on God and the answer to that also is only one, i.e., it is the duty of God and His Messenger to show the path, the right one from the wrong one, and the rest is left to the choice of man.7 (A.P.).
Verse 38
A disbeliever owed a debt to a Muslim. While demanding the repayment of the loan the Muslim took an oath saying, ‘I swear in the name of God who would raise one after death,’ at which the disbeliever asked the Muslim: ‘Art thou sure that thou wouldst be raised from death?’ in a tone asserting that there is no return to life after death. The Muslim replied saying, ‘Yes’, by all means. The reference here is to the belief of the disbeliever. The resurrection of the dead for the Final Judgment is reiterated here as the promise of the Lord to do it.
