Surah Al Nahl (Section 3)

16-22     Your God is one God: so those who believe not in the Hereafter, their hearts refuse to know and they are proud.^a

 إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌۭ وَٰحِدٌۭ ۚ فَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مُّنكِرَةٌۭ وَهُم مُّسْتَكْبِرُونَ (۲۲)

16-22a: مُّنكِرَةٌۭ – اِنکار is the opposite of discernment and wisdom. Its literal meaning is a thing that one cannot visualize despite it coming to the heart, and it is a kind of ignorance (R). The implication is منکرۃ للوحدانیة (RM).

The first section contained evidence from nature as proof of Divine revelation and the second gave logical proof of Divine Unity. The two arguments are combined together in this section to state that those whose hearts do not believe in a life after death actually also reject Divine Unity since they fail to recognize the reality of the oneness of Allah, having a superficial awareness of Allah’s existence. They are called proud due to their refusal to accept responsible for their actions.

16-23   Undoubtedly Allah knows what they hide and what they manifest. Surely He loves not the proud.^a

لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ (۲۳)

16-23a: لَا جَرَمَ – The meaning of جَرَم is committing sin, and لَا جَرَمَ is a saying that is used in the same way as  لا مَحَالَة  –  لابُدَّ. It means this is how the truth is (LA).

16-24   And when it is said to them, What is it that your Lord has revealed? they say, Stories of the ancients!

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُم مَّاذَآ أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ ۙ قَالُوٓا۟ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ (۲۴)

16-25   That they may bear their burdens in full on the day of Resurrection, and also of the burdens of those whom they lead astray without knowledge. Ah! evil is what they bear.^a

لِيَحْمِلُوٓا۟ أَوْزَارَهُمْ كَامِلَةًۭ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۙ وَمِنْ أَوْزَارِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُضِلُّونَهُم بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۗ أَلَا سَآءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ (۲۵)

16-25a: لِيَحْمِلُوٓا۟ – The ل in لِيَحْمِلُوٓا۟ is لام عاقبت meaning that it is because of their indulgence in such talk that they go astray themselves and cause others to go astray as well. Divine revelation draws attention to the responsibility of one’s actions and conveys that no action goes unrequited. The consequence of calling Divine revelation as stories of the ancients is that such folks do not pay attention to the reality of life and keep on increasing in their misguidance.

The burden is called كَامِلَةًۭ because these folks increased in error to the extent it is possible to increase in it.