Surah Al Nahl (Section 4)

16-26   Those before them plotted, so Allah demolished their building from the foundations, so the roof fell down on them from above them, and the chastisement came to them from whence they perceived not.^a

قَدْ مَكَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنْيَـٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلسَّقْفُ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَأَتَىٰهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ (۲۶)

16-26a: The outcome of planning against the truth: After explaining that the source of knowledge about Divine Unity is Divine revelation, the discussion moves in this section to those people who plan to destroy and annihilate the truth. They are told that their plans are like a grand building whose foundations will be hollowed out by Allah, and instead of any harm coming to the truth from this building, the planners will themselves suffer the consequences of their schemes. By بُنْيَـٰنَ here is meant the building of their plans. See 9-109a.

16-27   Then on the Resurrection day He will bring them to disgrace and say: Where are My partners, for whose sake you became hostile? Those who are given the knowledge will say: Surely disgrace this day and evil are upon the disbelievers,^a

ثُمَّ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ يُخْزِيهِمْ وَيَقُولُ أَيْنَ شُرَكَآءِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تُشَـٰٓقُّونَ فِيهِمْ ۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ إِنَّ ٱلْخِزْىَ ٱلْيَوْمَ وَٱلسُّوٓءَ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ (۲۷)

12-67a: ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ  are those who are given knowledge: This applies in the first instance to prophets and then to their true followers. They say this not only on the Day of Resurrection but also in this world.

16-28   Whom the angels cause to die, while they are unjust to themselves. Then would they offer submission: We did not do any evil. Nay! Surely Allah knows what you did.^a

ٱلَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ ظَالِمِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ فَأَلْقَوُا۟ ٱلسَّلَمَ مَا كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ مِن سُوٓءٍۭ ۚ بَلَىٰٓ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ (۲۸)

16-28a: سَلَمَ – It means استسلام or obedience, submission. The unjust will say that they were submissive and did not do any evil. In other words, they will put forward a false excuse, as is also stated elsewhere: وَٱللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ : By Allah, our Lord! We were not polytheists (6:23).

16-29   So enter the gates of hell, to abide therein. Evil indeed is the dwelling-place of the proud.

فَٱدْخُلُوٓا۟ أَبْوَٰبَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۖ فَلَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ (۲۹)

16-30   And it is said to those who guard against evil: What has your Lord revealed? They say, Good. For those who do good in this world is good. And certainly the abode of the Hereafter is better. And excellent indeed is the abode of those who keep their duty —^a

وَقِيلَ لِلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْا۟ مَاذَآ أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ ۚ قَالُوا۟ خَيْرًۭا ۗ لِّلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ فِى هَـٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌۭ ۚ وَلَدَارُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ خَيْرٌۭ ۚ وَلَنِعْمَ دَارُ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ (۳۰)

16-30a: The continuity of the central theme between the last section and this section becomes manifest by the question: What has your Lord revealed? The last section asks this same question from the disbelievers and their reply is stories of the ancients (16:24) that are not believable. The same question when asked from the believers elicits the response that Divine revelation contains goodness for humans. So, Allah grants them goodness both in this world and the next. For the meaning of طیب see 3-179a.

16-31   Gardens of perpetuity which they enter, wherein flow rivers: they have therein what they please. Thus does Allah reward those who keep their duty,

جَنَّـٰتُ عَدْنٍۢ يَدْخُلُونَهَا تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۖ لَهُمْ فِيهَا مَا يَشَآءُونَ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَجْزِى ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ (۳۱)

16-32   Whom the angels cause to die in purity, saying: Peace be to you! enter the Garden for what you did.

ٱلَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ طَيِّبِينَ ۙ يَقُولُونَ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْجَنَّةَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ (۳۲)

16-33   Await they aught but that the angels should come to them or that thy Lord’s command should come to pass. Thus did those before them. And Allah wronged them not, but they wronged themselves.^a

هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن تَأْتِيَهُمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ أَوْ يَأْتِىَ أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ فَعَلَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَـٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ (۳۳)

16-33a: This topic has been discussed in 2-210a. It is stated in the end here that their punishment under these conditions is because of their being unjust to themselves, and not because of any injustice on the part of Allah.

16-34   So the evil of what they did afflicted them, and that which they mocked encompassed them.

فَأَصَابَهُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتُ مَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ (۳۴)