16-90 Surely Allah enjoins justice and the doing of good (to others) and the giving to the kindred, and He forbids indecency and evil and rebellion. He admonishes you that you may be mindful.a
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلْإِحْسَـٰنِ وَإِيتَآئِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْبَغْىِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ (۹۰)
16-90a: Comprehensive teaching regarding good and evil: In the last verse, the Quran is described as تِبْيَـٰنًۭا لِّكُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ :explaining all things and now a sample of its comprehensive teaching is presented. In this verse, both good and evil are dealt with. In the category of good, three things are identified عَدْلِ justice, إِحْسَـٰنِ doing of good, and إِيتَآئِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ giving to the kindred. In the category of evil also three things are identified فَحْشَآءِ indecency, مُنكَرِ evil, and بَغْىِ rebellion. The three things in each category are in the ascending order of goodness and wickedness respectively. عَدْلِ justice is the lowest level of goodness which is acting in reciprocity: to do good to someone who has done good to you, for which see 5-8a. إِحْسَـٰنِ doing of good is a good act which is initiated without compensation or any consideration of return. إِيتَآئِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ giving to the kindred is not just giving to relatives, though without a doubt doing good to relatives is a good deed from which other good deeds flow. However, the real purpose of إِيتَآئِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ is to give as you would give to the kindred. One does not give to the kindred as a favor and one does not even think that one is doing anything virtuous. Instead, one acts under a natural impulse. This third level visualizes goodness becoming part of the nature of a person. When a person does an act repeatedly, it ultimately becomes a part of his nature. So, we should do good, and go on doing it repeatedly until doing good becomes our natural impulse.
In the category of evil, the first thing that is mentioned is فَحْشَآءِ indecency, referring to any act or matter which is in itself shameful and vile, whether or not it has an influence on others. The next level is مُنكَرِ evil which is something that others find disagreeable, and which has a negative effect on others. The third and most vile form is بَغْىِ rebellion in which one desires to go beyond all limits, and it is a transgression that has widespread ramifications. Another description of the three levels of evil examines the sources of these evils and concludes that these evils are powered from different sources, with carnal desires being responsible for فَحْشَآء indecency, anger for مُنكَرِ evil and suspicion for بَغْىِ rebellion. The evil of carnal desires does not impact others significantly and it generally isn’t a source of major injustice. The circle of impact of the evil caused by anger is much wider and usually it adversely impacts other people. The greatest injustice is perpetuated by the power of distrust due to which entire nations and countries are destroyed, simply on grounds of suspicion. If these three powers are kept within the limits of moderation, a person can save himself from all the ways of evil. The Caliph Umar bin Abdul Aziz introduced the recitation of this verse at the end of the Friday sermon.
16-91 And fulfill the covenant of Allah, when you have made a covenant, and break not the oaths after making them fast, and you have indeed made Allah your surety. Surely Allah knows what you do.a
وَأَوْفُوا۟ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ إِذَا عَـٰهَدتُّمْ وَلَا تَنقُضُوا۟ ٱلْأَيْمَـٰنَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَا وَقَدْ جَعَلْتُمُ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيْكُمْ كَفِيلًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ (۹۱)
16-91a: تَنقُضُوا۟ – نقض is the opposite of ابرام ratify, confirm, sanction. It means to separate and scatter the parts of something, and metaphorically used for breaking a covenant, as in ٱلَّذِينَ يَنقُضُونَ عَهْدَ ٱللَّهِ : Who break the covenant of Allah (2:27) and يَنقُضُونَ عَهْدَهُمْ : they break their agreement (8:56). نقیض means contradictory or antithesis such that both cannot be true at the same time. In أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ : weighed down thy back (94:3) the meaning of نقض is to break until it is separated and scattered (R).
تَوْكِيدِ – وَکدَّ and اکدّ mean to affirm or to assert and it can be by words or actions.
The covenant of Allah is His shariah or His revelation. إِذَا عَـٰهَدتُّمْ : made a covenant means a verbal agreement. By believing in and affirming the Holy Prophet, who is the messenger of Allah, one makes Allah a veritable witness that one will fulfill this covenant. After conveying that the Quran imparts the most excellent teachings and the Divine revelation calls one to the highest degree of goodness and forbids all evils, it is now stated that it is not simply enough to affirm verbally and if one has made a solemn covenant, one should fulfill it.
16-92 And be not like her who unravels her yarn, disintegrating it into pieces, after she has spun it strongly. You make your oaths to be means of deceit between you because (one) nation is more numerous than (another) nation. Allah only tries you by this. And He will certainly make clear to you on the day of Resurrection that wherein you differed.a
وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّتِى نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِنۢ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَـٰثًۭا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا بَيْنَكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِىَ أَرْبَىٰ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ ۚ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ مَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ (۹۲)
16-92a: غَزْل – غَزْل is the spinning of yarn by a woman and مغزول is spun yarn which is also called غَزْل. غَزَلَ is also flirting and dallying with women (R).
أَنكَـٰثًۭ – It is the plural of نَکۡث which means to break the yarn or to unravel a cloth. In its meaning, it is very similar to نقض and نقض is also used in relation to covenants. Examples of its occurrence in other parts of the Quran are: إِن نَّكَثُوٓا۟ أَيْمَـٰنَهُم مِّنۢ : if they break their oaths (9:12); إِذَا هُمْ يَنكُثُونَ :they broke (their promise) (7:135).
دَخَل – The meaning of دُخُول is to enter or to come in. It is used for place, period and actions. It is also a metaphor for fighting and enmity, similar to دَغَل jungle, thicket, wood.
أَرْبَىٰ – It is derived from رَبَا which means something increased and progressed. The meaning of أَرْبَىٰ here is greater in numbers and more in wealth.
An example of divisiveness: There is a narration in Bukhari and in some commentaries about a woman in Makkah who had a practice of spinning yarn through the day and cutting it into pieces in the evening, as if she were insane. Both the context, and comments by Mujahid and other commentators show that this is a parable and not the story of an actual woman (IJ). In the last section, it is urged that if you have made a firm covenant with Allah, which means you have believed, then you should fulfill it. It is stated here that if you do not fulfill your covenant, then you are like the woman who spins yarn and then breaks it into many pieces. On the face of it, this appears as the work of an insane person but there are many sane people in this world who act similarly. They make a building and then proceed to then tear down its foundation. The Muslims did the very acts that they were advised not to do and by their actions undid what they had achieved. The greatest loss they suffered was from the problem which is mentioned here, namely mutual discord and not keeping in view the agreements that they had made with each other, either because one party considered itself stronger than the other or that it wanted to become stronger. This is the disease among Muslims that has taken them to their present situation in which their global kingdom has broken into pieces like the yarn of the insane woman. Even now there is no movement by Muslims to rectify this situation.
The covenants of the period of ignorance and the condition of Europe: تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْ : you make your oaths is a parenthetical sentence where the reference is to the conditions prevailing in the period of ignorance and is equally applicable to the enlightened countries of the world today. The specific commandments for the Muslims in this regard are given in 16:94. It was a common practice in the period of ignorance that even in the presence of agreements, if one tribe in the agreement considered itself stronger than the other tribe, it felt no hesitation in violating the agreement. This is exactly the situation of Europe today. The agreements with weaker nations have the sanctity of piece of crumpled paper.
16-93 And if Allah please, He would make you a single nation, but He leaves in error whom He pleases and guides whom He pleases. And certainly you will be questioned as to what you did.
وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ وَلَـٰكِن يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَلَتُسْـَٔلُنَّ عَمَّا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ (۹۳)
16-94 And make not your oaths a means of deceit between you, lest a foot should slip after its stability, and you should taste evil because you hinder (men) from Allah’s way and grievous chastisement be your (lot).a
وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا بَيْنَكُمْ فَتَزِلَّ قَدَمٌۢ بَعْدَ ثُبُوتِهَا وَتَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلسُّوٓءَ بِمَا صَدَدتُّمْ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَلَكُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌۭ (۹۴)
16-94a: فَتَزِلَّ قَدَمٌۢ بَعْدَ ثُبُوتِهَا :lest a foot should slip after its stability – This clearly shows that Muslims are mentioned, and they are being told that after making considerable progress, they would slip because of mutual discord. Thus, they will become like those who stop people from the way of Allah and so they will be chastised. Could it be that the present condition of the Muslims is the punishment mentioned in this verse.
16-95 And take not a small price for Allah’s covenant. Surely what is with Allah is better for you, did you but know!
وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا۟ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ ثَمَنًۭا قَلِيلًا ۚ إِنَّمَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (۹۵)
16-96 What is with you passes away and what is with Allah is enduring. And We shall certainly give to those who are patient their reward for the best of what they did.
مَا عِندَكُمْ يَنفَدُ ۖ وَمَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ بَاقٍۢ ۗ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوٓا۟ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ (۹۶)
16-96a: يَنفَدُ – نَفَاد means depleted, passed away, destroyed, as in: إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَرِزْقُنَا مَا لَهُۥ مِن نَّفَادٍ : Surely this is Our sustenance; it will never come to an end (38:54); لَنَفِدَ ٱلْبَحْرُ قَبْلَ أَن تَنفَدَ كَلِمَـٰتُ رَبِّى : the sea would surely be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted (18:109). The wealth of this world comes to an end, but the result of good deeds never end.
16-97 Whoever does good, whether male or female, and is a believer, We shall certainly make him live a good life, and We shall certainly give them their reward for the best of what they did.a
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًۭا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌۭ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُۥ حَيَوٰةًۭ طَيِّبَةًۭ ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ (۹۷)
16-98a: In this verse, as in many others, the Quran has made it very clear that there is no difference between men and women in the reward for good deeds. Despite these clarifications, the Christians maintain that according to the Quran, women are bereft of a soul. This is in actuality their own thinking. It is interesting that the concept of a good life is being discussed. What is meant by giving حَيَوٰةًۭ طَيِّبَةًۭ good life? Some commentators have said it is the life of this world that is free from all impurities and such a life can only be attained by a believer, which is correct. Some have said that this refers to being granted a pure life in برزخ intermediate stage. Some others have said that this is the life of paradise in the next world. The truth is that all these three lives are in a continuum. The heavenly life starts from this world’s life, and it certainly manifests in the grave and will attain full glory on the Day of Judgment. There are certainly degrees in heaven, but the essence of heaven is the same. It is the pure and chaste life mentioned in this verse which starts here and keeps on progressing and will never end. After resurrection, many more aspects of its perfection will be manifested. و ما عند اللّٰہ باق
16-98 So when thou recitest the Qur’an, seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil.a
فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ فَٱسْتَعِذْ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ
16-98a: Recitation of the Quran and seeking refuge in Allah: By فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ is meant: before the recitation of the Quran, one should seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil. The most well-known prayer of refuge from the devil is اعوذ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ which fulfills the command of this verse. In some hadith narrations, the recitation is
اعوذ بِٱللَّهِ السمیع العلیم مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ and it is also proven from tradition that اعوذ seeking protection is recited before beginning the recitation of the Quran and not at the end. It is true that protection from the devil is always required, even at the end of the recitation. The final two surah’s of the Quran known as معوذتین are prayers for protection from the devil. Although the fulfillment of the command to seek protection is done by the recitation of the words of اعوذ the real message is that one should shun all the ways that go towards the devil and seek Allah’s protection. The Quran is the way to Allah which makes it highly appropriate to beseech Allah for protection from the devil. Indeed, it is only with the help of Allah that one can steadfastly adhere to the teachings of the Quran.
16-99 Surely he has no authority over those who believe and rely on their Lord.
إِنَّهُۥ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ سُلْطَـٰنٌ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ (۹۹)
16-100 His authority is only over those who befriend him and those who associate others with Him.a
إِنَّمَا سُلْطَـٰنُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَوَلَّوْنَهُۥ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِهِۦ مُشْرِكُونَ (۱۰۰)
16-100a: Who are the people over whom the devil has authority? It is not only made clear in these two verses that the devil has no authority over the believers, but also that his influence is only on those people who seek his friendship and make him their friend. In actuality, the devil has no authority over anyone as stated in: إِنَّ عِبَادِى لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَـٰنٌ : As regards My servants, thou hast no authority over them (15:42).
هُم بِهِۦ مُشْرِكُونَ – One of its meaning can be that it is because of the devil or because of his deception that they are polytheists. The pronoun in بِهِۦ could also be standing for رَبِّهِمْ, that is they associate with Allah. Another interpretation is that they make the devil a partner in what they do.
Bayan-ul-Quran 