16-101 And when We change a message for a message — and Allah knows best what He reveals — they say: Thou art only a forger. Nay, most of them know not.a
وَإِذَا بَدَّلْنَآ ءَايَةًۭ مَّكَانَ ءَايَةٍۢ ۙ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُنَزِّلُ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُفْتَرٍۭ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ (۱۰۱)
16-101a: There is no abrogation in the Quran: All the commentators have understood this verse to mean that Allah abrogates a verse of the Quran and brings another one in its place. A little reflection shows that there is no mention of abrogation of the Quranic verses. In the first place this verse refers to what the disbelievers say, who did not care about which command of the Quran was abrogated and which was still valid. They were basically opposed to the Quran in principle and not to any specific part of it. It’s not as if the Quran initially allowed polytheism and later revoked it, which provoked such an accusation from the disbelievers. Secondly, a discussion of abrogation is totally out of place given the context. The real theme is to establish the genuineness of Divine revelation in contrast to the lies of the disbelievers, as is obvious from their statement in verse 16:103 alleging that there is a human who teaches the Holy Prophet. The third point is that this surah was revealed in Makkah and all the verses that are claimed to be abrogated belong to the Madinah period. Since the details of the shariah were not even revealed in Makkah, how could they have been abrogated? This definitive argument proves there is no reference in this verse to abrogation and replacement of verses. The fourth point to consider is the verse mentions a message being changed, which shows that the reference is to a message that are not within the Quran. There is no definitive knowledge of any verse that is abrogated for recitation and abrogated for the command it contains. The fifth point is, as stated in the next verse, the purpose of the Quranic revelation is to make firm the believers and to be a guide and good news for the Muslims. How can the believers be made firm if some verses abrogate others and how can there be guidance and good news for the Muslims in the abrogation of verses ? The whole purpose of revealing the Quran is to make the believers firm and to give them good news as stated in: كَذَٰلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِۦ فُؤَادَكَ : We may strengthen your heart thereby. The sixth reason is that if even the disbelievers knew during the Makkan period that the Holy Prophet had abrogated such and such verses which were previously in the Quran, how come there is not a single narration by any companion of the Holy Prophet that he abrogated any verse. For more arguments against abrogation of verses in the Quran see 2-106a.
The meaning of We change a message for a message refers to the coming of a new messenger or a new message from Allah. See 2-106a. The sequence of the topic’s development in this surah is that in section 12 there is mention of other prophets who were sent to their nations (16:84 and 89), and in the last section (13) it is stated that the teachings of the Quran preach doing good and shunning evil. This verse answers the disbeliever’s objection of why a new messenger is needed when there have been so many previous messengers, and why did he abrogate the previous shariah (messages), which leads to their claim that the Quran is a fabrication. The reply given is that the Holy Spirit has brought the revelation (verse 16:102) which implies that the world was engulfed in darkness so this revelation was necessary to bring light to the world. Indeed, the Quran cleansed a large part of humanity from evil. The darkness that enveloped the world at the time of the Holy Prophet’s coming has been mentioned earlier. The term بِٱلْحَقِّ with truth indicates that despite the presence of previous messages, there was a need for a new message as testified in many places previously in the Quran.
16-102 Say: The Holy Spirit has revealed it from thy Lord with truth, that it may establish those who believe, and as a guidance and good news for those who submit.
قُلْ نَزَّلَهُۥ رُوحُ ٱلْقُدُسِ مِن رَّبِّكَ بِٱلْحَقِّ لِيُثَبِّتَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَهُدًۭى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ (۱۰۲)
16-103 And indeed We know that they say: Only a mortal teaches him. The tongue of him whom they hint at is foreign, and this is clear Arabic language.a
وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا يُعَلِّمُهُۥ بَشَرٌۭ ۗ لِّسَانُ ٱلَّذِى يُلْحِدُونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْجَمِىٌّۭ وَهَـٰذَا لِسَانٌ عَرَبِىٌّۭ مُّبِينٌ (۱۰۳)
16-103a: يُلْحِدُونَ إِلَيْهِ – The literal meaning of الحاد is مَیۡل and عُدُول to incline towards or to bend. لَحَدَالیه بلسانه means مَالَ became inclined. The word used here is اَلۡحَدَ and according to Farah the meaning of یلحدون is یعترضون they object, as in وَمَن يُرِدْ فِيهِ بِإِلْحَادٍۭ بِظُلْمٍ:ۢ whoever inclines therein to wrong, unjustly (22:25) where the meaning of الحاد is objection. Zajjaj has given the meaning of الحاد as having doubts about Allah. الحاد has also been interpreted as meaning unjust (LA).
The opponents allege that the Holy Prophet is taught by a human: The disbelievers of Makkah used to make such accusations, and their followers in opposing the truth, namely the Christians, also make similar charges. The disbelieving Quraish put forward the names of several people as alleged teachers. All the names put forward were of people belonging to the Ahle Kitab people of the book, most were recent converts from Christianity, and all were non-Arabs. The name of the alleged teacher given in various narrations varies. The following names have been mentioned, Jabar, Ayesh, Yash, and finally Yassar, who is said to have been Jewish. In one narration Abdullah bin Muslim al-Hazarmi said that they had two Christian slaves, Yassar and Jabar, who made swords in Makkah and they used to read the Gospel. Sometimes when the Holy Prophet passed that way, he would stop by to talk to them, and this gave the disbelievers the excuse to say that the Holy Prophet learned from them. All the people named as the teacher were non-Arab, recently converted slaves. The Quranic Arabic has become the standard of expressive eloquence in Arabic for all times to come, such is it’s caliber. How could it have been possible for a non-Arab to have taught this language at such a high literary standard? While discussing question of the Holy Prophet being taught by converts, the next verse mentions the kinds of difficulties that people had to bear for the sake of Islam. This raises several questions. First, why would people who knew enough to teach the Holy Prophet, accept what he said and become Muslims themselves? Second, why would they bear such severe persecution for Islam when they knew that it was a fabrication that they had a part in teaching? The difficulties and suffering through which the early Muslims passed stamped them with the seal of sincerity. While people may still talk, nobody can say that they were fabricators or partners in fabrication.
16-104 Those who believe not in Allah’s messages, Allah guides them not, and for them is a painful chastisement.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَهْدِيهِمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (۱۰۴)
16-105 Only they forge lies who believe not in Allah’s messages, and they are the liars.a
إِنَّمَا يَفْتَرِى ٱلْكَذِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْكَـٰذِبُونَ (۱۰۵)
16-105a: In this verse and the previous one, it is stated that these people, referring to the Holy Prophet and his companions, cannot be fabricators because those who fabricate about Allah cannot believe in the messages of Allah. Without believing in the messages of Allah one cannot stay firm on guidance, hence fabricators are unable to face dangerous difficulties and afflictions resolutely and sincerely. The next verse further expands on this issue.
16-106 Whoso disbelieves in Allah after his belief — not he who is compelled while his heart is content with faith, but he who opens (his) breast for disbelief — on them is the wrath of Allah, and for them is a grievous chastisement.a
مَن كَفَرَ بِٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ إِيمَـٰنِهِۦٓ إِلَّا مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُۥ مُطْمَئِنٌّۢ بِٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ وَلَـٰكِن مَّن شَرَحَ بِٱلْكُفْرِ صَدْرًۭا فَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌۭ (۱۰۶)
16-106a: Renouncing Islam under duress: The real purpose is to highlight the courage and power of conviction with which the Muslims faced difficulties. In addition, those people are mentioned who, overwhelmed by the cruelty of the disbelievers, deny faith out of human weakness to save their life, but they still believe in their heart. However, those who renounce Islam under duress and become satisfied with their disbelief fall under the wrath of Allah. As for the Muslims who are forced to renounce Islam to save their lives but do not do so in their heart, they are considered to be deserving of forgiveness, but the action is not commendable. The case of two Muslims who fell into the hands of Musailama Kazzab is a case in point. One of them renounced Islam to save his life but the other did not do so and was martyred. The Holy Prophet said about them that one took advantage of the permission to depart from Islam under pressure, while the other did not hide the truth and it is a blessing for him.
The belief and sincerity of Muslims: Complete faith requires that one does not care about losing one’s life in the face of the pressure to renounce Islam. This is what most Muslims did. There are only a few examples of Muslims who under the persecution of the disbelievers renounced Islam but there are many more examples of people who cheerfully not only bore persecution but embraced martyrdom.
و ما ابالی حین اقتل مسلماً ۔ علی ای شق کان اللّٰہ مصرعی : When I am being killed in the state of being Muslim, I do not care how I will be killed in the way of Allah. (Khubaib before his martyrdom, as reported in Hadith Bukhari).
16-107 That is because they love this world’s life more than the Hereafter, and because Allah guides not the disbelieving people.
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمُ ٱسْتَحَبُّوا۟ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا عَلَى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ (۱۰۷)
16-108 These are they whose hearts and ears and eyes Allah has sealed and these are the heedless ones.a
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ طَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَسَمْعِهِمْ وَأَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْغَـٰفِلُونَ (۱۰۸)
16-108a: Which hearts are sealed by Allah? These are the people who become so absorbed by the life of this world that they do not care about the Hereafter. And what is that seal? It is the condition of their heart which is described as: أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْغَـٰفِلُونَ :These are the heedless ones (7:179).
16-109 No doubt that in the Hereafter they are the losers.
لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّهُمْ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرُونَ (۱۰۹)
16-110 Then surely thy Lord, to those who flee after they are persecuted, then struggle hard and are patient, surely thy Lord after that is Protecting, Merciful.
ثُمَّ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لِلَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا۟ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا فُتِنُوا۟ ثُمَّ جَـٰهَدُوا۟ وَصَبَرُوٓا۟ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهَا لَغَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ (۱۱۰)
16-110a: Migration to Ethiopia and migration to Madinah: In the end, those people are mentioned who not only bear every kind of difficulty in the way of Allah with good cheer but also leave their homes, businesses, and relatives to save themselves from falling into sin. Then they strive with all their might in the way of Allah and stand firmly and steadfastly. For people with such complete faith, Allah’s protection means that He safeguards and purifies them. Migration is being mentioned for the second time in this surah and the migration being referred to is the migration to Madinah which also gives us an indication about the time period of the revelation of this surah. If the migration mentioned here had been the Ethiopian migration, then there should have been several references to migration in the surahs revealed in the middle Makkan period as well. The Ethiopian migration is not mentioned in the Quran because it was in the knowledge of Allah that the migration most closely tied to the success of Muslims is the migration to Madinah. The mention of jihad in the Makkan chapters, which come before the permission for fighting had been given, shows that jihad means striving to uphold the word of Allah which is the first duty of every Muslim.
Bayan-ul-Quran 