16. Sūrat al-Naḥl

١٦۔ سُورَةُ النَّحْل

16.21 The disbelievers accused Muhammad (pbuh) of being taught the Quran by a certain man, but the man they allude to is non-Arab while the Quran is in eloquent Arabic.

١٦۔٢١ مقطع في سُورَةُ النَّحْل

quran:16:101

And when We substitute a verse in place of a verse - and Allah is most knowing of what He sends down - they say, "You, ˹O Muhammad˺, are but an inventor ˹of lies˺." But most of them do not know.  

And when We exchange a verse in place of a ˹different˺ verse, by abrogating it and revealing another, for the welfare of ˹God’s˺ servants — and God knows best what He reveals — they say, that is, the disbelievers ˹say˺ to the Prophet (s): ‘You are just a fabricator’, a liar, making it up yourself. Nay, most of them do not know, the true nature of the Qur’ān and the benefit ˹to God’s servants˺ of abrogation.
القرآن:١٦:١٠١

وَإِذَا بَدَّلْنَا آيَةً مَكَانَ آيَةٍ ۙ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُنَزِّلُ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُفْتَرٍ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ  

{وإذا بدلنا آية مكان آية} بنسخها وإنزال غيرها بمصلحة العباد {والله أعلم بما ينزل قالوا} أي الكفار للنبي ﷺ {إنما أنت مفتر} كذاب تقوله من عندك {بل أكثرهم لا يعلمون} حقيقة القرآن وفائدة النسخ.
quran:16:102

Say, ˹O Muhammad˺, "The Pure Spirit has brought it down from your Lord in truth to make firm those who believe and as guidance and good tidings to the Muslims."  

Say, to them: ‘The Holy Spirit, Gabriel, has revealed it from your Lord with truth (bi’l-haqq, this is semantically connected to nazzala, ‘he ˹Gabriel˺ has revealed ˹it˺’) to confirm ˹the faith of˺ those who believe, by their believing in it ˹when it is revealed˺, and as guidance and good tidings for those who have submitted ˹to God˺’.
القرآن:١٦:١٠٢

قُلْ نَزَّلَهُ رُوحُ الْقُدُسِ مِنْ رَبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ لِيُثَبِّتَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ  

{قل} لهم {نزَّله روح القدس} جبريل {من ربك بالحق} متعلق بنزل {ليثبت الذين آمنوا} بإيمانهم به {وهدى وبشرى للمسلمين}.
quran:16:103

And We certainly know that they say, "It is only a human being who teaches the Prophet." The tongue of the one they refer to is foreign, and this Qur'an is ˹in˺ a clear Arabic language.  

And verily (wa-laqad is for confirmation) We know that they say, ‘It is only a human that is teaching him, the Qur’ān’ — this was a Christian blacksmith whom the Prophet (s) used to frequent. God, exalted be He, says: The tongue, the language, of him to whom they refer, to whom they incline, ˹with the accusation˺ that he is ˹the one˺ teaching him, is foreign’; while this, Qur’ān, is ˹in˺ a clear Arabic tongue, one of lucidity and clarity: so how can a foreigner be teaching him?
القرآن:١٦:١٠٣

وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا يُعَلِّمُهُ بَشَرٌ ۗ لِسَانُ الَّذِي يُلْحِدُونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْجَمِيٌّ وَهَٰذَا لِسَانٌ عَرَبِيٌّ مُبِينٌ  

{ولقد} للتحقيق {نعلم أنهم يقولون إنما يعلمه} القرآن {بشر} وهو قين نصراني كان النبي ﷺ يدخل عليه قال تعالى {لسان} لغة {الذي يلحدون} يميلون {إليه} أنه يعلمه {أعجمي وهذا} القرآن {لسان عربي مبين} ذو بيان وفصاحة فكيف يعلمه أعجمي.
quran:16:104

Indeed, those who do not believe in the verses of Allah - Allah will not guide them, and for them is a painful punishment.  

Indeed those who do not believe in God’s signs — God shall not guide them and there is a painful chastisement for them.
القرآن:١٦:١٠٤

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ لَا يَهْدِيهِمُ اللَّهُ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ  

{إن الذين لا يؤمنون بآيات الله لا يهديهم الله ولهم عذاب أليم} مؤلم.
quran:16:105

They only invent falsehood who do not believe in the verses of Allah, and it is those who are the liars.  

Only those invent falsehood who do not believe in God’s signs, the Qur’an, by saying that these are the words of a human, and it is they who are the liars (the emphasis is ˹effected˺ by way of repetition; wa-inna, ‘and indeed’, and other ˹combinations of inna˺ are ˹used˺ in refutation of their saying, ‘You are just a fabricator’ ˹above, Q. 16:101˺).
القرآن:١٦:١٠٥

إِنَّمَا يَفْتَرِي الْكَذِبَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَاذِبُونَ  

(إنما يفتري الكذب الذين لا يؤمنون بآيات الله) القرآن بقولهم هذا من قول البشر (وأولئك هم الكاذبون) والتأكيد بالتكرار، وإن وغيرهما رد لقولهم "" إنما أنت مفتر "".
quran:16:106

Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief... except for one who is forced ˹to renounce his religion˺ while his heart is secure in faith. But those who ˹willingly˺ open their breasts to disbelief, upon them is wrath from Allah, and for them is a great punishment;  

Whoever disbelieves in God after ˹having affirmed˺ his faith — except for him who is compelled, to pronounce ˹a statement of˺ unbelief and so pronounces it, while his heart is at rest in faith (man, ‘whoever’, is ˹either˺ a subject or a conditional, and so the predicate ˹of this subject˺, or the response ˹to this conditional˺, is ˹an implied˺ lahum wa‘īdun shadīd, ‘there is for them a severe threat ˹of chastisement˺’; this is indicated by ˹the statement that follows˺) — but he who opens up his breast to unbelief, that is, ˹he who˺ opens it up and expands it ˹with unbelief˺, meaning that his soul is content with it, upon such shall be wrath from God, and there is a great chastisement for them.
القرآن:١٦:١٠٦

مَنْ كَفَرَ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ إِيمَانِهِ إِلَّا مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَٰكِنْ مَنْ شَرَحَ بِالْكُفْرِ صَدْرًا فَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ  

{من كفر بالله من بعد إيمانه إلا من أكره} على التلفظ بالكفر فتلفظ به {وقلبه مطمئن بالإيمان} ومن مبتدأ أو شرطية والخبر أو الجواب لهم وعيد شديد دل على هذا {ولكن من شرح بالكفر صدرا} له أي فتحه ووسعه بمعنى طابت به نفسه {فعليهم غضب من الله ولهم عذاب عظيم}.
quran:16:107

That is because they preferred the worldly life over the Hereafter and that Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.  

That, threat ˹of chastisement˺ for them, is because they have preferred the life of this world, they have chosen it ˹in preference˺, to the Hereafter, and because God does not guide the disbelieving folk.
القرآن:١٦:١٠٧

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمُ اسْتَحَبُّوا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا عَلَى الْآخِرَةِ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ  

{ذلك} الوعيد لهم {بأنهم استحبوا الحياة الدنيا} اختاروها {على الآخرة وأن الله لا يهدي القوم الكافرين}.
quran:16:108

Those are the ones over whose hearts and hearing and vision Allah has sealed, and it is those who are the heedless.  

They are the ones on whose hearts God has set a seal, and on their hearing and their sight ˹as well˺, and it is they who are heedless, of what ˹punishment˺ is being prepared for them.
القرآن:١٦:١٠٨

أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ طَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَسَمْعِهِمْ وَأَبْصَارِهِمْ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْغَافِلُونَ  

{أولئك الذين طبع الله على قلوبهم وسمعهم وأبصارهم وأولئك هم الغافلون} عما يراد بهم.
quran:16:109

Assuredly, it is they, in the Hereafter, who will be the losers.  

Without a doubt — verily — in the Hereafter they are the ones who will be the losers, because their journey’s end shall be the Fire, in which they shall be perpetually.
القرآن:١٦:١٠٩

لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ  

{لا جرم} حقاً {أنهم في الآخرة هم الخاسرون} لمصيرهم إلى النار المؤبدة عليهم.
quran:16:110

Then, indeed your Lord, to those who emigrated after they had been compelled ˹to renounce their religion˺ and thereafter fought ˹for the cause of Allah˺ and were patient - indeed, your Lord, after that, is Forgiving and Merciful  

Then indeed your Lord — as for those who emigrated, to Medina, after they were persecuted, ˹after˺ they were tortured and ˹compelled to˺ pronounce ˹words of˺ unbelief (a variant reading ˹for futinū, ‘they were persecuted’˺ has fatanū, in other words, ‘˹after˺ they disbelieved’, or ‘˹after˺ they turned people away from belief’), and then struggled and were patient, in obedience — indeed your Lord after that, that is, ˹after˺ such a trial, is Forgiving, of them, Merciful, to them (the predicate of the first inna, ‘indeed’, is indicated by the predicate of the second one).
القرآن:١٦:١١٠

ثُمَّ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لِلَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا فُتِنُوا ثُمَّ جَاهَدُوا وَصَبَرُوا إِنَّ رَبَّكَ مِنْ بَعْدِهَا لَغَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ  

{ثم إن ربك للذين هاجروا} إلى المدينة {من بعد ما فُتنوا} عذبوا وتلفظوا بالكفر وفي قراءة بالبناء للفاعل أي كفروا أو فتنوا الناس عن الأيمان {ثم جاهدوا وصبروا} على الطاعة {إن ربك من بعدها} أي الفتنة {لغفور} لهم {رحيم} بهم وخبر إن الأولى دل عليه خبر الثانية.