16. Sūrat al-Naḥl

١٦۔ سُورَةُ النَّحْل

16.7 Do the disbelievers feel secure against the wrath of God.

١٦۔٧ مقطع في سُورَةُ النَّحْل

quran:16:45

Then, do those who have planned evil deeds feel secure that Allah will not cause the earth to swallow them or that the punishment will not come upon them from where they do not perceive?  

Do they feel secure, those who have schemed evil, schemes against the Prophet (s) at the Council Assembly, ˹schemes˺ such as detaining him, killing him or banishing him, as mentioned in ˹sūrat˺ al-Anfāl ˹Q. 8:30˺, that God will not cause the earth to swallow them, as ˹God did˺ with Qārūn ˹Q. 28:81˺, or that the chastisement will not come upon them whence they are not aware of?, that is, in a way which would not occur to them. Indeed, they were destroyed at Badr even though they had never anticipated it.
القرآن:١٦:٤٥

أَفَأَمِنَ الَّذِينَ مَكَرُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ أَنْ يَخْسِفَ اللَّهُ بِهِمُ الْأَرْضَ أَوْ يَأْتِيَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ  

{أفأمِنَ الذين مكروا} المكرات {السيئات} بالنبي ﷺ في دار الندوة من تقييده أو قتله أو إخراجه كما ذكر في الأنفال {أن يخسف الله بهم الأرض} كقارون {أو يأتيهم العذاب من حيث لا يشعرون} أي جهة لا تخطر ببالهم وقد أهلكوا ببدر ولم يكونوا يقدّرون ذلك.
quran:16:46

Or that He would not seize them during their ˹usual˺ activity, and they could not cause failure?  

Or that He will not seize them in their going to and fro, during their travels for commerce, whereupon they will not be able to escape?, ˹whereupon˺ they will not be able to elude the chastisement.
القرآن:١٦:٤٦

أَوْ يَأْخُذَهُمْ فِي تَقَلُّبِهِمْ فَمَا هُمْ بِمُعْجِزِينَ  

{أو يأخذهم في تقلبهم} في أسفارهم للتجارة {فما هم بمعجزين} بفائتي العذاب.
quran:16:47

Or that He would not seize them gradually ˹in a state of dread˺? But indeed, your Lord is Kind and Merciful.  

Or that He will not seize them amid ˹growing˺ fear?, ˹amid˺ a gradual diminishing ˹of their numbers˺ little by little, until all are destroyed (‘alā takhawwufin is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the subject of the verb ˹God˺ or the object). Indeed then your Lord is Gentle, Merciful, insofar as He does not hasten for them their punishment.
القرآن:١٦:٤٧

أَوْ يَأْخُذَهُمْ عَلَىٰ تَخَوُّفٍ فَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَرَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ  

{أو يأخذهم على تخوف} تنقص شيئاً فشيئاً حتى يهلك الجميع حال من الفاعل أو المفعول {فإن ربكم لرءُوف رحيم} حيث لم يعاجلهم بالعقوبة.
quran:16:48

Have they not considered what things Allah has created? Their shadows incline to the right and to the left, prostrating to Allah, while they are humble.  

Or have they not observed the things which God has created, which cast a shadow, such as trees or a mountain, how their shadows incline to the right and to the left (shamā’il is the plural of shimāl), in other words, towards both sides, at the beginning of the day and at its end, prostrating to God (sujjadan is a circumstantial qualifier), that is to say, subservient to Him with respect to what is required of them, and ˹how˺ they, the shadows, are subject?, humbled: they ˹the shadows˺ are likened to rational beings ˹in this description˺.
القرآن:١٦:٤٨

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَىٰ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ يَتَفَيَّأُ ظِلَالُهُ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَالشَّمَائِلِ سُجَّدًا لِلَّهِ وَهُمْ دَاخِرُونَ  

{أولم يروْا إلى ما خلق الله من شيء} له ظل كشجرة وجبل {تتفيَّؤ} تتميل {ظلاله عن اليمين والشمائل} جمع شمال أي عن جانبيهما أول النهار وآخره {سجداً لله} حال أي خاضعين له بما يراد منهم {وهم} أي الظلال {داخرون} صاغرون نزلوا منزلة العقلاء.
quran:16:49

And to Allah prostrates whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth of creatures, and the angels ˹as well˺, and they are not arrogant.  

And to God prostrates whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth of living creatures, that is, ˹of˺ every single thing that moves thereupon; in other words, to Him it ˹everything˺ is subservient in terms of what is required of it — most of what is given ˹by way of example˺ is non-rational, since these are ˹the more˺ numerous — and the angels ˹also prostrate˺ — these are singled out for mention because of their merit — and they are not arrogant, they do ˹not˺ disdain to worship Him.
القرآن:١٦:٤٩

وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِنْ دَابَّةٍ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ  

{ولله يسجد ما في السماوات وما في والأرض من دابة} أي نسمة تدب عليها أي تخضع له بما يراد منها، وغلب في الإتيان بما لا يعقل لكثرته {والملائكة} خصهم بالذكر تفضيلاً {وهم لا يستكبرون} يتكبرون عن عبادته.
quran:16:50

They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded.  

They, that is, the angels, fear (yakhāfūna is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the person governing ˹the verb˺ yastakbirūna, ‘they are ˹not˺ arrogant’) their Lord from above them (min fawqihim is a circumstantial qualifier referring to ˹the suffixed pronoun˺ -hum ˹of fawqihim˺) in other words, ˹they fear their Lord˺, being High above them with the power to subjugate, and they do what they are commanded, to ˹do˺.
القرآن:١٦:٥٠

يَخَافُونَ رَبَّهُمْ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ۩  

{يخافون} أي الملائكة حال من ضمير يستكبرون {ربهم من فوقهم} حال من هم أي عالياً عليهم بالقهر {ويفعلون ما يؤمرون} به.