271 Page Notes

16 Surah An-Nahl (continued)

Page 271 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 271 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 271 of the Quran consists of Surah An-Nahl (The Bees, 16), verses 35 through 42. This section deals fundamentally with the polytheists’ fatalistic justification for their disbelief (Verse 35), the universal mission of prophetic messengers to establish monotheism and reject false tyrants (Verse 36), the absolute certainty of the Resurrection (Verses 38–40), and the profound spiritual status of those who emigrate (Hijrah) for the sake of Allah (Verses 41–42).

Classical Tafsir literature (such as the works of Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi) maps these verses directly to primary canonical Hadith collections to clarify the mechanics of divine decree (Qadar), the nature of a prophet's duty, and the historical reality of the early Muslims.

1. Blaming Divine Decree for Personal Disbelief (Verse 35)

"Those who associated partners with Allah said, 'If Allah had willed, we would not have worshipped anything other than Him, neither we nor our fathers'..." (Quran 16:35)

The polytheists used a classic philosophical cop-out: they argued that since Allah is all-powerful, their idolatry must be explicitly approved by Him, conflating His cosmic will (what He allows to occur) with His legislative pleasure (what He commands and loves). The Sunnah vehemently rejects this logic, emphasizing that human beings are given free agency and are accountable for their choices.

• The Prophetic Tradition: Ali ibn Abi Talib reported that they were at a funeral in Baqi al-Gharqad when the Prophet ﷺ sat down and said:
  "There is none among you, no created soul, but has his place written for him either in Paradise or in the Hellfire." A man asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Shall we then depend upon what is written for us and leave off striving?" The Prophet replied, "No, you must strive and do good deeds, for everyone will find it easy to do those deeds which will lead him to his destined place." He then recited verses emphasizing human action and accountability. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4949; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2647).

2. The Universal Mandate of Messengers and Taghut (Verse 36)

"And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], 'Worship Allah and avoid Taghut.' And among them were those whom Allah guided, and among them were those upon whom error was [deservedly] decreed..." (Quran 16:36)

This verse establishes that every civilization in history received a prophet with an identical core message: establish Tawheed (the oneness of God) and actively reject Taghut (false deities, tyrants, or anything worshipped or obeyed in absolute defiance of Allah).

• The Prophetic Tradition on Prophetic Brotherhood: Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
  "The Prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3443; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2365).

• The Definition of Taghut's Head: While Taghut is broad, the Sunnah specifies that its ultimate head is Satan, who lures people away from the messages sent to these nations. The Prophet ﷺ noted:
  "Satan sits in wait for the son of Adam on all his paths..." (Sunan an-Nasa'i, Hadith 3134).

3. The Absolute Certainty of Resurrection (Verses 38–40)

"And they swear by Allah their strongest oaths [that] Allah will not resurrect one who dies. But yes, [it is] a true promise binding upon Him, but most of the people do not know... Indeed, Our word to a thing when We intend it is but that We say to it, 'Be,' and it is." (Quran 16:38, 40)

The Divine Response to the Deniers of Resurrection

The polytheists swore heavily that physical resurrection was an impossibility. In a powerful Hadith Qudsi (divine saying related by the Prophet), Allah addresses this exact human arrogance, explicitly stating that denying the Resurrection is an insult to His creative power.

• The Prophetic Tradition: Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
  "Allah the Almighty says: 'The son of Adam denied Me, and he had no right to do so. And he reviled Me, and he had no right to do so. As for his denying Me, it is his saying: "He will not resurrect me as He created me initially"—whereas the initial creation is not easier for Me than resurrecting him...'" (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4974).

The Ease of Creation (Kun Faya-kun)

Verse 40 highlights that Allah creates purely through a verbal command: "Be" ($كُن$). The Sunnah underscores this absolute, effortless omnipotence in a famous tradition describing the massive scope of Allah's wealth and power.

• The Prophetic Tradition: Abu Dharr reported that the Prophet ﷺ narrated from Allah:
  "...O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you, were to gather on a single plain and ask of Me, and I were to give every human being what he asked for, that would not decrease what I have with Me any more than a needle decreases the sea when dipped into it..." (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2577).

4. The Honor of the Emigrants (Muhajirun) (Verses 41–42)

"And those who emigrated for the sake of Allah after they had been wronged - We will surely settle them in this world in a good place; but the reward of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew. [They are] those who endured patiently and upon their Lord they rely." (Quran 16:41-42)

Historical Context (Asbab al-Nuzul)

Classical commentators state that these verses were revealed explicitly regarding the early companions who faced brutal torture in Mecca—such as Bilal ibn Rabah, Suhaib ar-Rumi, Ammar ibn Yasir, and Khabbab ibn al-Aratt—and subsequently fled to Abyssinia or Medina for the sake of their faith.

• The Prophetic Validation of Hijrah: The Sunnah places the spiritual act of Hijrah (emigration for God's sake) at the highest tier of spiritual purification, noting that it completely wipes out an individual's historical sins. When Amr ibn al-Aas was hesitating to pledge allegiance out of fear for his past crimes, the Prophet ﷺ told him:
  "Do you not know that entering Islam wipes out whatever came before it? And that performing Hijrah (emigration) wipes out whatever came before it?" (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 121).

Relying Unwaveringly upon Allah (Tawakkul)

Verse 42 describes these emigrants as people of immense patience who practice Tawakkul (absolute reliance on their Lord). The Prophet ﷺ modeled this exact trait during his own migration, famously reassuring Abu Bakr when they were trapped in the Cave of Thawr with Meccan trackers standing inches above them.

• The Prophetic Tradition: Abu Bakr narrated:
  "I saw the feet of the polytheists above us while we were in the cave. I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, if one of them were to look down at his feet, he would see us!' The Prophet ﷺ replied: 'O Abu Bakr, what do you think of two, of whom Allah is the third?'" (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3653; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2381).