272 Page Notes

16 Surah An-Nahl (continued)

Page 272 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 272 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 272 of the Quran covers Surah An-Nahl (The Bees, 16), verses 43 through 54. This page transitions through several major intellectual and spiritual arguments: establishing that all historical prophets were mortal men (Verses 43–44), issuing a severe warning to those plotting against the message (Verses 45–47), illustrating the cosmic submission of all created things—including shadows and angels (Verses 48–50), and breaking down the human psychological pattern of turning to Allah only during intense suffering, only to slip back into polytheism once relief arrives (Verses 51–54).

Classical commentators tie these structural themes directly to canonical Hadiths to unpack their legal, historical, and cosmic meanings.

1. The Humanity of Messengers and the Authority of Scholars (Verses 43–44)

"And We sent not before you except men to whom We revealed [Our message]. So ask the people of the message (Ahl adh-Dhikr) if you do not know. [We sent them] with clear proofs and written ordinances. And We revealed to you the message that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them..." (Quran 16:43-44)

Historical Context (Asbab al-Nuzul)

The pagan Quraysh mocked the idea that a normal man walking through the markets could be a prophet, arguing that Allah should have sent an angel.

• The Context: Ibn Abbas narrated that when Allah commissioned Muhammad ﷺ, the Arabs denied him, saying, "Allah is too great to have a human messenger." Allah then revealed this verse, instructing them to ask the Jewish and Christian scholars (Ahl adh-Dhikr) whether Moses, Jesus, and earlier prophets were angels or human men (Recorded in Tafsir At-Tabari and Tafsir Ibn Kathir).

The Role of the Prophet as the Clarifier

Verse 44 establishes the Sunnah's foundational legal status. It explicitly tasks the Prophet ﷺ with "making clear" ($لِتُبَيِّنَ$) the Quran, proving that the Quran cannot be fully understood without the Prophet’s live application, explanations, and legal rulings.

• The Prophetic Tradition: Al-Miqdam ibn Ma'dikarib reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
  "Lo! I have indeed been given the Book (the Quran) and something like it along with it (the Sunnah). Yet the time is coming when a man sitting fully satiated on his couch will say: 'Keep to this Quran; what you find in it to be permissible, treat as permissible, and what you find in it to be forbidden, treat as forbidden.' But indeed, what the Messenger of Allah forbids is just like what Allah forbids." (Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 4604; Sunan at-Tirmidhi).

Asking the People of Knowledge

Islamic jurists derive a universal principle from verse 43 ("Ask the people of knowledge if you do not know"): it is a mandatory duty for a layperson to seek guidance from qualified scholars.

• The Prophetic Tradition: Jabir reported that a companion suffered a severe head wound, but was mistakenly told by others he still had to perform full ritual washing (Ghusl), which caused his death. When the Prophet ﷺ found out, he was deeply upset and said:
  "They killed him, may Allah destroy them! Why did they not ask when they did not know? The only cure for lack of knowledge (ignorance) is to ask!" (Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 336).

2. Cosmic Submission: The Shadows and the Angels (Verses 48–50)

"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. 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. They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded." (Quran 16:48-50)

The Continuous Worship of the Angels

Verse 50 describes the angels as entirely free of arrogance, existing in perpetual awe of Allah and executing commands flawlessly. The Sunnah maps out this physical and spatial reality of angelic worship.

• The Prophetic Tradition: Hakim ibn Hizam narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said to his companions:
  "Do you hear what I hear? The heavens are groaning, and it has every right to groan! There is not a single space of four fingers' width in the heavens except that an angel is there, placing his forehead in prostration ($Sajdah$) to Allah." (Musnad Ahmad; Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by At-Tabarani).

3. Human Hypocrisy in Hardship and Ease (Verses 53–54)

"And whatever you have of favor - it is from Allah. Then when adversity touches you, to Him you cry for help. Then when He removes the adversity from you, at once a party of you associates others with their Lord." (Quran 16:53-54)

These verses expose a deep psychological blind spot: when human beings are in a crisis (like a storm at sea or a terminal illness), their natural instinct (Fitrah) strips away all false idols, and they call out purely to God. Yet, the moment they are safe, they credit their survival to worldly luck or false deities.

• The Historical Event (The Conversion of Ikrimah): Classical mufassirun note that this exact psychological shift led Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl (the son of Islam's fiercest enemy) to accept Islam. When Mecca fell, Ikrimah fled by ship across the Red Sea. A violent storm battered the vessel, and the crew shouted, "Call upon God alone, for your false idols cannot save you here!"
  Ikrimah thought to himself: "By Allah, if nothing can save me at sea except sincerity to Allah, then nothing can save me on land except sincerity to Him either! O Allah, I vow that if You rescue me from this, I will go straight to Muhammad and place my hand in his." He survived, returned, and became a devout Muslim companion (Recorded in Sunan an-Nasa'i, Hadith 4067; Tafsir Ibn Kathir).

• The Prophetic Tradition on Acknowledging Blessings: To counter this habit of forgetting Allah during times of ease, the Prophet ﷺ instructed:
  "Remember Allah and make yourself known to Him in times of ease and prosperity, and He will remember you in times of adversity and distress." (Musnad Ahmad; 40 Hadith An-Nawawi, 19).