276 Page Notes

16 Surah An-Nahl (continued)

Page 276 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 276 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 276 of the Quran covers Surah An-Nahl (The Bees, 16), verses 80 through 87. This section begins by shifting the reader's attention to the domestic blessings of everyday lifestyle and survival, detailing how Allah provided homes as places of rest, and animal hides, wool, and fur for portable shelter, clothing, and utility (Verses 80–81). The text then transitions into a sobering warning to the Prophet about his baseline responsibility (Verse 82) and details the intense spiritual regret and legal abandonment that will occur between pagan leaders and their false deities on the Day of Judgment (Verses 83–87).

Classical commentaries link these verses directly to canonical Hadiths to derive legal rulings regarding animal products, explain prophetic history, and detail the mechanics of the afterlife.

1. Domestic Blessings and the Legality of Hides, Wool, and Fur (Verse 80)

"And Allah has made for you from your homes a place of rest and made for you from the hides of livestock tents which you find light on the day of your travel and the day of your encampment; and from their wool, fur and hair is furnishing and enjoyment for a time." (Quran 16:80)

This verse catalogs the material provisions that sustained nomadic and settled life. In the Sunnah, this specific verse serves as a primary source for major Islamic legal rulings (Fiqh) regarding what materials can be legally worn or used for prayer, especially regarding dead animals.

The Purification of Leather via Tanning (Dibagh)

While verse 80 praises the utility of animal hides ($جُلُودِ\ الْأَنْعَامِ$), an explicit question arose among the companions: Can the skin of an animal that died naturally (without being properly slaughtered) still be used under this verse? The Prophet's Sunnah provided the exact mechanical exception.

• The Prophetic Legal Ruling: Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet ﷺ passed by a dead sheep that had been given to a freed slave-girl of Aisha and remarked, "Why don't you make use of its hide?" They replied, "But it died of natural causes (it is Maytah/unslaughtered)." The Prophet ﷺ responded:
  "Only eating it is prohibited. Its hide is purified by tanning it." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2221; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 363).

• The Universal Rule: In another narration, Abdullah ibn Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
  "When the hide is tanned, it becomes pure." (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 366).

Sheared Wool and Hair from Living Animals

Jurists use the phrasing "and from their wool ($أَصْوَافِهَا$), fur ($أَوْبَارِهَا$), and hair ($أَشْعَارِهَا$)" to deduce that materials sheared from living permissible animals are inherently pure. The Sunnah explicitly clarified this boundary line right after the migration to Medina.

• The Prophetic Standard: Abu Waqid al-Laythi reported that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived in Medina, the people were actively cutting off the humps of living camels and slicing the fat-tails off living sheep for food. The Prophet ﷺ immediately banned the practice and set a chemical benchmark:
  "Whatever is cut off from an animal while it is still alive is considered dead meat (improper/forbidden to consume)." (Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1480; Sunan Abi Dawud).

Legal Application: Based on Surah An-Nahl verse 80 and this Hadith, jurists agree that while flesh cut from a living animal is dead meat, wool, hair, and feathers sheared from a living, permissible animal are entirely pure and clean for human use.

2. The Scope of the Prophet's Duty (Verse 82)

"But if they turn away, then upon you is only clear notification." (Quran 16:82)

This verse sets a healthy boundary for the Prophet ﷺ, reassuring him that his only legal and spiritual assignment is to clearly deliver the message ($الْبَلَاغُ\ الْمُبِينُ$). He is not responsible for forcing hearts to change. The Sunnah underscores this by showing that on the Day of Judgment, prophets will be evaluated entirely on their faithfulness to deliver the message, not on the raw number of followers they successfully converted.

• The Prophetic Vision: Ibn Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
  "The nations were displayed before me. I saw a prophet passing by with a large group, another prophet passing by with a small group of men, another prophet passing by with only ten followers, another prophet with only two men, and a prophet passing by completely alone with not a single person with him..." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 5705; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 220).

3. Shifting Blame and False Gods on Judgment Day (Verses 86–87)

"And when those who associated partners with Allah see their 'partners', they will say, 'Our Lord, these are our partners whom we used to invoke besides You.' But they will throw back their word at them, [saying], 'Indeed, you are liars.' And they will impart to Allah that day submission, and lost from them is what they used to invent." (Quran 16:86-87)

These verses expose a tense psychological showdown that will occur on Judgment Day. When the idolaters try to shift blame to the false gods they worshipped, those entities will dynamically gain a voice and call them "liars," pointing out that they were merely pursuing their own egoist desires. The Sunnah maps out this exact legal confrontation.

• The Prophetic Tradition: Abu Hurairah reported in a long narration regarding the Day of Resurrection that Allah will confront the individual who worshipped false ideas or deities:
  "...Allah will say to him: 'Did I not honor you, make you a leader, provide you a spouse, and subject horses and camels to your service...?' He will reply, 'Yes, my Lord.' Allah will ask, 'Did you think you would ever meet Me?' He will say, 'No.' Then Allah will say: 'This Day I shall forget you just as you forgot Me.' Next, the third person will be brought, and he will say, 'O Lord, I believed in You, Your Book, and Your Messengers; I prayed, fasted, and gave charity.' Allah will say, 'Stop here.' Then it will be said to him: 'Now We will bring our witness against you.' The man will think to himself: 'Who can testify against me?' Then a seal will be placed over his mouth, and his thigh, flesh, and bones will be commanded to speak... to expose his true actions and eliminate any excuses." (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2968).