Indexed OCR Text

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 41 - 42
from Egypt to Madyan: ◌ُفَخَرَجَ مِنُهَا خَائِفًا يَتَرَقَّب (he got out from there, fearing,
watching - 28:21).
5. To move out due to unsuitable climate or likely diseases: This is
the fifth kind of journey which has also been permitted by Islam as the
Holy Prophet
had advised some shepherds to settle by the grooves
outside Madinah because the climate of the city did not suit them. Simi-
larly, Sayyidna 'Umar al-Faruq
had sent an executive order to Sayy-
idna Abu 'Ubaidah 4
that he should should shift the provincial capital
from Jordan to some site located on a higher altitude where the climate
is not bad.
But, this is on condition that there be no plague or other epidemic
diseases affecting the area. And if, an epidemic does spread out in an
area, it is governed by another rule, that is, those who are already pre-
sent there do not have to get out from that area. As for those who are
outside it, they should not go in there - as it happened with Sayyidna
'Umar al-Faruq 4
ge during his journey to Syria. When he reached the bor-
ders of Syria, he was told that a plague has spread throughout that coun-
try. Hearing that, he hesitated from entering that country. He went into
repeated consultations with the Sahabah to resolve this problem. The
resolution came only after Sayyidna 'Abd Al-Rahman ibn Al-'Awf 446 nar-
rated a Hadith in which the Holy Prophet g had said:
إِذَا وَقَعَ بِأَرْضٍ وَأَنْتُمُ بِهَا فَلاَ تَخْرُجُوْا مِنْهَا وَإِذَا وَقَعَ بِأَرْضٍ وَلَسْتُمُ بِهَا فَلاَ تَهُبِطُوا
عَلَيْهَا (رواه الترمذي وقال حديث حسن صحيح)
When plague spreads in an area where you are present, do not
go out from there; and when it spreads in an area where you
are not already present, do not go in there (after having heard
of plague). (This Hadith has been reported by Tirmidhi who calls it
Hasan Şahih)
At that time, Sayyidna 'Umar al-Faruq 4%, in obedience to the com-
mand of the Hadith, proclaimed that the whole caravan shall turn back
and go home.
Some 'Ulama have pointed out that this Hadith has a particular ele-
ment of wisdom in it, that is, the people staying in an area affected by
some epidemic are most likely to be infected by its germs. If they were to
run away from there, the one who is infected dangerously is not going to

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 41 - 42
survive anyway, but he would infect others wherever he goes. Hence, the
wise decision.
6. To secure personal property and possessions: When someone feels
the danger of being hit by thieves and robbers at a certain place, he
should move away from there. The Shari'ah of Islam has permitted
doing this as well because the property and possessions of a Muslim are
as sacrosanct as his or her life.
These six kinds belong to migration undertaken to run for safety
against something. Then, there is the journey undertaken to seek and
get something. It has nine kinds:
1. The journey for moral self-correction: It means touring and travell-
ing through Allah's earth for the particular purpose of witnessing the
creation of Allah Ta'ala, the manifestations of His most perfect power,
and having a spot observation of the sad end of past peoples in order to
learn one's essential lesson in how to live sensibly and confidently. The
Holy Qur'an has exhorted people to embark on such trips, for instance
in : ◌ْآوَلَمُ يَسِيرُوا فِى الْأَرْضِ فَيَنْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِم (Have they not travelled
around the earth and seen how was the end of those before them? -
35:44). 'Ulama have identified the journey undertaken by Sayyidna
Dhul-Qarnain as a journey of this kind, while some of them suggest that
his journey through the earth was to establish Divine Law on it.
2. The journey of Hajj: That it is an Islamic duty subject to some con-
ditions is well known.
3. The journey of Jihad: All Muslims know that it is also either oblig-
atory (fard), or necessary (wajib), or recommended (mustahabb).
4. The journey for employment: If a person cannot find economic sup-
port for his needs in his homeland, it is incumbent on him that he
travels elsewhere and look for an employment opportunity there.
5. The journey for trading: It means travelling to acquire wealth in
excess to the measure of need. According to Islamic legal norms, this too
is permissible. Allah Tarala says: ◌ْلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمُ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَبْتَغُوا فَضْلاً مِّنْ رَّبِّكُم :'There is
no sin on you that you seek the bounty of your Lord (by trading) - 2:198.
Here, by 'seeking of bounty' in this verse, the reference is to trading.
When Allah Ta'ala has allowed trading even during the Hajj trip, then,

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 43 - 44
undertaking a journey for the sole purpose of trading becomes permis-
sible in the first degree.
6. The journey for education: That it is an absolute duty in terms of
religious need, and that it is an obligation of sufficiency (fard al-kifayah:
an obligation which, if discharged by some, would suffice for others) in
terms of what is more than needed, is widely known and amply recog-
nized.
7. The journey to a place believing it to be sacred and blessed: This is
not correct and proper except for the three Masajid and they are: (1)
Al-Masjid Al-Haram (The Sacred Mosque of Makkah al-Mukarramah)
(2) Al-Masjid An-Nabawiyy (The Mosque of the Holy Prophet 3, in
Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah) (3) Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (Baytul-Maqdis).
[This is the view of Al-Qurtubi and Ibn al-'Arabi. Other revered scholars of early
Islam and their successors have also allowed the undertaking of travel to visit places
generally considered blessed - Muhammad Shafi'].
8. The journey undertaken to guard Islamic frontiers: This is known
as Ribat. There are many Hadith reports which commend it strongly.
(For details on Ribat, please see our comments under Verse 200 of Surah 'Al-'Imran in
Ma'ariful-Qur'an, Volume II)
9. The journey to visit relatives and friends: This too has been
classed as an act deserving of return and reward. A Hadith of Sahip
Muslim mentions the prayer of angels in favour of those who undertake
a journey to visit relatives and friends (which is valid only when the
purpose of meeting them is to seek the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala and not
to seek any material gains). Allah knows best. (Qurtubi, p. 349-351, v. 5,
Surah An-Nisa')
Verses 43 -44
وَمَآ أَرُسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ إِلاَّ رِجَالاً تُّوْحِىَّ إِلَيْهِمْ فَسَثَلُوْا أَهْلَ الذِّكُرِ إِنُ
كُتُمُ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٢﴾ بِالْبَيِّنْتِ وَالزُّبْرِ ، وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْك الذِّكُرَ لِتُبِّنَ
لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمُ وَلَعَلَّهُمُ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٤٤﴾
And We did not send (messengers) before you other than

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 43 - 44
men whom We inspired with revelation. So, ask the peo-
ple (having the knowledge) of the Message, if you do not
know. [43] (We sent them) with clear signs and scrip-
tures. And We sent down the Message (The Qur'an) so
that you explain to the people what has been revealed
for them and so that they may ponder. [44]
Commentary
According to Ruh al-Ma'ani, it was after the revelation of the first
verse cited above that the Mushrikin of Makkah sent their emissaries to
the Jews of Madinah to find out if it was true that all earlier prophets
had always been from the genus of men.
Though, included under the Qur'anic expression: Sul jai (Ah-
ludh-Dhikr) were the people of the Book and believers all together, but it
was obvious that the Mushrikin (disbelievers) were to be satisfied only
by the statement of non-Muslims - because they themselves were not
satisfied with what the Holy Prophet
was telling them. So, how could
they accept the statement of other Muslims?
The word: S} (dhikr) in the combination of: SJ Jal [Ahludh-Dhikr :
translated here as 'the people (having the knowledge) of the Message'] is
used to carry more than one meaning. One of these is 'Ilm or knowledge.
It is in this sense that the Holy Qur'an has identified the Torah too as
Dhikr : ◌ِوَلَقَدُ كَتَبْنَا فِى الزَّبُوُرِ مِنْمُ بَعُدِ الذِّكْر :'And verily We have written in the Zabur
(Scripture, Psalms), after the Dhikr (the Message, Torah)' - 21:105. Simi-
lar to this is the statement which follows next: ◌َآَنْزَلْنَآ إِلَيُكَ الذِّكْر [And We sent
down the Message (The Qur'an) to you - 21:106]. Here, the word: Sui
(Adh-Dhikr) means the Qur'an. Therefore, 'ahludh-dhikr' literally
means 'the people of knowledge' (as refined in the cited translation). And
who are those referred to as Ahlul-'Ilm or 'the people of knowledge' at
this place? As apparent in this case, they refer to the scholars among the
people of the Book, the Jews and Christians. This is the view of
Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 40, Hasan and As-Suddiyy and others. Then, there
are scholars who have taken 'Adh-Dhikr' at this place as well in the
sense of Al-Qur'an, and thus explained 'Ahludh-Dhikr' in the sense of Ah-
lul-Qur'an. However, the clearest position taken in this matter is that of
Rummani, Zajjaj and Azhari. They say:
المراد باهل الذكر علماء اخبار الامم السالفة كائنا من كان فالذكر بمعنى الحفظ

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 43 - 44
كانّه قيل اسألوا المطلعين على اخبارا لامم يعلموكم بذلك
'Ahludh-Dhikr' means authentic historians of past peoples based on
this investigative position, this definition includes therein the people of
the Book, the Jews and Christians, and the people of the Qur'an, the
Muslims as well.
The word: SJ (al-bayyinat) in verse 44 means clear signs and mira-
cles, the later being more aptly applicable here. The word: " (zubur) is
the plural form of: 5% (zubarah) which means large pieces of iron as in:
give me pieces of the iron - 18:96). Because of the relevance of) أُتُوُنِىُ زُبَرَالْحَدِيْدِ
putting pieces together, writing is called: jj (zabar), and a written book
is known as: الزبر (az-zibr) with its plural as: الزُّبُور (az-zabur). In short, at
this point, it means the Book of Allah which includes Torah, Injil, Zabur
and Qur'an.
Non-Mujtahids must follow Mujtahid Imams:
The Essence of Taqlid
Though, the sentence: ◌َفَسْئَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمُ لاَ تَعْلَمُون [So, ask the people
(having the knowledge) of the Message, if you do not know - 43] has ap-
peared at this place in relation with a particular subject, but its words
are general and are inclusive of all other matters of concern. Therefore,
given the way Qur'an has with words, this is really an important rule of
procedure based on reason and revelation both, that is, those who do not
know injunctions revealed for them ask those who do, and act according-
ly. It is as simple as that. So, it is the duty of those who do not know
that they should act in accordance with what they are told by those who
do. This is what Taqlid (to follow in trust) is. Not only that it is an explic-
it command of the Qur'an, there is just no other way the mass practice of
religion can be achieved, even if it was to be argued rationally. This rule
has been in practice throughout the Muslim community right from the
age of the noble Sahabah to this day without any division or difference.
Even those who disavow Taqlid do not reject the kind of Taqlid under
which those who are not 'Alim (knowledgable in religion) should take
Fatwa from the 'Ulama' and act accordingly. And it is obvious that, even
if the 'Ulama' were to give proof of their view from the Qur'an and Sun-
nah to masses of people who are unaware, they would still accept these
arguments and proofs on the authority of, and trust and confidence in
the same 'Ulama'. They themselves do not have the ability to under-

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stand and assess arguments and proofs presented. And Taqlid is nothing
but that one who does not know places his trust and confidence in some-
one who knows and accepts the injunction in question as the injunction
of the Shari'ah, and acts accordingly. This is one Taqlid the justification
of which - in fact, the necessity of which, leaves no room for any differ-
ence.
However, as for 'Ulama' who themselves have the ability to under-
stand Qur'an and Hadith and know the places where consensus (Ijma')
exists, they are free to act, in the case of such injunctions as have been
clearly and explicitly mentioned in Qur'an and Hadith - and in which
there exists no difference among the learned Șahabah and Tabi'in as
well - in these they can act directly according to Qur'an, Hadith and Ij-
ma'. In these matters, 'Ulama' need not follow (Taqlid) any Mujtahid.
But, there are particular injunctions and rulings which have not been ex-
plicitly spelt out in Qur'an and Sunnah, or wherein there appears to be
some contradiction in the 'ayat (verses) of the Qur'an and the riwayat
(narrations) of Hadith, or in which there has come up some difference
among the Şahabah and Tabi'in in determining the meaning of Qur'an
and Sunnah - such rulings and injunctions are the object of Ijtihad. In
the terminology of Islamic Fiqh (jurisprudence), these are called issues
and problems in which Ijtihad is possible. The rule which governs this is
that an 'Alim who does not possess the class and rank of Ijtihad, he too
must follow one of the Mujtahid Imams in these issues. Just relying on
personal opinion, preferring one verse or narration and going by it while
dismissing another verse or narration as less weightier is something not
permissible for him.
Similarly, there are particular injunctions not mentioned explicitly in
the Qur'an and Sunnah. To deduce these out employing the principles
provided by the Qur'an and Sunnah, and to arrive at and determine
their precise Islamic legal operative order (al-hukm ash-shari), is the
functional prerogative of only those Mujtahids of the Muslim Ummah
who occupy the highest station of expertise in the Arabic language, its
lexicography, idioms and modalities (turuq) of usage, and who possess
an additional mastery over all fields of knowledge related to Qur'an and
Sunnah, and above all, who are credited with a conduct of life marked by
exemplary piety and godfearingness. Such people are no less than the

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great Imam Abu Hanifah, Shafii, Malik, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, or Awza'i,
jurist Abu Al-Laith and others like them. These were people Allah Ta'ala
had specially blessed. They lived closer to the age of prophethood, and
that of the Sahabah and the Tabi'in. Under the canopy of this barakah,
Allah Ta'ala had bestowed upon them a very special taste of understand-
ing the principles and objectives of the Shari'ah and an equally special
expertise of extracting textually non-prescribed (ghayr mansus) laws
from the laws already prescribed in the sacred texts (mansus) by using
the methodology of analogical deduction (qiyas). Now, in such issues and
problem where Ijtihad efforts have been exhausted at the highest con-
ceivable level, it is necessary even for the 'Ulama' at large that they
must follow one of the Mujtahid Imams. Going by any new opinion
contrary to that of the Mujtahid Imams is error.
This is why great men of learning, 'Ulama', Muhaddithin and
Fuqaha' like Imam al-Ghazali, Razī, Tirmidhi, Țaņawi, Ma'zini, Ibn Hu-
mam, Ibn Qudamah and hundreds and thousands of early and later men
of learning of the same standard, despite their high expertise in fields of
Arabicism and Islamic Religious Law, have always remained voluntarily
restricted to following Mujtahid Imams invariably. They never consi-
dered it permissible to give a Fatwa following their own opinion,
contrary to all Mujtahid Imams.
Nonetheless, these blessed souls did have that standard ranking in
learning and piety that they assessed the sayings of the Mujtahid
Imams on the anvil of proofs from the Qur'an and Sunnah, after which
they would go by the saying of the Imam which they found, out of the
sayings of the Mujtahid Imams, closest to the Qur'an and Sunnah. But,
they never thought it to be permissible either to depart from the ap-
praoch taken by Mujtahid Imams or to hold some opinion contrary to all
of them. The essential reality of Taqlid is no more than what has been
stated here.
After that, came a gradual decline in the standards of knowledge and
what was originally based on Taqwa and godliness came to be contami-
nated with personal interests and preferences. Under such conditions,
given the kind of liberty that people could go by the saying of any one
Imam in a religious problem of their choice and opt for the saying of
some other Imam in some other problem they choose, the inevitable out-

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 43 - 44
come would be that people would start following their worldly desires in
the name of following the Shari'ah by opting for the saying of an Imam
which is more conducive to the fulfillment of their worldly desire. This is,
as obvious, no following of a religion or Shari'ah. In fact, this would be
the following of one's own interests and desires - which is Haram by the
consensus of the entire Muslim Ummah. In Muwafqat, Allamah Shațibi
has dealt with this subject in great details. And Ibn Taymiyyah too, de-
spite his opposition to Taqlid at large, has rated this type of following in
his Fatawa as being Haram by the consensus of the Muslim Ummah.
Therefore, later day jurists of Islam considered it necessary that all
those who act according to the precepts of the Shari'ah should be made
to follow only one of the Mujtahid Imams. From here began what was to
be known as 'personal following' (Taqlid Shakhsi) which, in reality, is a
functional operative order to keep the system of religion in tact so that
people do not succumb to following their own desires under the cover of
religion. This is precisely what Sayyidna 'Uthman al-Ghani
did with
the total agreement of the noble Sahabah when he restricted the seven
versions ( de) of the Qur'an to only one version - though all seven
versions were reading of the Qur'an and were revealed through angel Ji-
bra'il as wished by the Holy Prophet
. But, when the Holy Qur'an
spread all over non-Arab countries, the danger that it might be altered
or interpolated because of its seven readings became acute. So, it was by
a total agreement of the Sahabah that Muslims were instructed to write
and recite the Qur'an in one version only. Sayyidna 'Uthman al-Ghani
arranged to have all copies of the Qur'an written according to this
one version which he despatched to various parts of the world. The en-
tire Muslim Ummah follows this Qur'an even to this day. This never
means that other versions were not true or authentic. The fact is that
this one version was taken to in the interest of a better management of
religious affairs and so that the Qur'an stays protected against any pos-
sible alterations or interpolations. Similarly, all Mujtahid Imams are
true. When one of them is chosen to be followed, it never means that
other Imams are not worthy of being followed. Far from it, it is only a
1. All this discussion is based on the theory of Allamah Ibn Jarir J , about the
"Seven Versions" (f ). For a detailed treatment of the subject, please see my
introduction at the beginning of volume I. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 43 - 44
functional arrangement. One decides for himself in terms of his conveni-
ence he has in following a particular Imam. But, while doing so, he also
considers other Imams as worthy of the same respect.
This is totally similar to a situation where it is considered necessary
that only one of the many physicians present in town be chosen and as-
signed particularly for the treatment of a sick person. The reason is that
it is not advisable for the patient that he goes about following his person-
al opinion in using the prescription of one physician at some time and
that of another physician at some other time. Such a method of seeking
solutions to one's medical problem is patently fatal. It should be under-
stood that the choice of a specific physician made by the patient for his
treatment never means that other physicians are no experts, or lack the
capability of proper treatment.
The reality of the different juristic schools Hanafi, Shafif, Maliki
and Hanbali that emerged in the Muslim Ummah was no more than
what has been stated. As for giving it the touch of sectarianism and fac-
tionalism or increasing the heat of mutual confrontation and dissention
is concerned, it is no valid mission of the revealed religion, nor have the
discerning and far-sighted 'Ulama' ever considered it good. That which
happened was that scholarly debate and research by some 'Ulama' be-
came coloured with polemics which later reached the level of blames and
satirical remarks. Then came ignorance-based confrontation which
brought people to the outer limit where this state of affairs became the
very indicator of being religious!
فالى الله المشتكى ولا حول ولا قوة إلاّ بالله العلى العظيم
So, before Allah is the complaint and there is no strength and
there is no power except with Allah, the High, the Great.
Note of Caution
What has been written here on the religious question of Taqlid and Ij-
tihad is only a very brief summary of the subject, which is sufficient for
Muslims at large. As for scholarly research and details of the subject,
they are present in books of Usul al-Fiqh. Worth mentioning are: (1)
Kitab al-Muwafqāt by Allāmah Shațibi, v. IV, Bab Al-Ijtihad; (2) Kitab
Iņkām al-Aķkām by Allamah Saifuddin al-'Amidī, v. III, al-Qaidah
ath-thalitha fi al-mujtahidin; (3) Hujjatullahil-Balighah and 'Iqd al-Jid

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by Hadrat Shah Waliyyullah Ad-Dihlawi; and (4) Kitab al-Iqtisad fi
at-Taglid wa al-Ijtihad by Hadrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanavi. Inter-
ested scholars may wish to refer back to them.
Hadith is Necessary to Understand Qur'an : The Rejection of
Hadith is Really the Rejection of the Qur'an
The word: ◌َالذِّكُر (adh-dhikr) in verse 44:وَاَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيّنَ لِلنَّاس :"And We
sent down the Message (adh-dhikr: The Qur'an) so that you explain to
the people," means, by consensus, the Holy Qur'an - and, in this verse,
the Holy Prophet
has been given the assignment of explaining the
meaning of verses revealed to him before people. Herein lies an open
proof that the correct understanding of the realities, insights and injunc-
tions of the Holy Qur'an depends on the statement of the Prophet of
Islam, Muhammad al-Mustafa
If everyone, by simply acquring the
knowledge of Arabic language and literature, were to become capable of
understanding the injunctions of the Qur'an as Divinely intended, then,
the mission of explaining assigned to the Holy Prophet af would have
been rendered meaningless.
In Al-Muwafqat, Allamah Shatibi has provided detailed proof that
the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet g, the whole of it, is the explanation of
the Book of Allah because the Qur'an has said about the Holy Prophet
And surely you are at the height of a sublime nature) وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ:
- 68:4) and which was explained by Sayyidah 'A'ishah Que du da, by
saying: orilla 55 (The Qur'an was his sublime nature). Thus, the
outcome is that every word and deed which provenly issued forth from
the Holy Prophet & is nothing but what was said by the Qur'an. Some
of these are the explanation of a verse of the Holy Qur'an in express and
obvious terms, while in some cases there appears no express mention
about them in the Holy Qur'an, but they are nonetheless based on some
kind of revelation, though it was not made part of the Holy Qur'an.
Thus, that too, in a certain way, comes under the operative purview of
the Qur'an itself. This is because according to the clarification of the
Qur'an nothing that he says is prompted by his personal desire, instead
وَمَا يَنُطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوِى إِنْ هُوَإِلاً :of which, it is a Wahy (revelation) from Allah Tarala
(and nor does he talk from desire. It is nothing but a revelation
revealed - 53:3-4). This tells us that all acts of worship, dealings with
people, personal morals and habits of the Holy Prophet were, all of

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them, through Divine revelation and have the same authority as that of
the Qur'an. Then, there are occasions when he has done something as
based on his Ijtihad in which case it is ultimately - either through Divine
revelation or through an absence of any restraining order - corrected and
supported. Therefore, that too stands empowered with the authority of
Wahy (revelation).
To sum up, it can be said that this verse has declared that the pur-
pose for which the Holy Prophet
was sent is the explaining of the
Qur'an. This purpose of his mission in this world has also been men-
tioned in several verses of Surah Al-Jumu'ah, and elsewhere too, where
it has been referred to as the Ta'lim of Al-Kitab or Teaching of the Book.
Now turn your attention to the great treasure of Hadith which one of the
most talented and intellectually peerless people of our community, right
from the Sahabah and Tabi'in all the way to the Muhaddithin of the
later period, have guarded more than their lives and delivered it to the
Muslim Ummah as fait accompli. These were people who spent their
whole lives sifting through this treasure and went on to establish the cat-
egories of Hadith narrations. As for narrations which they did not find
matching enough in authority for the purpose of basing Islamic legal in-
junctions on them, these they have separated from the treasure of
Hadith. Instead, they have simply written standard books based exclu-
sively on these narrations, which have proved correct and reliable after
life-long criticisms and researches.
If today a person calls this treasure of Hadith unreliable under one
or the other pretext or artifice, it plainly means that the Holy Prophet
1998
acted against this Qur'anic injunction when he did not explain what the
Qur'an had said; or, that he had explained it but his explanation did not
remain preserved for posterity. Under either of the two conditions, it is
being suggested that the Qur'an has not remained protected as to its
meaning - the responsibility of protecting which has been undertaken by
Allah Ta'ala Himself: S'LEJ 'J ur, [We, Ourselves, have sent down the
Dhikr (the Qur'an) and We are there to protect it - 15:9]. This claim or in-
ference of such a person is contrary to this textual authority (nass) of the
Qur'an. From here it stands proved that a person who refuses to accept
the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet
as a binding authority of Islam is, in
reality, a denier of the Qur'an itself. Na'udhubillah: May Allah protect

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 45 - 47
us from it.
Verses 45 - 47
أَفَامِنَ الَّذِيْنَ مَكَرُوا السَّبَاتِ أَنْ يَّحُسِفَ اللهُ بِهِمُ الْأَرْضَ أَوْيَأْتِيَهُمُ
الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَيَشُعُرُوُنَ ﴿٥﴾﴾ أَوْيَأْخُذَهُمُ فِىْ تَقَلَِّهِمُ فَمَاهُمُ
بِمُعُجْزِيْنَ ﴿٢) أَوْ يَأْخُذَهُمُ عَلَى تَخَوُّفٍ ، فَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَرَهُوُفٌ
رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٤٧﴾
Do they who contrive evil plots feel immune from that
Allah makes the earth cave in with them, or from that
the punishment comes to them from where they would
not perceive, [45] or that He seizes them while roaming
about - while they are not to frustrate Him - [46] or that
He seizes them while they are in apprehension? So, in-
deed your Lord is Very Kind, Very Merciful. [47]
Commentary
In verses appearing previously:ثُمَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيمَةِ يُخْزِيُهم (Then, on the day of
Judgment, He will put them to disgrace - 27), disbelievers were warned
against the punishment of the Hereafter. In the present verses, they
have been further warned that it is also possible that they are caught in
the punishment from Allah right here in this world much before the pun-
ishment of the Hereafter, may be you are sunk into the earth you are sit-
ting on, or you are seized by the punishment of Allah coming from a di-
rection totally inconceivable for you. This is how it happened during the
Battle of Badr when they received a punishment at the hands of some
ragtag Muslims arrayed against their thousand strong armed young-
men, something they would have never perceived as possible. Or, it was
also probable that they be seized by some Divine punishment while
roaming about freely, such as, they be hit by a fatal disease, or that they
run into an accident by falling down from some height, or simply die by
colliding against some hard object. Also possible is yet another form of
punishment when punishment may not come all of a sudden, but a gener-
al decrease sets in causing wealth, health, fitness, means of sustenance
and comfort and peace go on shrinking so much so that the day comes
when the people so punished disappear from the face of the earth for

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 45 - 47
good.
The word: (takhawwuf) appearing in verse 47 is obviously a deri-
vation from: _ (khawf: fear, apprehension). Some commentators have
explained this verse in terms of this very sense by saying that one group
of people be seized in punishment so that the second group gets appre-
hensive. Similarly, the second group is seized in punishment which
makes the third group become apprehensive. Finally, struck with dread
sequentially, comes the end for all of them.
But, the early exegete of the Qur'an, Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas
and Mujahid and other Imams of Tafsir have taken the word:
(takhawwuf) in the sense of: Auf (tanaqqus). So, it is in accordance with
this Tafsir that it has also been translated in the later sense of 'reducing
or decreasing gradually.'
The noble tabit Said ibn al-Musaiyyab says: When Sayyidna 'Umar
also faced some hesitation about the sense of this word, he addressed
the Sahabah from the Minbar and asked them as to what they under-
stood to be the meaning of 'takhawwuf? The audience at large remained
silent. But, a person from the tribe of Hudhayl submitted: O Commander
of the Faithful, this is a particular idiom of our tribe. We use this word
in the sense of tanaqqus, that is, to decrease gradually. Sayyidna 'Umar
asked: Do the Arabs use this word in the sense of tanaqqus in their
poetry? He said that they do, and cited a couplet by Abu Kabir al-Hudha-
li, a poet from his tribe, in which this word was used in the sense of de-
creasing gradually. Thereupon, Sayyidna 'Umar 4
' said: O people, learn
about the poetry of Jahiliyyah because there lies the key to the explana-
tion of your Book and the sense of your speech.
For the Understanding of Qur'an, a Passing Knowledge of Arabic
is Not Sufficient
The first thing the report referred to above proves is that the ability
to speak and write the Arabic language is not enough for the understand-
ing of Qur'an. Rather, necessary for this purpose is a level of effeciency
and awareness which could help one understand the classical work done
during the early period of the Arabs of Jahiliyyah - because the Qur'an
has been revealed in that language and idiom. Learning Arabic litera-
ture on that level is incumbent on Muslims.

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 48 - 57
Reading Poets from Jahiliyyah is Permissible, Even if Full of
Pagan Absurdities
This also tells us that, in order to understand the Qur'an and to
understand the Arabic language and its usage during the period of Jahi-
liyyah, it is permissible to read and teach the poetry of that period.
Though, it is obvious that such poetry will be full of pagan themes and
customs highlighting pagan sayings and doings counter to Islam. But,
such was the need to understand the Qur'an that reading and teaching
it was declared to be permissible.
Even the Punishment of the World is Mercy in Disguise
In the verses cited above, after having mentioned various punish-
ments which could seize disbelievers within this world, it was said in the
end: ◌ٌفَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ لَرَءُ وفٌ رَّحِيم (So, indeed your Lord is Very Kind, Very Merciful).
First of all, by using the word: , (Rabb: Lord) here, the hint given is
that all these punishments which overtake human beings in this world
are there to warn them as part of the dictates of Divine mercy. After
that, by introducing the word: ",% (Ra'uf: Kind) headed by the intensify-
ing particle lam ( Y) that is, the lam of ta'kid), and thus by placing stress
on the fact that Allah Ta'ala was Very Kind and Very Merciful, the hint
given was that warnings sent during the life of the world were, in real-
ity, called for by His intrinsic Kindness and Mercy so that heedless men
and women would learn from the warning and correct their deeds (before
comes 'the last spasm of mass extinction' they themselves are talking
about at the closing of the twentieth century, but are still not ready to
learn, believe and correct).
Verses 48 - 57
أَوَّلَمُ يَرَوْا إِلَى مَا خَلَقَ اللهُ مِنْ شَىْءٍ يَّتَفَيَّا ظِلُهُ عَنِ الْيَمِيْنِ
وَالشَّمَآئِلِ سُجَّدًا لِلّهِ وَهُمُ دْخِرُونَ ﴿﴿٤﴾ وَلِلْهِ يَسْجُدُ مَا فِى
السَّمُوْتِ وَمَا فِى الْأَرْضِ مِنْ دَابَّةٍ وَ الْمَلْفِكَةُ وَهُمْ لاَيَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
﴿٤٩﴾ يَخَافُوُنَ رَبَّهُمُ مِّنْ فَوْقِهِمُ وَيَفْعَلُوُنَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ﴿٤﴾ وَقَالَ اللهُ
لاَتَتَّخِذُوَا ◌ِلْهَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ إِنَّمَاهُوَ إِلَهٌ وَّاحِدٌ، فَإِيَّىَ فَارُهُبُوُن ﴿١﴾ وَلَه"

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 58 - 60
مَا فِى السَّمُوْتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَلَهُ الدِّيْنُ وَاصِبًا أَفَغَيْرَ اللهِ تَتَّقُونَ ﴿٢﴾
وَمَابِكُمُ مِّنُ نِّعُمَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ إِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضُّرُّ فَإِلَيْهِ تَحْثَرُوُنَ ﴿٥٣﴾
ثُمَّ إِذَا كَشَفَ الضُّرَّ عَنْكُمُ إِذَا فَرِيُقٌ مِّنْكُمُ بِرَبِّهِمُ يُشْرِكُونَ ﴿)
لِيَكُفُرُوْا بِمَآ أَتَيْئُهُمُ ، فَتَمَنَّعُواتَ فَسَوُفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٠٥﴾ وَ يَجُعَلُونَ
لِمَا لاَيَعْلَمُونَ نَصِيِّبًا مِّمَّا رَزَقُّنُهُمُ + تَاللّهِ لَتُسْتَلُنَّ عَمَّا كُنْتُمُ تَفْتَرُوُنَ
﴿٥٦﴾ وَيَجُعَلُونَ لِلْهِ الْبَنْتِ سُبُحْنَه، لا وَلَهُمُ مَّايَشْتَهُوُنَ ﴿٥٧)
Have they not observed things Allah has created, their
shadows inclining from the right and the left prostrat-
ing before Allah, while they are humble? [48] And to
Allah prostrates whatever creature there is in the heav-
ens and in the earth, and the angels, and they show no
arrogance. [49] They fear their Lord above them and do
as they are commanded. [50]
And Allah has said, "Do not take to yourselves two gods.
He is but One God. So, Me alone you fear." [51] And to
Him belongs what is in the heavens and the earth and it
is only He who deserves obedience as due. Would you,
then, fear someone other than Allah? [52] And whatever
blessing you have is from Allah. Then, once you are
touched by distress, to Him alone you cry for help. [53]
Then, as soon as He removes the distress from you, a
group from among you starts ascribing partners to their
Lord. [54] Thus, they reject what We have given to them.
So, enjoy yourself and soon you will come to know. [55]
They allocate a share from what We have given to them
for those (the idols) they know nothing about. By Allah,
you shall definitely be questioned about what you have
been fabricating. [56] And they ascribe daughters to
Allah - Pure is He - and for themselves, what they desire!
[57]
Verses 58 - 60
وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُمُ بالأُنْثَى ظَلَّ وَجُهُهُ مُسْوَدًّا وَّهُوَ كَظِيمٌ ﴿٥٨)
يَتَوَارَى مِنَ الْقَوْمٍ مِنُ سُوْءِ مَا بُشِّرَبِهِ ، أَيُمُسِكُهُ، عَلَى هُوْنِ آَمُ يَدُسُّه،

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 58 - 60
فِى التّرَابِ ، اَلأَسَآءَ مَا يَحُكُمُونَ ﴿٥٦) لِلَّذِيْنَ لْآَيُؤُمِنُونَ بِالأَخِرَةِ
مَثَلُ السَّوْءِجِ وَلِلْهِ الْمَثَلُ الْأَعْلَى * وَهُوَالْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيُمُ﴿٢﴾
And when one of them is given the good news of a fe-
male child, his face becomes gloomy and he is choked
with grief. [58] He hides from people because of the
(self-presumed) evil of the good news given to him (won-
dering): Shall he keep it despite the disgrace or put it
away into the dust? Beware, evil is what they decide. [59]
Those who do not believe in the Hereafter have evil at-
tributes, and to Allah belong the most exalted attrib-
utes. And He is the Mighty, the Wise. [60]
Commentary
In these verses, two peculiar traits of the disbelievers of Arabia have
been censured. To begin with, they would take the birth of a baby girl to
be so bad that they would go about hiding from people to avoid being dis-
graced before them. This predicament would then throw them into a fix
as to what they should do about it. Should they swallow their pride, em-
brace the disgrace of becoming the father of a baby girl and resign to the
disaster with patience, or just ditch it alive into the dust and get rid of
it? Then, on top of it, they had turned so irrational that the child they
did not like to have as their own, that they would be audacious enough
to attribute to Allah Almighty by declaring that the angels were His
daughters!
The sense of the sentence: ◌َالأَسَاءَ مَا يَحُكُمُون (Beware evil is what they de-
cide) appearing at the end of the second verse (59) actually incorporates
these very two traits, as it has been pointed out in Tafsir Al-Bahr
al-Muhit with reference to Ibn 'Ațiyyah. It means: (1) That their decision
to take girls to be a punishment and a disgrace is by itself an evil deci-
sion; and (2) that the thing they would consider a matter of disgrace for
their own selves, they would be too ready to attribute to Allah Ta'ala.
Also at the end of the third verse (60), in: ◌ُوَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيم (And He is the
Mighty, the Wise), there is a hint that taking the birth of a baby girl to
be nuisance and disgrace, and hiding from people because of it, amount
to challenging Divine wisdom - as the creation of male and female
among the created is the very requisite of wisdom. (Ruh al-Bayan)

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 61 - 65
Ruling:
Clear indications are visible in these verses that taking the birth of a
girl in the family to be a disaster or disgrace is not permissible under Is-
lam. This is done by disbelievers. Quoting Shir'ah (4) Tafsir Ruh
al-Bayan also says that a Muslim should be happier at the birth of a girl
in the family so that it becomes a refutation of the act of the people of Ja-
hiliyyah. Says a Hadith: Blessed is the woman who gives birth to a girl
in her first pregnancy. That the Arabic word: Sul (inath: females) has
been made to precede the word for 'males' in the verse of the Qur'an: buy
He bestows on whomsoever He wills females and) وَيَهَبُ لِمَنْ يَّشَآءُ الذُّكُوْرَ
bestows on whomsoever He wills males - 42:49) indicates that the birth of
a girl from the first pregnancy is better.
In another Hadith, it is said: Whoever finds any of such girls en-
trusted to his care, and he treats them fairly and favourably, then, these
girls will stand as a curtain between him and Hell. (Rüh al-Bayan)
To sum up, it can be said that taking the birth of a girl to be bad is a
detestable custom of the pagan period. Muslims must abstain from it. In
fact, they should be pleased and satisfied with the promise of Allah
against it. Allah knows best.
Verses 61 -65
وَلَوْيُؤَاخِذُ اللهُ النَّاسَ بِظُلْمِهِمُ مَّا تَرَكَ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ وَّ لَكِنُ
يُؤَخِرُهُمْ إِلَىّ آجَلٍ مُسَمِّىٌ فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمُ لاَيَسْتَأُخِرُوُنَ سَاعَةً وَلاَ
يَسْتَقُدِمُونَ ﴿٦١﴾ وَيَجُعَلُوُنَ لِلْهِ مَايَكُرَهُوُنَ وَ تَصِفُ اَلْسِنْتُهُمُ
الْكَذِبَ آَنَّلَهُمُ الْحُسُنِى ءُ لاَ جَرَمَ آَنَّ لَهُمُ النَّارَ وَأَنَّهُمُ مُّفُرَطُونَ ﴿٦٢)
تَاللهِ لَقَدْ آَرُسَلْنَا إِلَى أُمَمٍ مِّنُ قَبْلِكَ فَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطُنُ أَعُمَالَهُمُ فَهُوَ
وَلِيُّهُمُ الْيَوْمَ وَ لَهُمُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿١٣﴾ وَمَآ أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتْبَ إِلاَّ
لِتُبَّنَ لَهُمُ الَّذِىِ اخْتَلَفُوْا فِيْهِ وَهُدَى وَّرَحْمَةً لِقَوْمِ يُّؤْ مِنُونَ ﴿٤﴾
وَاللهُ أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الأَرْضَ بَعُدَ مَوْتِهَاءُ إِنَّ فِىُّ ذُلِكَ

371
Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 66
لَآيَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَّسْمَعُونَ ﴿٢﴾
And if Allah were to seize the people for their transgres-
sion, He would have spared no creature on earth, but He
lets them go on upto an appointed time. So, when their
time will come, they will not be late for a moment, nor
will they be early. [61]
And they assign to Allah what they themselves dislike
and their tongues make the false statement that all good
is for them. No, it is inevitable that the Fire is for them
and that they will be moved fast (towards it). [62] By Al-
lah, We sent (messengers) to communities before you
but the Satan made their deeds look good to them. So,
he is their patron today and for them there is a painful
punishment. [63] And We did not send down the Book to
you but in order that you may explain to them what
they differed about, and (that it be) guidance and mercy
for a people who believe. [64]
And Allah sent down water from the heavens and re-
vived the land with it after it was dead. Surely, in that
there is a sign for a people who listen. [65]
Verse 66
وَإِنَّ لَكُمُ فِى الْأَنْعَامِ لَعِبْرَةً " نُسُقِيُكُمُ مِّمَّا فِىُ بُطُوُنِهِ مِنْ بَيْنِ فَرْثٍ
وَدَمِ لَبِنًا خَالِصًا سَائِغًا لِلشَّرِبِينَ ﴿١٦﴾
And surely for you, there is a lesson in cattle. We pro-
vide you, out of what there is in their bellies, from
between feces and blood, the drink of milk, pure and
pleasant for those who drink. [66]
Commentary
The pronoun in: ' (butunihi: their bellies) reverts back to: byl
(al-anam: cattle). Since the word al-anam is plural in the feminine gen-
der, it required that the word used for it should have been: Gilt (butuni-
ha), as it appears in Surah Al-Mu'minun: نُسُقِيُكُمُ مِّمَّا فِىُ بُطُونِهَا (We provide
you, out of what there is in their bellies - 23:21).
Al-Qurtubi explains this by saying that consideration has been made
of the meaning of the plural in Surah Al-Mu'minun where the pronoun

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Surah Al-Nahl : 16: 67
has been used in the feminine gender. And, in Surah Al-Nahl, the pro-
noun has been used in the masculine gender in consideration of the plu-
ral word as such. Examples of this usage abound in Arabic where a sin-
gular pronoun is made to revert to a plural word.
As for bringing out pure milk from between feces and blood,
Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas 4ge said: When the fodder eaten by an ani-
mal settles in its stomach, the stomach heats it up as a result of which
the waste by-product from the fodder settles down leaving milk above
with blood being on top of it. Then, nature has entrusted the next job
with the liver. It separates the three and directs them to where they be-
long. Blood goes to veins. Milk goes to the udder of the animal. Now, left
in the stomach is waste which is excreted as feces or dung.
Rulings
1. From this verse we learn that eating good food is not against Zuhd
(the way of life marked by not inclining towards worldly enjoyments for
the sake of maintaining an ideal state of spiritual purity) specially when
it has been acquired with Halal (lawful) means and provided that no ex-
travagance has been made in it. This is as stated by Hadrat Hasan
al-Başrī. (Al-Qurțubi)
2. The Holy Prophet
has said: When you eat something, say:
اللّهُمَّ بَارِكُ لَنَا فِيْهِ وَأَطْعِمْنَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُ
Ya Allah, bless it for us and have us eat better than it.
And he said: When you drink milk, say:
اَلْهُمَّ بَارِكُ لَّنَا فِيْهِ وَزِدْنَا مِنْهُ
Ya Allah, bless it for us and give us more of it.
In the second prayer, he did not ask for something 'better than it' (as
in the first prayer) for, in human cuisine, there is no nutrient better
than milk. Therefore, nature has made milk the very first food given to
every man and animal through breast-feeding by mothers. (Al-Qurțubi)
Verse 67
وَمِنْ ثَّمَرْتِ النَّخِيْلِ وَالْآَعْنَابِ تَتَّخِذُوْنَ مِنْهُ سَكَرًا وَّرِزْقًا حَسَنَّاء إِنَّ

373
Surah Al-Nahl : 16 : 67
فِىُ ذِلِكَ لَأَيَةً لِّقَوْمِ يَّعُقِلُونَ ﴿٦٧﴾
And from the fruits of date-palms and grape-vines, you
obtain intoxicants, and good provision. Surely, in that
there is a sign for a people who understand. [67]
Commentary
Described in the previous verses were blessings of Allah Ta'ala which
manifest the stunning marvel of Divine power and creativity. Of these,
the first to be mentioned was milk which nature has gifted human be-
ings with after having made it go through its own processing in the bel-
lies of animals separating it from feces and blood and delivering it as a
finished product, pure and pleasant, food and drink in one. No subse-
quent human effort or artifice is needed here. Therefore, the word used
in the text is: " (nusqkum: We provided you with milk to drink).
The stress is self-explanatory.
After that it was said that human beings do make things from some
fruits of the date-palms and grape-vines as well, which serve them as
food, and other benefits. The hint ingrained here is that there is some
intervening role played by human ingenuity, innovation and artifice in
making the fruits from date-palms and grape-vines yield what they eat
or benefit from in other ways. As a result of the factor of intervention,
two kinds of things were made. The first is what intoxicates, the com-
mon form of which is liquor. The second is: Rizq Hasan, that is, good pro-
vision, like dates and grapes which everyone is welcome to use as fresh
food, or dry it and store it for later use. The purpose is that Allah Ta'ala,
in His perfect power, has given to human beings fruits like dates and
grapes, and alongwith it, He also gave human beings the choice to make
things they eat and drink out of them. Now the option is theirs. Let
them make what they would: Make what intoxicates and knocks their re-
ason out, or make food out of them and get strength and energy!
According to this tafsir, this verse cannot be used to prove the
lawfulness of that which intoxicates, that is, liquor. This is because the
purpose here is to state the nature of Divine blessings and the different
forms they could take when used. It goes without saying that these
remain the Divine blessings they are under all conditions. Take the
example of foods, drinks and many things of benefit. People use them.