Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 112

(Ayah112) ➊ { وَ ضَرَبَ اللّٰهُ مَثَلًا قَرْيَةً … :} Allah, the Exalted, mentioned the punishment of the Hereafter before this, and after that, He mentioned the punishment for ingratitude for blessings in this world—fear and hunger—therefore, the conjunction "waaw" (and) has come at the beginning of the verse. (Qasimi)
➋ { كَانَتْ اٰمِنَةً مُّطْمَىِٕنَّةً … :} That is, this town had no fear of an enemy from outside, nor any kind of worry or anxiety from within. This can refer to any such town, like the towns of ‘Aad, Thamud, and the people of Pharaoh, but these qualities were most present in Makkah al-Mukarramah. Nowhere else in Arabia was there security; at any time, any tribe could be attacked. The men would be killed, the women and children would become slaves, and the wealth and livestock would be taken as spoils. If anyone traveled, he could be kidnapped and sold or killed. Their economy was also extremely restricted; they would move from place to place with their herds in search of water. Only in Makkah, due to the sanctity of the House of Allah, was there complete security, and people from all over the world would come for Hajj and ‘Umrah, so the people of Makkah would receive abundant sustenance through trade and renting out houses, etc., and every kind of fruit, vegetable, and necessity was available. The people of Makkah would take trade caravans to Yemen in winter and to Syria in summer. No one would say anything to their caravans out of respect for the Haram, whereas for others, it was impossible to travel without the company of powerful warriors. Yes, in the four sacred months, there was security throughout Arabia, and that too out of respect for Hajj and ‘Umrah at the House of Allah. For further details, see Surah Quraysh, Surah Qasas (57), Ankabut (67), Aal-e-Imran (97), and Surah Baqarah (125).
➌ {فَكَفَرَتْ بِاَنْعُمِ اللّٰهِ … : ’’أَنْعُمٌ‘‘ ’’نِعْمَةٌ‘‘ } is the plural, just as {’’أَشُدٌّ‘‘ ’’شِدَّةٌ‘‘} is. Some say it is the plural of {’’نُعْمٰي‘‘}, just as the plural of {’’بُؤْسٰي‘‘} is {’’أَبْؤُسٌ‘‘}. (Qurtubi) Because of the ingratitude and thanklessness of the people of this town, fear and terror replaced peace and security, and hunger replaced abundance of sustenance, surrounding them just as a garment surrounds the one who wears it. Here, there is a remarkable comprehensiveness in the speech of Allah, the Exalted; to express the bitterness of hunger and fear, the word {’’ فَاَذَاقَهَا ‘‘} (He made them taste) is used, and the clinging of this punishment is described as becoming a garment, and a long matter is summed up in two words. Only a believing scholar can appreciate the delight of this metaphor; what does that ignorant atheist know of this delight who said, “Can a garment even be tasted?”

122. 1. Most commentators have taken this "town" (settlement) to mean Makkah. That is, the condition of Makkah and its people is described here, and this happened when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ supplicated against them: "O Allah, seize the tribe of Mudar with a severe grip, and impose upon them a famine like that which occurred in Egypt during the time of Yusuf." So Allah replaced the security of Makkah with fear, and its prosperity with hunger. Their condition became such that they had to survive by eating bones and the leaves of trees. According to some commentators, this refers to an unspecified town, and this is mentioned as an example: that this will be the condition of people who are ungrateful for blessings, wherever and whenever they may be. Even the majority of commentators do not deny this generality, although in their view the reason for revelation is specific.

112. Allah sets forth the example of a town that was secure and at ease, its provision coming to it abundantly from every direction. But it became ungrateful for Allah’s blessings, so Allah made it taste the consequences of its actions by imposing upon it hunger [116] and fear.

[116]
The Punishment of Famine in Makkah:

Although the name of the town is not mentioned in this verse, the style of expression clearly indicates that the address is towards Makkah itself. The people of Makkah were living a life of peace and tranquility even at a time when looting and bloodshed were rampant throughout Arabia. Due to the custodianship of the Sacred House (Baytullah), people respected and honored the Quraysh of Makkah. No one dared to attack their trade caravans. In fact, any trade caravan to which the Quraysh of Makkah granted a passage permit could also travel in safety and security. Then, due to the supplication of Sayyiduna Ibrahim ؑ, food items and fruits from all around the world would reach Makkah, even though no fruit-bearing trees or grains grew there, nor even grass for the livestock. Then, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sent among them and he ﷺ invited them to abandon polytheistic acts and worship Allah alone, they became hostile. They began to harm the Prophet of Islam and his followers and became their mortal enemies. Then Allah Almighty took away His blessings from them and imposed upon them the punishment of famine, and this famine lasted for seven years. Nothing would come from outside for them to eat. Their condition became such that they were forced to eat the skins and bones of dead animals, and their physical weakness and the intensity of hunger reached such a state that if they looked up to the sky, they saw nothing but smoke, even though the sky was completely clear. Due to hunger, some people died, and those who remained were constantly haunted by the fear that if this situation continued for some time, it would be difficult for them to survive. Thus, this punishment was not only of hunger, but also the fear of dying from hunger was imposed upon them.