سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ

Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 36

The Bee · Meccan · Juz 14 · Page 271

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وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولًا أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى ٱللَّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةُ ۚ فَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ﴿36﴾

Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allâh (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Tâghût (all false deities i.e. do not worship Tâghût besides Allâh)." Then of them were some whom Allâh guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was justified. So travel through the land and see what was the end of those who denied (the truth).

Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning

وَلَقَدْ walaqad And certainly
بَعَثْنَا baʿathnā We sent
فِى fī into
كُلِّ kulli every
أُمَّةٍۢ ummatin nation
رَّسُولًا rasūlan a Messenger
أَنِ ani that
ٱعْبُدُوا۟ uʿ'budū Worship
ٱللَّهَ l-laha Allah
وَٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ wa-ij'tanibū and avoid
ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ ۖ l-ṭāghūta the false deities
فَمِنْهُم famin'hum Then among them
مَّنْ man (were some) whom
هَدَى hadā Allah guided
ٱللَّهُ l-lahu Allah guided
وَمِنْهُم wamin'hum and among them
مَّنْ man (were) some
حَقَّتْ ḥaqqat was justified
عَلَيْهِ ʿalayhi on them
ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةُ ۚ l-ḍalālatu the straying
فَسِيرُوا۟ fasīrū So travel
فِى fī in
ٱلْأَرْضِ l-arḍi the earth
فَٱنظُرُوا۟ fa-unẓurū and see
كَيْفَ kayfa how
كَانَ kāna was
عَـٰقِبَةُ ʿāqibatu the end
ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ l-mukadhibīna (of) the deniers

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

(Ayah36) ➊ {وَ لَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِيْ كُلِّ اُمَّةٍ رَّسُوْلًا … : ’’ الطَّاغُوْتَ ‘‘} This is from {’’ طَغٰي يَطْغٰي طَغْوًا ‘‘} (fa), at the end, wāw and tā’ come for emphasis, just as in “malkūt” meaning a very great kingdom. The word “ṭāghūt” is derived from {’’طُغْيَانٌ‘‘}, which means to exceed one’s limits. It refers to Satan, false deities, and anyone who calls towards misguidance. (Shawkani) Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: “Whoever claims leadership unjustly, without any authority, is called ṭāghūt. Idols, Satan, and powerful oppressors are all ṭāghūt.” (Mawḍiḥ)

➋ {اَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللّٰهَ … :} Since the polytheists claimed that Allah is pleased with our shirk, otherwise why would He let us commit shirk, Allah, therefore, with the lām of emphasis and {’’قَدْ‘‘} for certainty, refuted them with utmost emphasis by saying that We have sent a messenger to every nation only to call to tawḥīd and to refute shirk. (See Anbiya: 25) But We did not compel anyone to tawḥīd or shirk; rather, after granting the ability to think and understand, We showed both the paths of disbelief and faith and gave them the choice. (See Dahr: 2, 3) In Ashraf al-Hawashi it is stated: That is, every prophet called to the worship of Allah and to avoid ṭāghūt, then some accepted the call and were guided, but some insisted on their disbelief and shirk, as a result of which misguidance was decreed for them. From this, it is understood that the will of Allah does not necessarily coincide with His command; Allah commands everyone to have faith, but according to Allah’s will, guidance is given to some. (Shawkani)

➌ { فَسِيْرُوْا فِي الْاَرْضِ …:} That is, look at their destroyed remnants and tell whether Allah’s punishment did not come upon those who denied the messengers, so it is utter foolishness to think that committing disbelief and shirk is according to Allah’s pleasure. The reality is that Allah has shown the path of His pleasure through the prophets, therefore, to attain Allah’s pleasure, following the prophets is necessary.

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

36. 1. To remove the aforementioned doubt, it is further stated that We sent a messenger to every nation and conveyed this message through them that worship only one Allah. But those upon whom misguidance had been established did not care about it.

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

36. We sent a messenger to every community (saying): "Worship Allah and avoid the false gods [36]." Then among them were some whom Allah guided, and among them were some upon whom misguidance was justified. So travel through the land and see what was the end of those who denied [37].

[36]
The Meaning of Taghut:

Taghut can be applied to any person, institution, king, or government that is disobedient to Allah and whom people are compelled to obey. Such a person, institution, or king is a rebel against Allah and wants to impose his will upon those under his influence, and this is exactly what Satan does. Therefore, this word is often translated as "Satan." And if a person, disregarding the commands of Allah, begins to follow his own desires, then the term Taghut can also be applied to his own self.

[37]
Reminder of the Days of Allah:

Whenever a messenger was sent to his people and he invited them to worship Allah and obey him, his people would split into two groups: those who believed and those who rejected the invitation. Now, do not merely rely on history or hearsay from people. Rather, go and see for yourself, examine the circumstances, and observe whether the punishment of Allah did not befall those who denied the message of the prophets. The people of 'Ad, Thamud, the people of Nuh, the people of Lut, the companions of Madyan, and the people of Pharaoh—all these nations used to live around you. And it is easy for you to go there and see their fate. Moreover, this did not happen just once or twice; rather, from all the nations whose circumstances you can learn about, the same conclusion emerges. Can you still not take any lesson from these continuous historical testimonies? And can you not think that if we also deny our messenger, our fate could be the same?
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