سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 112
وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا قَرْيَةً كَانَتْ ءَامِنَةً مُّطْمَئِنَّةً يَأْتِيهَا رِزْقُهَا رَغَدًا مِّن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ فَكَفَرَتْ بِأَنْعُمِ ٱللَّهِ فَأَذَٰقَهَا ٱللَّهُ لِبَاسَ ٱلْجُوعِ وَٱلْخَوْفِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَصْنَعُونَ ﴿112﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And Allâh puts forward the example of a township (Makkah), that dwelt secure and well-content: its provision coming to it in abundance from every place, but it (its people) denied the Favours of Allâh (with ungratefulness). So Allâh made it taste extreme of hunger (famine) and fear, because of that (evil, i.e. denying Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) which they (its people) used to do.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَضَرَبَ
waḍaraba
And Allah sets forth
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
And Allah sets forth
مَثَلًۭا
mathalan
a similitude
قَرْيَةًۭ
qaryatan
(of) a town
كَانَتْ
kānat
(that) was
ءَامِنَةًۭ
āminatan
secure
مُّطْمَئِنَّةًۭ
muṭ'ma-innatan
and content
يَأْتِيهَا
yatīhā
coming to it
رِزْقُهَا
riz'quhā
its provision
رَغَدًۭا
raghadan
(in) abundance
مِّن
min
from
كُلِّ
kulli
every
مَكَانٍۢ
makānin
place
فَكَفَرَتْ
fakafarat
but it denied
بِأَنْعُمِ
bi-anʿumi
(the) Favors of Allah
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(the) Favors of Allah
فَأَذَٰقَهَا
fa-adhāqahā
so Allah made it taste
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
so Allah made it taste
لِبَاسَ
libāsa
(the) garb
ٱلْجُوعِ
l-jūʿi
(of) the hunger
وَٱلْخَوْفِ
wal-khawfi
and the fear
بِمَا
bimā
for what
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they used (to)
يَصْنَعُونَ
yaṣnaʿūna
do
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.
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.
