سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 90
۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلْإِحْسَـٰنِ وَإِيتَآئِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْبَغْىِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿90﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Verily, Allâh enjoins Al-‘Adl (i.e. justice and worshipping none but Allâh Alone - Islâmic Monotheism) and Al-Ihsân [i.e. to be patient in performing your duties to Allâh, totally for Allâh’s sake and in accordance with the Sunnah (legal ways) of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in a perfect manner], and giving (help) to kith and kin (i.e. all that Allâh has ordered you to give them e.g., wealth, visiting, looking after them, or any other kind of help), and forbids Al-Fahshâ’ (i.e all evil deeds, e.g. illegal sexual acts, disobedience of parents, polytheism, to tell lies, to give false witness, to kill a life without right), and Al-Munkar (i.e all that is prohibited by Islâmic law: polytheism of every kind, disbelief and every kind of evil deeds), and Al-Baghy (i.e. all kinds of oppression). He admonishes you, that you may take heed.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
يَأْمُرُ
yamuru
commands
بِٱلْعَدْلِ
bil-ʿadli
justice
وَٱلْإِحْسَـٰنِ
wal-iḥ'sāni
and the good
وَإِيتَآئِ
waītāi
and giving
ذِى
dhī
(to) relatives
ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ
l-qur'bā
(to) relatives
وَيَنْهَىٰ
wayanhā
and forbids
عَنِ
ʿani
[from]
ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ
l-faḥshāi
the immorality
وَٱلْمُنكَرِ
wal-munkari
and the bad
وَٱلْبَغْىِ ۚ
wal-baghyi
and the oppression
يَعِظُكُمْ
yaʿiẓukum
He admonishes you
لَعَلَّكُمْ
laʿallakum
so that you may
تَذَكَّرُونَ
tadhakkarūna
take heed
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.
90. 1 The well-known meaning of 'justice' is to act with fairness. That is, to be just with everyone, whether they are close or strangers, and not to let enmity, hatred, love, or kinship harm the requirements of justice. Another meaning is moderation, that is, not to commit excess or deficiency in any matter, even in matters of religion. Because excess in religion results in going beyond limits, which is very harmful, and deficiency is negligence in religion, which is also undesirable.
90. 2 One meaning of 'ihsan' is good conduct, forgiveness, and pardoning. Another meaning is favor, that is, to give more than the obligatory right or to do more than the obligatory act. For example, if the wage for a task is fixed at one hundred rupees, but at the time of payment, ten or twenty rupees are given extra, the payment of the fixed one hundred rupees is the obligatory right and this is justice. The additional ten or twenty rupees is ihsan. Justice also establishes peace in society, but ihsan further nurtures feelings of pleasantness, closeness, and devotion. And along with fulfilling obligations, the observance of voluntary acts, doing more than the obligatory act, through which special closeness to Allah is attained. A third meaning of ihsan is sincerity in action and excellence in worship, which is described in the hadith as "to worship Allah as if you see Him." Giving to relatives means fulfilling their rights, that is, helping them; in hadith, this is called 'silat-ur-rahm' (maintaining family ties), and its great emphasis is mentioned in the ahadith. After justice and ihsan, its separate mention also highlights the importance of maintaining family ties. 'Fahsha' refers to acts of indecency. Nowadays, indecency has become so common that it is called civilization, progress, and art, or its justification is accepted in the name of entertainment. However, merely putting a beautiful label on something does not change its reality. Similarly, Islamic law has declared adultery and its preliminaries, dancing and singing, immodesty, fashion-following, and the bold intermingling and a mixed society of men and women, and other such absurdities as indecency. No matter how good a name is given to them, these evils imported from the West cannot be considered permissible. 'Munkar' is every act that the Shariah has declared unlawful, and 'baghy' means committing oppression and excess. In a hadith, it is stated that severing family ties and oppression—both these crimes are so disliked by Allah that, apart from the Hereafter, there is a strong possibility of their immediate punishment from Allah in this world as well.
90. 2 One meaning of 'ihsan' is good conduct, forgiveness, and pardoning. Another meaning is favor, that is, to give more than the obligatory right or to do more than the obligatory act. For example, if the wage for a task is fixed at one hundred rupees, but at the time of payment, ten or twenty rupees are given extra, the payment of the fixed one hundred rupees is the obligatory right and this is justice. The additional ten or twenty rupees is ihsan. Justice also establishes peace in society, but ihsan further nurtures feelings of pleasantness, closeness, and devotion. And along with fulfilling obligations, the observance of voluntary acts, doing more than the obligatory act, through which special closeness to Allah is attained. A third meaning of ihsan is sincerity in action and excellence in worship, which is described in the hadith as "to worship Allah as if you see Him." Giving to relatives means fulfilling their rights, that is, helping them; in hadith, this is called 'silat-ur-rahm' (maintaining family ties), and its great emphasis is mentioned in the ahadith. After justice and ihsan, its separate mention also highlights the importance of maintaining family ties. 'Fahsha' refers to acts of indecency. Nowadays, indecency has become so common that it is called civilization, progress, and art, or its justification is accepted in the name of entertainment. However, merely putting a beautiful label on something does not change its reality. Similarly, Islamic law has declared adultery and its preliminaries, dancing and singing, immodesty, fashion-following, and the bold intermingling and a mixed society of men and women, and other such absurdities as indecency. No matter how good a name is given to them, these evils imported from the West cannot be considered permissible. 'Munkar' is every act that the Shariah has declared unlawful, and 'baghy' means committing oppression and excess. In a hadith, it is stated that severing family ties and oppression—both these crimes are so disliked by Allah that, apart from the Hereafter, there is a strong possibility of their immediate punishment from Allah in this world as well.
