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 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.
(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?”
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?”
