سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 26
قَدْ مَكَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنْيَـٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلسَّقْفُ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَأَتَىٰهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿26﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Those before them indeed plotted, but Allâh struck at the foundation of their building, and then the roof fell down upon them, from above them, and the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَدْ
qad
Verily
مَكَرَ
makara
plotted
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
مِن
min
(were) before them
قَبْلِهِمْ
qablihim
(were) before them
فَأَتَى
fa-atā
but Allah came
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
but Allah came
بُنْيَـٰنَهُم
bun'yānahum
(at) their building
مِّنَ
mina
from
ٱلْقَوَاعِدِ
l-qawāʿidi
the foundations
فَخَرَّ
fakharra
so fell
عَلَيْهِمُ
ʿalayhimu
upon them
ٱلسَّقْفُ
l-saqfu
the roof
مِن
min
from
فَوْقِهِمْ
fawqihim
above them
وَأَتَىٰهُمُ
wa-atāhumu
and came to them
ٱلْعَذَابُ
l-ʿadhābu
the punishment
مِنْ
min
from
حَيْثُ
ḥaythu
where
لَا
lā
they (did) not perceive
يَشْعُرُونَ
yashʿurūna
they (did) not perceive
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.
(Ayah26) ➊ {قَدْ مَكَرَ الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ:} The meaning of makr is a secret and firm plan or to prevent someone from their objective through a scheme; if it is for good, it is praiseworthy, if for evil, it is blameworthy. In this verse, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the believers are comforted that people before also made as many secret plans and conspiracies as they could against the messengers, but they failed miserably.
➋ {فَاَتَى اللّٰهُ بُنْيَانَهُمْ مِّنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ …: ’’ بُنْيَانٌ بَنَي يَبْنِيْ ‘‘} (ḍ) is a verbal noun in the meaning of a passive participle, a constructed building. {’’ الْقَوَاعِدِ ‘‘ ’’ قَاعِدَةٌ ‘‘} is the plural, foundations. Its exegesis is done in two ways: one is that this is a parable, that is, an abstract thing is explained by likening it to something visible, meaning just as a person builds a building and another person secretly hollows out its foundations so that the roof collapses and the builder is killed under his own roof. In the same way, the disbelievers built castles of makr (conspiracy) against the messengers and the believers, but Allah shook the foundations of their castles in such a way that their roofs also fell upon them. Just as it is said that whoever digs a well for another falls into it himself. Here, an actual well is not necessary. Many commentators have given this meaning, and Razi has preferred it.
The second exegesis is that those who conspired against the messengers, the buildings in which they lived, Allah gave such a jolt of earthquake to their foundations, or surrounded them in such a flood, that their roofs fell upon them and they were killed beneath them, thus Allah’s punishment overtook them from a place they could not even imagine, as Allah said: «{ فَكُلًّا اَخَذْنَا بِذَنْۢبِهٖ فَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ اَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِ حَاصِبًا وَ مِنْهُمْ مَّنْ اَخَذَتْهُ الصَّيْحَةُ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَّنْ خَسَفْنَا بِهِ الْاَرْضَ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَّنْ اَغْرَقْنَا }» [ العنکبوت : ۴۰ ] “So We seized each one for his sin; among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those whom the blast seized, and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned.” The Imam of the commentators, Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him), has preferred this meaning and said that when the apparent meaning of the words can be intended and there is no problem in it, then what is the need to go towards parable? Thus, what is impossible in the fact that many disbelievers died under the roofs of their own houses, which they considered very strong? Some time ago, in Ramadan 1426 AH, in the terrible earthquake of Kashmir, countless multi-story buildings sank into the ground, many fell upon their inhabitants, and after that, in Ramadan 1431 AH, due to the flood in Pakistan, entire cities were badly affected, so much so that almost half of Pakistan came under the flood; all this is before our eyes. [ اَللّٰھُمَّ لَا تَقْتُلْنَا بِغَضَبِکَ وَلَا تُھْلِکْنَا بِعَذَابِکَ وَ عَافِنَا قَبْلَ ذٰلِکَ ]
➋ {فَاَتَى اللّٰهُ بُنْيَانَهُمْ مِّنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ …: ’’ بُنْيَانٌ بَنَي يَبْنِيْ ‘‘} (ḍ) is a verbal noun in the meaning of a passive participle, a constructed building. {’’ الْقَوَاعِدِ ‘‘ ’’ قَاعِدَةٌ ‘‘} is the plural, foundations. Its exegesis is done in two ways: one is that this is a parable, that is, an abstract thing is explained by likening it to something visible, meaning just as a person builds a building and another person secretly hollows out its foundations so that the roof collapses and the builder is killed under his own roof. In the same way, the disbelievers built castles of makr (conspiracy) against the messengers and the believers, but Allah shook the foundations of their castles in such a way that their roofs also fell upon them. Just as it is said that whoever digs a well for another falls into it himself. Here, an actual well is not necessary. Many commentators have given this meaning, and Razi has preferred it.
The second exegesis is that those who conspired against the messengers, the buildings in which they lived, Allah gave such a jolt of earthquake to their foundations, or surrounded them in such a flood, that their roofs fell upon them and they were killed beneath them, thus Allah’s punishment overtook them from a place they could not even imagine, as Allah said: «{ فَكُلًّا اَخَذْنَا بِذَنْۢبِهٖ فَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ اَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِ حَاصِبًا وَ مِنْهُمْ مَّنْ اَخَذَتْهُ الصَّيْحَةُ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَّنْ خَسَفْنَا بِهِ الْاَرْضَ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَّنْ اَغْرَقْنَا }» [ العنکبوت : ۴۰ ] “So We seized each one for his sin; among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those whom the blast seized, and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned.” The Imam of the commentators, Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him), has preferred this meaning and said that when the apparent meaning of the words can be intended and there is no problem in it, then what is the need to go towards parable? Thus, what is impossible in the fact that many disbelievers died under the roofs of their own houses, which they considered very strong? Some time ago, in Ramadan 1426 AH, in the terrible earthquake of Kashmir, countless multi-story buildings sank into the ground, many fell upon their inhabitants, and after that, in Ramadan 1431 AH, due to the flood in Pakistan, entire cities were badly affected, so much so that almost half of Pakistan came under the flood; all this is before our eyes. [ اَللّٰھُمَّ لَا تَقْتُلْنَا بِغَضَبِکَ وَلَا تُھْلِکْنَا بِعَذَابِکَ وَ عَافِنَا قَبْلَ ذٰلِکَ ]
