سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 38
وَأَقْسَمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ ۙ لَا يَبْعَثُ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَمُوتُ ۚ بَلَىٰ وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿38﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And they swear by Allâh their strongest oaths, that Allâh will not raise up him who dies. Yes, (He will raise them up), - a promise (binding) upon Him in truth, but most of mankind know not.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَأَقْسَمُوا۟
wa-aqsamū
And they swear
بِٱللَّهِ
bil-lahi
by Allah
جَهْدَ
jahda
strongest
أَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ ۙ
aymānihim
(of) their oaths
لَا
lā
Allah will not resurrect
يَبْعَثُ
yabʿathu
Allah will not resurrect
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah will not resurrect
مَن
man
(one) who
يَمُوتُ ۚ
yamūtu
dies
بَلَىٰ
balā
Nay
وَعْدًا
waʿdan
(it is) a promise
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
upon Him
حَقًّۭا
ḥaqqan
(in) truth
وَلَـٰكِنَّ
walākinna
but
أَكْثَرَ
akthara
most
ٱلنَّاسِ
l-nāsi
(of) the mankind
لَا
lā
(do) not
يَعْلَمُونَ
yaʿlamūna
know
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.
(Ayah38) ➊ {وَ اَقْسَمُوْا بِاللّٰهِ جَهْدَ اَيْمَانِهِمْ … :} means "oath" (halaf), because it is taken when people are divided—some say the statement is true, some say it is false. {’’ جَهْدَ ‘‘ } means hardship; { ’’جَهَدَ فُلاَنٌ دَابَّتَهُ وَأَجْهَدَهَا‘‘} is when one loads a burden on his mount beyond its capacity. {’’جَهَدَ الرَّجُلُ فِيْ كَذَا‘‘} is when a person exerts his utmost effort in a task. Its form is {’’ فَتَحَ يَفْتَحُ ‘‘}. (Tantawi) {’’ أَيْمَانٌ ‘‘ ’’ يَمِيْنٌ ‘‘} is the plural of "yamin." That is, they swore the strongest and most emphatic oaths that whoever dies, Allah will never resurrect him. After death, there is neither another life nor any reckoning, so why fear punishment? It is astonishing regarding the intellect of the polytheists: on one hand, such reverence for Allah that they swear emphatic oaths by His name, and on the other hand, such disrespect that they consider Him so powerless and incapable that He cannot even recreate what He created the first time.
➋ { بَلٰى وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا: ’’ بَلٰى ‘‘} is used for the negation of a negation, which implies affirmation of the thing. They said, the Hour will not come. He said, why not! That is, it will certainly come. {’’ وَعْدًا ‘‘ ’’وَعَدَ‘‘ } is an implied absolute object, for emphasis, and {’’ حَقًّا ‘‘ } is its attribute, meaning the phrase { ’’وَعَدَ اللّٰهُ وَعْدًا حَقًّا۔‘‘ ’’ عَلَيْهِ ‘‘} is for further emphasis of this promise, that it is obligatory upon Him. But He has made it obligatory upon Himself out of His grace and bounty; otherwise, who has the power to obligate anything upon Allah? That is, your denial and emphatic oaths cannot avert Allah’s firm promise; it will certainly be fulfilled. However, by denying such a clear reality, you are only proving your ignorance.
➌ { وَ لٰكِنَّ اَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ :} In this, there is praise for that minority who possess knowledge and believe that the Hereafter and reckoning are true, and condemnation of the majority who do not hold this belief. Allah has refuted them in several places. See Surah Taghabun (7) and Surah Ya-Sin (78).
➋ { بَلٰى وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا: ’’ بَلٰى ‘‘} is used for the negation of a negation, which implies affirmation of the thing. They said, the Hour will not come. He said, why not! That is, it will certainly come. {’’ وَعْدًا ‘‘ ’’وَعَدَ‘‘ } is an implied absolute object, for emphasis, and {’’ حَقًّا ‘‘ } is its attribute, meaning the phrase { ’’وَعَدَ اللّٰهُ وَعْدًا حَقًّا۔‘‘ ’’ عَلَيْهِ ‘‘} is for further emphasis of this promise, that it is obligatory upon Him. But He has made it obligatory upon Himself out of His grace and bounty; otherwise, who has the power to obligate anything upon Allah? That is, your denial and emphatic oaths cannot avert Allah’s firm promise; it will certainly be fulfilled. However, by denying such a clear reality, you are only proving your ignorance.
➌ { وَ لٰكِنَّ اَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ :} In this, there is praise for that minority who possess knowledge and believe that the Hereafter and reckoning are true, and condemnation of the majority who do not hold this belief. Allah has refuted them in several places. See Surah Taghabun (7) and Surah Ya-Sin (78).
