سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 44
بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ وَٱلزُّبُرِ ۗ وَأَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ٱلذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿44﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
With clear signs and Books (We sent the Messengers). And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) the Dhikr [reminder and the advice (i.e. the Qur’ân)], that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ
bil-bayināti
With the clear proofs
وَٱلزُّبُرِ ۗ
wal-zuburi
and the Books
وَأَنزَلْنَآ
wa-anzalnā
And We sent down
إِلَيْكَ
ilayka
to you
ٱلذِّكْرَ
l-dhik'ra
the Remembrance
لِتُبَيِّنَ
litubayyina
that you may make clear
لِلنَّاسِ
lilnnāsi
to the mankind
مَا
mā
what
نُزِّلَ
nuzzila
has been sent down
إِلَيْهِمْ
ilayhim
to them
وَلَعَلَّهُمْ
walaʿallahum
and that they may
يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
yatafakkarūna
reflect
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.
(Ayah44) ➊ {بِالْبَيِّنٰتِ وَ الزُّبُرِ : ’’ الزُّبُرِ ‘‘ ’’ اَلزَّبُوْرُ‘‘} is the plural of {’’مَزْبُوْرٌ‘‘}, meaning {’’ بِالْبَيِّنٰتِ وَ الزُّبُرِ ‘‘}, that is, something written. This jar majroor can be related to either of the two verbs in the previous verse, either to {’’ وَ مَاۤ اَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ اِلَّا رِجَالًا ‘‘} in relation to {’’ اَرْسَلْنَا ‘‘}, meaning: We did not send before you except men with clear proofs and books, or to {’’ فَسْـَٔلُوْۤا اَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ ‘‘ } in relation to {’’فَسْـَٔلُوْۤا ‘‘}, meaning: If you do not know, then ask the people of remembrance with clear proofs and books. (Tantawi)
➋ For the explanation of {وَ اَنْزَلْنَاۤ اِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ … : ’’ الذِّكْرَ ‘‘}, see the footnotes of verse (9) of this Surah Al-Hijr.
➌ In this verse, two wisdoms of revealing {’’ الذِّكْرَ ‘‘ }, that is, divine revelation, to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) have been mentioned: one is that if people face any difficulty in understanding its meaning, you may clarify it for them, and even show them its practical example by acting upon it yourself, because without your clarification and example, it is not possible to understand the matters stated in divine revelation, for example, prayer, fasting, zakah, and other rulings. Apart from the Noble Qur’an, every statement, action, and condition of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is divine revelation and its clarification. He said: «{ لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِيْ رَسُوْلِ اللّٰهِ اُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ }» [ الأحزاب : ۲۱ ] “Indeed, there is for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example.” Miqdam bin Ma’dikarib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: [ اَلَا، إِنِّيْ أُوْتِيْتُ الْكِتَابَ وَمِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ، أَلَا يُوْشِكُ رَجُلٌ شَبْعَانُ عَلٰی أَرِيْكَتِهِ يَقُوْلُ عَلَيْكُمْ بِهٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ فَمَا وَجَدْتُمْ فِيْهِ مِنْ حَلَالٍ فَأَحِلُّوْهُ وَمَا وَجَدْتُمْ فِيْهِ مِنْ حَرَامٍ فَحَرِّمُوْهُ أَلاَ وَ إِنَّ مَا حَرَّمَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِثْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ اللّٰهُ، أَلاَ، لَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ الْحِمَارُ الْأَهْلِيُّ وَلَا كُلُّ ذِيْ نَابٍ مِنَ السَّبُعِ وَلَا لُقَطَةُ مُعَاهِدٍ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَسْتَغْنِيَ عَنْهَا صَاحِبُهَا ] [ أبوداوٗد، السنۃ، باب فی لزوم السنۃ : ۴۶۰۴۔ ابن ماجہ : ۱۲، و صححہ الألباني ] “Listen! I have been given the Book and something like it along with it. Beware! Soon a man with a full belly, reclining on his luxurious couch, will say: ‘Hold fast to this Qur’an; whatever you find in it as halal, consider it halal, and whatever you find in it as haram, consider it haram.’ Listen! Whatever the Messenger of Allah has declared haram is just as if Allah has declared it haram. Listen! The meat of the domestic donkey is not halal for you, nor any predator with fangs, nor anything dropped by a dhimmi (disbeliever), unless its owner no longer needs it.” The second wisdom is {’’ وَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوْنَ ‘‘}, and so that people may ponder over divine revelation and take admonition from it.
➋ For the explanation of {وَ اَنْزَلْنَاۤ اِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ … : ’’ الذِّكْرَ ‘‘}, see the footnotes of verse (9) of this Surah Al-Hijr.
➌ In this verse, two wisdoms of revealing {’’ الذِّكْرَ ‘‘ }, that is, divine revelation, to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) have been mentioned: one is that if people face any difficulty in understanding its meaning, you may clarify it for them, and even show them its practical example by acting upon it yourself, because without your clarification and example, it is not possible to understand the matters stated in divine revelation, for example, prayer, fasting, zakah, and other rulings. Apart from the Noble Qur’an, every statement, action, and condition of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is divine revelation and its clarification. He said: «{ لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِيْ رَسُوْلِ اللّٰهِ اُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ }» [ الأحزاب : ۲۱ ] “Indeed, there is for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example.” Miqdam bin Ma’dikarib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: [ اَلَا، إِنِّيْ أُوْتِيْتُ الْكِتَابَ وَمِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ، أَلَا يُوْشِكُ رَجُلٌ شَبْعَانُ عَلٰی أَرِيْكَتِهِ يَقُوْلُ عَلَيْكُمْ بِهٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ فَمَا وَجَدْتُمْ فِيْهِ مِنْ حَلَالٍ فَأَحِلُّوْهُ وَمَا وَجَدْتُمْ فِيْهِ مِنْ حَرَامٍ فَحَرِّمُوْهُ أَلاَ وَ إِنَّ مَا حَرَّمَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِثْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ اللّٰهُ، أَلاَ، لَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ الْحِمَارُ الْأَهْلِيُّ وَلَا كُلُّ ذِيْ نَابٍ مِنَ السَّبُعِ وَلَا لُقَطَةُ مُعَاهِدٍ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَسْتَغْنِيَ عَنْهَا صَاحِبُهَا ] [ أبوداوٗد، السنۃ، باب فی لزوم السنۃ : ۴۶۰۴۔ ابن ماجہ : ۱۲، و صححہ الألباني ] “Listen! I have been given the Book and something like it along with it. Beware! Soon a man with a full belly, reclining on his luxurious couch, will say: ‘Hold fast to this Qur’an; whatever you find in it as halal, consider it halal, and whatever you find in it as haram, consider it haram.’ Listen! Whatever the Messenger of Allah has declared haram is just as if Allah has declared it haram. Listen! The meat of the domestic donkey is not halal for you, nor any predator with fangs, nor anything dropped by a dhimmi (disbeliever), unless its owner no longer needs it.” The second wisdom is {’’ وَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوْنَ ‘‘}, and so that people may ponder over divine revelation and take admonition from it.
