سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 75
۞ ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا عَبْدًا مَّمْلُوكًا لَّا يَقْدِرُ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍ وَمَن رَّزَقْنَـٰهُ مِنَّا رِزْقًا حَسَنًا فَهُوَ يُنفِقُ مِنْهُ سِرًّا وَجَهْرًا ۖ هَلْ يَسْتَوُۥنَ ۚ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿75﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Allâh puts forward the example of (two men - a believer and a disbeliever); a slave (disbeliever) under the possession of another, he has no power of any sort, and (the other), a man (believer) on whom We have bestowed a good provision from Us, and he spends thereof secretly and openly. Can they be equal? (By no means). All the praises and thanks are to Allâh. Nay! (But) most of them know not.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ ضَرَبَ
ḍaraba
Allah sets forth
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah sets forth
مَثَلًا
mathalan
the example
عَبْدًۭا
ʿabdan
(of) a slave
مَّمْلُوكًۭا
mamlūkan
(who is) owned
لَّا
lā
not
يَقْدِرُ
yaqdiru
he has power
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
on
شَىْءٍۢ
shayin
anything
وَمَن
waman
and (one) whom
رَّزَقْنَـٰهُ
razaqnāhu
We provided him
مِنَّا
minnā
from Us
رِزْقًا
riz'qan
a provision
حَسَنًۭا
ḥasanan
good
فَهُوَ
fahuwa
so he
يُنفِقُ
yunfiqu
spends
مِنْهُ
min'hu
from it
سِرًّۭا
sirran
secretly
وَجَهْرًا ۖ
wajahran
and publicly
هَلْ
hal
Can
يَسْتَوُۥنَ ۚ
yastawūna
they be equal
ٱلْحَمْدُ
l-ḥamdu
All praise
لِلَّهِ ۚ
lillahi
(is) for Allah
بَلْ
bal
Nay
أَكْثَرُهُمْ
aktharuhum
but most of them
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.
(Ayah75) ➊ The meaning of {ضَرَبَ اللّٰهُ مَثَلًا عَبْدًا مَّمْلُوْكًا …: ’’ عَبْدًا ‘‘} itself is "slave," yet the specification of {’’ مَمْلُوْكًا ‘‘} is mentioned because, in one sense, every person in the heavens and the earth is a {’’ عَبْدًا ‘‘}. It is said: «{ اِنْ كُلُّ مَنْ فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ اِلَّاۤ اٰتِي الرَّحْمٰنِ عَبْدًا }» [ مریم : ۹۳ ] "Whoever is in the heavens and the earth will come to the Most Merciful as a slave." So here, the intended meaning is the slave who is in the ownership of a person.
➋ In {وَ مَنْ رَّزَقْنٰهُ مِنَّا رِزْقًا حَسَنًا …:}, instead of saying {’’مَالِكًا‘‘} in comparison to {’’ مَمْلُوْكًا ‘‘}, it is said {’’ وَ مَنْ رَّزَقْنٰهُ مِنَّا ‘‘} because even if a human is an owner, whatever he possesses is what We have granted him. Along with this, he is reminded to keep spending, both secretly and openly, from what We have given, and not to hoard it considering it his own.
➌ { هَلْ يَسْتَوٗنَ :} That is, in associating anyone as a partner with Allah Almighty, the example of these people is like that of a powerless owned slave who cannot spend even a penny without his master's permission, being equated with a free person who owns his wealth and spends it openly and secretly wherever he wishes. So can this helpless slave and that free owner ever be equal? Even though both are human, similar in mental and physical structure and abilities, still they can never be equal. So if these cannot be equal, then can any idol or elder, prophet or angel, living or dead, all of whom are the creation and property of Allah, ever be equal to the Creator of the entire universe and the Owner of everything!? (Qasimi)
➍ { اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ :} Above, after mentioning the question "Can these be equal?", Allah Almighty Himself did not give any answer, because the answer is contained within the question itself, and every listener is compelled to say, "Never." Upon this, Allah Almighty praised Himself, because no one will explain to you as excellently as He does.
➎ { بَلْ اَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ :} It is understood that among the People of the Book and the polytheists of Makkah, some recognized the reality of monotheism, but due to stubbornness and hostility, they remained firm on trinity and worship of the dead. There were also some who intended to believe at some point, but most of them did not even know the evil of polytheism; rather, following their forefathers, they continued on the path of polytheism, and this has been the condition of the majority.
➋ In {وَ مَنْ رَّزَقْنٰهُ مِنَّا رِزْقًا حَسَنًا …:}, instead of saying {’’مَالِكًا‘‘} in comparison to {’’ مَمْلُوْكًا ‘‘}, it is said {’’ وَ مَنْ رَّزَقْنٰهُ مِنَّا ‘‘} because even if a human is an owner, whatever he possesses is what We have granted him. Along with this, he is reminded to keep spending, both secretly and openly, from what We have given, and not to hoard it considering it his own.
➌ { هَلْ يَسْتَوٗنَ :} That is, in associating anyone as a partner with Allah Almighty, the example of these people is like that of a powerless owned slave who cannot spend even a penny without his master's permission, being equated with a free person who owns his wealth and spends it openly and secretly wherever he wishes. So can this helpless slave and that free owner ever be equal? Even though both are human, similar in mental and physical structure and abilities, still they can never be equal. So if these cannot be equal, then can any idol or elder, prophet or angel, living or dead, all of whom are the creation and property of Allah, ever be equal to the Creator of the entire universe and the Owner of everything!? (Qasimi)
➍ { اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ :} Above, after mentioning the question "Can these be equal?", Allah Almighty Himself did not give any answer, because the answer is contained within the question itself, and every listener is compelled to say, "Never." Upon this, Allah Almighty praised Himself, because no one will explain to you as excellently as He does.
➎ { بَلْ اَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ :} It is understood that among the People of the Book and the polytheists of Makkah, some recognized the reality of monotheism, but due to stubbornness and hostility, they remained firm on trinity and worship of the dead. There were also some who intended to believe at some point, but most of them did not even know the evil of polytheism; rather, following their forefathers, they continued on the path of polytheism, and this has been the condition of the majority.
