سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 81
وَٱللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّمَّا خَلَقَ ظِلَـٰلًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْجِبَالِ أَكْنَـٰنًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ سَرَٰبِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ ٱلْحَرَّ وَسَرَٰبِيلَ تَقِيكُم بَأْسَكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْلِمُونَ ﴿81﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And Allâh has made for you out of that which He has created shades, and has made for you places of refuge in the mountains, and has made for you garments to protect you from the heat (and cold), and coats of mail to protect you from your (mutual) violence. Thus does He perfect His Favour unto you, that you may submit yourselves to His Will (in Islâm).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
جَعَلَ
jaʿala
(has) made
لَكُم
lakum
for you
مِّمَّا
mimmā
from what
خَلَقَ
khalaqa
He created
ظِلَـٰلًۭا
ẓilālan
shades
وَجَعَلَ
wajaʿala
and (has) made
لَكُم
lakum
for you
مِّنَ
mina
from
ٱلْجِبَالِ
l-jibāli
the mountains
أَكْنَـٰنًۭا
aknānan
shelters
وَجَعَلَ
wajaʿala
and (has) made
لَكُمْ
lakum
for you
سَرَٰبِيلَ
sarābīla
garments
تَقِيكُمُ
taqīkumu
to protect you
ٱلْحَرَّ
l-ḥara
(from) the heat
وَسَرَٰبِيلَ
wasarābīla
and garments
تَقِيكُم
taqīkum
to protect you
بَأْسَكُمْ ۚ
basakum
from your (mutual) violence
كَذَٰلِكَ
kadhālika
Thus
يُتِمُّ
yutimmu
He completes
نِعْمَتَهُۥ
niʿ'matahu
His Favor
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
upon you
لَعَلَّكُمْ
laʿallakum
so that you may
تُسْلِمُونَ
tus'limūna
submit
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.
(Ayah81) ➊ {وَ اللّٰهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّمَّا خَلَقَ ظِلٰلًا …: ’’ ظِلٰلًا ‘‘ ’’ظِلٌّ‘‘} is the plural of ظِلٌّ, meaning shades. { ’’ اَكْنَانًا ‘‘} and { ’’اَكِنَّةٌ‘‘} are both plurals of {’’كِنٌّ‘‘}, a place or thing of concealment, as He said: «وَ قَالُوْا قُلُوْبُنَا فِيْۤ اَكِنَّةٍ » [ حٰمٓ السجدۃ : ۵ ] "And they said, 'Our hearts are in coverings.'" {’’ سَرَابِيْلَ ‘‘ ’’سِرْبَالٌ‘‘} is the plural of سِرْبَالٌ, meaning a shirt or any garment that is worn. {’’ تَقِيْكُمُ ‘‘ ’’وَقٰي يَقِيْ‘‘} is the imperfect tense, singular feminine absent form. Its subject is a plural pronoun, so it is singular feminine. After mentioning the blessings of cattle, houses, and tents, the blessings that protect from heat, cold, and enemies outside the home are mentioned. In this verse, for those who do not have a house or tent, or are traveling, various shades are mentioned for protection from heat, etc., such as the shade of trees, the shade of houses, walls, and mountains, the shade of settlements, the shade of umbrellas; in short, these shades are used for protection from heat, cold, and rain.
➋ { وَ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الْجِبَالِ اَكْنَانًا :} This includes natural caves in mountains, houses dug out, and long tunnels made in mountains, in which military equipment, weapons, aircraft, and armies are kept safe, all are included.
➌ {وَ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ سَرَابِيْلَ تَقِيْكُمُ الْحَرَّ:} The clothing that protects you from heat; some scholars have said that the first addressees of the Qur'an were the Arabs, where heat was more prevalent, so only clothing that protects from heat was mentioned. But most commentators have said that mentioning heat was considered sufficient, so cold was not mentioned separately, because if clothing protects from heat, it also protects from cold. As for the prevalence of heat in Arabia, at the beginning of this Surah, when mentioning animals, He said: «{ لَكُمْ فِيْهَا دِفْءٌ }» [ النحل : ۵] "For you in them is warmth." It is clear that the Arabs also needed protection from cold, so it is stronger to say that the Qur'an, by mentioning only heat, left it to the listeners to reflect on the blessing of protection from cold, or because at the beginning of the Surah, {’’ لَكُمْ فِيْهَا دِفْءٌ ‘‘} (for you in them is warmth) already mentioned protection from cold, so it was not mentioned here. {’’ وَ سَرَابِيْلَ تَقِيْكُمْ بَاْسَكُمْ ‘‘} This includes armor, helmets, bulletproof jackets, vehicles, tanks, etc., all are included.
➍ { لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْلِمُوْنَ :} That is, so that you may become obedient and submissive to Allah Almighty, because whoever reflects on these boundless blessings, it is necessary that he brings faith and adopts His obedience.
➋ { وَ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الْجِبَالِ اَكْنَانًا :} This includes natural caves in mountains, houses dug out, and long tunnels made in mountains, in which military equipment, weapons, aircraft, and armies are kept safe, all are included.
➌ {وَ جَعَلَ لَكُمْ سَرَابِيْلَ تَقِيْكُمُ الْحَرَّ:} The clothing that protects you from heat; some scholars have said that the first addressees of the Qur'an were the Arabs, where heat was more prevalent, so only clothing that protects from heat was mentioned. But most commentators have said that mentioning heat was considered sufficient, so cold was not mentioned separately, because if clothing protects from heat, it also protects from cold. As for the prevalence of heat in Arabia, at the beginning of this Surah, when mentioning animals, He said: «{ لَكُمْ فِيْهَا دِفْءٌ }» [ النحل : ۵] "For you in them is warmth." It is clear that the Arabs also needed protection from cold, so it is stronger to say that the Qur'an, by mentioning only heat, left it to the listeners to reflect on the blessing of protection from cold, or because at the beginning of the Surah, {’’ لَكُمْ فِيْهَا دِفْءٌ ‘‘} (for you in them is warmth) already mentioned protection from cold, so it was not mentioned here. {’’ وَ سَرَابِيْلَ تَقِيْكُمْ بَاْسَكُمْ ‘‘} This includes armor, helmets, bulletproof jackets, vehicles, tanks, etc., all are included.
➍ { لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْلِمُوْنَ :} That is, so that you may become obedient and submissive to Allah Almighty, because whoever reflects on these boundless blessings, it is necessary that he brings faith and adopts His obedience.
