Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 89

(Ayah 89) ➊ { وَ يَوْمَ نَبْعَثُ فِيْ كُلِّ اُمَّةٍ … :} For its explanation, see Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah (143) and Surah An-Nisa, Ayah (41). {’’ مِنْ اَنْفُسِهِمْ ‘‘} may refer to the testimony of their own skins and other limbs as well. See Surah Ha Mim As-Sajdah (20, 21).

➋ {وَ نَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتٰبَ تِبْيَانًا … : ’’ تِبْيَانًا ‘‘} is a verbal noun, and there is emphasis in the statement, meaning to explain very well, that is, a clear explanation of halal and haram and everything upon which the guidance and misguidance, success and failure of a person in this world and the Hereafter depend. Then, regarding those rulings which the Qur’an has mentioned briefly or has left unmentioned, it has made obedience and following of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) obligatory, thereby commanding to refer to the Sunnah and Hadith.

➌ {لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ :} The claim of the Qur’an is that it contains a clear explanation of everything. Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) once said: [ لَعَنَ اللّٰهُ الْوَاشِمَاتِ وَالْمُوْتَشِمَاتِ، وَالْمُتَنَمِّصَاتِ وَالْمُتَفَلِّجَاتِ لِلْحُسْنِ، الْمُغَيِّرَاتِ خَلْقَ اللّٰهِ، فَبَلَغَ ذٰلِكَ امْرَأَةً مِنْ بَنِيْ أَسَدٍ يُقَالُ لَهَا أُمُّ يَعْقُوْبَ، فَجَاءَتْ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّهُ بَلَغَنِيْ أَنَّكَ لَعَنْتَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ، فَقَالَ وَمَا لِيْ لَا أَلْعَنُ مَنْ لَعَنَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَمَنْ هُوَ فِيْ كِتَابِ اللّٰهِ ؟ فَقَالَتْ لَقَدْ قَرَأْتُ مَا بَيْنَ اللَّوْحَيْنِ فَمَا وَجَدْتُ فِيْهِ مَا تَقُوْلُ، فَقَالَ لَئِنْ كُنْتِ قَرَأْتِيْهِ لَقَدْ وَجَدْتِيْهِ، أَمَا قَرَأْتِ : «{ وَ مَاۤ اٰتٰىكُمُ الرَّسُوْلُ فَخُذُوْهُ وَ مَا نَهٰىكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوْا }» قَالَتْ : بَلٰہ، قَالَ فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ نَهَی عَنْهُ ] [ بخاری، التفسیر، سورۃ الحشر، باب : « وما اٰتاکم الرسول فخذوہ…» : ۴۸۸۶ ] “Allah has cursed those women who make tattoos on the skin with a needle and those who get them made, and those who pluck facial hair, and those who create gaps between their teeth, changing what Allah has created.” A woman from Banu Asad named Umm Ya’qub heard this and came and said: “I have heard that you have cursed such and such women?” He replied: “Why should I not curse those whom the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has cursed and which is also in the Book of Allah.” She said: “I have read (the whole Qur’an) between the two covers, but I did not find this in it.” He said: “If you had read it, you would have found it. Did you not read: «{ وَ مَاۤ اٰتٰىكُمُ الرَّسُوْلُ فَخُذُوْهُ وَ مَا نَهٰىكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوْا }» [ الحشر : ۷ ] ‘And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you from, abstain from it.’” She said: “Of course.” He said: “Then the matter is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) has forbidden these actions.”

From this it is understood that, according to the words of the Qur’an itself, the meaning of the explanation of everything in it is that acting upon every command and refraining from every prohibition given by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) regarding the religion is also part of the Qur’an. The commentator Sha’rawi has written here an interesting incident of Sheikh Muhammad Abduh of Egypt. He said that once I was in Paris, and an orientalist (non-Muslim Arabic scholar) said to me that it is in the Qur’an: «{ مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِي الْكِتٰبِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ }» [ الأنعام : ۳۸ ] “We have not neglected anything in the Book.” I said, yes, that is correct. He said, well, tell me how many loaves of bread can be made from one ardab (about 48 kg) of flour? I said, this is a simple matter, let’s ask a baker. He said, no, I want to see it in the Qur’an. I said, the Qur’an has told us: «{ فَسْـَٔلُوْۤا اَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ }» [ الأنبیاء : ۷ ] “If you do not know, ask the people of knowledge (those who understand it).” In short, the explanation of everything is present in the Qur’an. For further details, see Ayah (64) of this Surah and its footnotes.

➍ {وَ هُدًى وَّ رَحْمَةً وَّ بُشْرٰى لِلْمُسْلِمِيْنَ:} Here, instead of using all three words as active participles, verbal nouns have been mentioned, for example, instead of { ’’ هَادِيٌ ‘‘ }, {’’ هُدًى ‘‘ } has been used, and similarly {’’ رَحْمَةً ‘‘} and {’’ بُشْرٰى ‘‘} have been mentioned. This is done for emphasis, for example, if one wants to say that Zaid is extremely just, instead of saying {’’زَيْدٌ عَادِلٌ‘‘}, one says {’’زَيْدٌ عَدْلٌ‘‘}, meaning Zaid is the very essence of justice. The purpose is that the Qur’an is guidance, mercy, and glad tidings for the Muslims.