سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 92
وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّتِى نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِنۢ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَـٰثًا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا بَيْنَكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِىَ أَرْبَىٰ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ ۚ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ مَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ ﴿92﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And be not like her who undoes the thread which she has spun, after it has become strong, by taking your oaths as a means of deception among yourselves, lest a nation should be more numerous than another nation. Allâh only tests you by this [i.e who obeys Allâh and fulfils Allâh’s Covenant and who disobeys Allâh and breaks Allâh’s Covenant]. And on the Day of Resurrection, He will certainly make clear to you that wherein you used to differ [i.e. a believer confesses and believes in the Oneness of Allâh and in the Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم which the disbeliever denies and that is their difference amongst them in the life of this world].
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَا
walā
And (do) not
تَكُونُوا۟
takūnū
be
كَٱلَّتِى
ka-allatī
like her who
نَقَضَتْ
naqaḍat
untwists
غَزْلَهَا
ghazlahā
her spun yarn
مِنۢ
min
after
بَعْدِ
baʿdi
after
قُوَّةٍ
quwwatin
strength
أَنكَـٰثًۭا
ankāthan
(into) untwisted strands
تَتَّخِذُونَ
tattakhidhūna
you take
أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْ
aymānakum
your oaths
دَخَلًۢا
dakhalan
(as) a deception
بَيْنَكُمْ
baynakum
between you
أَن
an
because
تَكُونَ
takūna
is
أُمَّةٌ
ummatun
a community
هِىَ
hiya
[it]
أَرْبَىٰ
arbā
more numerous
مِنْ
min
than
أُمَّةٍ ۚ
ummatin
(another) community
إِنَّمَا
innamā
Only
يَبْلُوكُمُ
yablūkumu
Allah tests you
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah tests you
بِهِۦ ۚ
bihi
by it
وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ
walayubayyinanna
And He will make clear
لَكُمْ
lakum
to you
يَوْمَ
yawma
(on) the Day
ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ
l-qiyāmati
(of) the Resurrection
مَا
mā
what
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you used (to)
فِيهِ
fīhi
in it
تَخْتَلِفُونَ
takhtalifūna
differ
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.
(Ayah92) ➊ {وَ لَا تَكُوْنُوْا كَالَّتِيْ نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا …: ’’غَزْلٌ‘‘} is a verbal noun in the meaning of the object, the verb {’’غَزَلَ يَغْزِلُ‘‘} (ض) is used, to spin cotton or wool thread (yarn). {’’ اَنْكَاثًا ‘‘ ’’نِكْثٌ‘‘} (with kasrah on the noon) is the plural, pieces.
➋ This is a parable given for those who break their oaths after making them firm; it is not necessary that such a woman actually existed, but any woman who does this would be called just as foolish. Similarly, the condition of those who break oaths is like that of this woman, although in some narrations of Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim, it is mentioned that there was a mad woman in Makkah who used to spin yarn and then break it into pieces after twisting it.
➌ {تَتَّخِذُوْنَ اَيْمَانَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا … : ’’ دَخَلًۢا ‘‘} means deception, fraud, and impurity. Originally, {’’ دَخَلًۢا ‘‘} refers to something that is mixed into another thing while it is not actually part of it, for example, mixing chickpea husks into tea leaves. {’’اَرْبٰى‘‘ } is the comparative form from {’’رَبَا يَرْبُوْ‘‘} (ن), meaning the increase or abundance of something.
➍ That is, do not break your covenant with a group just because when you made the covenant you were weak and that group was strong, and now you have become strong and they have become weak, or now you have found another ally stronger than them, as was the practice of the people of ignorance (Jahiliyyah). (Shawkani, Qurtubi) And as is the common practice of the people of the West and indeed all disbelievers in this era.
➎ { اِنَّمَا يَبْلُوْكُمُ اللّٰهُ بِهٖ :} that you remain firm on your covenant, or upon finding another group stronger or weaker, you disregard your covenant. (Qurtubi)
➋ This is a parable given for those who break their oaths after making them firm; it is not necessary that such a woman actually existed, but any woman who does this would be called just as foolish. Similarly, the condition of those who break oaths is like that of this woman, although in some narrations of Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim, it is mentioned that there was a mad woman in Makkah who used to spin yarn and then break it into pieces after twisting it.
➌ {تَتَّخِذُوْنَ اَيْمَانَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا … : ’’ دَخَلًۢا ‘‘} means deception, fraud, and impurity. Originally, {’’ دَخَلًۢا ‘‘} refers to something that is mixed into another thing while it is not actually part of it, for example, mixing chickpea husks into tea leaves. {’’اَرْبٰى‘‘ } is the comparative form from {’’رَبَا يَرْبُوْ‘‘} (ن), meaning the increase or abundance of something.
➍ That is, do not break your covenant with a group just because when you made the covenant you were weak and that group was strong, and now you have become strong and they have become weak, or now you have found another ally stronger than them, as was the practice of the people of ignorance (Jahiliyyah). (Shawkani, Qurtubi) And as is the common practice of the people of the West and indeed all disbelievers in this era.
➎ { اِنَّمَا يَبْلُوْكُمُ اللّٰهُ بِهٖ :} that you remain firm on your covenant, or upon finding another group stronger or weaker, you disregard your covenant. (Qurtubi)
