سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 2
يُنَزِّلُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ بِٱلرُّوحِ مِنْ أَمْرِهِۦ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦٓ أَنْ أَنذِرُوٓا۟ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱتَّقُونِ ﴿2﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
He sends down the angels with the Rûh (revelation) of His Command to whom of His slaves He wills (saying): "Warn mankind that Lâ ilâha illâ Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I), so fear Me (by abstaining from sins and evil deeds).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يُنَزِّلُ
yunazzilu
He sends down
ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ
l-malāikata
the Angels
بِٱلرُّوحِ
bil-rūḥi
with the inspiration
مِنْ
min
of
أَمْرِهِۦ
amrihi
His Command
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
upon
مَن
man
whom
يَشَآءُ
yashāu
He wills
مِنْ
min
of
عِبَادِهِۦٓ
ʿibādihi
His slaves
أَنْ
an
that
أَنذِرُوٓا۟
andhirū
Warn
أَنَّهُۥ
annahu
that [He]
لَآ
lā
(there is) no
إِلَـٰهَ
ilāha
god
إِلَّآ
illā
except
أَنَا۠
anā
Me
فَٱتَّقُونِ
fa-ittaqūni
so fear Me
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
2. He sends down the angels with revelation [3] by His command upon whom He wills of His servants, (saying): Warn that there is no deity except Me, so fear only Me.
[3]
The Different Meanings of "Ruh" (Spirit):
The word "Ruh" has been used in the Quran in the following three meanings:
1. Ruh meaning that subtle essence which is present in a living being, and due to which the organs and limbs of that being move, and when this Ruh departs, the living being becomes lifeless or dies. Just as the reality of this Ruh has been given very little knowledge to mankind, similarly, encompassing the meanings of Ruh is also beyond human reach. [17: 85]
2. Ruh meaning angel, as stated: ﴿فَاَرْسَلْنَآ اِلَيْهَا رُوْحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا﴾ [ 17: 19] (i.e., We sent Our Ruh or angel to Maryam, who appeared before her as a well-proportioned man). Ruh here can mean a general angel or Jibreelؑ. However, when the term Ruh al-Qudus or Ruh al-Amin is used, it refers only to Sayyiduna Jibreelؑ.
3. Ruh meaning the message which the angel brings from Allah Almighty, and by this is meant revelation (wahy) or the entire Quran. When the words "min al-amr" or "min amri" come with Ruh, it refers specifically to revelation, as is the case at this place: "bil-ruh min amrihi," and at another place it is said: ﴿وَكَذٰلِكَ اَوْحَيْنَآ اِلَيْكَ رُوْحًا مِّنْ اَمْرِنَا﴾ At this place, Ruh refers to the entire Quran. Also, at another place, it has come in the meaning of revelation or messengership as follows: ﴿يُلْقِي الرُّوْحَ مِنْ اَمْرِهٖ عَليٰ مَنْ يَّشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهٖ﴾ That is, Allah Almighty sends down His message upon whomever He wills among His servants. And at this place, the word Ruh has been used for revelation because just as the body needs Ruh for life—if there is no Ruh, life ends—similarly, for a righteous way of life or system of living, divine revelation is needed, without which a righteous system cannot be established at all. And if one does not act according to divine revelation, the system falls apart and some other corrupt system takes its place.
[4] ﴿الملئكة﴾ is a plural form, but here it refers to only one angel, i.e., Jibreelؑ, because he is the chief of the angels who deliver messages and convey revelation. In Arabic idiom, the plural form is used for a chief or leader. There are other examples of this in the Noble Quran, and this is also the saying of Ibn Abbasؓ. In this sentence, two objections of the polytheists of Makkah have been answered: one is the objection that if this Prophet is true, then why has punishment not come upon us, and by this they meant to deny the Prophet. Their second objection was that if Allah had to make someone a Prophet, were the chiefs of Makkah and Ta'if dead, that only this man was found by Allah for Prophethood? [سوره زخرف آيت 31]
Allah Almighty answered this by saying that I do not need your consultation in this matter. I Myself know best who is deserving of Prophethood and what qualities are necessary for it. Therefore, I bestow this favor upon whomever I will, so that they may warn the people that I alone am the deity, so you should fear only Me.
[3]
The Different Meanings of "Ruh" (Spirit):
The word "Ruh" has been used in the Quran in the following three meanings:
1. Ruh meaning that subtle essence which is present in a living being, and due to which the organs and limbs of that being move, and when this Ruh departs, the living being becomes lifeless or dies. Just as the reality of this Ruh has been given very little knowledge to mankind, similarly, encompassing the meanings of Ruh is also beyond human reach. [17: 85]
2. Ruh meaning angel, as stated: ﴿فَاَرْسَلْنَآ اِلَيْهَا رُوْحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا﴾ [ 17: 19] (i.e., We sent Our Ruh or angel to Maryam, who appeared before her as a well-proportioned man). Ruh here can mean a general angel or Jibreelؑ. However, when the term Ruh al-Qudus or Ruh al-Amin is used, it refers only to Sayyiduna Jibreelؑ.
3. Ruh meaning the message which the angel brings from Allah Almighty, and by this is meant revelation (wahy) or the entire Quran. When the words "min al-amr" or "min amri" come with Ruh, it refers specifically to revelation, as is the case at this place: "bil-ruh min amrihi," and at another place it is said: ﴿وَكَذٰلِكَ اَوْحَيْنَآ اِلَيْكَ رُوْحًا مِّنْ اَمْرِنَا﴾ At this place, Ruh refers to the entire Quran. Also, at another place, it has come in the meaning of revelation or messengership as follows: ﴿يُلْقِي الرُّوْحَ مِنْ اَمْرِهٖ عَليٰ مَنْ يَّشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهٖ﴾ That is, Allah Almighty sends down His message upon whomever He wills among His servants. And at this place, the word Ruh has been used for revelation because just as the body needs Ruh for life—if there is no Ruh, life ends—similarly, for a righteous way of life or system of living, divine revelation is needed, without which a righteous system cannot be established at all. And if one does not act according to divine revelation, the system falls apart and some other corrupt system takes its place.
[4] ﴿الملئكة﴾ is a plural form, but here it refers to only one angel, i.e., Jibreelؑ, because he is the chief of the angels who deliver messages and convey revelation. In Arabic idiom, the plural form is used for a chief or leader. There are other examples of this in the Noble Quran, and this is also the saying of Ibn Abbasؓ. In this sentence, two objections of the polytheists of Makkah have been answered: one is the objection that if this Prophet is true, then why has punishment not come upon us, and by this they meant to deny the Prophet. Their second objection was that if Allah had to make someone a Prophet, were the chiefs of Makkah and Ta'if dead, that only this man was found by Allah for Prophethood? [سوره زخرف آيت 31]
Allah Almighty answered this by saying that I do not need your consultation in this matter. I Myself know best who is deserving of Prophethood and what qualities are necessary for it. Therefore, I bestow this favor upon whomever I will, so that they may warn the people that I alone am the deity, so you should fear only Me.
