سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 26
قَدْ مَكَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنْيَـٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلسَّقْفُ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَأَتَىٰهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿26﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Those before them indeed plotted, but Allâh struck at the foundation of their building, and then the roof fell down upon them, from above them, and the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَدْ
qad
Verily
مَكَرَ
makara
plotted
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
مِن
min
(were) before them
قَبْلِهِمْ
qablihim
(were) before them
فَأَتَى
fa-atā
but Allah came
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
but Allah came
بُنْيَـٰنَهُم
bun'yānahum
(at) their building
مِّنَ
mina
from
ٱلْقَوَاعِدِ
l-qawāʿidi
the foundations
فَخَرَّ
fakharra
so fell
عَلَيْهِمُ
ʿalayhimu
upon them
ٱلسَّقْفُ
l-saqfu
the roof
مِن
min
from
فَوْقِهِمْ
fawqihim
above them
وَأَتَىٰهُمُ
wa-atāhumu
and came to them
ٱلْعَذَابُ
l-ʿadhābu
the punishment
مِنْ
min
from
حَيْثُ
ḥaythu
where
لَا
lā
they (did) not perceive
يَشْعُرُونَ
yashʿurūna
they (did) not perceive
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.
26. Those before them also plotted (against the truth) [26]. But Allah uprooted the structure of their plot from its foundations, so the roof fell down upon them from above, and the punishment came upon them from where they did not even imagine.
[26]
The Anti-Islam Activities of the Quraysh:
The Quraysh of Makkah did not merely try to keep people away from Islam by spreading false propaganda among them. Rather, they continued to devise various schemes to stop Islam. They would inflict undue hardships upon those who embraced Islam, harass them, impose restrictions on entering the House of Allah and especially on performing Tawaf, place bans and threats on reciting the Quran aloud, and then enforce social boycott. They were doing all this so that they could completely eradicate Islam and its message. Allah Almighty said that people before them also plotted similar schemes against the call to truth and built lofty and strong fortresses of their plots. But when Allah’s punishment came, the fortresses of their schemes were uprooted from their very foundations and fell to the ground. They themselves became trapped in their own schemes in such a way that they could never have imagined.
[26]
The Anti-Islam Activities of the Quraysh:
The Quraysh of Makkah did not merely try to keep people away from Islam by spreading false propaganda among them. Rather, they continued to devise various schemes to stop Islam. They would inflict undue hardships upon those who embraced Islam, harass them, impose restrictions on entering the House of Allah and especially on performing Tawaf, place bans and threats on reciting the Quran aloud, and then enforce social boycott. They were doing all this so that they could completely eradicate Islam and its message. Allah Almighty said that people before them also plotted similar schemes against the call to truth and built lofty and strong fortresses of their plots. But when Allah’s punishment came, the fortresses of their schemes were uprooted from their very foundations and fell to the ground. They themselves became trapped in their own schemes in such a way that they could never have imagined.
