سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 47
أَوْ يَأْخُذَهُمْ عَلَىٰ تَخَوُّفٍ فَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَرَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿47﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Or that He may catch them with gradual wasting (of their wealth and health). Truly! Your Lord is indeed full of Kindness, Most Merciful?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَوْ
aw
Or
يَأْخُذَهُمْ
yakhudhahum
that He may seize them
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
with
تَخَوُّفٍۢ
takhawwufin
a gradual wasting
فَإِنَّ
fa-inna
But indeed
رَبَّكُمْ
rabbakum
your Lord
لَرَءُوفٌۭ
laraūfun
(is) surely Full of Kindness
رَّحِيمٌ
raḥīmun
Most Merciful
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.
47. Or He may seize them in such a way that they are weakened [46] and destroyed. Surely, your Lord is Most Compassionate, Most Merciful (Who keeps granting them respite).
[46]
Investigation of the Meaning of ﴿تخوّف﴾, Types of Punishment:
Once, Sayyiduna Umar ؓ asked the meaning of "takhawwuf" from the pulpit, so a man from the tribe of Banu Hudhayl replied that in our language, the word "takhawwuf" means "tanqqus" (to gradually diminish). Then, as proof, he also recited a poem, so Sayyiduna Umar ؓ said: Remember the poetry of Jahiliyyah, for in it is the explanation of your Book. [الموافقات للشاطبيج 1 مترجم اردوص 78]
Also, Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas ؓ has explained the meaning of "ala takhawwuf" as "tanqqus" as well. [بخاري، كتاب التفسير۔ تفسير سورة نهل]
In these three verses, different forms of divine punishment are described. One type of punishment is that which descends suddenly, whether it is earthly or heavenly. There are countless forms of this, such as hailstones the size of half a seer falling like stones in the form of rain, destroying crops and living beings, or an earthquake striking so that entire cities sink into the earth split by the quake, or a flood in the sea so that cities settled on the shores are drowned in water, or a volcanic mountain erupts, burning everything to ashes—and all these types of punishment are such that no one has any prior knowledge of them. The second type of punishment is that which occurs during travel, such as a gigantic whale colliding with a ship and sinking it, or the engine of a sea or land vessel or any other kind of vehicle breaking down or ceasing to function, or trains or buses colliding, or a bus falling into a ditch and the passengers drowning or being killed. In short, there are countless forms of this type as well. And the third type is the one regarding which the words "ala takhawwuf" have been used. Such people do not even realize that they have fallen into divine punishment. Such a punishment works gradually from within, and such a society begins to decline until it reaches destruction, and no one has the slightest inkling of such a punishment.
[46]
Investigation of the Meaning of ﴿تخوّف﴾, Types of Punishment:
Once, Sayyiduna Umar ؓ asked the meaning of "takhawwuf" from the pulpit, so a man from the tribe of Banu Hudhayl replied that in our language, the word "takhawwuf" means "tanqqus" (to gradually diminish). Then, as proof, he also recited a poem, so Sayyiduna Umar ؓ said: Remember the poetry of Jahiliyyah, for in it is the explanation of your Book. [الموافقات للشاطبيج 1 مترجم اردوص 78]
Also, Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas ؓ has explained the meaning of "ala takhawwuf" as "tanqqus" as well. [بخاري، كتاب التفسير۔ تفسير سورة نهل]
In these three verses, different forms of divine punishment are described. One type of punishment is that which descends suddenly, whether it is earthly or heavenly. There are countless forms of this, such as hailstones the size of half a seer falling like stones in the form of rain, destroying crops and living beings, or an earthquake striking so that entire cities sink into the earth split by the quake, or a flood in the sea so that cities settled on the shores are drowned in water, or a volcanic mountain erupts, burning everything to ashes—and all these types of punishment are such that no one has any prior knowledge of them. The second type of punishment is that which occurs during travel, such as a gigantic whale colliding with a ship and sinking it, or the engine of a sea or land vessel or any other kind of vehicle breaking down or ceasing to function, or trains or buses colliding, or a bus falling into a ditch and the passengers drowning or being killed. In short, there are countless forms of this type as well. And the third type is the one regarding which the words "ala takhawwuf" have been used. Such people do not even realize that they have fallen into divine punishment. Such a punishment works gradually from within, and such a society begins to decline until it reaches destruction, and no one has the slightest inkling of such a punishment.
