سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 89
وَيَوْمَ نَبْعَثُ فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْهِم مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ شَهِيدًا عَلَىٰ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ۚ وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ تِبْيَـٰنًا لِّكُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ ﴿89﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And (remember) the Day when We shall raise up from every nation a witness against them from amongst themselves. And We shall bring you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) as a witness against these. And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur’an) as an exposition of everything, a guidance, a mercy, and glad tidings for those who have submitted themselves (to Allâh as Muslims).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَيَوْمَ
wayawma
And the Day
نَبْعَثُ
nabʿathu
We will resurrect
فِى
fī
among
كُلِّ
kulli
every
أُمَّةٍۢ
ummatin
nation
شَهِيدًا
shahīdan
a witness
عَلَيْهِم
ʿalayhim
over them
مِّنْ
min
from
أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ
anfusihim
themselves
وَجِئْنَا
waji'nā
And We (will) bring
بِكَ
bika
you
شَهِيدًا
shahīdan
(as) a witness
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
over
هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ۚ
hāulāi
these
وَنَزَّلْنَا
wanazzalnā
And We sent down
عَلَيْكَ
ʿalayka
to you
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ
l-kitāba
the Book
تِبْيَـٰنًۭا
tib'yānan
(as) a clarification
لِّكُلِّ
likulli
of every
شَىْءٍۢ
shayin
thing
وَهُدًۭى
wahudan
and a guidance
وَرَحْمَةًۭ
waraḥmatan
and mercy
وَبُشْرَىٰ
wabush'rā
and glad tidings
لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ
lil'mus'limīna
for the Muslims
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.
89. And on the Day when We will raise from every community a witness from among themselves, and We will bring you as a witness [90] against these people. And We have sent down to you the Book as an explanation of all things [91], and as guidance, mercy [92], and glad tidings for the Muslims.
[90]
Your Listening to the Quran from Other Companions:
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud ؓ narrates that once the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "Recite the Quran to me." I replied, "How can I recite to you when the Quran has been revealed to you?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "That's right, but I like to listen to it from others." Ibn Mas'ud ؓ says that then I began to recite Surah An-Nisa, and when I reached this verse
﴿فَكَيْفَ اِذَا جِئْنَا مِنْ كُلِّ اُمَّةٍ بِشهَِيْدٍ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ عَليٰ هٰوُلاَءٍ شهَِيْدًا﴾ [4: 41]
the Prophet ﷺ said, "Stop now." When I looked, I saw that tears were flowing from his eyes. [بخاري، كتاب التفسير]
The Testimony of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the Day of Judgment:
The subject matter of verse 41 of Surah An-Nisa and this verse of Surah An-Nahl is the same. However, there is a difference in wording and order. In both these verses, the demonstrative "these" (ھولاء) can also refer to other prophets. And the testimony will be whether those previous prophets truly conveyed Allah's message to their respective nations. In this sense, the superiority of the Prophet ﷺ over all other prophets is established, and it was due to this intense joy and happiness that tears began to flow from the Prophet's ﷺ eyes, realizing what a great favor of Allah this is upon him. And if "these" (ھولاء) is understood to refer to the people of the Prophet's ﷺ own Ummah who were present at that time, then this becomes a very heavy responsibility, that the Prophet ﷺ will testify to all their good and bad deeds, especially since the Prophet ﷺ had immense love for the Companions ؓ and was very kind to them. It was this thought that caused tears to flow from his eyes. Also, by ﴿هٰوُلاَءِ﴾, those people of the Prophet's ﷺ Ummah can be meant who will be born from after his passing until the Day of Judgment. And the Prophet ﷺ will testify against those who had set aside the Quran. They considered the Quran merely a book of rituals. The inauguration of gatherings and processions would begin with the recitation of the Quran, but after that, they had no concern for its commands. Or against those people who, after understanding the verses and commands of the Quran, would deliberately misinterpret them for worldly purposes or sectarian prejudice. Against all such people, the Prophet ﷺ will testify before Allah that these are the people who abandoned the Quran. As is clear from verse 30 of Surah Al-Furqan.
[91]
What Kind of Detail is in the Quran:
Since the subject of the Noble Quran is the guidance of mankind, here "everything" means everything that relates to human guidance. That is, it contains information about all good and bad deeds and their reward and punishment. This does not mean that all the sciences and arts of the world are included in it, even their details, as some people try to forcibly attribute their own sciences and arts to the Noble Quran. If any matter of medicine, geography, history, or astronomy is mentioned in the Quran, it is incidental; the main purpose of the Quran is not to describe such sciences. Also, among the things mentioned in the Quran, some are detailed in the Quran itself, some are mentioned briefly. Their details are found in the statements of the Quran or in your Sunnah. Even most of the pillars of Islam are mentioned in the Quran only briefly, and their full details are mentioned in the Hadiths, and acting upon these Quranic commands is only possible by seeking guidance from the Hadiths. An important result of this is that those who deny Hadith or do not accept Hadith as proof, in reality, are not only deniers of Hadith but also of the Quran. Then, for new issues that arise and are not mentioned in the Book and Sunnah, it is the duty of the scholars of the Ummah to find solutions to such issues through ijtihad and deduction, keeping the Book and Sunnah in view. And performing ijtihad is also a Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and is established from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, and these two things are also included in the explanation of the Quran. In this way, guidance can be obtained from the Quran in every legal matter until the Day of Judgment.
[92]
Three Benefits of the Quran:
The Noble Quran is guidance and mercy for Muslims in the sense that it contains detailed commands and instructions regarding every aspect of life, even providing us with invaluable information about metaphysics. By acting upon these instructions and commands, a person's worldly life is also spent with inner peace and tranquility, and the hereafter is also improved. And it is glad tidings in the sense that it gives obedient servants the good news of a glorious future and the everlasting and eternal blessings of Paradise.
[90]
Your Listening to the Quran from Other Companions:
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud ؓ narrates that once the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "Recite the Quran to me." I replied, "How can I recite to you when the Quran has been revealed to you?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "That's right, but I like to listen to it from others." Ibn Mas'ud ؓ says that then I began to recite Surah An-Nisa, and when I reached this verse
﴿فَكَيْفَ اِذَا جِئْنَا مِنْ كُلِّ اُمَّةٍ بِشهَِيْدٍ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ عَليٰ هٰوُلاَءٍ شهَِيْدًا﴾ [4: 41]
the Prophet ﷺ said, "Stop now." When I looked, I saw that tears were flowing from his eyes. [بخاري، كتاب التفسير]
The Testimony of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the Day of Judgment:
The subject matter of verse 41 of Surah An-Nisa and this verse of Surah An-Nahl is the same. However, there is a difference in wording and order. In both these verses, the demonstrative "these" (ھولاء) can also refer to other prophets. And the testimony will be whether those previous prophets truly conveyed Allah's message to their respective nations. In this sense, the superiority of the Prophet ﷺ over all other prophets is established, and it was due to this intense joy and happiness that tears began to flow from the Prophet's ﷺ eyes, realizing what a great favor of Allah this is upon him. And if "these" (ھولاء) is understood to refer to the people of the Prophet's ﷺ own Ummah who were present at that time, then this becomes a very heavy responsibility, that the Prophet ﷺ will testify to all their good and bad deeds, especially since the Prophet ﷺ had immense love for the Companions ؓ and was very kind to them. It was this thought that caused tears to flow from his eyes. Also, by ﴿هٰوُلاَءِ﴾, those people of the Prophet's ﷺ Ummah can be meant who will be born from after his passing until the Day of Judgment. And the Prophet ﷺ will testify against those who had set aside the Quran. They considered the Quran merely a book of rituals. The inauguration of gatherings and processions would begin with the recitation of the Quran, but after that, they had no concern for its commands. Or against those people who, after understanding the verses and commands of the Quran, would deliberately misinterpret them for worldly purposes or sectarian prejudice. Against all such people, the Prophet ﷺ will testify before Allah that these are the people who abandoned the Quran. As is clear from verse 30 of Surah Al-Furqan.
[91]
What Kind of Detail is in the Quran:
Since the subject of the Noble Quran is the guidance of mankind, here "everything" means everything that relates to human guidance. That is, it contains information about all good and bad deeds and their reward and punishment. This does not mean that all the sciences and arts of the world are included in it, even their details, as some people try to forcibly attribute their own sciences and arts to the Noble Quran. If any matter of medicine, geography, history, or astronomy is mentioned in the Quran, it is incidental; the main purpose of the Quran is not to describe such sciences. Also, among the things mentioned in the Quran, some are detailed in the Quran itself, some are mentioned briefly. Their details are found in the statements of the Quran or in your Sunnah. Even most of the pillars of Islam are mentioned in the Quran only briefly, and their full details are mentioned in the Hadiths, and acting upon these Quranic commands is only possible by seeking guidance from the Hadiths. An important result of this is that those who deny Hadith or do not accept Hadith as proof, in reality, are not only deniers of Hadith but also of the Quran. Then, for new issues that arise and are not mentioned in the Book and Sunnah, it is the duty of the scholars of the Ummah to find solutions to such issues through ijtihad and deduction, keeping the Book and Sunnah in view. And performing ijtihad is also a Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and is established from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, and these two things are also included in the explanation of the Quran. In this way, guidance can be obtained from the Quran in every legal matter until the Day of Judgment.
[92]
Three Benefits of the Quran:
The Noble Quran is guidance and mercy for Muslims in the sense that it contains detailed commands and instructions regarding every aspect of life, even providing us with invaluable information about metaphysics. By acting upon these instructions and commands, a person's worldly life is also spent with inner peace and tranquility, and the hereafter is also improved. And it is glad tidings in the sense that it gives obedient servants the good news of a glorious future and the everlasting and eternal blessings of Paradise.
