Verse. 1976

١٦ - ٱلنَّحْل

16 - An-Nahl

ضَرَبَ اللہُ مَثَلًا عَبْدًا مَّمْلُوْكًا لَّا يَـقْدِرُ عَلٰي شَيْءٍ وَّمَنْ رَّزَقْنٰہُ مِنَّا رِزْقًا حَسَـنًا فَہُوَيُنْفِقُ مِنْہُ سِرًّا وَّجَہْرًا۝۰ۭ ہَلْ يَسْتَوٗنَ۝۰ۭ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلہِ۝۰ۭ بَلْ اَكْثَرُہُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ۝۷۵
Daraba Allahu mathalan AAabdan mamlookan la yaqdiru AAala shayin waman razaqnahu minna rizqan hasanan fahuwa yunfiqu minhu sirran wajahran hal yastawoona alhamdu lillahi bal aktharuhum la yaAAlamoona

English

Ahmed Ali

God presents the example of a man who is a hired servant with no power over anything, and another on whom We have bestowed a handsome fortune, who spends from it in private and in public: Can they be equal? Praised be God! But most men do not understand.

75

Tafseer

'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī

تفسير : allah then gave a parable regarding the believer and the disbeliever, saying: (allah coineth a similitude: (on the one hand) a (mere) chattel slave) allah explained the traits of this slave, (who hath control of nothing) he has no power to spend or do any good, and in this respect he is just like the disbeliever from whom no good ever comes, (and (on the other hand) one on whom we have bestowed a fair provision) abundant wealth (from us, and he spendeth thereof secretly) between him and his lord (and openly) between him and other people for the sake of allah; this is the simile of the sincere believer. (are they equal) in their reward and obedience? (praise be to allah!) gratitude is due to allah and divine oneness is also allah's. (but most of them know not) the parable of the qur'an. it is also said that this verse was revealed about 'uthman ibn 'affan and an arab man called abu'l-'is ibn umayyah.

Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī

تفسير : god strikes a similitude (mathalan, this is substituted by [the following, ‘abdan mamlūkan]) a slave who is a chattel (mamlūkan, an adjective to distinguish him [this type of slave] from a free man, who is the servant of god [alone]) having no power over anything, since he has no mastery, and one on whom (man, is an indefinite [noun], adjectivally qualified, in other words, a free man) we have bestowed a fair provision from us, such that he spends thereof secretly and openly, that is, disposing of it as he wishes: the first similitude is for the idols, while the second is his, exalted be he. are they equal?, the powerless slaves and the dispensing free men? no. praise belongs to god, alone. but most of them, that is, the people of mecca, do not know, the chastisement they will come to, and so they associate others with god.

Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi

تفسير : (allah coineth a similitude: (on the one hand) a (mere) chattel slave, who hath control of nothing, and (on the other hand) one on whom we have bestowed a fair provision from us, and he spendeth thereof secretly and openly. are they equal? praise be to allah! but most of them know not. and allah coineth a similitude: two men, one of them dumb, having control of nothing, and he is a burden on his owner; whithersoever he directeth him to go, he bringeth no good. is he equal with one who enjoineth justice and followeth a straight path (of conduct)?) [16:75-76]. muhammad ibn ibrahim ibn muhammad ibn yahya informed us> abu bakr ibn al-anbari> ja‘far ibn muhammad ibn shakir> ‘affan> wuhayb> ‘abd allah ibn ‘uthman ibn khuthaym> ibrahim> ‘ikrimah> ibn ‘abbas who said: “this verse (allah coineth a similitude: (on the one hand) a (mere) chattel slave…) about hisham ibn ‘amr who used to spend his wealth openly and in secret and his client abu’l-jawza’ who used to bid him to stop doing so. as for the verse (and allah coineth a similitude: two men, one of them dumb, having control of nothing), the dumb who has control of nothing is usayd ibn abi al-‘is and the one who (enjoineth justice and followeth a straight path…) is ‘uthman ibn ‘affan”.