Sura al-Nahl
This article is an introduction to the Sura al-Nahl; to read its text see text:Sura al-Nahl.
Sūra al-Naḥl (Arabic:سورة النحل) is sixteenth sura of the Qur'an. It is a Makki sura located in juz' fourteen. This sura is called "al-Nahl", because it speaks about "Nahl" (honey bee) and God's inspiration to it. This sura speaks about the blessings of God, the hereafter and arguments for the Unity of God and His Glory.
| al-Hijr | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sura Number | 16 |
| Juz' | 14 |
| Revelation | |
| Revelation Number | 70 |
| Makki/Madani | Makki |
| Information | |
| Verse Count | 128 |
| Word Count | 1851 |
| Letter Count | 7838\ |
Sura al-Nahl advises about justice, kindness, immigration and jihad, and prohibits from oppression, injustice and breaking pledges. Some of the rulings mentioned in this sura are prohibition of drinking alcoholic drinks and blood and eating dead animals and the meat of pigs.
It is narrated from the Prophet (s) that whoever recites Sura al-Nahl, God will not reckon the blessings He gives him in this world. Also, staying safe from temptations of Satan and his armies is mentioned among the benefits of reciting this sura.
Introduction
- Naming
The famous name of this sura is "al-Nahl". The reason for this naming is that "Nahl" (honey bee) is mentioned in this sura. This sura is also named as sura of Ni'am (plural form of "Ni'ma" blessing), because its main message is mentioning the blessings of God.[1]
- Order and Place of Revelation
Sura al-Nahl is a Makki sura and the seventieth sura revealed to the Prophet (s). It is sixteenth sura of the Qur'an[2] and located in juz' fourteen.
- Number of Verses
Sura al-Nahl has 128 verses, 1851 words and 7838 letters. Regarding volume, it is middle-sized in three fourth of one juz'. It is recommended to prostrate upon recitation of verse forty eight of this sura.[3]
Content
The content of Sura al-Nahl can be summarized as below:
- A great part of Sura al-Nahl discusses about God's blessings, such as rain, sunlight, different plants, fruits, foods and animals.
- Mentioning the arguments for the Unity and Glory of God, the hereafter and threatening polytheists and wrongdoers.
- Mentioning different rulings such as ordering about justice, kindness, immigration, jihad, forbidding the evil, oppression, injustice and breaking pledges. It also invites people to thankfulness and introduces Ibrahim (a) a thankful servant.
- Speaking about polytheist innovations and warning human being about temptations of Satan.[4]
| Inviting polytheists to monotheism and obeying God's orders | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First topic: verses 1-23 Proving the Unity and Oneness of God | Second topic: verses 24-47 Answering ideological questions of polytheists | Third topic: verses 48-64 Reasons for the falsehood of polytheistic beliefs | Forth topic: verses 65-83 Inviting to monotheism by reminding the blessings of God | Fifth topic: verses 84-89 Punishment of religion-fighting polytheists | Sixth topic: verses 90-105 Inviting polytheists to obey God's orders | Seventh topic: verses 106-113 Consequences of polytheism and disobedience of God's order | Eighth topic: verses 114-124 Avoiding permitting the impermissible | Ending: verses 125-128 Duties of the Prophet (a) against polytheists | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preface: verses 1-2 Proving the Unity and Oneness of God | First question: verses 24-34 Teachings of the Qur'an are superstitions of the past | First reason: verses 48-50 Humility of all the creatures before God | First blessing: verse 65 Raining from the sky and revival of the earth | First point: verses 84-85 Giving polytheists no second chance on the Judgement Day | First point: verse 90 An example of God's social orders | First consequence: verse 106 Affliction to God's wrath | First point: verses 114-115 Eat only permissible foods | First duty: verse 125 Inviting toward God with wisdom and good advice | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First reason: verses 3-4 Creation and management of the world and human being | Second question: verses 35-37 God wanted us to be polytheist | Second reason: verses 51-52 Absolute Lordship of God over the world; a sign of His Unity | Second blessing: verse 66 Production of milk from quadrupeds' food | Second point: verses 86-87 The worshipped ones' renouncement of polytheists | Second point: verses 91-94 Necessity of observing divine orders | Second consequence: verses 107-108 Deprivation of divine guidance | Second point: verses 116-117 Do not add to the permissible and impermissible in God's religion | Second duty: verses 126-128 Patience against harassments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Second reason: verses 5-9 The blessing of the existence of quadrupeds | Third question: verses 38-47 God will never resurrect the dead | Third reason: verses 53-56 Polytheism; the result of ignoring God's blessings | Third blessing: verse 67 Production of good food from dates and grapes | Third point: verse 88 Increase of the punishment of religion-fighting polytheists | Third point: verses 95-97 Reward for observing God's covenants | Third consequence: verses 109-111 Loss in the hereafter | Third point: verses 118-124 The reason for prohibition of permissible foods for Bani Isra'il | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Third reason: verses 10-11 The rain and growth of plants | Forth reason: verses 57-62 Believing that God has children is a sign of human's ignorance | Forth blessing: verses 68-69 Production of honey by bees | Forth point: verse 89 The Prophet's (s) testimony about the actions of polytheists | Forth point: verses 98-100 Seeking refuge in God from devils upon mentioning the teachings of the Qur'an | Forth consequence: verse 112 Loss of material blessings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Forth reason: verse 12 The blessing of astronomical bodies | Fifth reason: verses 63-64 Following Satan; the source of blasphemous beliefs | Fifth blessing: verse 70 Different states of human being during old age | Fifth point: verses 101-105 Disbelievers' questions against the Qur'an | Fifth consequence: verse 113 Afflicted with punishment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fifth reason: verse 13 Different potentials on the earth | Sixth blessing: verse 71 Different amounts of people's daily sustenance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sixth reason: verse 14 The blessing of the sea | Seventh blessing: verses 72-77 Spouse and children | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seventh reason: verse 15 The blessing of mountains and rivers | Eighth blessing: verse 78 Means of understanding and knowledge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eighth reason: verse 16 The blessing of stars | Ninth blessing: verse 79 Survival of birds in the sky | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ninth reason: verses 17-21 Only God is the Creator | Tenth blessing: verse 80 Ability to build houses | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conclusioin: verses 22-23 God is One and faithless people have no proof | Eleventh blessing: verse 81-83 Protecting human being from dangers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Historical Stories and Narrations
- Claims of disbelievers about teaching the Qur'an by a non-Arab person, verse 103
- Pure religion of Ibrahim (a), verses 120 – 121
- Necessity of respecting Saturdays by the Jews, verse 124
Famous Verses
| “ | "Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good advice and dispute with them in a manner that is best..." | ” |
| — Qur'an, 16:125 | ||
This verse explains the way to treat objectors. By "wisdom", knowledge, logic, and reasoning are meant which are rational and "good advice" refers to the words that elicit emotions. It is mentioned in this verse that advice should be good, meaning that it should be empty of harshness, seeking superiority, belittling the person or inciting the feeling of envy in people.[6]
Verses of Ruling
Many of the verses of Sura al-Nahl are considered among the verses of ruling.[7] Verse 115 mentions three impermissible things to consume: dead animals, blood and meat of pigs. It is also said that from verses five, ten, fourteen and sixty six – sixty nine, it can be understood that honey, fishes, quadrupeds and fruits such as dates, grapes and olive are permissible to eat.[8]
Also, it is said that from other verses of this sura (ninety one – ninety four) which are about pledge and oath, it can be understood that breaking the pledge and oath is impermissible.[9] Also, verse 106 of this sura is mentioned among proofs in the Qur'an for permissibility of taqiyya (precautionary dissimulation).[10]
Merits and Benefits
It is narrated from the Prophet (s) that God will not reckon the blessings which He gives him in this world and his reward will be like the rewards of a person who passes away this world while he makes a good will.[11] Also, it is narrated from Imam al-Baqir (a) that whoever recites Sura al-Nahl every month, will not receive any harm in this world and will be away from seventy kinds of afflictions, the mildest of which would be insanity, leprosy and vitiligo, and his abode will be Eden located between other paradises.[12] In Makarim al-akhlaq, al-Tabrisi mentioned benefits for recitation of this sura such as staying safe from temptations of Satan and his armies.
External Links
Notes
- ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 11, p. 171.
- ↑ Maʿrifat, Āmūzish-i ʿulūm-i Qurʾān, vol. 1, p. 167.
- ↑ Khurramshāhī, Dānishnāma-yi Qurʾān, vol. 2, p. 1241.
- ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 11, p. 147.
- ↑ Khamagar, Muhammad, Sakhtar-i suraha-yi Qur'an-i karim, Mu'assisa-yi Farhangi-yi Qur'an wa 'Itrat-i Nur al-Thaqalayn, Qom: Nashra, ed.1, 1392 Sh.
- ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 2, p. 598.
- ↑ Īrawānī, Durūs tamhīdīyya, vol. 1, p. 132, 268, 453, 455, 461, 519, 610, 613, 627, 629, 633; vol. 2, p. 699, 713.
- ↑ Īrawānī, Durūs tamhīdīyya, vol. 1, p. 610, 613, 627, 629, 633, 637, 638.
- ↑ Īrawānī, Durūs tamhīdīyya, vol. 1, p. 453, 455.
- ↑ Īrawānī, Durūs tamhīdīyya, vol. 1, p. vol. 2, p. 713; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 11, p. 419.
- ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 6, p. 535.
- ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 6, p. 535.
References
- Īrawānī, Muḥammad Bāqir. Durūs tamhīdīyya fī tafsīr āyāt al-aḥkām. Qom: Dār al-Fiqh, 1423 AH.
- Khurramshāhī, Bahāʾ al-Dīn. Dānishnāma-yi Qurʾān wa Qurʾān pazhūhī. Tehran: Dūstān-Nāhīd, 1377 Sh.
- Kulaynī, Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb al-. Al-Kāfī. Edited by ʿAlī Akbar Ghaffārī and Muḥammad Ākhūndī. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmīyya, 1407 AH.
- Khāmagar, Muḥammad. Sākhtār-i sūraha-yi Qur'ān-i karīm. Mu'assisa-yi Farhangī-yi Qur'ān wa Itrat-i Nūr al-Thaqalayn. Qom: Nashr-i Nashrā, 1392 Sh.
- Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir. Tafsīr-i nimūna. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmīyya, 1374 Sh.
- Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir. Barguzīda-yi tafsīr-i nimūna. Edited by Aḥmad ʿAlī Bābāyī. Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1387 Sh.
- Maʿrifat, Muḥammad Hādī. Āmūzish-i ʿulūm-i Qurʾān. [n.p]: Markaz Chāp wa Nashr-i Sāzmān-i Tablīghāt, 1371 Sh.
- Qirāʾatī, Muḥsin. Tafsīr-i nūr. Tehran: Markaz-i Farhangī-yi Darshāʾī az Qurʾān, 1388 Sh.
- Ṭabrisī, Faḍl b. al-Ḥasan al-. Majmaʿ al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Edited by Muḥammad Jawād Balāghī. Third edition. Tehran: Intishārāt-i Nāṣir Khusru, 1373 Sh.
- Ṭabrisī, Ḥasan b. al-Faḍl al-. Makārim al-akhlāq. Qom: al-Sharif al-Raḍī, 1377 Sh.
- Zamakhsharī, Maḥmūd b. ʿUmar al-. Al-Kashshāf ʿan ḥaqāʾiq ghawāmiḍ al-tanzīl wa ʿuyūn al-aqāwīl fī wujūh al-tʾawīl. 3rd edition. Beirut: Dār al-Kitāb al-ʿArabī, 1366 AH.