Tafsir of Surah An-Nahl - Verse 27

Discussion about what the previous Peoples did, and what was done to Them

قَدْ مَكَرَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ

(Those before them indeed plotted,) Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said: "This refers to Namrud (Nimrod), who built the tower." Others said that it refers to Bukhtanassar (Nebuchadnezzar). The correct view is that this is said by way of example, to refute what was done by those who disbelieved in Allah and associated others in worship with Him. As Nuh said,

وَمَكَرُواْ مَكْراً كُبَّاراً

("And they have hatched a mighty scheme.") (71:22) meaning, they used all sorts of ploys to misguide their people, and tempted them to join them in their Shirk via all possible means. On the Day of Resurrection their followers will say to them:

بَلْ مَكْرُ الَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ إِذْ تَأْمُرُونَنَآ أَن نَّكْفُرَ بِاللَّهِ وَنَجْعَلَ لَهُ أَندَاداً

("Nay, but it was your plotting by night and day, when you ordered us to disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals to Him!") (34:33)

فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَـنَهُمْ مِّنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ

(but Allah struck at the foundation of their building.) meaning, He uprooted it and brought their efforts to naught. This is like the Ayah:

كُلَّمَآ أَوْقَدُواْ نَاراً لِّلْحَرْبِ أَطْفَأَهَا اللَّهُ

(Every time they kindled the fire of war, Allah extinguished it.) 5:64 and

فَأَتَـهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَحْتَسِبُواْ وَقَذَفَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمُ الرُّعْبَ يُخْرِبُونَ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَيْدِى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَاعْتَبِرُواْ يأُوْلِى الاٌّبْصَـرِ

(But Allah's (torment) reached them from a place where they were not expecting it, and He cast terror into their hearts so that they destroyed their own dwellings with their own hands and the hands of the believers. So then take admonition, O you with eyes (to see).) 59:2 Allah says here:

فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَـنَهُمْ مِّنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَأَتَـهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَثُمَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ يُخْزِيهِمْ

(but Allah 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. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, He will disgrace them) 16:26-27 meaning, He will expose their scandalous deeds and what they used to hide in their hearts, and He will bring it out in the open. As He says,

يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَآئِرُ

(The Day when all the secrets will be (exposed and) examined. ) (86:9) They will be displayed and made known, as found in the Two Sahihs, where Ibn `Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«يُنْصَبُ لِكُلِّ غَادِرٍ لِوَاءٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عِنْدَ اسْتِهِ بِقَدْرِ غَدْرَتِهِ، فَيُقَالُ: هَذِهِ غَدْرَةُ فُلَانِ ابْنِ فُلَان»

(On the Day of Resurrection a banner will be set up by his backside for every deceitful person, (whose size is) in accordance with the amount of his deceit. It be said, "This is the one who deceived so-and-so, the son of so-and-so.") Thus, what they used to plot in secret will be made public. Allah will humiliate them before all of His creation, and the Lord will say to them, in rebuke and reprimand;

أَيْنَ شُرَكَآئِىَ الَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تُشَـقُّونَ فِيهِمْ

(Where are My (so-called) partners, those over which you caused so much discord) meaning, you fought and made enemies for their sake, so where are they now to help and save you

هَلْ يَنصُرُونَكُمْ أَوْ يَنتَصِرُونَ

(Can they help you or (even) help themselves) 26:93

فَمَا لَهُ مِن قُوَّةٍ وَلاَ نَاصِرٍ

(Then will (man) have no power, nor any helper.) 86:10 When evidence and proof is established against them, and the Word (of Allah) is justified against them, and they will be unable to give any excuse, realizing that escape is impossible, then

قَالَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ

(Those who have been given the knowledge will say) who are the leaders in this world and the Hereafter and who know about the truth in this world and the Hereafter - will say,

إِنَّ الْخِزْىَ الْيَوْمَ وَالْسُّوءَ عَلَى الْكَـفِرِينَ

(Indeed it is a Day of disgrace and misery for the disbelievers.) meaning, today those who disbelieved in Allah and worshipped others who have no power either to benefit or to harm them are now surrounded by disgrace and punishment.

Commentary

It will be recalled that, after describing the blessings of Allah and proving that He was unique in the creation of the universe, the text made a pointed reference to how the polytheists chose to stick to their own ways of error. In the present verses, the text describes how they, not content with their own straying, tried that others should also go astray like them. The punishment they would get for doing that has also been stated here. Earlier to that (24), there is a question about the Qur’ an, and the addressees of the question, at this place, are the polytheists. It is their haughty and ignorant answer which has been mentioned here along with a warning of consequences for this attitude. Then, after five verses (30), the same question has been addressed to believers who fear Allah which is followed by their answer, and where a promise of reward for it has been mentioned.

The Holy Qur'an does not explicitly say as to who asked the question. Therefore, commentators have expressed different views in this matter. Some say that the question was asked by disbelievers. Others say that it was asked by Muslims. Still others take one question to have been asked by the polytheists while the other by Muslims. But, the Holy Qur’ an has kept it ambiguous. This is to indicate that there is no need to are as to where the question came from. What has to be seen is the answer and, more importantly, its ultimate consequence - which, the Qur’ an has it-self chosen to describe.

The essence of the answer given by the polytheists is that they simply refused to acknowledge that there was any word of Allah really revealed from Him. In fact, they dismissed the Qur'an as nothing but tales of people from early ages. Thereupon, the Qur’ an admonished those unjust people for disinforming people about the Qur'an by telling them that it was nothing but the tales of the ancient whereby they make others too go astray like them. As for the consequences, these they shall have to face. It means that the total curse of their sins has to fall on them anyway on the Day of Judgment, but part of the curse of the evil consequences of their role in misguiding others will also fall on them. Then it was said that the burden of sins which these people are piling up on their shoulders is a terribly evil burden.

When those who have attained a high status on a false basis, see the call for Truth gaining ground, they feel that their position is at risk. For the protection of their position, they adopt the strategy of spreading mischievous statements against the divine call in order to make people doubtful about it and desist from rallying to it. But the devices of such people against the call for Truth are never successful. The basic structures on which the opponents of Truth rely prove to be so weak that their roof literally caves in on them. Sometimes it happens that an earthquake shakes their foundations and causes their buildings to fall down on them. Sometimes their companions leave them and join the ranks of the truth-followers, so that in losing their supporters, they are compelled to surrender to the call of Truth. This end, in its final and perfect form, will appear on Doomsday when those who denied the truth will see their eternal degradation and will be helpless in the face of it.