Tafsir of Surah An-Nahl - Verse 65

Finding Consolation in the Reminder of Those Who came before

Allah says, `He sent Messengers to the nations of the past, and they were rejected. You, O Muhammad, have an example in your brothers among the Messengers, so do not be distressed by your people's rejection. As for the idolators' rejection of the Messengers, the reason for this is that the Shaytan made their deeds attractive to them.'

فَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُمُ الْيَوْمَ

(So today he (Shaytan) is their helper,) meaning they will be suffering punishment while Shaytan is their only helper, and he cannot save them, so they have no one to answer their calls for help, and theirs is a painful punishment.

The Reason why the Qur'an was revealed

Then Allah says to His Messenger that He has revealed the Book to him to explain the truth to mankind in matters which they dispute over. So the Qur'an is a decisive arbitrator for every issue that they argue about.

وَهَدَى

(and (as) a guidance) meaning, for their hearts.

وَرَحْمَةً

(and a mercy) meaning, for the one who adheres to it.

لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

(for a people who believe.) Just as Allah causes the Qur'an to bring life to hearts that were dead from disbelief, so He brings the earth to life after it has died, by sending down water from the sky.

إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لآيَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَسْمَعُونَ

(Surely that is a sign for people who listen.) meaning those who understand the words and their meanings.

Also at the end of the third verse (60), in: وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ (And He is the Mighty, the Wise), there is a hint that taking the birth of a baby girl to be nuisance and disgrace, and hiding from people because of it, amount to challenging Divine wisdom - as the creation of male and female among the created is the very requisite of wisdom. (Ruh a1-Bayan)

Ruling:

Clear indications are visible in these verses that taking the birth of a girl in the family to be a disaster or disgrace is not permissible under Islam. This is done by disbelievers. Quoting Shr'ah (شرعہ ) Tafsir Ruh al-Bayan also says that a Muslim should be happier at the birth of a girl in the family so that it becomes a refutation of the act of the people of Ja-hiliyyah. Says a Hadith: Blessed is the woman who gives birth to a girl in her first pregnancy. That the Arabic word: اِنَاث (inath: females) has been made to precede the word for 'males' in the verse of the Qur’ an: وَيَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ الذُّكُورَ‌ (He bestows on whomsoever He wills females and bestows on whomsoever He wills males - 42:49) indicates that the birth of a girl from the first pregnancy is better.[

In another Hadith, it is said: Whoever finds any of such girls en-trusted to his care, and he treats them fairly and favourably, then, these girls will stand as a curtain between him and Hell. (Ruh al-Bayan)

To sum up, it can be said that taking the birth of a girl to be bad is a detestable custom of the pagan period. Muslims must abstain from it. In fact, they should be pleased and satisfied with the promise of Allah against it. Allah knows best.

The system of rains and vegetation has a great lesson in it. Due to the concerted action of various factors, water vapours rise in the air and form clouds and again fall on the earth in the form of rain. Then this rain causes the growth of lush green cover on the earth. In this happening, there is firstly a lesson that, in this universe everywhere, the activism or workmanship of the one God is manifest. Had many gods been active here, there could not have been such wonderful coordination in the various forces of the universe that could result in such a unified harmonious process. The unity in the system of the universe is a clear proof of the fact that its Creator and its Lord is only one and not more than one. Secondly, there is the lesson that the power and majesty of God are so great that they can revivify a dead body; cause the growth of a lush green garden, and produce colour, fragrance and taste in dry and barren things. There is proof of unity in the first occurrence and the second one shows symbolically that for human souls also, there is similar godly ‘rain’, and that is ‘revelation’. One who wants to give a new life to his dead and dry soul, should have himself drenched in the rain of godly revelation.