Quran-16:35 Surah An-nahl English Translation,Transliteration and Tafsir(Tafseer).

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَشۡرَكُواْ لَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا عَبَدۡنَا مِن دُونِهِۦ مِن شَيۡءٖ نَّحۡنُ وَلَآ ءَابَآؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمۡنَا مِن دُونِهِۦ مِن شَيۡءٖۚ كَذَٰلِكَ فَعَلَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡۚ فَهَلۡ عَلَى ٱلرُّسُلِ إِلَّا ٱلۡبَلَٰغُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ

Transliteration:( Wa qaalal lazeena ashrakoo law shaaa'al laahu ma 'abadnaa min doonihee min shai'in nahnu wa laaa aabaaa'unaa wa laa harramnaa min doonihee min shai'; kazaalika fa'alal lazeena min qablihim fahal 'alar Rusuli illal balaaghul mubeen )

35. And those who associate partners with Allah said [73], "Had Allah willed, we would not have worshipped anything besides Him—neither we nor our forefathers—nor would we have forbidden anything apart from Him." Thus did those before them [74]. Then, is there upon the messengers anything except the clear conveyance [75]? (Kanzul Imaan Translation)

(35) And those who associate others with Allāh say, "If Allāh had willed, we would not have worshipped anything other than Him, neither we nor our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything through other than Him." Thus did those do before them. So is there upon the messengers except [the duty of] clear notification? (Saheen International Translation)

Surah An-Nahl Ayat 35 Tafsir (Commentry)



  • Tafseer-e-Naeemi (Ahmad Yaar Khan)
  • Ibn Kathir
  • Ala-Madudi
  • Shaheen International

73. The polytheists of Makkah were mockingly saying this about the Holy Prophet

74. It should be remembered that here 'will' denotes to be pleased. What they meant was that because Allah Almighty is pleased with polytheism we are committing polytheism. Such a belief is infidelity. But if will is taken to mean intention, then the issue is absolutely correct because every act of this world is at the expressed will and intention of Allah Almighty. 

Says Allah Almighty: "And what you desire, but only this that Allah, the Lord of the world desires" (S82:V29). Since these wretches did not differentiate between intention and desire, this statement of theirs became one of disrespect and infidelity.

75. From this we learn that to accept those things to be forbidden and to believe this to be a religious injunction which are not declared as such by Allah Almighty and His beloved Prophet is the way of the infidels because according to their thinking, they were regarding Baheera (she-camel) and Saaibah (she-goats) which were sacred animals as forbidden and would say that Allah Almighty has declared them forbidden. 

From this those people should take a lesson who try to declare those things as forbidden without any authentic religious proof. They think they are brave who declare Meelad Shareef and Giyarwee Shareef, etc. to be forbidden..

76. This means Prophets are not entrusted with the task of forcing people into accepting faith. From this we learn that the Prophets are totally independent of the people. If no one accepts faith, it will not harm them in any way. Praise be to Allah Almighty!

 

Ibn-Kathir

35. And those who worshipped others with Allah said: “If Allah had so willed, neither we nor our fathers would have worshipped any but Him nor would we have forbidden anything without (a command from) Him.” Those before them did the same. Then! Are the Messengers charged with anything but to clearly convey the Message 36. And We have indeed sent a Messenger to every Ummah (community, nation) (saying): “Worship Allah (Alone), and shun the Taghut (all false deities). ” Then among them were some whom Allah guided, and among them were some who deserved to be left to stray. So travel through the land and see the end of those who denied (the truth). 37. (Even) if you desire that they be guided, then verily, Allah does not guide those whom He allowed to stray, and they will have no helpers.


The Idolators Argument that their Shirk was Divinely decreed, and the Refutation of this Claim

Allah tells us about the idolators delusion over their Shirk, and the excuse they claimed for it based on the idea that it is ordained by divine decree. He says:

﴿لَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ مَا عَبَدْنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَىْءٍ نَّحْنُ وَلا ءَابَاؤُنَا وَلاَ حَرَّمْنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَىْءٍ﴾

((They say) “If Allah had so willed, neither we nor our fathers would have worshipped any but Him, nor would we have forbidden anything without (a command from) Him.”) They had superstitious customs dealing with certain animals, e.g. the Bahirah the Sa’ibah and the Wasilah and other things that they had invented and innovated by themselves, with no revealed authority. The essence of what they said was: “If Allah hated what we did, He would have stopped by punishing us, and He would not have enabled us to do it.” Rejecting their confusing ideas, Allah says:

﴿فَهَلْ عَلَى الرُّسُلِ إِلاَّ الْبَلَـغُ الْمُبِينُ﴾

(Are the Messengers charged with anything but to clearly convey the Message) meaning, the matter is not as you claim. It is not the case that Allah did not rebuke your behavior; rather, He did rebuke you, and in the strongest possible terms, and He emphatically forbade you from such behavior. To every nation – that is, to every generation, to every community of people – He sent a Messenger. All of the Messengers called their people to worship Allah (Alone) as well as forbidding them from worshipping anything or anybody except for Him.

﴿أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّـغُوتَ﴾

(Worship Allah (Alone), and shun the Taghut (all false deities).) Allah continued sending Messengers to mankind with this Message, from the first incidence of Shirk that appeared among the Children of Adam, in the people to whom Nuh was sent – the first Messenger sent by Allah to the people of this earth – until He sent the final Messenger, Muhammad , whose call was addressed to both men and Jinn, in the east and in the west. All of the Messengers brought the same Message, as Allah says:

﴿وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ نُوحِى إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنَاْ فَاعْبُدُونِ ﴾

(And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying): None has the right to be worshipped but I (Allah), so worship Me (alone and none else).”) (21:25)

﴿وَاسْئلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رُّسُلِنَآ أَجَعَلْنَا مِن دُونِ الرَّحْمَـنِ ءَالِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ ﴾

(And ask (O Muhammad) those Messengers of Ours whom We sent before you: “Did We ever appointed to be worshipped besides the Most Gracious (Allah)”) (43:45) And in this Ayah, Allah says:

﴿وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّـغُوتَ﴾

(And We have indeed sent a Messenger to every Ummah (community, nation) (saying): “Worship Allah (alone), and shun the Taghut (all false deities).”) So how could any of the idolators say,

﴿لَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ مَا عَبَدْنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَىْءٍ﴾

(If Allah had so willed, we would not have worshipped any but Him,) The legislative will of Allah is clear and cannot be taken as an excuse by them, because He had forbidden them to do that upon the tongue of His Messengers, but by His universal will ﴿i.e., by which He allows things to occur even though they do not please Him﴾ He allowed them to do that as it was decreed for them. So there is no argument in that for them. Allah created Hell and its people both the Shayatin (devils) and disbelievers, but He does not like His servants to disbelieve. And this point constitutes the strongest proof and the most unquestionable wisdom. Then Allah informs us that He rebuked them with punishment in this world, after the Messengers issued their warning, thus He says:

﴿فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى اللَّهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلَـلَةُ فَسِيرُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَانظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ﴾

(Then among them were some whom Allah guided, and among them were some who deserved to be left to stray. So travel through the land and see the end of those who denied (the truth).) This means: ask about what happened to those who went against the Messengers and rejected the truth, see how:

﴿دَمَّرَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلِلْكَـفِرِينَ أَمْثَـلُهَا﴾

(Allah destroyed them completely, and a similar (end awaits) the disbelievers.) (47:10) and,

﴿وَلَقَدْ كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نكِيرِ ﴾

(And indeed those before them belied (the Messengers of Allah), so then how terrible was My denial (punishment)) (67:18) Then Allah told His Messenger that His eagerness to guide them will be of no benefit to them if Allah wills that they should be misguided, as He says:

﴿وَمَن يُرِدِ اللَّهُ فِتْنَتَهُ فَلَن تَمْلِكَ لَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئاً﴾

(And for whoever Allah wills to try with error, you can do nothing for him against Allah) (5:41). Nuh said to his people:

﴿وَلاَ يَنفَعُكُمْ نُصْحِى إِنْ أَرَدْتُّ أَنْ أَنصَحَ لَكُمْ إِن كَانَ اللّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن يُغْوِيَكُمْ﴾

(“And my advice will not profit you, even if I wish to give you good counsel, if Allah’s will is to keep you astray.”)(11:34). In this Ayah, Allah says:

﴿إِن تَحْرِصْ عَلَى هُدَاهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَهْدِى مَن يُضِلُّ﴾

((Even) if you desire that they be guided, then verily, Allah does not guide those whom He allowed to stray,) As Allah says:

﴿مَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ وَيَذَرُهُمْ فِى طُغْيَـنِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ ﴾

(Whomsoever Allah allows to stray, then there is no guide for him; and He lets them wander blindly in their transgressions.) (7:186)

﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ – وَلَوْ جَآءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ ءايَةٍ حَتَّى يَرَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ الاٌّلِيمَ ﴾

(Truly! Those deserving the Word (wrath) of your Lord will not believe, even if every sign should come to them – until they see the painful torment) (10:96-97).

﴿فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ﴾

(then verily, Allah) meaning, this is the way in which Allah does things. If He wills a thing, then it happens, and if He does not will a thing, then it does not happen. For this reason Allah says:

﴿لاَ يَهْدِى مَن يُضِلُّ﴾

(Allah does not guide those whom He allowed to stray,) meaning the one whom He has caused to go astray, so who can guide him apart from Allah No one.

﴿وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّـصِرِينَ﴾

(And they will have no helpers.) means, they will have no one to save them from the punishment of Allah,

﴿أَلاَ لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالاٌّمْرُ تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَـلَمِينَ﴾

(Surely, His is the creation and commandment. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of all that exists!) (7:54).

(16:35) Those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity say: “Were Allah to will so, neither we nor our forefathers would have worshipped any other than Him, nor would we have prohibited anything without His command.”[30] Their predecessors proffered similar excuses.[31] Do the Messengers have any other duty but to plainly convey the Message?

Ala-Maududi

(16:35) Those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity say: “Were Allah to will so, neither we nor our forefathers would have worshipped any other than Him, nor would we have prohibited anything without His command.”[30] Their predecessors proffered similar excuses.[31] Do the Messengers have any other duty but to plainly convey the Message?


30. In order to understand the significance of this argument the reader should keep in view (Surah Al-Anaam, Ayat 148-150) note 124-126, for this has been cited and answered there.

31. That is, your argument is not a new one but the same old one which had always been offered by erroneous people who went before you. Today you are, like them, excusing yourselves for your deviation and evil conduct, saying that it is the will of God. You know that this is a lame excuse that has been invented to delude yourselves, and to escape from admonition.

This answer also contains a subtle retort to the objection of the disbelievers that the Quran consisted merely of old stories of the ancients (Surah An-Nahl, Ayat 24). They meant to imply that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had nothing new to offer. So he was repeating the same old stories that had been repeated over and over again since the time of Prophet Noah (peace be upon him). The retort is this: If the Prophet (peace be upon him) was not presenting anything new but was reciting the old stories of the ancients, you yourselves are not putting forward any new excuse in defense of your evil deeds, but the same old excuse that was put forward by the people who went before you.

(35) And those who associate others with Allāh say, "If Allāh had willed, we would not have worshipped anything other than Him, neither we nor our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything through other than Him." Thus did those do before them. So is there upon the messengers except [the duty of] clear notification?

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