Tafsir of An-Nahl 16:47

Many eminent scholars have said: It means that He diminishes them gradually in their persons and their wealth until they perish. To "diminish" (takhawwuf) is from takhawwufatahu when you decrease it. This interpretation is also narrated from Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, and al-Dahhak.

Al-Haytham ibn Adi mentioned that this diminishing (tanaqqus) in this sense is in the dialect of the Azd Shanu’ah. It is narrated that Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said on the pulpit: "What do you say about this [verse] and the takhawwuf in it?" They remained silent. Then an old man from Hudhayl stood up and said: "This is our dialect; takhawwuf is tanaqqus (diminishing)." He asked, "Do the Arabs know this in their poetry?" He replied, "Yes. Our poet, Abu Kabir, said, describing his she-camel: 'The saddle has diminished (takhawwafa) her high, fleshy hump, just as the rasp diminishes the wood of the nab’ tree.'"

Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, then said: "Hold fast to your diwan (collection of poetry), lest you go astray." They asked: "And what is our diwan?" He replied: "The poetry of the Jahiliyyah, for in it is the explanation of your Book and the meanings of your speech."

Regarding the prepositional phrase (al-jar wal-majrur), Abu al-Baqa said: "It is in the position of a state (hal) from the agent or the object in 'He takes them'." Al-Khafaji said: "The apparent meaning is that it is a state from the object." It is as if he intended this based on my two interpretations of takhawwuf and yatakhawwafun regarding the definitive nature of it in the second interpretation.

The intention behind mentioning these consecutive clauses is to declare the power of Allah the Exalted to destroy them in any way possible, not to limit it. Furthermore, some considered, regarding the contrast between them, that "causing the earth to swallow them" refers to destroying them from beneath them, and "the coming of torment from where they do not perceive" refers to destroying them from above them. Since these were contrasted with their destruction during their movements and travels, what is intended in these two cases is their stillness in their dwellings and homelands.

The contrast between "taking them while in a state of fear" (based on the first meaning) and "taking them suddenly"—which is signaled by "from where they do not perceive"—is evident. The lack of perception is considered in the "taking" during movement and swallowing by the earth, as a contextual indication for the "taking while in fear" under that meaning, while treating the others as "annihilating torment" rather than the "taking while in fear" of the second meaning. The summary of the matter is that in every pair of the four, mutual exclusion is considered, but only after intending by the general of them—for the sake of contrast—that which is other than the specific, whether there is a generality between the two from one perspective or absolutely.

The Imam and Ibn al-Khazin mentioned regarding the essence of the verse that Allah the Exalted warned them with a fear that occurs on earth, or with a torment that descends from the sky, or with disasters that occur suddenly, or with disasters that come little by little until destruction comes upon the last of them.

Although the apparent structure of the verse would have been "or He torments them from where they do not perceive" (to correspond with what came before it and what comes after it, based on the fact that the attribution of the action in those is to Allah the Exalted), the Quranic phrasing opted for the noun "torment" instead, even though the former is more concise. This was done because it is more eloquent in instilling fear and more indicative of the deservedness of torment, as it signals that there is a torment already existing and prepared, needing only to "come" rather than to be "brought into existence." The phrase "He torments them" does not contain such an implication. Moreover, the phrasing in the glorious text is further removed from the possibility of a false meaning being imagined—unlike what might be imagined in the proposed alternative, where one might imagine that He, the Exalted, torments them from a direction they do not perceive with torment, which is as you can see.

Since the states of "movement" and "fear" are susceptible to flight, the text expressed the arrival of torment in them as "taking" (akhdh), while expressing its arrival in the state of "heedlessness"—which denotes stillness—as "coming" (ityan). The preposition fi (in) was used with "movement" and ala (on/upon) with "fear." It is said: Because in "movement" there are two motions, so the person moving is between them, which is not the case with "fear." Another says: Because "movement" occupies a human with all his limbs, as if he is enveloped by it and contained within it, fi was used. "Fear"—which is apprehension—only arises in one of his organs, which is the heart, and the body of the human surrounds it, hence ala was used with it. It is also said that ala is in the sense of ma’a (with), as in His saying: "And gives wealth ala (in spite of/with) his love for it," meaning He takes them while they are accompanied by that fear. Since "fear" itself is a type of torment—due to the suffering of the heart and the preoccupation of the mind—and "taking" points to another type of torment as well, ala (in the sense of with) was used so that the meaning would be "He torments them with their [own] torment." This was not considered with "movement," intended as turning back and forth in travels and trade, even though it has been said, "Travel is a piece of torment," because they do not call that "torment," and there is hesitation in the heart regarding this—so contemplate and reflect, for the secrets of the Book of Allah the Exalted are countless.