An-Nahl (The Bees): Verses 24-25

It is important to note that after the Almighty extensively established the proofs for Tawhid (Oneness of God) and presented overwhelming evidence refuting the doctrines of the idolaters, He then mentioned the doubts raised by those who deny prophethood, along with the responses to them.

The first doubt is that when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used the Qur'an as a miracle to prove the authenticity of his prophethood, they attacked the Qur'an, claiming it was "tales of the ancients" (asāṭīr al-awwalīn) and not a miracle. There are several issues concerning this verse:

There are several ways to answer this:

1. It is mentioned mockingly: Similar to His saying about them: {Indeed, the messenger who was sent to you} (Ash-Shu‘arā’: 27), and {And they say, "O you to whom the message has been revealed, indeed you are a madman"} (Al-Hijr: 6), and {O magician, call upon your Lord for us} (Az-Zukhruf: 49).
2. The implied meaning is: "This which you claim is revealed from your Lord is asāṭīr al-awwalīn (tales of the ancients)."
3. It is possible that the meaning is: Even if we assume this Qur'an was revealed by Allah, it is still merely tales of the ancients, lacking any true knowledge, eloquence, subtleties, or realities.

The Almighty, having recounted their doubts, said: {That they may bear their full burdens on the Day of Resurrection}.

The lām (in liyahmilū) is the lām al-‘āqibah (the lām of consequence). They did not describe the Qur'an as "tales of the ancients" in order to bear burdens, but since this was their ultimate outcome, mentioning this lām is appropriate, like His saying: {For Pharaoh, so that he may be an enemy and a source of grief to them} (Al-Qasas: 8).

{Full/Complete (kāmilah)} means that Allah will not lighten their punishment at all; rather, the full retribution will reach them. I would argue that this indicates Allah might remit some punishment from the believers, because if this completeness of burden applied to everyone, there would be no point in specifying this completeness for these disbelievers.

{And of the burdens of those whom they lead astray} means that the leaders will receive burdens similar to those of their followers. The reason for this is related to what the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) narrated: "Any caller who calls to guidance and is followed will have a reward like that of those who followed him, without any reduction in their rewards. And any caller who calls to misguidance and is followed will bear a burden like that of those who followed him, without any reduction in their sins."

It must be understood that this does not mean that the punishment deserved by the followers is transferred to the leaders. This would not befit the justice of Allah, as evidenced by His saying: {And that no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another} (An-Najm: 39) and {And no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another} (Al-Isrā’: 15).

Rather, the meaning is that when a leader establishes an evil precedent, his punishment is magnified until that punishment equals the total sum of what every single follower deserves.

Al-Wāḥidī said: The word {and (wa)} in {and of the burdens of those whom they lead astray} is not for tab‘īḍ (partiality/some of). If it were for partiality, some of the followers' burdens would be lessened, which is impermissible due to the Prophet's saying: "without any reduction in their burdens." Rather, it is li-l-jins (for the genus), meaning they will bear burdens of the kind that the followers bear.

{Without knowledge (bi-ghayri ‘ilmin)} means that these leaders embark upon this misguidance out of ignorance of the severe punishment they deserve for that misguidance.

Finally, the Almighty concluded the statement with: {Unquestionably, evil is that which they bear}, the purpose of which is to emphasize the severe prohibition.

Answer: The reason is that the Almighty had already established the miraculous nature of the Qur'an through two methods:

1. The Prophet (PBUH) challenged them with the entire Qur'an, sometimes with ten chapters, sometimes with one chapter, and sometimes with a single saying. They were incapable of producing a counter-challenge, which proves its miraculous nature.
2. The Almighty recounted this very doubt in another verse: {Or has it been dictated to him, so he writes it down morning and evening?} (Al-Furqān: 5), and refuted it by saying: {Say, "It was sent down by He who knows the secret within the heavens and earth"} (Al-Furqān: 6). This means the Qur'an contains reports of the unseen, which is only possible for the One who knows the secrets of the heavens and the earth.

Since the miraculous nature of the Qur'an was established by these two methods, and these methods were repeatedly explained many times, it is understandable that in this verse, the focus was limited to the mere warning without reiterating the response to the doubt. And Allah knows best.

{Indeed, those who denied the signs of Allah and scorned them—the heaven will not open for them the gates of the sky, nor will they enter Paradise until the camel enters through the eye of a needle. Thus do We recompense the criminals.}

{They will have from Hell a bed and over them coverings of fire. Thus do We recompense the wrongdoers.}

{Those who believed and did righteous deeds—We will admit them to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment.}

{And when it is said to them, "What has your Lord sent down?" they say, "Legends of the former peoples."}

{That they may bear their full burdens on the Day of Resurrection, and some of the burdens of those whom they lead astray without knowledge. Unquestionably, evil is that which they bear.}

{Indeed, those who denied the verses of Allah and were arrogant toward them—never will the gates of heaven be opened for them, nor will they enter Paradise until the camel enters through the eye of a needle. Thus do We recompense the criminals.}

{Indeed, those who denied the verses of Allah and were arrogant toward them}: This refers to the disbelievers who rejected the clear proofs and miracles.

{never will the gates of heaven be opened for them}: This means that the ascent of their souls to the heavens after death will be prevented, or that their prayers and supplications will not be accepted.

{nor will they enter Paradise until the camel enters through the eye of a needle}: This is a famous analogy used to express impossibility. It means they will never enter Paradise.

{Thus do We recompense the criminals}: This is the just recompense for those who deny the truth and act arrogantly against it.

{They await nothing except that the angels should come to them or the command of your Lord should come. The Day it comes, no soul will benefit from its faith if it had not believed before or earned through its faith some good. Say, "Wait; indeed, we are waiting."}

{They await nothing except that the angels should come to them or the command of your Lord should come}: They await either the coming of the angels to seize their souls in death, or the coming of the punishment decreed by their Lord in this world (like the Day of Badr).

{The Day it comes, no soul will benefit from its faith if it had not believed before or earned through its faith some good}: If they believe at the moment of death or the moment of worldly punishment, that belief will not be accepted, because faith must precede the time when the unseen becomes manifest.

{Say, "Wait; indeed, we are waiting."}: This is a command to the Prophet (PBUH) to tell them to wait for the decreed time of their punishment, assuring them that the believers are also waiting for the fulfillment of Allah's promise.

{Those will have the recompense of Hell for what they used to do, and they will have from Hell coverings and over them coverings of fire. Thus do We recompense the wrongdoers.}

This verse describes the punishment awaiting those who rejected the truth and mocked the revelation. They will have the recompense of Hell for their deeds, and their dwelling will be layers of fire upon layers of fire.

{And those who believed and did righteous deeds—We will admit them to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment.}

This contrasts the fate of the disbelievers with that of the believers. The believers will be admitted to Gardens (Paradise) with flowing rivers, where they will remain eternally—this is the ultimate success.

{And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. And the Hour is coming. And when the Hour comes, the losers will have lost, at that Day, when they are separated. Their portion will be the Fire; they will abide therein forever. And Allah has not wronged them, but they wronged themselves.}

{And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth}: This establishes His absolute sovereignty, proving that He alone has the right to send messengers and reveal truth.

{And the Hour is coming}: The Day of Judgment is certain.

{And when the Hour comes, the losers will have lost}: On that Day, those who rejected the truth will realize their ultimate loss.

{Their portion will be the Fire; they will abide therein forever}: Their eternal dwelling will be Hellfire.

{And Allah has not wronged them, but they wronged themselves}: Allah is just; their suffering is a direct result of their own choices and rejection of guidance.