Tafsir of An-Nahl 16:51-55

Surah An-Nahl (The Bee): Verses 51–55

It is noted that after the preceding verse established that everything, whether from the realm of spirits or bodies, is subservient to the majesty and greatness of Allah, this verse follows by prohibiting polytheism and commanding that everything other than Him belongs to Him, and that He is self-sufficient (Ghani) from all things.

Issues in the Verse:

Issue 1: The purpose of saying "two gods" (إلهين اثنين).

One might ask: Since the concept of "two gods" inherently implies duality, what is the benefit of explicitly stating "two"?

Answers:

1. Rearrangement: As stated by the author of Al-Nathm, the intended structure might be a transposition: "Do not take two as gods" (لا تتخذوا اثنين إلهين).
2. Emphasis and Repetition (The preferred view): When something is inherently repulsive and ugly to the intellect, one often uses multiple expressions to emphasize the repulsion, causing the mind to fully grasp its ugliness. Since the concept of two equal, necessary, eternal gods possessing perfect attributes is intellectually abhorrent, repeating the duality (إلهين اثنين) serves to intensify the aversion and ensure the mind fully recognizes the absurdity.
3. Clarification of Scope: The word "two gods" (إلهين) signifies both the affirmation of divinity and the affirmation of plurality. Saying "Do not take two gods" (لا تتخذوا إلهين) could be ambiguous: is the prohibition against affirming divinity, or against affirming plurality, or both? By adding "two" (اثنين), it becomes clear that the prohibition is specifically against affirming plurality.
4. Inherent Contradiction: Duality (الأثينية) fundamentally negates divinity (الإلهية). This is demonstrated in several ways:
   • Composition: If we posit two beings, each necessarily existing in itself (Wajib bi-dhātih), they must share the attribute of necessary existence but differ in their specific identity. What they share (necessary existence) is distinct from what differentiates them. Thus, each would be composed of two parts (the shared attribute and the differentiating attribute). Everything composite is contingent (Mumkin). Therefore, positing more than one necessarily existing being negates the very premise that they are necessarily existing.
   • Action/Power: If there were two gods, and one willed to move a body while the other willed to keep it still, neither could be prioritized in action over the other, as a single motion or stillness is indivisible and cannot inherently favor one power over another. Consequently, neither power would be superior in effecting change. This leads to an impossible situation: either both achieve their goals (impossible), or neither achieves their goal (also impossible, as an incapable being cannot be God). Thus, duality implies incapacity for both.
   • Sovereignty: If there were two gods, either one could conceal its dominion from the other (making the other weak), or neither could (making both weak).
   • Dominance: Either one has the power to oppose the other, or not. If one cannot oppose the other, it is weak. If it can, and the other cannot repel the opposition, then the repelled one is weak.
   • Conclusion: Duality and divinity are mutually exclusive. The phrase لا تتخذوا إلاهين اثنين serves to highlight this inherent contradiction.

Having established the impossibility of two gods, the verse affirms: {Indeed, He is but one God}. This confirms that since the existence of a necessary God for the universe is proven, and the concept of two such gods is impossible, then there is no god except the One, the Unique, the True, the Self-Sufficient (Al-Ahad, Al-Haqq, Al-Samad).

This verse transitions from the third person (He) to the second person (You), addressing humanity directly. The structure implies: Since the preceding verses proved that God is One, and the Speaker of these words is that God, then it is appropriate for Him to switch from the absent form to the present address: {So fear Me alone} (فإياي فارهبون).

Subtlety: The use of the direct object pronoun (إياي) implies exclusivity (Hassr): creatures should fear none but Him, and desire nothing but His grace and bounty. This is because existence is either necessary (Wajib) or contingent (Mumkin). The Necessary One is only Allah. Everything else is contingent, brought into existence by the Necessary One. Therefore, all desire and fear must be directed toward Him, as His grace removes needs, and His creation ends necessities.

This is affirmed because if God is the One Necessary Being, everything else exists only through His creation and origination. This proves the truth of {And whatever blessing you have—it is from Allah}.

Argument for Divine Creation of Human Actions: Our scholars use this verse to argue that human actions are created by Allah. Since human actions are part of "what is in the heavens and the earth," they must belong to Allah. This does not mean they are created for His sake or for the purpose of His obedience (as some actions are permissible or forbidden, done for lust or pleasure, not obedience). Rather, it means they occur through His creation and origination—which is the intended meaning.

This verse continues the theme of exclusive reliance.

Linguistics: Ad-Dīn (الدين) here means obedience. Wāṣib (واصب) means perpetual or lasting. It is said that something waṣaba if it endures. (Cf. {And for them is an enduring punishment} [As-Saffat: 9]). Ibn Qutaybah noted that every obedience or servitude ceases either during life or upon death, except servitude to the True God, whose obedience is eternally obligatory.

Grammar and Deeper Meaning: Wāṣiban is a circumstantial adverb (Hāl), governed by the implied verbal meaning within the prepositional phrase.

If Ad-Dīn means submission (انقياد), then {And for Him is the perpetual obedience} means the submission of everything else is eternally necessary. This is because the submission of contingent beings is necessitated by their contingency. Contingent beings require a cause for both their existence and non-existence. Since essences (Māhiyyāt) inherently imply contingency, and contingency inherently implies the need for an agent, it follows that essences inherently imply the need for an agent. Thus, these essences are characterized by perpetual, necessary, and unchangeable submission to Allah.

Further Divine Secret: Philosophers agree that contingent beings require a determining cause (Murajjih) at the moment of their creation. However, they differ on whether they require a cause for their continued existence. The soundest view is that they do, because the reason for need is contingency, which is an inherent property of the essence, present both at creation and during continued existence. Therefore, the need for a determiner is constant.

Thus, {And whatever blessing you have—it is from Allah} means everything other than the Truth requires a determiner to transition from non-existence to existence (or vice versa). And {And for Him is the perpetual obedience} means this submission and neediness is constant and eternal, confirming that contingent beings never cease needing a determiner for their continued existence. These are profound secrets of divine knowledge embedded in these words flowing from revelation.

After establishing that all blessings come from Allah, the verse notes that when affliction strikes (such as sickness, need, as Ibn Abbas explained), {to Him you cry out for help} (فإليه تجأرون). Taj'arūn means raising your voices in supplication (like the loud cry of a cow).

The meaning is: Since all blessings are from Allah, when harm necessitates the removal of those blessings, they cry out only to Him, knowing He is the only refuge. The implication is: Where is this practice during times of ease and safety?

When the distress is removed and conditions normalize, a group among them reverts to their previous state of associating partners with God. This is profound ignorance and misguidance. Their innate disposition testified during affliction that there is no refuge or helper except the One. After the affliction passes, they should maintain that belief, yet instead, they establish opposites and partners. This is a great transgression and complete error. (This is similar to {But when He delivers them to the land, behold, a party of them associates others with their Lord} [Al-Ankabut: 65]).

The initial Lām (لـ) here has two interpretations:

1. The Lām of Causality (Lām Kay): They associate partners when distress is removed so that they may deny that the relief was a favor from Allah. For example, when a sick person supplicates Allah for relief, once healed, they attribute the recovery to a specific medicine or treatment—this is the common state of mankind.
   • Al-Razi's Personal Note: The author, Muhammad ibn Umar al-Razi, notes that on the very day he was writing these lines (the first of Muharram, 602 AH), a severe earthquake struck at dawn. People cried out in supplication. As soon as the shaking stopped and the air cleared, they immediately forgot the event and returned to their foolishness. This state described by Allah seems to be an inherent quality of the human soul.
2. The Lām of Consequence (Lām Al-'Aqibah): The consequence of their supplications was this disbelief (similar to {So the people of Pharaoh picked him up, [intending] to make him an enemy and a source of grief for them} [Al-Qasas: 8]).

Meaning of {What We have given them}:

1. It refers to the removal of distress and the elimination of hardship.
2. Some say it refers to the Qur'an, the Prophethood, and the religious laws brought by Muhammad (PBUH).

Allah warns them: {Then enjoy yourselves} (فتمتعوا). This command form is intended as a threat, similar to {So whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve} [Al-Kahf: 29].

Then, {Then you will know} (فسوف تعلمون), meaning you will know the consequence of your actions and the punishment that will befall you.

Analysis of Verses 60–64:

Verse 60: They allocate a share of the provision Allah granted them to things they do not know (false deities/idols). Allah swears an oath: {By Allah, you will surely be questioned about what you used to invent.}

Verse 61: They attribute daughters to Allah—{exalted is He}—while reserving for themselves what they desire (sons).

Verse 62–63: When informed of a female child, their faces turn black with suppressed rage. They hide from the people due to the shame of the news, contemplating whether to keep her in disgrace or bury her alive in the dust. {Unquestionably, evil is that which they rule [by judgment]}.

Verse 64: For those who do not believe in the Hereafter, there is the evil description (attributing daughters to God). But {for Allah is the highest description} (He is exalted above all imperfections). He is the Almighty, the Wise.