An-Nahl (The Bees): Verses 81–83

Translation and Exegesis

Know that a person is either a resident or a traveler. A traveler is either wealthy enough to carry tents and pavilions, or not. Thus, there are three categories:

1. The Resident: This is alluded to by His saying: {And Allāh has made for you of your houses a dwelling place (sakan)} (16:81a).
2. The Wealthy Traveler: This is alluded to by His saying: {And He has made for you, of the skins of livestock, houses} (16:81b).
3. The Traveler Lacking Means: This is alluded to by His saying: {And Allāh has made for you, from what He has created, shades} (16:81c).

This is because if a traveler does not have a tent for shade, he must seek shade from something else, like walls or trees. He might even seek shade from clouds, as He said: {And We shaded you with clouds} (Al-Baqarah: 57).

Then He said: {And He has made for you, from the mountains, shelters (aknān)}. The singular of aknān is kun, following the pattern of aḥmāl and ḥiml. However, it means anything that conceals or protects. It is said istakanna and akanna when one enters a shelter.

Know that the lands of the Arabs are intensely hot, and their need for shade and protection from the heat is severe. For this reason, Allāh the Exalted mentioned these things as great blessings. Furthermore, temperate lands and temperate times are very rare; mostly, there is either an overwhelming heat or an overwhelming cold. In all circumstances, a person must have a dwelling to retire to, so the favor of providing it is immense.

When the Exalted mentioned the matter of dwelling, He followed it by mentioning clothing: {And He has made for you garments to protect you from the heat, and garments to protect you from your might (ba’s)} (16:82).

Sarābīl are shirts; the singular is sirbāl. Al-Zajjāj said: Anything worn is a sirbāl, whether it is a shirt, armor (dir’), a coat of mail (jawshan), or something else. What indicates the correctness of this view is that He divided sarābīl into two types: one that protects from heat and cold, and the second that protects from might and warfare, which is the coat of mail and similar items. This shows that both categories fall under the term sarābīl.

They offered several responses to this:

1. First View (Atta al-Khurasani): The addressees were the Arabs, and their lands are hot. Thus, their need for protection from heat exceeded their need for protection from cold. This is similar to His saying: {And of their wool, and their furs, and their hair [He made for you materials for clothing]}. Although other types of clothing are more noble, He mentioned this type because their familiarity and habit of wearing it were stronger. This is why He said: {And He sends down from the sky, from mountains of hail} (An-Nūr: 43), because they were aware of hail, and what descends of snow is greater, but they were not familiar with it.
2. Second View (Al-Mubarrid): When one of two opposites is mentioned, it serves as a reminder of the other. I say: It is established in rational sciences that knowledge of one opposite necessitates knowledge of the other. When heat crosses a person's mind, cold also crosses their mind, and similarly for light/darkness and black/white. Since perceiving one entails perceiving the other, mentioning one suffices for the other.
3. Third View (Al-Zajjāj): What protects from heat also protects from cold, so mentioning one suffices for the other.

The counter-argument is that protection from heat is achieved sufficiently by simple shirts (qums) without extra effort, whereas cold requires additional effort.

Response: Since a single shirt repels heat, accumulating many shirts is beneficial for cold, thus confirming what we stated.

His saying {and garments to protect you from your might (ba’s)} means iron armor. Ba’s means severity, and here it refers to the severity of stabbing, striking, and shooting.

When the Exalted enumerated the categories of worldly blessings, He said: {Thus does He complete His favor upon you} (16:82c). Meaning, just as He created these things for you and bestowed His favor upon you with them, He completes His favor upon you in this world and the religion, {that you may submit (taslamūn)} (16:82d).

Ibn Abbas said: That you, O people of Mecca, may single out Allāh for Lordship, knowing that none other than Him can bring about these blessings. It is also narrated from Ibn Abbas that he recited {li-taslamū} (with a fatḥa on the tā’), meaning: We gave you these garments so that you may be safe from the might of war. Another view is that these blessings were given so you might reflect upon them, believe, and thus be saved from Allāh’s punishment.

Then the Exalted said: {But if they turn away, then upon you is only the clear delivery (al-balāgh al-mubīn)} (16:83a). Meaning, if you turn away, O Muhammad, and become heedless, preferring worldly pleasures, following ancestors, and persisting in disbelief, they have only harmed themselves. Your duty is only the complete conveyance (of the message). Furthermore, He rebuked them because they recognize Allāh’s blessing yet deny it—which is the height of ingratitude.

Response: It indicates that their denial is something strange, given that knowledge has already been established. The one who knows a blessing ought to acknowledge it, not deny it.

Regarding the intended blessing (ni’mah) being referred to, there are several views:

1. The Judge’s View: The intended blessing is all that Allāh mentioned in the preceding verses—all types of favors. Their denial means they did not single out Allāh for thanks and worship; rather, they thanked other than Allāh for those blessings, claiming these blessings came through the intercession of these idols.
2. Second View: What is meant is that they knew the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him) was true, yet they denied it. His prophethood is a great blessing, as He said: {And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds} (Al-Anbiyā’: 107).
3. Third View: They know Allāh’s blessing but do not use it to seek Allāh’s pleasure.

Then the Exalted said: {And most of them are disbelievers (al-kāfirūn)} (16:83b).

There are several responses:

1. First View: He said {most of them} because some among them had not yet had the proof established against them—those who had not reached the age of accountability, or those who were mentally deficient or insane. Thus, "most" refers to the sane adults.
2. Second View: Kāfir here means the obstinate denier. In this case, He said {most of them} because some were not obstinate but were merely ignorant of the Messenger’s truthfulness and what demonstrated to them that he was a true Prophet from Allāh.
3. Third View: He mentioned the majority and meant the entirety, because the majority stands in place of the whole. This is like His saying: {All praise is due to Allāh. But most of them do not know} (An-Nahl: 75). And Allāh knows best.

{And [mention] the Day when We will resurrect from every nation a witness. Then no permission will be given to those who disbelieved, nor will they be allowed to make amends.}

{And when those who wronged see the punishment, it will not be lightened for them, nor will they be reprieved.}