Amatulla’s comment on 16:35 – 36:
This is another occasion when the Quran is asserting on the essence of religion. Those who are derailed would blame God that nothing happens without God’s Will, therefore, their excuse is that they would not do the things they are doing and their forefather did [16:35] unless God so willed. By putting this kind of pretext they want to say that God must have approved and willed their way. The Quran is vehemently refuting this not only in this verse but with many other verses in different places and particularly of some very prominent and clear verses. The Quran is saying that God has empowered humans with the ability to discern right from wrong and the freedom to choose the right path. The right path is to believe in God and do good work. The good work consists of avoiding everything that does not comply with or go against God’s laws. This is the essence outlined in 16:36.
Sura-16, An Nahl, Mecca 70
The Quranic Text & Ali’s translation:
وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا
فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ
رَّسُولاً أَنِ
اعْبُدُواْ
اللّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ
الطَّاغُوتَ...
16:36. For We assuredly sent amongst every People a Messenger, (with the Command),
"Serve God and eschew Evil":
... فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى اللّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلالَةُ...
of the people were some whom God guided, and some on whom Error became inevitably (established).
... فَسِيرُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ فَانظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ ﴿٣٦﴾
So travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who denied (the Truth).
Transliteration Wa laqad ba'asna_ fi kulli ummatir rasu_lan an-i'budulla_ha wa-jtanibu_t ta_gu_t(a), fa minhum man hadalla_hu wa minhum man haqqat 'alaihid dala_lah(tu), fa siru_ fil ardi fa-nzuru_ kaifa ka_na 'a_qibatul mukazzibin(a).
إِن تَحْرِصْ
عَلَى هُدَاهُمْ
فَإِنَّ اللّهَ
لاَ يَهْدِي
مَن يُضِلُّ...
16:37. If thou art anxious for their guidance, yet God guideth not such as He leaves to stray,
... وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ ﴿٣٧﴾
and there is none to help them.
Transliteration In tahris 'ala_ huda_hum fa innalla_ha la_ yahdi may yudillu wa ma_ lahum min na_sirin(a).
Other translations:
Asad
16:36
And indeed, within every community 33 have We raised up an apostle [entrusted with this message]: "Worship God, and shun the powers of evil!" 34 And among those [past generations] were people whom God graced with His guidance, 35 just as there was among them [many a one] who inevitably fell prey to grievous error: 36 go, then, about the earth and behold what happened in the end to those who gave the lie to the truth!
16: 36
Pickthall
And verily We have raised in every nation a messenger, (proclaiming): Serve Allah and shun false gods. Then some of them (there were) whom Allah guided, and some of them (there were) upon whom error had just hold. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for the deniers!
Yuksel We have sent a messenger to every nation: "You shall serve God and avoid transgression." Some of them were guided by God, and some of them deserved to be misguided. So travel in the land, and see how the punishment was of those who denied.
16: 37
Yusuf Ali If thou art anxious for their guidance yet Allah guideth not such as He leaves to stray and there is none to help them.
Pickthall Even if thou (O Muhammad) desirest their right guidance, still Allah assuredly will not guide him who misleadeth. Such have no helpers.
Yuksel If you are concerned for their guidance, God does not guide whom He misleads. They will have no victors.
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Asad’s comments:
33 Or "at every period", since the term ummah has this significance as well. In its wider sense, it may also be taken here to denote "civilization", thus comprising a human groupment as well as a period of time.
34 For this rendering of the term at-taghat, see surah 2, note 250. It is to be borne in mind that, in Qur'anic terminology, "worship of God" invariably implies the concept of man's sense of responsibility before Him: hence, the above commandment comprises, in the most concise formulation imaginable, the sum-total of all ethical injunctions and prohibitions, and is the basis and source of all morality as well as the one unchanging message inherent in every true religion.
35 I.e., who availed themselves of the guidance offered by Him to all human beings.
Ali’s comments:
2060. Even though Allah's Signs are everywhere in Nature and in men's own conscience, yet in addition Allah has sent human Messengers to every People to call their attention to the Good and turn them from Evil.
So they cannot pretend that Allah has abandoned them or that He does not care what they do. His divine Grace always invites their will to choose the right.
2061. While some people accept the guidance of the divine Grace, others so surrender themselves to Evil that it must necessarily follow that Evil obtains a grip over them. They have only to travel through Time or Space to see the end of those who abandoned their lights and surrendered to Evil and Error.
For haqqat and the meaning of haqq in this connection cf. 15:64.
2062. When once Allah's Grace is rejected by any one, such a person loses all help and guidance. Such persons are then outside Allah's Grace, and therefore they are outside guidance.