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Surah Al-Jathiyah, Ayah 16 (45:16)

ٱلْجَاثِيَة

وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْحُكْمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ وَرَزَقْنَٰهُم مِّنَ …

Quran 45:16 is ayah 16 of Surah Al-Jathiyah (“The Crouching”), a Meccan surah of 37 ayahs. It is in Juz 25, on page 500 of the Madani Mushaf.

45:16
وَلَقَدْءَاتَيْنَابَنِىٓإِسْرَٰٓءِيلَٱلْكِتَٰبَوَٱلْحُكْمَوَٱلنُّبُوَّةَوَرَزَقْنَٰهُممِّنَٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِوَفَضَّلْنَٰهُمْعَلَىٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ١٦
walaqad ātaynā banī is'rāīla l-kitāba wal-ḥuk'ma wal-nubuwata warazaqnāhum mina l-ṭayibāti wafaḍḍalnāhum ʿalā l-ʿālamīna

And We did certainly give the Children of Israel the Scripture and judgement and prophethood, and We provided them with good things and preferred them over the worlds.(16)

Word by word

  1. وَلَقَدْwalaqadAnd certainly
  2. ءَاتَيْنَاātaynāWe gave
  3. بَنِىٓbanī(the) Children of Israel
  4. إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَis'rāīla(the) Children of Israel
  5. ٱلْكِتَٰبَl-kitābathe Book
  6. وَٱلْحُكْمَwal-ḥuk'maand the wisdom
  7. وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَwal-nubuwataand the Prophethood
  8. وَرَزَقْنَٰهُمwarazaqnāhumand We provided them
  9. مِّنَminaof
  10. ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِl-ṭayibātithe good things
  11. وَفَضَّلْنَٰهُمْwafaḍḍalnāhumand We preferred them
  12. عَلَىʿalāover
  13. ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَl-ʿālamīnathe worlds

Tafsir (commentary) of 45:16

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

This commentary explains ayahs 45:16–20 together.

Preference of Allah to the Children of Israel and their dispute thereafter

Allah the Exalted mentions the favors He granted the Children of Israel, such as revealing the Divine Books to them, sending the Messengers to them and granting them kingship. Allah said,

وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا بَنِى إِسْرَءِيلَ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ وَرَزَقْنَـهُمْ مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَـتِ

(And indeed We gave the Children of Israel the Scripture, and the understanding of the Scripture and its laws, and the prophethood; and provided them with good things,) such as foods and drinks,

وَفَضَّلْنَـهُمْ عَلَى الْعَـلَمينَ

(and preferred them above the nations.) of their time,

وَءاتَيْنَـهُم بَيِّنَـتٍ مِّنَ الاٌّمْرِ

(And gave them clear proofs in matters.) `We gave them evidences, proofs and unequivocal signs.' Therefore, the proof has been established against them, yet they differed among themselves after the proof came to them, out of transgression against each other,

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ

(Verily, your Lord) `O Muhammad',

يَقْضِى بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ

(will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection about that wherein they used to differ. ) He will judge between them by His just judgement.

Warning to this Ummah against following the Ways of the Children of Israel

This Ayah contains a warning to the Muslim Ummah as well. It warns them not to take the path the Jews took nor adopt their ways. This is why Allah said,

ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَـكَ عَلَى شَرِيعَةٍ مِّنَ الاٌّمْرِ فَاتَّبِعْهَا

(Then We have put you on a (legal) way of commandment. So follow you that.) `follow what was revealed to you from your Lord, O Muhammad, there is no true deity except Him, and turn away from the idolators.' Allah said,

وَلاَ تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَإِنَّهُمْ لَن يُغْنُواْ عَنكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئاً وَإِنَّ الظَّـلِمِينَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ

(and follow not the desires of those who know not. Verily, they can avail you nothing against Allah. Verily, the wrongdoers are protecting friends of one another,) Allah says, `what will the loyalty that the idolators give each other avail them' Indeed, all they will earn from their protecting friends is more loss, destruction and demise,

وَاللَّهُ وَلِىُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ

(but Allah is the Protector of those who have Taqwa.) and He will deliver them from the darkness to the light. In contrast, all the false deities are the protecting friends of those who disbelieve, taking them out of the light to the darkness. Allah said,

هَـذَا بَصَـئِرُ لِلنَّاسِ

(This is a clear insight and evidence for man- kind,) in reference to the Qur'an,

وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ

(and a guidance and a mercy for people who have faith with certainty.)

Read the full Surah Al-Jathiyah