Surah An-Nahl, Ayah 101 (16:101)
ٱلنَّحْل
Quran 16:101 is ayah 101 of Surah An-Nahl (“The Bee”), a Meccan surah of 128 ayahs. It is in Juz 14, on page 278 of the Madani Mushaf.
And when We substitute a verse in place of a verse - and Allāh is most knowing of what He sends down - they say, "You, [O Muḥammad], are but an inventor [of lies]." But most of them do not know.(101)
Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.
This commentary explains ayahs 16:101–102 together.
Allah tells us of the weak minds of the idolators, and their lack of faith and conviction. He explains that it is impossible for them to have faith when He has decreed that they are doomed. When they saw that some rulings had been changed by being abrogated, they said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:
إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُفْتَرٍ
(You are but a forger) meaning one who tells lies. But Allah is the Lord Who does whatever He wills, and rules as He wants.
بَدَّلْنَآ ءَايَةً مَّكَانَ ءَايَةٍ
(And when We change a verse (of the Qur'an) in place of another) Mujahid said: this means, "We remove one and put another in its place." Qatadah said: this is like the Ayah:
مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ ءَايَةٍ أَوْ نُنسِهَا
(Whatever verse We change abrogate or omit the abrogated...)" (2:106). Allah said, in response to them:
قُلْ نَزَّلَهُ رُوحُ الْقُدُسِ
(Say: "Ruh-ul-Qudus has brought it...") meaning, Jibril,
مِّن رَّبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ
(from your Lord with truth, ) meaning, with truthfulness and justice
لِيُثَبِّتَ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ
(for the conviction of those who believe,) so that they will believe what was revealed earlier and what was revealed later, and humble themselves towards Allah.
وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ
(and as a guide and good news for the Muslims.) meaning He has made it a guide and good news to the Muslims who believe in Allah and His Messengers.