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Surah An-Nahl, Ayah 125 (16:125)

ٱلنَّحْل

ٱدْعُ إِلَىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِٱلْحِكْمَةِ وَٱلْمَوْعِظَةِ ٱلْحَسَنَةِ ۖ وَجَٰدِلْهُم بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ …

Quran 16:125 is ayah 125 of Surah An-Nahl (“The Bee”), a Meccan surah of 128 ayahs. It is in Juz 14, on page 281 of the Madani Mushaf.

16:125
ٱدْعُإِلَىٰسَبِيلِرَبِّكَبِٱلْحِكْمَةِوَٱلْمَوْعِظَةِٱلْحَسَنَةِ ۖوَجَٰدِلْهُمبِٱلَّتِىهِىَأَحْسَنُ ۚإِنَّرَبَّكَهُوَأَعْلَمُبِمَنضَلَّعَنسَبِيلِهِۦ ۖوَهُوَأَعْلَمُبِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ١٢٥
ud'ʿu ilā sabīli rabbika bil-ḥik'mati wal-mawʿiẓati l-ḥasanati wajādil'hum bi-allatī hiya aḥsanu inna rabbaka huwa aʿlamu biman ḍalla ʿan sabīlihi wahuwa aʿlamu bil-muh'tadīna

Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided.(125)

Word by word

  1. ٱدْعُud'ʿuCall
  2. إِلَىٰilāto
  3. سَبِيلِsabīli(the) way
  4. رَبِّكَrabbika(of) your Lord
  5. بِٱلْحِكْمَةِbil-ḥik'matiwith the wisdom
  6. وَٱلْمَوْعِظَةِwal-mawʿiẓatiand the instruction
  7. ٱلْحَسَنَةِ ۖl-ḥasanatithe good
  8. وَجَٰدِلْهُمwajādil'humand discuss with them
  9. بِٱلَّتِىbi-allatīin that
  10. هِىَhiyawhich
  11. أَحْسَنُ ۚaḥsanu(is) best
  12. إِنَّinnaIndeed
  13. رَبَّكَrabbakayour Lord
  14. هُوَhuwaHe
  15. أَعْلَمُaʿlamu(is) most knowing
  16. بِمَنbimanof who
  17. ضَلَّḍallahas strayed
  18. عَنʿanfrom
  19. سَبِيلِهِۦ ۖsabīlihiHis way
  20. وَهُوَwahuwaAnd He
  21. أَعْلَمُaʿlamu(is) most knowing
  22. بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَbil-muh'tadīnaof the guided ones

Tafsir (commentary) of 16:125

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

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

The Command to invite people to Allah with Wisdom and Good Preaching

Allah commands His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ to invite the people to Allah with Hikmah (wisdom). Ibn Jarir said: "That is what was revealed to him from the Book and the Sunnah."

وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ

(and fair preaching) meaning, with exhortation and stories of the events that happened to people that are mentioned in the Qur'an, which he is to tell them about in order to warn them of the punishment of Allah.

وَجَـدِلْهُم بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ

(and argue with them with that which is best.) meaning, if any of them want to debate and argue, then let that be in the best manner, with kindness, gentleness and good speech, as Allah says elsewhere:

وَلاَ تُجَـدِلُواْ أَهْلَ الْكِتَـبِ إِلاَّ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ

(And do not argue with the People of the Book, unless it be with that which is best, except for those who purposefully do wrong.) 29:46 Allah commanded him to speak gently, as He commanded Musa and Harun to do when he sent them to Pharaoh, as He said:

فَقُولاَ لَهُ قَوْلاً لَّيِّناً لَّعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَى

(And speak to him mildly, perhaps he may accept admonition or fear (Allah))(20: 44).

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ

(Truly, your Lord best knows who has strayed from His path,) meaning, Allah already knows who is doomed (destined for Hell) and who is blessed (destined for Paradise). This has already been written with Him and the matter is finished, so call them to Allah, but do not exhaust yourself with regret over those who go astray, for it is not your task to guide them. You are just a warner, and all you have to do is convey the Message, and it is He Who will bring them to account.

إِنَّكَ لاَ تَهْدِى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ

(You cannot guide whom you love) 28:56

لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ

(It is not up to you to guide them, but Allah guides whom He wills.) 2:272

Read the full Surah An-Nahl