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Surah An-Nahl, Ayah 28 (16:28)

ٱلنَّحْل

ٱلَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ ظَالِمِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ فَأَلْقَوُا۟ ٱلسَّلَمَ مَا كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ …

Quran 16:28 is ayah 28 of Surah An-Nahl (“The Bee”), a Meccan surah of 128 ayahs. It is in Juz 14, on page 270 of the Madani Mushaf.

16:28
ٱلَّذِينَتَتَوَفَّىٰهُمُٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُظَالِمِىٓأَنفُسِهِمْ ۖفَأَلْقَوُا۟ٱلسَّلَمَمَاكُنَّانَعْمَلُمِنسُوٓءٍۭ ۚبَلَىٰٓإِنَّٱللَّهَعَلِيمٌۢبِمَاكُنتُمْتَعْمَلُونَ٢٨
alladhīna tatawaffāhumu l-malāikatu ẓālimī anfusihim fa-alqawū l-salama mā kunnā naʿmalu min sūin balā inna l-laha ʿalīmun bimā kuntum taʿmalūna

The ones whom the angels take in death [while] wronging themselves, and [who] then offer submission, [saying], "We were not doing any evil." But, yes! Indeed, Allāh is Knowing of what you used to do.(28)

Word by word

  1. ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnaThose whom
  2. تَتَوَفَّىٰهُمُtatawaffāhumutake them in death
  3. ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُl-malāikatuthe Angels
  4. ظَالِمِىٓẓālimī(while) wronging
  5. أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖanfusihimthemselves
  6. فَأَلْقَوُا۟fa-alqawūthen they would offer
  7. ٱلسَّلَمَl-salamathe submission
  8. مَاmāNot
  9. كُنَّاkunnāwe were
  10. نَعْمَلُnaʿmaludoing
  11. مِنminany
  12. سُوٓءٍۭ ۚsūinevil
  13. بَلَىٰٓbalāNay
  14. إِنَّinnaindeed
  15. ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
  16. عَلِيمٌۢʿalīmun(is) All-Knower
  17. بِمَاbimāof what
  18. كُنتُمْkuntumyou used (to)
  19. تَعْمَلُونَtaʿmalūnado

Tafsir (commentary) of 16:28

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

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

This commentary explains ayahs 16:28–29 together.

The Condition of the Disbeliever during and after Death

Allah informs us of the state of the idolators who are doing wrong to themselves when death approaches and the angels come to seize their evil souls.

فَأَلْقَوُاْ السَّلَمَ

(Then, they will (falsely) submit) meaning, they will make it appear as if they used to listen and obey by saying,

مَا كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ مِن سُوءٍ

(We did not do any evil.) Similarly, on the Day of Resurrection, they will say,

وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ

(By Allah, our Lord, we were not idolators.) 6:23

يَوْمَ يَبْعَثُهُمُ اللَّهِ جَمِيعاً فَيَحْلِفُونَ لَهُ كَمَا يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ

(On the Day when Allah will resurrect them all together; then they will swear to Him as they swear to you.) 58:18 Allah says, rejecting what they say,

الَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّـهُمُ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ ظَالِمِى أَنفُسِهِمْ فَأَلْقَوُاْ السَّلَمَ مَا كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ مِن سُوءٍ بَلَى إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ - فَادْخُلُواْ أَبْوَابَ جَهَنَّمَ خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَا فَلَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ

("Yes! Truly, Allah is Most Knowing of what you did. So enter the gates of Hell, to abide therein, and indeed, what an evil abode there is for the arrogant.") (16:28-29), meaning, a miserable position in the abode of humiliation for those who were too arrogant to pay atten- tion to the signs of Allah and follow His Messengers. They will enter Hell from the day they die with their souls, and their bodies will feel the heat and hot winds of their graves. When the Day of Resurrec- tion comes, their souls will be reunited with their bodies, to abide forever in the fire of Hell, and

لاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَمُوتُواْ وَلاَ يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمْ مِّنْ عَذَابِهَا

(It will not be complete enough to kill them nor shall its torment be lightened for them.) (35:36) As Allah says,

النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوّاً وَعَشِيّاً وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُواْ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ

(The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and afternoon. And on the Day when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): "Cause Fir'awn's people to enter the severest torment!") (40:46).

Read the full Surah An-Nahl