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Surah An-Nahl, Ayah 48 (16:48)

ٱلنَّحْل

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ مِن شَىْءٍ يَتَفَيَّؤُا۟ ظِلَٰلُهُۥ عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ …

Quran 16:48 is ayah 48 of Surah An-Nahl (“The Bee”), a Meccan surah of 128 ayahs. It is in Juz 14, on page 272 of the Madani Mushaf.

16:48
أَوَلَمْيَرَوْا۟إِلَىٰمَاخَلَقَٱللَّهُمِنشَىْءٍيَتَفَيَّؤُا۟ظِلَٰلُهُۥعَنِٱلْيَمِينِوَٱلشَّمَآئِلِسُجَّدًالِّلَّهِوَهُمْدَٰخِرُونَ٤٨
awalam yaraw ilā mā khalaqa l-lahu min shayin yatafayya-u ẓilāluhu ʿani l-yamīni wal-shamāili sujjadan lillahi wahum dākhirūna

Have they not considered what things Allāh has created? Their shadows incline to the right and to the left, prostrating to Allāh, while they [i.e., those creations] are humble.(48)

Word by word

  1. أَوَلَمْawalamHave not
  2. يَرَوْا۟yarawthey seen
  3. إِلَىٰilā[towards]
  4. مَاmāwhat
  5. خَلَقَkhalaqaAllah has created
  6. ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah has created
  7. مِنminfrom
  8. شَىْءٍshayina thing
  9. يَتَفَيَّؤُا۟yatafayya-uIncline
  10. ظِلَٰلُهُۥẓilāluhutheir shadows
  11. عَنِʿanito
  12. ٱلْيَمِينِl-yamīnithe right
  13. وَٱلشَّمَآئِلِwal-shamāiliand to the left
  14. سُجَّدًاsujjadanprostrating
  15. لِّلَّهِlillahito Allah
  16. وَهُمْwahumwhile they
  17. دَٰخِرُونَdākhirūna(are) humble

Tafsir (commentary) of 16:48

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

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

This commentary explains ayahs 16:48–50 together.

Everything prostrates to Allah

Allah informs us about His might, majesty and pride, meaning that all things submit themselves to Him and every created being - animate and inanimate, as well as the responsible - humans and Jinns, and the angels - all humble themselves before Him. He tells us that everything that has a shadow leaning to the right and the left, i.e., in the morning and the evening, is by its shadow, prostrating to Allah. Mujahid said, "When the sun passes its zenith, everything prostrates to Allah, may He be glorified." This was also said by Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and others.

لِلَّهِ وَهُمْ

(while they are humble) means, they are in a state of humility. Mujahid also said: "The prostration of every thing is its shadow", and he mentioned the mountains and said that their prostrations are their shadows. Abu Ghalib Ash-Shaybani said: "The waves of the sea are its prayers". It is as if reason is attributed to these inanimate objects when they are described as prostrating, so Allah says:

وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ مِن دَآبَّةٍ

(And to Allah prostrate all that are in the heavens and all that are in the earth, of the moving creatures) As Allah says:

وَللَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَظِلَـلُهُم بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالاٌّصَالِ

(And to Allah (alone) all who are in the heavens and the earth fall in prostration, willingly or unwillingly, and so do their shadows in the mornings and in the afternoons.) (13:15)

وَالْمَلَـئِكَةُ وَهُمْ لاَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

(and the angels, and they are not proud.) means, they prostrate to Allah and are not too proud to worship Him.

يَخَـفُونَ رَبَّهُمْ مِّن فَوْقِهِمْ

(They fear their Lord above them) means, they prostrate out of fear of their Lord, may He be glorified.

وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ

(and they do what they are commanded.) meaning they continually obey Allah, doing what He tells them to do and avoiding that which He forbids.

Read the full Surah An-Nahl