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Surah An-Nahl, Ayah 63 (16:63)

ٱلنَّحْل

تَٱللَّهِ لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمَمٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ أَعْمَٰلَهُمْ فَهُوَ …

Quran 16:63 is ayah 63 of Surah An-Nahl (“The Bee”), a Meccan surah of 128 ayahs. It is in Juz 14, on page 273 of the Madani Mushaf.

16:63
تَٱللَّهِلَقَدْأَرْسَلْنَآإِلَىٰٓأُمَمٍمِّنقَبْلِكَفَزَيَّنَلَهُمُٱلشَّيْطَٰنُأَعْمَٰلَهُمْفَهُوَوَلِيُّهُمُٱلْيَوْمَوَلَهُمْعَذَابٌأَلِيمٌ٦٣
tal-lahi laqad arsalnā ilā umamin min qablika fazayyana lahumu l-shayṭānu aʿmālahum fahuwa waliyyuhumu l-yawma walahum ʿadhābun alīmun

By Allāh, We did certainly send [messengers] to nations before you, but Satan made their deeds attractive to them. And he is their [i.e., the disbelievers] ally today [as well], and they will have a painful punishment.(63)

Word by word

  1. تَٱللَّهِtal-lahiBy Allah
  2. لَقَدْlaqadcertainly
  3. أَرْسَلْنَآarsalnāWe have sent
  4. إِلَىٰٓilāto
  5. أُمَمٍumaminnations
  6. مِّنminbefore you
  7. قَبْلِكَqablikabefore you
  8. فَزَيَّنَfazayyanabut made fair-seeming
  9. لَهُمُlahumuto them
  10. ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُl-shayṭānuthe Shaitaan
  11. أَعْمَٰلَهُمْaʿmālahumtheir deeds
  12. فَهُوَfahuwaSo he
  13. وَلِيُّهُمُwaliyyuhumu(is) their ally
  14. ٱلْيَوْمَl-yawmatoday
  15. وَلَهُمْwalahumand for them
  16. عَذَابٌʿadhābun(is) a punishment
  17. أَلِيمٌalīmunpainful

Tafsir (commentary) of 16:63

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

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

This commentary explains ayahs 16:63–65 together.

Finding Consolation in the Reminder of Those Who came before

Allah says, `He sent Messengers to the nations of the past, and they were rejected. You, O Muhammad, have an example in your brothers among the Messengers, so do not be distressed by your people's rejection. As for the idolators' rejection of the Messengers, the reason for this is that the Shaytan made their deeds attractive to them.'

فَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُمُ الْيَوْمَ

(So today he (Shaytan) is their helper,) meaning they will be suffering punishment while Shaytan is their only helper, and he cannot save them, so they have no one to answer their calls for help, and theirs is a painful punishment.

The Reason why the Qur'an was revealed

Then Allah says to His Messenger that He has revealed the Book to him to explain the truth to mankind in matters which they dispute over. So the Qur'an is a decisive arbitrator for every issue that they argue about.

وَهَدَى

(and (as) a guidance) meaning, for their hearts.

وَرَحْمَةً

(and a mercy) meaning, for the one who adheres to it.

لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

(for a people who believe.) Just as Allah causes the Qur'an to bring life to hearts that were dead from disbelief, so He brings the earth to life after it has died, by sending down water from the sky.

إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لآيَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَسْمَعُونَ

(Surely that is a sign for people who listen.) meaning those who understand the words and their meanings.

Read the full Surah An-Nahl