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Surah An-Nahl, Ayah 75 (16:75)

ٱلنَّحْل

۞ ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا عَبْدًا مَّمْلُوكًا لَّا يَقْدِرُ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍ وَمَن رَّزَقْنَٰهُ مِنَّا …

Quran 16:75 is ayah 75 of Surah An-Nahl (“The Bee”), a Meccan surah of 128 ayahs. It is in Juz 14, on page 275 of the Madani Mushaf.

16:75
۞ ضَرَبَٱللَّهُمَثَلًاعَبْدًامَّمْلُوكًالَّايَقْدِرُعَلَىٰشَىْءٍوَمَنرَّزَقْنَٰهُمِنَّارِزْقًاحَسَنًافَهُوَيُنفِقُمِنْهُسِرًّاوَجَهْرًا ۖهَلْيَسْتَوُۥنَ ۚٱلْحَمْدُلِلَّهِ ۚبَلْأَكْثَرُهُمْلَايَعْلَمُونَ٧٥
ḍaraba l-lahu mathalan ʿabdan mamlūkan lā yaqdiru ʿalā shayin waman razaqnāhu minnā riz'qan ḥasanan fahuwa yunfiqu min'hu sirran wajahran hal yastawūna l-ḥamdu lillahi bal aktharuhum lā yaʿlamūna

Allāh presents an example: a slave [who is] owned and unable to do a thing and he to whom We have provided from Us good provision, so he spends from it secretly and publicly. Can they be equal? Praise to Allāh! But most of them do not know.(75)

Word by word

  1. ۞ ضَرَبَḍarabaAllah sets forth
  2. ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah sets forth
  3. مَثَلًاmathalanthe example
  4. عَبْدًاʿabdan(of) a slave
  5. مَّمْلُوكًاmamlūkan(who is) owned
  6. لَّاlānot
  7. يَقْدِرُyaqdiruhe has power
  8. عَلَىٰʿalāon
  9. شَىْءٍshayinanything
  10. وَمَنwamanand (one) whom
  11. رَّزَقْنَٰهُrazaqnāhuWe provided him
  12. مِنَّاminnāfrom Us
  13. رِزْقًاriz'qana provision
  14. حَسَنًاḥasanangood
  15. فَهُوَfahuwaso he
  16. يُنفِقُyunfiquspends
  17. مِنْهُmin'hufrom it
  18. سِرًّاsirransecretly
  19. وَجَهْرًا ۖwajahranand publicly
  20. هَلْhalCan
  21. يَسْتَوُۥنَ ۚyastawūnathey be equal
  22. ٱلْحَمْدُl-ḥamduAll praise
  23. لِلَّهِ ۚlillahi(is) for Allah
  24. بَلْbalNay
  25. أَكْثَرُهُمْaktharuhumbut most of them
  26. لَاlā(do) not
  27. يَعْلَمُونَyaʿlamūnaknow

Tafsir (commentary) of 16:75

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

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

The Example of the Believer and the Disbeliever, or the Idol and the True God

Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said: "This is the example which Allah gives of the disbeliever and the believer." This was also the view of Qatadah and Ibn Jarir. The servant who has no power over anything is like the disbeliever, and the one who is given good provisions and spends of them secretly and openly is like the believer. Ibn Abi Najih reported that Mujahid said: "This is an example given of the idol and the True God - can they be the same" Once the difference between them is so clear and so obvious, no one can be unaware of it except the one who is foolish. Allah says:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ

(All the praises and thanks are to Allah. Nay! (But) most of them know not.)

Read the full Surah An-Nahl