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Islam Word Quran & Seerah

Surah 16 An-Nahl — Ayah 28

سُورَةُ النَّحۡلِ · Meccan · Quran translation by Muhamed Mehanovic

28

ٱلَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ ظَالِمِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ فَأَلْقَوُا۟ ٱلسَّلَمَ مَا كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ مِن سُوٓءٍۭ ۚ بَلَىٰٓ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

kojima su meleci duše uzeli u vrijeme kada su oni sebi zulum činili." I oni će se pokoriti i reći: "Mi nismo nikakvo zlo činili!" "Jeste, Allah, doista dobro zna ono što ste radili.

alladhīna tatawaffāhumu l-malāikatu ẓālimī anfusihim fa-alqawū l-salama mā kunnā naʿmalu min sūin balā inna l-laha ʿalīmun bimā kuntum taʿmalūna

Word by word

  • ٱلَّذِينَ alladhīna Those whom
  • تَتَوَفَّىٰهُمُ tatawaffāhumu take them in death
  • ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ l-malāikatu the Angels
  • ظَالِمِىٓ ẓālimī (while) wronging
  • أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ anfusihim themselves
  • فَأَلْقَوُا۟ fa-alqawū then they would offer
  • ٱلسَّلَمَ l-salama the submission
  • مَا mā Not
  • كُنَّا kunnā we were
  • نَعْمَلُ naʿmalu doing
  • مِن min any
  • سُوٓءٍۭ ۚ sūin evil
  • بَلَىٰٓ balā Nay
  • إِنَّ inna indeed
  • ٱللَّهَ l-laha Allah
  • عَلِيمٌۢ ʿalīmun (is) All-Knower
  • بِمَا bimā of what
  • كُنتُمْ kuntum you used (to)
  • تَعْمَلُونَ taʿmalūna do
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)

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).