yatawārā mina l-qawmi min sūi mā bushira bihi ayum'sikuhu ʿalā hūnin am yadussuhu fī l-turābi alā sāa mā yaḥkumūna
Translation
He hides himself from the people because of the ill of which he has been informed. Should he keep it in humiliation or bury it in the ground? Unquestionably, evil is what they decide.
Verse 59 of Surah An-Nahl (16:59), a Meccan surah, is in juz 14, on page 273 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.
Listen to verse 59 of Surah An-Nahl
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Tafsir of verse 59
Al-Mukhtasar
He hides from his people because of the bad news of the birth of a girl that was given to him. He asks himself: Shall he keep this girl that he was given news of with humiliation and dejection, or shall he bury her alive and hide her in the dust? How evil is the decision that the idolaters make when they assigned to their Lord what they detest for themselves.
He hides away from people because of the bad news he was given. Should he keep her in disgrace, or bury her in the dust? How terrible is their judgment!
He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that whereof he has been informed. Shall he keep her with dishonour or bury her in the earth17? Certainly, evil is their decision.
Notes
[17] (V.16:59) Narrated Al-Mughirah: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to forbid (1) Qîl and Qâl (sinful and useless talk like backbiting, or that you talk too much about others); (2) asking too many questions (in disputed religious matters); (3) and wasting one’s wealth (by extravagance) (4) and to be undutiful to one’s mother (5) and to bury the daughters alive (6) and to prevent your favours (benevolence) to others (i.e. not to pay the rights of others: Zakât, charity). (7) and to beg of men or to ask others for something (except when it is unavoidable). (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol.9, Hadith No.395).
He hideth himself from the folk because of the evil of that whereof he hath had tidings, (asking himself): Shall he keep it in contempt, or bury it beneath the dust. Verily evil is their judgment.
With shame does he hide himself from his people, because of the bad news he has had! Shall he retain it on (sufferance and) contempt, or bury it in the dust? Ah! what an evil (choice) they decide on?
He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that which is announced to him. Shall he keep it with disgrace or bury it (alive) in the dust? Now surely evil is what they judge.
He hides himself from (Literally: overlays himself beyond) (the sight) of the people because of the odious tidings (given) him, whether he should retain it in degradation or shove it in the dust. Verily, odious is (the way) they judge!
And when one of them is given good tidings of that which he attributes to the Most Merciful in comparison [i.e., a daughter], his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief.
