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Surah An-Nahl, Verse 71

سورة النحل، الآية ٧١

16:71 Juz 14 Hizb 28 Page 274 of the mushaf Meccan surah

Text of verse 16:71

وَٱللَّهُ فَضَّلَ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ فِى ٱلرِّزْقِ فَمَا ٱلَّذِينَ فُضِّلُوا۟ بِرَآدِّى رِزْقِهِمْ عَلَىٰ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَهُمْ فِيهِ سَوَآءٌ أَفَبِنِعْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ ۝٧١

Transliteration

wal-lahu faḍḍala baʿḍakum ʿalā baʿḍin fī l-riz'qi famā alladhīna fuḍḍilū birāddī riz'qihim ʿalā mā malakat aymānuhum fahum fīhi sawāon afabiniʿ'mati l-lahi yajḥadūna

Translation

And Allāh has favored some of you over others in provision. But those who were favored [i.e., given more] would not hand over their provision to those whom their right hands possess [i.e., slaves] so they would be equal to them therein.709 Then is it the favor of Allāh they reject?

Notes

[709] The argument presented in this verse is that if they cannot consider their own possessions equal to themselves, then how can they consider Allāh's creations as being equal to Him?

Translation in another language
Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary Read in the surah

Verse 71 of Surah An-Nahl (16:71), a Meccan surah, is in juz 14, on page 274 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.

Listen to verse 71 of Surah An-Nahl

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Tafsir of verse 71

Al-Mukhtasar

Allah, may He be glorified, has given some of you preference over others in the provision that He has granted you and has made some you some of you rich and others poor, some of you leaders and others subjects. Those whom Allah has given preference in provision are not willing to pass on what Allah has given them to their servants, so that they become equal partners in the ownership thereof. How then are they pleased for Allah to have partners from amongst His servants when they are not pleased for themselves to have partners from amongst their servants who are equal to them? What injustice is this and what rejection of Allah’s favours can be worse than this?!

Tafsir of the whole Surah An-Nahl

Other translations of verse 71

Allah has favored some of you over others in provision. Those who are favored will not share their provision with their slaves, so that they may become equal to them46. Do they then deny the favors of Allah?

Notes

[46] If they would not accept to equally share their provision with their slaves, how would then they set up associates with Allah in worship?

And Allâh has preferred some of you above others in wealth and properties. Then, those who are preferred will by no means hand over their wealth and properties to those (slaves) whom their right hands possess, so that they may be equal with them in respect thereof18. Do they then deny the Favour of Allâh?

Notes

[18] (V.16:71):
a) This example Allâh has set forth for the polytheists (pagans) who associate false deities with Allâh, that they would not agree to share their wealth and properties with their slaves, then how do they agree to share false deities with Allâh in His worship?
b) Allâh’s Statement: "And Allah ..." (V.16:71). Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "Prophet Ibrâhîm (Abraham) عليه السلام emigrated with Sârah and entered a village where there was a king from amongst the kings or a tyrant from amongst the tyrants. (The king) was told that Ibrâhîm (Abraham) had entered (the village) accompanied by a woman who was one of the most charming women. So, the king sent for Ibrâhîm (Abraham) and asked, ‘O Ibrâhîm (Abraham)! Who is this lady accompanying you?’ Ibrâhîm (Abraham) replied, ‘She is my sister (i.e., in religion).’ Then Ibrâhîm (Abraham) returned to her and said, ‘Do not contradict my statement, for I have informed them that you are my sister. By Allâh, there are not true believers on the earth except you and I.’ Then Ibrâhîm (Abraham) sent her to the king. When the king got to her, she got up and performed ablution, offered Salât (prayer) and said, ‘O Allâh! If I have believed in You and Your Messenger, and have guarded my private parts from everybody except my husband, then please do not let this disbeliever overpower me.’ On that the king fell in a state of unconsciousness (or had an epileptic fit) and started moving his legs. Seeing the condition of the king, Sârah said, ‘O Allâh! If he should die, the people will say that I have killed him.’ The king regained his power, and proceeded towards her but she got up again and performed ablution, offered Salât (prayer) and said, ‘O Allâh! If I have believed in You and Your Messenger and have kept my private parts safe from all except my husband, then please do not let this disbeliever overpower me.’ The king again fell in a state of unconsciousness (or had epileptic fit) and started moving his legs. On seeing that state of the king, Sârah said, ‘O Allâh! If he should die, the people will say that I have killed him.’ The king got either two or three attacks, and after recovering from the last attack he said, ‘By Allâh! You have sent a Satan to me. Take her to Ibrâhîm (Abraham) and give her Agar (Hagar).’ So she came back to Ibrâhîm (Abraham) and said, ‘Allâh humiliated the disbeliever and gave us a slave-girl for service.’ " (Sahih Al Bukhari, Vol.3. Hadith No 420).

And Allah hath favoured some of you above others in provision. Now those who are more favoured will by no means hand over their provision to those (slaves) whom their right hands possess, so that they may be equal with them in respect thereof. Is it then the grace of Allah that they deny?

Allah has bestowed His gifts of sustenance more freely on some of you than on others: those more favoured are not going to throw back their gifts to those whom their right hands possess, so as to be equal in that respect. Will they then deny the favours of Allah?

And Allah has made some of you excel others in the means of subsistence, so those who are made to excel do not give away their sustenance to those whom their right hands possess so that they should be equal therein; is it then the favor of Allah which they deny?

And Allah has graced some of you over others (Literally: over some "others") in provision; so in no way will the ones who have been graced turn back their provision to the ones whom their right hands possess, so that they may be equal therein. Then, do they repudiate the favor of Allah?

Verse 71 word by word

  1. وَٱللَّهُ wal-lahu And Allah
  2. فَضَّلَ faḍḍala has favored ف ض ل
  3. بَعْضَكُمْ baʿḍakum some of you ب ع ض
  4. عَلَىٰ ʿalā over
  5. بَعْضٍ baʿḍin others ب ع ض
  6. فِى fī in
  7. ٱلرِّزْقِ l-riz'qi [the] provision ر ز ق
  8. فَمَا famā But not
  9. ٱلَّذِينَ alladhīna those who
  10. فُضِّلُوا۟ fuḍḍilū were favored ف ض ل
  11. بِرَآدِّى birāddī would hand over ر د د
  12. رِزْقِهِمْ riz'qihim their provision ر ز ق
  13. عَلَىٰ ʿalā to
  14. مَا mā whom
  15. مَلَكَتْ malakat possess م ل ك
  16. أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ aymānuhum their right hands ي م ن
  17. فَهُمْ fahum so (that) they
  18. فِيهِ fīhi (are) in it
  19. سَوَآءٌ sawāon equal س و ي
  20. أَفَبِنِعْمَةِ afabiniʿ'mati Then is it the Favor ن ع م
  21. ٱللَّهِ l-lahi of Allah
  22. يَجْحَدُونَ yajḥadūna they reject ج ح د

Verses related to verse 71

Cited by Ibn Kathir in his explanation of this verse

  • Ar-Rum 30:28

    ضَرَبَ لَكُم مَّثَلًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ هَل لَّكُم مِّن مَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُكُم مِّن شُرَكَآءَ فِى مَا رَزَقْنَٰكُمْ فَأَنتُمْ فِيهِ سَوَآءٌ تَخَافُونَهُمْ كَخِيفَتِكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

    He presents to you an example from yourselves. Do you have among those whom your right hands possess [i.e., slaves] any partners in what We have provided for you so that you are equal therein [and] would fear them as your fear of one another [within a partnership]? Thus do We detail the verses for a people who use reason.

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