an-Nahl (The Bee) at IslamAwakened.com

16:1 Pretty soon you will find it is time to meet your Lord. Why are you in hurry to face your punishment [by jokingly asking Mohammad: “ why God does not send us his punishment ?”] Lord, the Glorious One, is above what disbeliever think to have a partner in His realm of creation

16:2 God sends His angels down to reveal His message to any human being that He chooses to proclaim that: “There is no other Deity but God; be at awe with your God.”

16:3 God is the One Who has created the heavens and the earth to serve a purpose. He is too Perfect to have a partner

16:4 He has created mankind from a tiny embryo; how funny of this insignificant creature to turn against his own soul and challenge his Creator

16:5 God is the One Who has created for you the cattle so that you eat their meat, wear their skin and take advantage of so many other benefit they offer you

16:6 How pleasant it is for you to bring them back to the stable at night and take them to the pastures next day

16:7 They carry your loads to the most difficult to reach places that otherwise you had to carry with the most pain. How kind and merciful of your Lord to have created them for you

16:8 God has created horses, mules and donkeys so that you ride them and use for your entertainment. God (besides the creatures that you know) has also created the creatures that you do not know about them [microscopic species, extraterrestrials, etc.]

16:9 There are many alternative ways. God wants to show you the right path. If He willed, He would have forced you to the right path (but He wants us to exercise our freedom of choice.

16:10 He is the One Who sends down from the sky drinking water for you and by it grows vegetation for you and for your cattle

16:11 Thus He grows for you crops, olives, date palms, grapes and all kinds of fruits. Those who use their brain for thinking and contemplate will find in it sufficient proof (for the existence, mercy and the greatness of God.

16:12 God has put in your service the night and the day as well as the sun and the moon. The whole universe submits itself to His will. Here again, those who contemplate will find sufficient proofs

16:13 There are many lessons to be learned from so many colorful things that God has put on the earth

16:14 He is the One Who has put the sea in your disposition. You eat from it tender meat, find in it jewelry to wear and sail over it your ships. May you enjoy His blessings and be grateful to Him

16:15 He has placed firm standing mountains on the earth to turn with you (everything on earth joins its turning around itself and round the sun as well as moving towards an unknown destiny.) See also the roads and the rivers that He has created and you use them to find your destination

16:16 You also use the landmarks and the stars that He has created to find your way

16:17 Is then He Who creates equal to the one that creates nothing (like your boss, your loved ones, your wealth, Jesus, the saints that you have created, the idols that you have carved, etc. that you worship beside God?

16:18 Know that, your blessings are so many that you cannot count them! How Forgiving and Merciful is the Lord

16:19 Know that God knows what you declare and what you keep as a secret

16:20 Know that the idols (carved from the stone or wood) that some worship, do not create nothing. On the contrary, they themselves are created

16:21 Such idols are dead. They do not have any spirit. They have no idea when they will be resurrected

16:22 Know that your God is One God. It is in account of their arrogant that some People have chosen not to believe in the Hereafter

16:23 God definitely knows what the disbelievers say and what they hide in their hearts. God does not love the arrogant people

16:24 when the disbelievers are asked what they are thinking about the Lord’s Revelations, they simply say: “These are nothing but good old mythologies!”

16:25 On the Day of Resurrection, they will be crushed by the weight of their own sins. Additionally, they have to carry the sins of those whom they misled in account of their ignorance. What a miserable load to carry

16:26 Others like them tried to plan evil things in the past. God responded by destroying the edifice of their evil plans at the foundation, causing the roof to fall on them. They did not even realized how they were struck

16:27 God, on the Day of Resurrection will disgrace them and ask: “Where are those partners of Mine that you had invented for Me?” Those who were blessed with knowledge will say: “This is the Day that shame and misery will catch up with the disbelievers.”

16:28 These are the same people who will be put to death by the angels at the height of wrongdoing. They will have nothing to say in their defense except: “We did not do anything wrong!” No way! God knows exactly what you have done

16:29 “Enter the gates of Hell and live there forever.” What a miserable place the arrogant ones have to end in

16:30 As for those who respect the Lord, when their opinions are asked about the Lord’s Revelations, they will reply: “Indeed the best.” The pious ones will have the best (peace & contentment) in this life and a wonderful place to live in the Hereafter. What a blessed place reserved for the righteous people

16:31 God rewards the righteous people by lodging them in the gardens of Eden under which the rivers flow and let all their wishes come true

16:32 These are the people whose souls have been taken away when they were pure. The angels will say: “Peace with you, enter Paradise as a reward for your good deeds.”

16:33 What are the disbelievers waiting for? For the angels to appear to them or the Lord’s judgment against them? The disbelievers before them behaved exactly like them. God did not do any injustice to them; they were the ones who were unjust to themselves

16:34 It was their own wrongdoings which caught up with them and the very things they were mocking at came back to haunt them

16:35 The idol worshippers say: “If God wanted, neither we nor our forefathers would have never worshipped anything but the Lord. Nor would we have declared anything that God has made lawful as unlawful.” Such excuses were also presented by the people who were living before them. Do they not realize that the only mission of the prophets is to deliver the message (and that God has given the mankind the freedom to accept the message or to disregard it and that God has decided not to make people to believe by force?

16:36 I have sent a Messenger to each nation to say: “Worship God and avoid alternative way of lives (exemplified in worshipping the idols in any form and shape.)” Once the way was clearly presented, some people deserved the Lord’s mercy and were guided by God, while the others chose the alternative ways. Roam the earth and see what happened to those who rejected the message

16:37 It will be a wishful thinking of yours that God guide those who have chosen to reject the message. None can help them

16:38 They insist and swear by the Lord that God will never raise the one who is already dead. Never mind them. The fact of the matter is that God has promised it and when the Lord promises, He delivers; what a shame that most people do not get it

16:39 After having resurrecting everyone, God will point out what everyone has been doing (in his worldly life.) Thus it will be revealed what kind of the liars the disbelievers were

16:40 As to how powerful the Lord is, to have something done, I simply say: “Be” and it is immediately created

16:41 Let those who emigrated in the cause of God (in account of being persecuted), that their reward will be a good life in this world and, of course, their reward of the Hereafter is even greater (as it is everlasting;) if they only knew

16:42 Such is the reward of those who choose the patience and in God they put their trust

16:43 Any Prophet sent before you was a human being armed with My Revelations. If you have any doubt about it (and think that the Prophet of God must be an angel or something,) ask those who know the Scripture

16:44 I armed the previous Prophets with undeniable miracles and the Scripture. As for you (Mohammad,) I am sending this Message (Qur’an) so that you teach the people what was taught in the previous Books; may they stop and think

16:45 Do those who oppose the Message with their evil behaviors (exemplified in persecuting the Muslims) have any guarantee that God will not let the earth to swallow them or that their punishment will not catch up with them when they least expect it

16:46 Do they not mind, if their punishment strikes them when they are sleeping and, therefore, incapable of escaping it? Know that they have no power to prevent the Lord’s punishment

16:47 Their punishment may even be sent down while they are fearfully expecting it. The fact of the matter is that your Lord is the Most Compassionated, the Most Merciful (and that is why He is giving them more time so that they may wake up.

16:48 Do theses disbelievers ever look at what God has created? Do they not see that the shadow of everything willingly submits itself to the will of God

16:49 To God submits itself anything that exists in the heavens and the earth; including living species and the angels who prostrate themselves in adoration before God without the least arrogance

16:50 They are at awe with their Creator, Who is high above them, and they obey their orders

16:51 God has proclaimed: “Do not worship two gods”2 Know that your Lord is the Only God. Obey your Lord then

16:52 Everything in the heavens and the earth belongs to God. Your way of life (religion), therefore, should be the way sanctioned by Him. Now, would you worship other than God (by trying alternative ways of life?

16:53 Any blessing you enjoy is from the Lord. Yet, whenever you encounter a hardship, you come begging God

16:54 Unfortunately, as soon as God (out of mercy) relieves your hardship, some of you go back to your old routine of worshipping beside God

16:55 This kind of behavior is nothing but ingratitude to the Lord’s favor. That is fine! Enjoy your [short] life on earth as you will finally find out

16:56 They go far in ignorance up to thanking beside God for what God has blessed them with! By Lord, you will be questioned for your false inventions

16:57 They consider their goddesses as the daughters of God! How funny of them to assign something to God that they resent to have

16:58 When one of them is given the good news of having a baby girl, his face changes the color and he becomes overwhelmed with the grief

16:59 Such disbeliever becomes so upset (with what he considers as disgrace) that he hides himself from the people while considering to live with such “disgrace” or bury her alive! What an evil decision to make

16:60 Refer to the disbelievers as evils and to the Lord as goodness. After all, He is Almighty and the Most Wise

16:61 Had God decided to punish the people on the spot for their wrongdoings, He would have left no one on earth. Instead, He lets them go through their lives (which its lengths is already determined in advance.) When Their time comes, they can neither delay nor advance it even for an hour

16:62 They attribute to God what they consider to be a disgrace for themselves to own. Then they say all kinds of lies to pretend that they are righteous! Beyond any shadow of the doubt they have earned the Hell in which they will be abandoned

16:63 By Lord, I sent them so many Messengers, before you, to so many communities What a shame that Satan made their behavior fair seeming to their eyes. Now the Satan is their lord on the Day of Resurrection and they have nothing but an awful punishment to look forward to

16:64 I have sent you this book for two reasons: To point out the reality of the issues that they (Christians and Jews) are disputing upon and to provide guidance which will open the doors of mercy to those (Muslims) who have chosen to believe

16:65 God is the One Who sends down from the sky water which revives the dead land. This is a miracle for those who have not shut down their ears to the truth

16:66 Look also in the livestock (for miracle.) I provide you with a drink from their bellies. You enjoy drinking the pure milk which I produce from the midst of [fitly] digested food and blood

16:67 As for the fruits (such as date and grape,) you can make intoxicants as well as healthy food. This also is a miracle enough for the people who think

16:68 Your Lord has revealed the bee: “build your hive in the mountains, the trees or wherever else you are inspired. Then drink the nectar of every kind of fruit and follow the design of your Lord”

16:69 Thus, from their belly, God creates a colorful fluid (honey) out of which the man can extract healing medications. This indeed is a miracle for those people who bother to contemplate

16:70 God has created you and will subject you to death. He allows some to grow old and learn as much as they can. Such people, however, at their old days remember nothing. Only God is the Knowledgeable One (knows everything) and the Most Powerful (not subject to aging.

16:71 God has provided for some of you more than others. The wealthy ones never distribute their wealth equally with those who are under their authorities, thus making them their partners. Do they give up the Lord’s blessings (so that you expect God also share His Kingdom with the others and make partner for Himself?

16:72 God is the One Who created your wives from your own species and, through them, blessed you with children and grandchildren

16:73 He is the One Who sustained you with His blessings (throughout your lives.) How come then they turn ungrateful by [practically] worshipping less than God (who do not own anything in the heavens and the earth and can provide them with nothing?

16:74 Do not compare God with any other “power” (as He is the Most powerful, and unlike other “powers” can be easily reached at through acts of worship.) Remember, God knows while you do not know

16:75 Consider a slave who is owned (like man who is owned by God) and has no power. Then compare him with the one who (is being showered with so many blessings of Mine and) generously contributes to the charity (publicly or secretly.) Are these two equal? (If the answer is: “No”, then the Generous Lord is not equal to the helpless beings which are being raised to heaven by some.) Praise to the Lord, what a shame that most people simply do not get it

16:76 As another example, consider two men. One of them is dumb and (like the creatures of God who are totally dependent upon Him) incapable of doing any thing good. Is such person equal to the other one who (like God) rules with justice and follows the right way? (If the answer is no, then why are you making good for nothing gods of yours equal to God?

16:77 God is the Only One Who knows the secrets of the heavens and the earth. As far as God is concerned, from here to Resurrection is as short as a blink of an eye, ore even shorter. Remember, God is capable of doing everything

16:78 God is the One Who delivered you from the wombs of your mother to this world. You knew nothing. He showered you with hearing, seeing and intelligence; may you show some gratitude

16:79 Do the disbelievers ever look at the birds held in mid-air? Only the power of God holds them up there. For those who believe, this is an undeniable miracle

16:80 Know that it is God Who has given you your home so that you may enjoy its peaceful environment. It is He Who has (given you enough intelligence and ) let you prepare tents out of the skins of animals which you find so handy when you travel. As for the animals’ wools, furs, and hair, He has taught you to prepare clothing and other useful things for your worldly life

16:81 God has created for your enjoinment the shadow which is being cast by whatever he has created. He has created for you the caves in the mountain that you use as a shelter. He has given you the garments to protect you from heat; also the heavy garment to be used at war. He has indeed perfected His blessings upon you; may you (show gratitude and) submit

16:82 Now, if they still disregard the Message, no problem. Your only mission is to deliver this Message clearly

16:83 They definitely recognize the Lord’s blessings; yet [out of pride] they deny the. Most of them thus cover the fact

16:84 The Day will come when I will rais up a person from each community to testify for their wrongdoings. On that Day, the disbelievers will not find any excuse nor an opportunity to repent

16:85 When the disbelievers come face to face with their punishment, their begging for a lighter sentence or a second chance will be denied

16:86 When the disbelievers encounter those whom they had raised to the level of God, they will say: “Our Lord! shame on us taking them as our lords.” Their lords will interject: “You were nothing but liars to say that we are equal to God.”

16:87 That is the Day that they will totally submit themselves to the Lord and all those things on which they used to rely will be proven to be good for nothing

16:88 As for those who chose to disbelieve (and had something to do with the others’ leaving the right path), they will be double punished for their role in spreading the mischief

16:89 On the Day that I will raise up a person from each nation to witness against their wrongdoing, I will ask you to witness against these people. After all, I have revealed this Book as a mercy to you to be served as a reference for explaining every issues, guidance, and relaying the good news [about the Hereafter] for those who join you in submission to the will of God

16:90 God orders you to be just, charitable, and kind treatment of your folks. God forbids indecencies, evil deeds and violating the others’ rights. Thus, He instructs you so that you may mind

16:91 Fulfill any promise that you make to the Lord. Do not break any oath that you have taken God as a witness over. Know that God knows everything that you do

16:92 Do not behave like that (foolish) person who, after having worked so hard to knit something, pulls the thread and breaks it into pieces! Remember this example when you want to break your promises (even the ones which are not made by taking God as a witness for its fulfillment) no matter how powerful you (or your group) are. This is one way that God puts you to the test. Remember, on the Day of Resurrection, He will play back for you whatever you were disputing among yourselves

16:93 If God wanted, He would have united you. But [this is not His plan. He wants to try the people’s behavior while their have freedom of choice;] He will lead whoever He wants (and chooses the rebellion) to the wrong path and guides whoever He wants (and shows the willingness to be good) to the right path. Remember, you will be questioned about everything you have done

16:94 When you promise something to somebody, take it seriously. Do not let your foot to slip (after having firmly held on the ground) and end up in misery. Such is the consequence of tempting people to leave the path of God. If you do so, an awful punishment will be waiting for you

16:95 Once you promise something to God, do not break it for any price (which will be too small of a gain for such a big loss.) Whatever God has for you in reserve as a reward is far better [than any worldly gain.] If you only knew

16:96 Whatever you possess runs out. What God has in reserve for you as a reward is everlasting. I will surely reward those who patiently face the challenges of their lives and do good deeds

16:97 Any righteous man or woman who has chosen to believe, will be granted a pure and peaceful life in this world. They will be rewarded for their good deeds

16:98 When you read the Qur’an, beg the Lord’s protection against the temptations of the rejected Satan (so that he can not distract you.

16:99 Rest assured that Satan does not have any power over those who believe and in God they trust

16:100 The Satan’s power is limited only to whose who make him their patron and, by his temptation, worship (in any for or shape) other than God

16:101 God knows what He is revealing to you. Yet when a subject is being elaborated in different chapters [or when an issue (such as the prohibition of drinking alcoholic beverages) is being scrutinized,] the disbelievers say: “You have made this one up!” The fact of the matter is, they simply do not get it

16:102 Say: “The Holy Spirit has brought the verses of Qur’an intact from the Lord to make the believers firm in their belief, guide them, and give good news (about life after death) to the Muslims (an Arabic: those who surrender themselves to God.

16:103 I am aware of what they say (in their gatherings) about you: “Such and such person is teaching him the subject matter of Qur’an (from the biblical sources.)” The funny thing is that the maternal language of this such and such person (that they are referring to) is not Arabic and that the Qur’an is presented in a perfect Arabic language

16:104 Thus, God does not guide those who choose not to believe in God’s revelation (by coming up with such objections) and they will be subjected to a sever punishment

16:105 The only ones who fabricate false religions are those who do not believe in God’s revelations (i.e., the disbelievers; not Mohammad.) Yes, the disbelievers are the real liars

16:106 There is no blame on those who have to deny their faith under persecution, if they harbor it in their hearts. But those who renounce their religion (after having chosen to believe,) they will face the anger of the Lord and theirs will be a sever punishment

16:107 By renouncing their faith, they declare their preference of this world over the Hereafter and God will not guide such disbelieving people

16:108 God has put a seal on their hearts (so that they do not get it), their ears (so that they do not hear the truth), and their eyes (so that they do not see the fact.) Such people, naturally, become neglectful

16:109 Beyond any shadow of the doubt, they will be the losers in the Hereafter

16:110 On the other hand, God is Forgiving and Merciful towards those who had to migrate in account of their belief (as they were being persecuted) and patiently faced their challenges

16:111 The Day will come when every soul has to defend himself and receive a full compensation for whatever he has done without the least injustice

16:112 Imagine a community (such as yours) that used to be safe and peaceful and its people would be showered by blessings right and left. When they took it for granted and showed ingratitude towards the Lord’s blessings, God made them taste the hardships, starvation and fear in account of their wrongdoings

16:113 Then a Prophet, from among themselves, was appointed to them. Unfortunately (instead of listening to him) they treated him as an imposter (as mentioned in vs. 103.) At last, they were subjected to their doom in account of being so unjust

16:114 Therefore (learn a lesson from the above mentioned example and) enjoy all kind of lawful and pure (culturally non-repugnant) food, be thankful to God and worship none but Him

16:115 The unlawful eating materials for you are the dead animals, blood, pork’s meat and whatever that the name (permission) of other than God is mentioned when being slaughtered. In case of emergency, however, one may eat even these unlawful food, for no reason other than survival. How Merciful and Forgiving is the Lord

16:116 Do not use your tongue (that God has given to you at first place) and say a lie such as: “God has made this one lawful and that one unlawful.” Know that those who ascribe lies to God will never succeed

16:117 Such liars should realize that the pleasures of this world is brief to enjoy and that a sever [everlasting] punishment is waiting for them

16:118 For the Jews, I prohibited what I told you before (VI:It was not the Lord Who imposed hardship (such as the sanctity of the Sabbath) upon them. They are the ones who asked for it

16:119 Yet, your Lord is the Most Forgiving and the Most Merciful towards those who do a wrong thing (out of ignorance) and then repent thereafter and reform themselves

16:120 As for Abraham, He was a model in submission to the Lord. By nature upright, he never worshipped none but God

16:121 He was always grateful for what the Lord had given him as a favor. No wonder the Lord chose him and guided him in a straight path

16:122 I granted him the best (peace, happiness, guidance and not necessarily materialistic things) in this world and will be among the righteous ones in the Hereafter

16:123 That is why I revealed to you: “Follow the path of Abraham (and not the way of the Jews or the Christians.)” He never worshipped none but God

16:124 The Sabbath was imposed upon those who engaged in a dispute about it [and was not a part of the Abraham’s religion.God, certainly, will judge them on the Day of Resurrection regarding their disputes

16:125 Invite people to the way of your Lord with wisdom and effective speeches. Debate with them in the most civilized manner. Rest assured that God knows who is wondering in the wrong path and who is following the right path

16:126 If you decide to retaliate, be fair in retaliation. However, it will be better (up to certain point) to be patient (rather than revengeful.

16:127 Go on performing your mission with the patience (knowing that the source of the patience is the Lord.) Do not grieve over them and do not be upset with their evil behaviors