Surah an-Nahl (The Bee ) 16 : 2

Explanatory Note

God, who does not abandon mankind to their erring beliefs and baseless concepts, sends down from on high what gives them life and saves them: “He sends down angels with this divine inspiration, [bestowed] by His will on such of His servants as He pleases.” (Verse 2) This is God’s greatest favour and blessing. He not only sends down water from the sky to make the earth quicken and to give physical life, but He also sends down the angels with His divine inspiration. The Arabic expression uses the word rah, which also means ‘spirit’, for inspiration. This adds connotations of life within people’s souls, consciences and feelings, and within society so as to preserve them all from corruption. This is the first thing that God sends down to people from on high, and it is His most important blessing and bounty. God’s purest creation, the angels, are sent down to His chosen servants, the prophets, giving them a message that is summed up in these words: “Warn [mankind] that there is no deity other than Me: so fear Ale.” (Verse 2)

The emphasis here is on God’s oneness, which is the central point of the Islamic faith. It breathes life into people’s souls. It is also the parting point between the way which gives life and the way which destroys it. A soul that does not believe in God’s oneness is lost, confused, pulled in all directions by diverse and contradictory concepts and beliefs. It cannot move with its whole being towards a definite goal. Use of the term rib in reference to God’s message implies all these. Indeed it provides a fitting reference to them at the beginning of this sūrah which speaks of the great variety of God’s favours. It is the top of all these blessings, without which all others lose their value. Indeed man does not make a proper use or derive proper benefit from anything on earth unless his soul comes alive with the great blessing of faith.

The warning is given a special mention so as to appear to be the central point of the message, because the larger part of the sūrah speaks about the unbelievers who deny God’s blessing, prohibit what God has made lawful, violate their covenant with
 

God and reject faith altogether. This makes the warning more appropriate at the outset, coupled with a call to fear God and avoid incurring His displeasure.