Surah an-Nahl (The Bee ) 16 : 14
Translations
Pickthall
Yusuf Ali
Qur'an Dictionary
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Word | Arabic word | |
(16:14:1) |
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(16:14:2) alladhī (is) the One Who |
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(16:14:3) sakhara subjected |
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(16:14:4) l-baḥra the sea |
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(16:14:5) litakulū for you to eat |
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(16:14:6) |
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(16:14:7) laḥman meat |
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(16:14:8) ṭariyyan fresh |
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(16:14:9) watastakhrijū and that you bring forth |
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(16:14:10) |
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(16:14:11) ḥil'yatan ornaments |
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(16:14:12) talbasūnahā (that) you wear them |
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(16:14:13) watarā And you see |
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(16:14:14) l-ful'ka the ships |
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(16:14:15) mawākhira ploughing |
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(16:14:16) |
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(16:14:17) walitabtaghū and that you may seek |
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(16:14:18) |
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(16:14:19) faḍlihi His Bounty |
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(16:14:20) |
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(16:14:21) tashkurūna (be) grateful |
Explanatory Note
We are then alerted to another group of God’s creation which is the sea and its animal life. Its water is salty and cannot be used for drinking or irrigation. Yet it includes a fantastic range of blessings that God bestows on man: “It is He who has made the sea subservient to (His laws), so that you may eat fresh meat from it, and take from it gems which you may wear. You see the ships ploughing through the waves, so that you may be able to go forth in quest of His bounty, and that you may be grateful.” (Verse 14)
The sea and its life forms also meet many human needs and satisfy various human desires. From it we obtain fresh fish and other species to eat. In it we find pearls and corals which we use as ornaments. Some communities continue to use shells as personal ornaments or to make artefacts from them. The reference to ships also hints at the element of beauty and its satisfaction, not merely the use of shipping for transport. “You see the ships ploughing through the waves.” (Verse 14) The expression here draws our attention to the beauty we see everywhere in the universe. Such beauty stands out just as the object we are contemplating is seen to serve a definite purpose and meet a felt need. We only need to appreciate such beauty and not confine ourselves to needs that must be satisfied.
The verses here draw our attention to the fact that we should seek what God has given us of provision and bounty, and to our duty of giving thanks to Him for having placed food, ornament and beauty for us in the salty sea: “so that you may be able to go forth in quest of His bounty, and that you may be grateful.” (Verse 14)
3. Surah Overview
The following internal evidence shows that this Surah was revealed during the last Makkan stage of Prophethood:
1. V. 41 clearly shows that persecution had forced some Muslims to emigrate to Abyssinia before the revelation of this Surah.
2. It is evident from v. 106 that at that time the persecution of the Muslims was at its height and a problem had arisen where Muslims under persecution were being forced to utter words of blasphemy.
3. V. 112-114 clearly refer to the end of a seven year famine that had struck Makkah some years after the beginning of Prophethood.
10. Wiki Forum
11. Tafsir Zone
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Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
Mawdudi
الطبري - جامع البيان
ابن كثير - تفسير القرآن العظيم
القرطبي - الجامع لأحكام
البغوي - معالم التنزيل
ابن أبي حاتم الرازي - تفسير القرآن
ابن عاشور - التحرير والتنوير
ابن القيم - تفسير ابن قيّم
السيوطي - الدر المنثور
الشنقيطي - أضواء البيان
ابن الجوزي - زاد المسير
الآلوسي - روح المعاني
ابن عطية - المحرر الوجيز
الرازي - مفاتيح الغيب
أبو السعود - إرشاد العقل السليم
الزمخشري - الكشاف
البقاعي - نظم الدرر
الهداية إلى بلوغ النهاية — مكي ابن أبي طالب
القاسمي - محاسن التأويل
الماوردي - النكت والعيون
السعدي - تيسير الكريم الرحمن
عبد الرحمن الثعالبي - الجواهر الحسان
السمرقندي - بحر العلوم
أبو إسحاق الثعلبي - الكشف والبيان
الشوكاني - فتح القدير
النيسابوري - التفسير البسيط
أبو حيان - البحر المحيط
البيضاوي - أنوار التنزيل
النسفي - مدارك التنزيل
ابن جُزَيّ - التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل
علي الواحدي النيسابوري - الوجيز
السيوطي - تفسير الجلالين
المختصر في التفسير — مركز تفسير
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