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  1. Quran
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  3. Surah An-Nahl
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  5. Ayah 21
Meccan · Surah 16 of 114

An-Nahl 16:21

The Bee · ayah 21 of 128

أَمْوَٰتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَآءٍۢ ۖ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ

Amwatun ghayru ahya-inwama yashAAuroona ayyana yubAAathoon

"They are [in fact] dead, not alive, and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected."

Saheeh International translation

Recitation by Mishary Alafasy
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Other English translations

Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+

"They are dead, not living. They do not know when they will be raised up."

Pickthall (classic)+

"(They are) dead, not living. And they know not when they will be raised."

Yusuf Ali (classic)+

"(They are things) dead, lifeless: nor do they know when they will be raised up."

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Ibn Kathir

Abridged English, public domain

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The gods of the Idolators are Created, they do not create

Then Allah tells us that the idols which people call on instead of Him cannot create anything, they are themselves created, as Al-Khalil (Ibrahim) said:

قَالَ أَتَعْبُدُونَ مَا تَنْحِتُونَ - وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمْ وَمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

("Do you worship that which you (yourselves) carve While Allah has created you and what you make!") (37:-96).

أَمْوتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَآءٍ

((They are) dead, not alive) means, they are inanimate and lifeless, they do not hear, see, or think.

وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ

(and they know not when they will be resurrected.) meaning, they do not know when the Hour will come, so how can anyone hope for any benefit or reward from these idols They should hope for it from the One Who knows all things and is the Creator of all things.

Tafsir Saʿdi

English translation, public domain

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Идолы не обладают никакими совершенными качествами. Они лишены знания и других достоинств. Они лишены даже жизни, и поэтому не способны слышать, видеть или размышлять. Разве можно поклоняться таким божествам наряду с Господом миров? Как же глупы многобожники? Насколько же извращен и испорчен их разум? Они запутались в самых простых вещах и приравняли творения, которые несовершенны во всех отношениях, лишены безупречных качеств и не способны к действиям, к Аллаху, который совершенен во всех отношениях и обладает самыми прекрасными качествами. Любое из таких качеств присуще Ему в самом величественном и безупречном проявлении. Он обладает всеобъемлющим знанием, безграничным могуществом и необъятным милосердием, которое переполняет все миры. Ему присущи слава, величие, высокомерие, и ни одно творение не способно в полной мере постичь Его божественные качества.
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Maʿārif al-Qur'ān

Mufti Shafi Usmani, English

+

Commentary

Verses appearing immediately earlier described the many blessings of Allah Ta` ala in details, proved that He alone is their Creator and established that He is unique in this matter. Now, in the present verses, there comes an admonition against the failure of people to recognize that there is a fact behind the statement describing all these blessings - and that is Tauhid, the Oneness of Allah Ta’ ala, except whom there is none worthy of worship. Therefore, it was said: When it stands proved that Allah alone made the heavens and the earth, made the mountains and rivers, vegetation and animals, trees and plants with their fruits and flowers, how can that most sacred Being that is the Creator of all these things become, for no reason, like idols and icons which cannot create anything? Why would you not understand something so elementary?

Tafsīr sourced from quran.com's open API. These are classical commentaries; for personal rulings consult a qualified scholar.

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