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An-Nahl (The Bee)

Verse 112of 128

وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًۭا قَرْيَةًۭ كَانَتْ ءَامِنَةًۭ مُّطْمَئِنَّةًۭ يَأْتِيهَا رِزْقُهَا رَغَدًۭا مِّن كُلِّ مَكَانٍۢ فَكَفَرَتْ بِأَنْعُمِ ٱللَّهِ فَأَذَٰقَهَا ٱللَّهُ لِبَاسَ ٱلْجُوعِ وَٱلْخَوْفِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَصْنَعُونَ﴿١١٢

Translation (Sahih International)

And Allah presents an example: a city which was safe and secure, its provision coming to it in abundance from every location, but it denied the favors of Allah. So Allah made it taste the envelopment of hunger and fear for what they had been doing.

Word-by-word meaning

وَضَرَبَwaḍarabaAnd Allah sets forth
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAnd Allah sets forth
مَثَلًۭاmathalana similitude
قَرْيَةًۭqaryatan(of) a town
كَانَتْkānat(that) was
ءَامِنَةًۭāminatansecure
مُّطْمَئِنَّةًۭmuṭ'ma-innatanand content
يَأْتِيهَاyatīhācoming to it
رِزْقُهَاriz'quhāits provision
رَغَدًۭاraghadan(in) abundance
مِّنminfrom
كُلِّkullievery
مَكَانٍۢmakāninplace
فَكَفَرَتْfakafaratbut it denied
بِأَنْعُمِbi-anʿumi(the) Favors of Allah
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(the) Favors of Allah
فَأَذَٰقَهَاfa-adhāqahāso Allah made it taste
ٱللَّهُl-lahuso Allah made it taste
لِبَاسَlibāsa(the) garb
ٱلْجُوعِl-jūʿi(of) the hunger
وَٱلْخَوْفِwal-khawfiand the fear
بِمَاbimāfor what
كَانُوا۟kānūthey used (to)
يَصْنَعُونَyaṣnaʿūnado

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Example of MakkahThis example refers to the people of Makkah, which had been secure, peaceful and stable, a secure sanctuary while men were being snatched away from everywhere outside of it. Whoever entered Makkah, he was safe, and he had no need to fear, as Allah said:وَقَالُواْ إِن نَّتَّبِعِ الْهُدَى مَعَكَ نُتَخَطَّفْ مِنْ أَرْضِنَآ أَوَلَمْ نُمَكِّن لَّهُمْ حَرَماً ءَامِناً يُجْبَى إِلَيْهِ ثَمَرَاتُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ رِّزْقاً مِّن لَّدُنَّا(And they say: "If we follow the guidance with you,...

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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