Surah An Nahl Tafseer

The Example of the Believer and the Disbeliever, or the Idol and the True God

Allah tells:

ضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلً عَبْدًا مَّمْلُوكًا لاَّ يَقْدِرُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ وَمَن رَّزَقْنَاهُ مِنَّا رِزْقًا حَسَنًا فَهُوَ يُنفِقُ مِنْهُ سِرًّا وَجَهْرًا هَلْ يَسْتَوُونَ

16:75 Allah gives the example of a servant under the possession of another, he has no power of any sort, and a man on whom We have bestowed good provisions from Us, and he spends from that secretly and openly. Can they be equal (By no means).

Al-Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said:

"This is the example which Allah gives of the disbeliever and the believer."

This was also the view of Qatadah and Ibn Jarir.

The servant who has no power over anything is like the disbeliever, and the one who is given good provisions and spends of them secretly and openly is like the believer.

Ibn Abi Najih reported that Mujahid said:

"This is an example given of the idol and the True God - can they be the same!" Once the difference between them is so clear and so obvious, no one can be unaware of it except the one who is foolish.

Allah says:

الْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

All the praises and thanks are to Allah.

Nay! (But) most of them know not.