Surah An-Nahl 16:112 — translation and meaning

النحل · Verse 112 / 128 · Page 280

وَضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا قَرْيَةً كَانَتْ آمِنَةً مُّطْمَئِنَّةً يَأْتِيهَا رِزْقُهَا رَغَدًا مِّن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ فَكَفَرَتْ بِأَنْعُمِ اللَّهِ فَأَذَاقَهَا اللَّهُ لِبَاسَ الْجُوعِ وَالْخَوْفِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ

Word by Word

وَضَرَبَ
wadaraba
And Allah sets forth
اللَّهُ
al-lahu
And Allah sets forth
مَثَلًا
mathalan
a similitude
قَرْيَةً
qaryatan
(of) a town
كَانَتْ
kanat
(that) was
آمِنَةً
aminatan
secure
مُّطْمَئِنَّةً
mut'ma-innatan
and content
يَأْتِيهَا
yatiha
coming to it
رِزْقُهَا
riz'quha
its provision
رَغَدًا
raghadan
(in) abundance
مِّن
min
from
كُلِّ
kulli
every
مَكَانٍ
makanin
place
فَكَفَرَتْ
fakafarat
but it denied
بِأَنْعُمِ
bi-an'umi
(the) Favors of Allah
اللَّهِ
al-lahi
(the) Favors of Allah
فَأَذَاقَهَا
fa-adhaqaha
so Allah made it taste
اللَّهُ
al-lahu
so Allah made it taste
لِبَاسَ
libasa
(the) garb
الْجُوعِ
al-ju'i
(of) the hunger
وَالْخَوْفِ
wal-khawfi
and the fear
بِمَا
bima
for what
كَانُوا
kanu
they used (to)
يَصْنَعُونَ
yasna'una
do

Transliteration

Wa darabal laahu masalan qaryatan kaanat aaminatam mutma'innatany yaaateehaa rizquhaa rghadam min kulli makaanin fakafarat bi an'umil laahi fa azaaqahal laahu libaasal joo'i walkhawfi bimaa kaanoo yasna'oon

Translation

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.

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

Allah cites the example of a town - which is Makkah - that was secure and stable with its people having no fear, whilst people around it lived in fear. Its sustenance comes to it abundantly and easily from every direction. But then its people became unappreciative of Allah's blessings to them and they did not thank Him, so Allah recompensed them with hunger and intense fear that was visible in the panic on their faces and emaciation in their bodies to the extent that this became like a garment for them on account of the disbelief and denial that they used to do.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

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