Surah An-Nahl 16:92 — translation and meaning

النحل · Verse 92 / 128 · Page 277

ۚ ۚ وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّتِي نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِن بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَاثًا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَانَكُمْ دَخَلًا بَيْنَكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِيَ أَرْبَى مِنْ أُمَّةٍ إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ اللَّهُ بِهِ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ

Word by Word

ۚ
ۚ
وَلَا
wala
And (do) not
تَكُونُوا
takunu
be
كَالَّتِي
ka-allati
like her who
نَقَضَتْ
naqadat
untwists
غَزْلَهَا
ghazlaha
her spun yarn
مِن
min
after
بَعْدِ
ba'di
after
قُوَّةٍ
quwwatin
strength
أَنكَاثًا
ankathan
(into) untwisted strands
تَتَّخِذُونَ
tattakhidhuna
you take
أَيْمَانَكُمْ
aymanakum
your oaths
دَخَلًا
dakhalan
(as) a deception
بَيْنَكُمْ
baynakum
between you
أَن
an
because
تَكُونَ
takuna
is
أُمَّةٌ
ummatun
a community
هِيَ
hiya
[it]
أَرْبَى
arba
more numerous
مِنْ
min
than
أُمَّةٍ
ummatin
(another) community
إِنَّمَا
innama
Only
يَبْلُوكُمُ
yablukumu
Allah tests you
اللَّهُ
al-lahu
Allah tests you
بِهِ
bihi
by it
وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ
walayubayyinanna
And He will make clear
لَكُمْ
lakum
to you
يَوْمَ
yawma
(on) the Day
الْقِيَامَةِ
al-qiyamati
(of) the Resurrection
مَا
ma
what
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you used (to)
فِيهِ
fihi
in it
تَخْتَلِفُونَ
takhtalifuna
differ

Transliteration

Wa laa takoonoo kallatee naqadat ghazlahaa mim ba'di quwwatin ankaasaa; tattakhizoona aimaanakum dakhlalam bainakum an takoona ummatun hiya arbaa min ummah; innnamaa yablookumul laahu bih; wa la yubaiyinanna lakum yawmal Qiyaamati maa kuntum fee takhtalifoon

Translation

And do not be like she who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong [by] taking your oaths as [means of] deceit between you because one community is more plentiful [in number or wealth] than another community. Allah only tries you thereby. And He will surely make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that over which you used to differ.

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

Do not be, by breaking your oaths, foolish and dim-witted like a woman who tired herself by spinning her wool and after it was firmly spun she broke it open and unravelled it!. She tired herself by spinning it and then breaking it and she didnt obtain the desired result. You make your oaths as a means of deception to deceive one another, so that your nation can be more in number and stronger than the nation of your enemies. Allah only tests you by the fulfilment of your oaths - will you fulfil them or break them? Allah will make clear to you on the Day of Judgement those things you differed about in the world and He will distinguish those who were on truth from those who were on falsehood and the truthful from the liars.

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

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