Surah An-Nahl, Ayah 72 (16:72)

ٱلنَّحْل

وَٱللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَزْوَٰجِكُم بَنِينَ وَحَفَدَةً …

Quran 16:72 is ayah 72 of Surah An-Nahl (“The Bee”), a Meccan surah of 128 ayahs. It is in Juz 14, on page 274 of the Madani Mushaf.

16:72
وَٱللَّهُجَعَلَلَكُممِّنْأَنفُسِكُمْأَزْوَٰجًاوَجَعَلَلَكُممِّنْأَزْوَٰجِكُمبَنِينَوَحَفَدَةًوَرَزَقَكُممِّنَٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ ۚأَفَبِٱلْبَٰطِلِيُؤْمِنُونَوَبِنِعْمَتِٱللَّهِهُمْيَكْفُرُونَ٧٢
wal-lahu jaʿala lakum min anfusikum azwājan wajaʿala lakum min azwājikum banīna waḥafadatan warazaqakum mina l-ṭayibāti afabil-bāṭili yu'minūna wabiniʿ'mati l-lahi hum yakfurūna

And Allāh has made for you from yourselves mates and has made for you from your mates sons and grandchildren and has provided for you from the good things. Then in falsehood do they believe and in the favor of Allāh they disbelieve?(72)

Word by word

  1. وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
  2. جَعَلَjaʿala(has) made
  3. لَكُمlakumfor you
  4. مِّنْminfrom
  5. أَنفُسِكُمْanfusikumyourselves
  6. أَزْوَٰجًاazwājanspouses
  7. وَجَعَلَwajaʿalaand has made
  8. لَكُمlakumfor you
  9. مِّنْminfrom
  10. أَزْوَٰجِكُمazwājikumyour spouses
  11. بَنِينَbanīnasons
  12. وَحَفَدَةًwaḥafadatanand grandsons
  13. وَرَزَقَكُمwarazaqakumand has provided for you
  14. مِّنَminafrom
  15. ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ ۚl-ṭayibātithe good things
  16. أَفَبِٱلْبَٰطِلِafabil-bāṭiliThen in falsehood do
  17. يُؤْمِنُونَyu'minūnathey believe
  18. وَبِنِعْمَتِwabiniʿ'matiand the Favor
  19. ٱللَّهِl-lahiof Allah
  20. هُمْhumthey
  21. يَكْفُرُونَyakfurūnadisbelieve

Tafsir (commentary) of 16:72

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Among His Blessings and Signs are Mates, Children and Grandchildren

Allah mentions the blessing He has bestowed upon His servant by giving them mates from among themselves, mates of their own kind. If He had given them mates of another kind, there would be no harmony, love and mercy between them. But out of His mercy He has made the Children of Adam male and female, and has made the females wives or mates for the males. Then Allah mentions that from these wives He creates children and grandchildren, one's children's children. This was the opinion of Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak and Ibn Zayd. Shu`bah said, narrating from Abu Bishr from Sa`id bin Jubayr from Ibn `Abbas: "Children and grandchildren, who are one's children and one's children's children." It was also said that this means servants and helpers, or it means sons-in-law or in-laws. I say: if we understand

وَحَفَدَةً

(grandsons) to refer back to wives, then it must mean children, children's children, and sons-in-law, because they are the husbands of one's daughter or the children of one's wife.

وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ

(and has granted you good provisions.) meaning your food and drink. Then Allah denounces those who associate others in worship with the One Who bestows blessings on them:

أَفَبِالْبَـطِلِ يُؤْمِنُونَ

(Do they then believe in false deities), meaning idols and rivals to Allah

وَبِنِعْمَتِ اللَّهِ هُمْ يَكْفُرُونَ

(and deny the favor of Allah) meaning, by concealing the blessings that Allah has given them and attributing them to others. According to a Sahih Hadith, the Prophet said:

«إِنَّ اللهَ يَقُولُ لِلْعَبْدِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مُمْتَنًّا عَلَيْهِ: أَلَمْ أُزَوِّجْكَ؟ أَلَمْ أُكْرِمْكَ؟ أَلَمْ أُسَخِّرْ لَكَ الْخَيْلَ وَالْإِبِلَ، وَأَذَرْكَ تَرْأَسُ وَتَرْبَعُ؟»

(Allah will say to His servant on the Day of Resurrection, reminding him of His blessings: "Did I not give you a wife Did I not honor you Did I not subject horses and camels to your use, and cause you to occupy a position of leadership and honor")

Read the full Surah An-Nahl