Surah Nahl ayat 125 Tafsir Quran 16:125

﴿ادْعُ إِلَىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ ۖ وَجَادِلْهُم بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ ۖ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ﴾
[ النحل: 125]

16:125 Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided.

Call mankind O Muhammad (s) to the way of your Lord to His religion with wisdom with the Qur’ān and fair exhortation its the Qur’ān’s fair exhortations or with gentle words and dispute with them by way of that which that is by way of that manner of disputation which is best such as calling them to God by way of His signs and calling them to His definitive arguments. Truly your Lord knows best that is He is fully knowledgeable of those who stray from His way and He knows best those who are guided and will requite them — this was revealed before the command to fight them.

Invite people O Muhammad graciously to the path of Allah, the path of righteousness, with wise, graceful and appropriate inducements meeting them on their own ground and propitiating them, each in his own capacity, to open their hearts ears and their minds eyes. Reason with them in a logical, peaceable and gracious manner; Allah, your Creator, knows best those who have wandered from His path of righteousness and He knows best those who steer a straight course and Providence their guide

The Command to invite people to Allah with Wisdom and Good Preaching Allah commands His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ to invite the people to Allah with Hikmah ( wisdom ).
Ibn Jarir said: "That is what was revealed to him from the Book and the Sunnah." وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ ( and fair preaching ) meaning, with exhortation and stories of the events that happened to people that are mentioned in the Qur'an, which he is to tell them about in order to warn them of the punishment of Allah. وَجَـدِلْهُم بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ ( and argue with them with that which is best. ) meaning, if any of them want to debate and argue, then let that be in the best manner, with kindness, gentleness and good speech, as Allah says elsewhere: وَلاَ تُجَـدِلُواْ أَهْلَ الْكِتَـبِ إِلاَّ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ ( And do not argue with the People of the Book, unless it be with that which is best, except for those who purposefully do wrong. ) 29:46 Allah commanded him to speak gently, as He commanded Musa and Harun to do when he sent them to Pharaoh, as He said: فَقُولاَ لَهُ قَوْلاً لَّيِّناً لَّعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَى ( And speak to him mildly, perhaps he may accept admonition or fear (Allah ))( 20: 44 ). إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ ( Truly, your Lord best knows who has strayed from His path, ) meaning, Allah already knows who is doomed ( destined for Hell ) and who is blessed ( destined for Paradise ).
This has already been written with Him and the matter is finished, so call them to Allah, but do not exhaust yourself with regret over those who go astray, for it is not your task to guide them.
You are just a warner, and all you have to do is convey the Message, and it is He Who will bring them to account. إِنَّكَ لاَ تَهْدِى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ ( You cannot guide whom you love ) 28:56 لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ( It is not up to you to guide them, but Allah guides whom He wills. ) 2:72

(16:125) O Prophet invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and excellent admonition *122 and discuss things with people in the best manner. *123 Your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Way and He knows best who is rightly guided.

Invite to the way of your Lord meaning

*122) This instruction is very important for those who are engaged in the propagation of Islam.
They should always keep in view two things- " wisdom " and " excellent admonition ".
" Wisdom " implies that one should use discretion in the work of propagation and should not do this blindly like foolish people.
Wisdom demands that one should keep in view the intelligence, capability and circumstances of the addressees and convey the Message in accordance with the requirements of the occasion.
Moreover, one should refrain from applying one and the same method to each and every person or group but should first diagnose the real disease of the addressee and then cure it by appealing to his head and heart.

" Excellent admonition " implies two things: ( 1 ) One should not be content with convincing the addressee with arguments alone but should also appeal to his feelings.
Likewise one should not confine oneself merely to arguments in condemning evils and deviations but should try to convince the other of their repugnance that lies embedded in the human nature.
One should also warn of the worst consequences of those evils.
Besides, one should not only try to convince the addressee rationally of the soundness and excellence of guidance and righteous deeds but should also create in him interest and love for them.
( 2 ) Admonition should be administered in such a manner as to show sincere concern for and the welfare of the addressee.
Nothing should be said or done to create the impression that the admonisher is looking down upon him and taking pleasure in his own feeling of superiority.
On the contrary, he should feel that the admonisher is filled with the strong desire for his reform and welfare.

*123) " Best manner " implies that one should have a sweet tongue, show noble character and give reasonable and appealing arguments, and refrain from indulging in polemics, argumentation and controversies.
The one who discusses things with people in the best manner, does not resort to accusations, crooked arguments, taunts, nor makes fun of the opponent in order to defeat him and to win applause for his own superiority in argument.
For these things will produce obduracy and obstinacy.
In contrast to this, he will try to convince the other in a simple and humble way, and when he feels that the other person has come down to crooked arguments, he will leave him alone lest the other should go further and further astray in his deviation.

 

The Command to invite people to Allah with Wisdom and Good Preaching Allah commands His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ to invite the people to Allah with Hikmah ( wisdom ).
Ibn Jarir said: "That is what was revealed to him from the Book and the Sunnah." وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ ( and fair preaching ) meaning, with exhortation and stories of the events that happened to people that are mentioned in the Qur'an, which he is to tell them about in order to warn them of the punishment of Allah. وَجَـدِلْهُم بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ ( and argue with them with that which is best. ) meaning, if any of them want to debate and argue, then let that be in the best manner, with kindness, gentleness and good speech, as Allah says elsewhere: وَلاَ تُجَـدِلُواْ أَهْلَ الْكِتَـبِ إِلاَّ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ ( And do not argue with the People of the Book, unless it be with that which is best, except for those who purposefully do wrong. ) 29:46 Allah commanded him to speak gently, as He commanded Musa and Harun to do when he sent them to Pharaoh, as He said: فَقُولاَ لَهُ قَوْلاً لَّيِّناً لَّعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَى ( And speak to him mildly, perhaps he may accept admonition or fear (Allah ))( 20: 44 ). إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ ( Truly, your Lord best knows who has strayed from His path, ) meaning, Allah already knows who is doomed ( destined for Hell ) and who is blessed ( destined for Paradise ).
This has already been written with Him and the matter is finished, so call them to Allah, but do not exhaust yourself with regret over those who go astray, for it is not your task to guide them.
You are just a warner, and all you have to do is convey the Message, and it is He Who will bring them to account. إِنَّكَ لاَ تَهْدِى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ ( You cannot guide whom you love ) 28:56 لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ( It is not up to you to guide them, but Allah guides whom He wills. ) 2:72

( Call unto the way of thy Lord ) the religion of your Lord ( with wisdom ) with the Qur’an ( and fair exhortation ) exhort them with the exhortations of the Qur’an, ( and reason with them in the better way ) with the Qur’an; it is also said that this means: by means of there is no god but Allah. ( Lo! thy Lord is best aware of him who strayeth from His way ) from His religion, ( and He is Best Aware of those who go aright ) to His religion.

Invite (mankind, O Muhammad SAW) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Quran) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.

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