Surah Nahl ayat 21 Tafsir Quran 16:21

﴿أَمْوَاتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَاءٍ ۖ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ﴾
[ النحل: 21]

16:21 They are, [in fact], dead, not alive, and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected.

They are dead possessing no life amwātun ‘dead’ is a second predicate not living an emphasis and they the idols are not aware when is the time in which they shall be raised that is creatures so how can they be worshipped? For only the Creator the Living the Knower of the Unseen can be a God.

Inanimate dumb idols and lifeless objects insensible to feeling and knowing, unaffected by anything specified. They do not perceive resurrection nor when shall their devotees be resurrected

The gods of the Idolators are Created, they do not create Then Allah tells us that the idols which people call on instead of Him cannot create anything, they are themselves created, as Al-Khalil ( Ibrahim ) said: قَالَ أَتَعْبُدُونَ مَا تَنْحِتُونَ - وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمْ وَمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ( "Do you worship that which you (yourselves ) carve While Allah has created you and what you make!") ( 37:-96 ). أَمْوتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَآءٍ ( (They are ) dead, not alive) means, they are inanimate and lifeless, they do not hear, see, or think. وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ ( and they know not when they will be resurrected. ) meaning, they do not know when the Hour will come, so how can anyone hope for any benefit or reward from these idols They should hope for it from the One Who knows all things and is the Creator of all things.

(16:21) They are dead, not living, and they do not know at all when they shall again be raised to life. *19

They are, [in fact], dead, not alive, meaning

*19) The words employed here to refute man-made deifies clearly indicate that these deities were deceased prophets, saints, martyrs and pious and other extraordinary beings buried in their graves and not angels, jinns, devils or idols.
For the angels and devils are alive: therefore, the words, " They are dead, not living " cannot apply to them, and it is out of the question to say about idols of stone or wood that " They do not know at all when they shall again be raised to life " in the Hereafter.
As regards the objection to this version that there were no such deities in Arabia, this is based on the lack of knowledge of the history of the pre-Islamic period.
It is well known that there was a large number of Jews and Christians living among many clans of Arabia, who used to invoke and worship their Prophets, saints, etc.
It is also a fact that many gods of the mushriks of Arabia were human beings, whose idols they had set up for worship after their death.
According to a Tradition cited in Bukhari on the authority of Ibn ' Abbas, " Wadd, Sua`, Yaghuth, Ya`uq, and Nasr were pious human beings, whom the succeeding generations had made gods. " In another Tradition, related by Hadrat 'A'ishah, Asaf and Na'ilah were human beings.
There are also traditions to the same effect about Lat, Munat and 'Uzza.
So much so that according to some traditions of the mushriks, Lat and `Uzza were the beloved ones of AIIah who used to pass His winter with Lat and summer with `Uzza.
But " Allah is absolutely free from such ( absurd ) things they attribute to Him.
"
 

The gods of the Idolators are Created, they do not create Then Allah tells us that the idols which people call on instead of Him cannot create anything, they are themselves created, as Al-Khalil ( Ibrahim ) said: قَالَ أَتَعْبُدُونَ مَا تَنْحِتُونَ - وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمْ وَمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ( "Do you worship that which you (yourselves ) carve While Allah has created you and what you make!") ( 37:-96 ). أَمْوتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَآءٍ ( (They are ) dead, not alive) means, they are inanimate and lifeless, they do not hear, see, or think. وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ ( and they know not when they will be resurrected. ) meaning, they do not know when the Hour will come, so how can anyone hope for any benefit or reward from these idols They should hope for it from the One Who knows all things and is the Creator of all things.

( (They are ) dead) they are lifeless idols, ( not living. And they know not when they ) i.e. the idols ( will be raised ) from the graves and give account; it is also said that this means: the disbelievers do not know when they will give account for their deeds; and it is also said: the angels do not know when they will give account.

(They are) dead, lifeless, and they know not when they will be raised up.

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