Surah Nahl ayat 26 Tafsir Quran 16:26

﴿قَدْ مَكَرَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَانَهُم مِّنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَأَتَاهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ﴾
[ النحل: 26]

16:26 Those before them had already plotted, but Allah came at their building from the foundations, so the roof fell upon them from above them, and the punishment came to them from where they did not perceive.

Those before them had indeed plotted those such as Nimrod — he built a lofty tower that he might ascend through it to the heavens and wage war against its inhabitants; then God came at He aimed at their edifice from the foundations from the base unleashing against it winds and earthquake which demolished it; and so the roof collapsed upon them from above them that is while they were beneath it and the chastisement came upon them whence they were not aware from a direction which would not have occurred to them alternatively it is said that this description is a simile for demonstrating the thwarting of that which they had settled on in the way of plots against God’s messengers.

Potent was the cunning of their predecessors that it justified Allahs retributive punishment. He struck them at the roots of their foundation and their roofs collapsed over their heads and they were unexpectedly reduced to a useless form

Discussion about what the previous Peoples did, and what was done to Them قَدْ مَكَرَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ ( Those before them indeed plotted, ) Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said: "This refers to Namrud ( Nimrod ), who built the tower." Others said that it refers to Bukhtanassar ( Nebuchadnezzar ).
The correct view is that this is said by way of example, to refute what was done by those who disbelieved in Allah and associated others in worship with Him.
As Nuh said, وَمَكَرُواْ مَكْراً كُبَّاراً ( "And they have hatched a mighty scheme." ) ( 71:22 ) meaning, they used all sorts of ploys to misguide their people, and tempted them to join them in their Shirk via all possible means.
On the Day of Resurrection their followers will say to them: بَلْ مَكْرُ الَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ إِذْ تَأْمُرُونَنَآ أَن نَّكْفُرَ بِاللَّهِ وَنَجْعَلَ لَهُ أَندَاداً ( "Nay, but it was your plotting by night and day, when you ordered us to disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals to Him!" ) ( 34:33 ) فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَـنَهُمْ مِّنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ ( but Allah struck at the foundation of their building. ) meaning, He uprooted it and brought their efforts to naught.
This is like the Ayah: كُلَّمَآ أَوْقَدُواْ نَاراً لِّلْحَرْبِ أَطْفَأَهَا اللَّهُ ( Every time they kindled the fire of war, Allah extinguished it. ) 5:64 and فَأَتَـهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَحْتَسِبُواْ وَقَذَفَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمُ الرُّعْبَ يُخْرِبُونَ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَيْدِى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَاعْتَبِرُواْ يأُوْلِى الاٌّبْصَـرِ ( But Allah's (torment ) reached them from a place where they were not expecting it, and He cast terror into their hearts so that they destroyed their own dwellings with their own hands and the hands of the believers.
So then take admonition, O you with eyes ( to see ).) 59:2 Allah says here: فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَـنَهُمْ مِّنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَأَتَـهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَثُمَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ يُخْزِيهِمْ ( but Allah struck at the foundation of their building, and then the roof fell down upon them, from above them, and the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive.
Then, on the Day of Resurrection, He will disgrace them ) 16:26-27 meaning, He will expose their scandalous deeds and what they used to hide in their hearts, and He will bring it out in the open.
As He says, يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَآئِرُ ( The Day when all the secrets will be (exposed and ) examined.
) ( 86:9 ) They will be displayed and made known, as found in the Two Sahihs, where Ibn `Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«يُنْصَبُ لِكُلِّ غَادِرٍ لِوَاءٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عِنْدَ اسْتِهِ بِقَدْرِ غَدْرَتِهِ، فَيُقَالُ: هَذِهِ غَدْرَةُ فُلَانِ ابْنِ فُلَان»
( On the Day of Resurrection a banner will be set up by his backside for every deceitful person, (whose size is ) in accordance with the amount of his deceit.
It be said, "This is the one who deceived so-and-so, the son of so-and-so.") Thus, what they used to plot in secret will be made public.
Allah will humiliate them before all of His creation, and the Lord will say to them, in rebuke and reprimand; أَيْنَ شُرَكَآئِىَ الَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تُشَـقُّونَ فِيهِمْ ( Where are My (so-called ) partners, those over which you caused so much discord) meaning, you fought and made enemies for their sake, so where are they now to help and save you هَلْ يَنصُرُونَكُمْ أَوْ يَنتَصِرُونَ ( Can they help you or (even ) help themselves) 26:93 فَمَا لَهُ مِن قُوَّةٍ وَلاَ نَاصِرٍ ( Then will (man ) have no power, nor any helper.) 86:10 When evidence and proof is established against them, and the Word ( of Allah ) is justified against them, and they will be unable to give any excuse, realizing that escape is impossible, then قَالَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ ( Those who have been given the knowledge will say ) who are the leaders in this world and the Hereafter and who know about the truth in this world and the Hereafter - will say, إِنَّ الْخِزْىَ الْيَوْمَ وَالْسُّوءَ عَلَى الْكَـفِرِينَ ( Indeed it is a Day of disgrace and misery for the disbelievers. ) meaning, today those who disbelieved in Allah and worshipped others who have no power either to benefit or to harm them are now surrounded by disgrace and punishment.

Discussion about what the previous Peoples did, and what was done to Them قَدْ مَكَرَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ ( Those before them indeed plotted, ) Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said: "This refers to Namrud ( Nimrod ), who built the tower." Others said that it refers to Bukhtanassar ( Nebuchadnezzar ).
The correct view is that this is said by way of example, to refute what was done by those who disbelieved in Allah and associated others in worship with Him.
As Nuh said, وَمَكَرُواْ مَكْراً كُبَّاراً ( "And they have hatched a mighty scheme." ) ( 71:22 ) meaning, they used all sorts of ploys to misguide their people, and tempted them to join them in their Shirk via all possible means.
On the Day of Resurrection their followers will say to them: بَلْ مَكْرُ الَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ إِذْ تَأْمُرُونَنَآ أَن نَّكْفُرَ بِاللَّهِ وَنَجْعَلَ لَهُ أَندَاداً ( "Nay, but it was your plotting by night and day, when you ordered us to disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals to Him!" ) ( 34:33 ) فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَـنَهُمْ مِّنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ ( but Allah struck at the foundation of their building. ) meaning, He uprooted it and brought their efforts to naught.
This is like the Ayah: كُلَّمَآ أَوْقَدُواْ نَاراً لِّلْحَرْبِ أَطْفَأَهَا اللَّهُ ( Every time they kindled the fire of war, Allah extinguished it. ) 5:64 and فَأَتَـهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَحْتَسِبُواْ وَقَذَفَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمُ الرُّعْبَ يُخْرِبُونَ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَيْدِى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَاعْتَبِرُواْ يأُوْلِى الاٌّبْصَـرِ ( But Allah's (torment ) reached them from a place where they were not expecting it, and He cast terror into their hearts so that they destroyed their own dwellings with their own hands and the hands of the believers.
So then take admonition, O you with eyes ( to see ).) 59:2 Allah says here: فَأَتَى اللَّهُ بُنْيَـنَهُمْ مِّنَ الْقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّقْفُ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَأَتَـهُمُ الْعَذَابُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَثُمَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ يُخْزِيهِمْ ( but Allah struck at the foundation of their building, and then the roof fell down upon them, from above them, and the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive.
Then, on the Day of Resurrection, He will disgrace them ) 16:26-27 meaning, He will expose their scandalous deeds and what they used to hide in their hearts, and He will bring it out in the open.
As He says, يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَآئِرُ ( The Day when all the secrets will be (exposed and ) examined.
) ( 86:9 ) They will be displayed and made known, as found in the Two Sahihs, where Ibn `Umar reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «يُنْصَبُ لِكُلِّ غَادِرٍ لِوَاءٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عِنْدَ اسْتِهِ بِقَدْرِ غَدْرَتِهِ، فَيُقَالُ: هَذِهِ غَدْرَةُ فُلَانِ ابْنِ فُلَان» ( On the Day of Resurrection a banner will be set up by his backside for every deceitful person, (whose size is ) in accordance with the amount of his deceit.
It be said, "This is the one who deceived so-and-so, the son of so-and-so.") Thus, what they used to plot in secret will be made public.
Allah will humiliate them before all of His creation, and the Lord will say to them, in rebuke and reprimand; أَيْنَ شُرَكَآئِىَ الَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تُشَـقُّونَ فِيهِمْ ( Where are My (so-called ) partners, those over which you caused so much discord) meaning, you fought and made enemies for their sake, so where are they now to help and save you هَلْ يَنصُرُونَكُمْ أَوْ يَنتَصِرُونَ ( Can they help you or (even ) help themselves) 26:93 فَمَا لَهُ مِن قُوَّةٍ وَلاَ نَاصِرٍ ( Then will (man ) have no power, nor any helper.) 86:10 When evidence and proof is established against them, and the Word ( of Allah ) is justified against them, and they will be unable to give any excuse, realizing that escape is impossible, then قَالَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ ( Those who have been given the knowledge will say ) who are the leaders in this world and the Hereafter and who know about the truth in this world and the Hereafter - will say, إِنَّ الْخِزْىَ الْيَوْمَ وَالْسُّوءَ عَلَى الْكَـفِرِينَ ( Indeed it is a Day of disgrace and misery for the disbelievers. ) meaning, today those who disbelieved in Allah and worshipped others who have no power either to benefit or to harm them are now surrounded by disgrace and punishment.

( Those before them plotted ) against their prophets, just as the leaders of Quraysh who were slain in the valley of Badr plotted against Muhammad ( pbuh ); the reference here is to the tyrant Nimrod who built the tower, ( so Allah struck at the foundations of their building ) Allah extracted their tower from its foundation, ( and then the roof fell down upon them ) the tower fell upon him ( from above them, and the doom came on them ) through this destruction ( whence they knew not );

Those before them indeed plotted, but Allah struck at the foundation of their building, and then the roof fell down upon them, from above them, and the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive.

Page 269 English transliteration