Surah Nahl ayat 9 Tafsir Quran 16:9

﴿وَعَلَى اللَّهِ قَصْدُ السَّبِيلِ وَمِنْهَا جَائِرٌ ۚ وَلَوْ شَاءَ لَهَدَاكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ﴾
[ النحل: 9]

16:9 And upon Allah is the direction of the [right] way, and among the various paths are those deviating. And if He willed, He could have guided you all.

And God’s is the direction of the way that is to point out the straight path and some of them that is the paths are deviant swerving away from straightness. And had He willed to guide you He would have guided you to seek the way all so that you would be rightly guided of your own choice.

It is Allah Who indicates to you the path to tread, the path of truth guiding into all truth with some deviating from righteousness. And had He willed, He would have guided you all to the one path leading directly to Him

Explanation of the Different Religious Paths When Allah mentioned the animals which may be used for the purpose of physical journeys, He also referred to the moral, religious routes that people may follow.
Often in the Qur'an there is a shift from physical or tangible things to beneficial spiritual and religious matters, as when Allah says, وَتَزَوَّدُواْ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى ( And take a provision (with you ) for the journey, but the best provision is Taqwa ( piety, righteousness ).) 2:197 And, يَـبَنِى آدَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَرِى سَوْءَتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَى ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ ( O Children of Adam! We have granted clothing for you to cover yourselves, as well as for adornment; but the raiment of righteousness, that is better. ) 7:26 Since Allah mentioned cattle and other such animals in this Surah, all of which are ridden or can be used in any way necessary, carrying people's necessities for them to distant places and on difficult journeys - then He mentions the ways which people follow to try to reach Him, and explains that the right way is the one that does reach Him.
He says: وَعَلَى اللَّهِ قَصْدُ السَّبِيلِ ( And it is up to Allah to show the right way. ) This is like the Ayat, وَأَنَّ هَـذَا صِرَطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَن سَبِيلِهِ ( And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and do not follow the (other ) paths, for they will separate you away from His path.) 6:153 and, قَالَ هَذَا صِرَطٌ عَلَىَّ مُسْتَقِيمٌ ( (Allah ) said: "This is the way which will lead straight to Me.") ( 15:41 ) وَعَلَى اللَّهِ قَصْدُ السَّبِيلِ ( And it is up to Allah to show the right way. ) Mujahid said: "The true way is up to Allah." وَعَلَى اللَّهِ قَصْدُ السَّبِيلِ ( And it is up to Allah to show the right way. ) Al-`Awfi said that Ibn `Abbas said: "It is up to Allah to clarify, to explain the guidance and misguidance." This was also reported by `Ali bin Abi Talhah, and was also the opinion of Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak.
Hence Allah said: وَمِنْهَا جَآئِرٌ ( But there are ways that stray. ) meaning they deviate from the truth.
Ibn `Abbas and others said: "These are the different ways," and various opinions and whims, such as Judaism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism.
Ibn Mas`ud recited it as ( وَمِنْكُمْ جَائِرٌ ) "But among you are those who stray.
" Then Allah tells us that all of that happens by His will and decree.
He says: وَلَوْ شَآءَ لَهَدَاكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ( And had He willed, He would have guided you all. ) And Allah says: وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لآمَنَ مَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيعًا ( If your Lord had willed, then all who are in the earth would have believed. ) 10:99 وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلاَ يَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِينَ إِلاَّ مَن رَّحِمَ رَبُّكَ وَلِذلِكَ خَلَقَهُمْ وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبّكَ لاَمْلاَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ- ( And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely, have made humanity one Ummah, but they will not stop disagreeing.
Except those for whom your Lord has granted mercy.
And it is for this that He did create them; and the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled (i.e.
His saying ): "Surely, I shall fill Hell with Jinn and men all together.") ( 11:118-119 ).

(16:9) Allah has taken upon Himself to show the Right Way, when there exist crooked ways too. *9 He would have guided all of you aright, if He had so willed. *10

And upon Allah is the direction of meaning

*9) This contains an argument for Prophethood along with a proof of Tauhid and of Allah's Compassion and Providence.
The argument is this:
There arc many divergent ways of thought and action open for man to choose from.
Obviously all these divergent ways cannot be straight ways, because there can be only one straight way; therefore, there can be only one right theory of life which is based on that way, and only one right way of life which is based on that right theory .
Thus it is clear that the choice of the right way of life is man's most important and basic need, for its wrong choice would inevitably lead to his ruin.
This is because all other things fulfil his animal needs only, but this is the greatest necessity of his life as a human being and without its fulfilment his life would be an utter failure.

Now, it cannot be expected that Allah Who made so many provisions, and on such a large scale, for the fulfilment of the animal life of man, did not make any arrangement for the fulfilment of this real and greatest necessity of man.
Just as He has provided for all the necessities of his life, so He has also provided for this greatest need of his through Prophethood.
If Prophethood is denied then it should be pointed out in what way Allah has fulfilled this basic need of man.
Experience of centuries has shown that mankind has always blundered whenever it.
has chosen a way of life by itself.
This is because Man's wisdom and intelligence are limited, and he cannot depend on these for the choice of the right way of life.
Above all, one cannot say that Allah has made no arrangement for this basic need of man, for this will be the greatest misconception of AIIah that He may make most elaborate arrangements for man's animal life but should leave him in the lurch to search out a way for himself for the fulfilment of this most important and basic need.

*10) Here a question arises: " Why didn't Allah will to guide all the people aright inherently when He had taken upon Himself to show the Right Way ? " It is true that Allah could have imbued Man, like other creatures, with the inborn instinct and enabled him to choose the Right Way without conscious thought, experience or teaching.
But this would have been against His will which was to create a being, having will and power and freedom to follow the Right Way or the wrong way, whichever he chose for himself.
This is why he has been endowed with different means of knowledge and powers of conscious thought, deliberation and will, and has been empowered with the authority to make use of all powers in him and all things around him.
Moreover, He has placed in him and all around him such factors as might lead him to guidance or deviation.
All these things would have become meaningless, had he been created righteous by birth, and he could never have attained the heights of progress, which can be achieved only by the right use of freedom.
That is why Allah has chosen Prophethood for Man's guidance, and left him free to follow or reject a Prophet.
This is a test by means of which Allah judges whether Man accepts the guidance that is presented to him in a rational way.

 

Explanation of the Different Religious Paths When Allah mentioned the animals which may be used for the purpose of physical journeys, He also referred to the moral, religious routes that people may follow.
Often in the Qur'an there is a shift from physical or tangible things to beneficial spiritual and religious matters, as when Allah says, وَتَزَوَّدُواْ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى ( And take a provision (with you ) for the journey, but the best provision is Taqwa ( piety, righteousness ).) 2:197 And, يَـبَنِى آدَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَرِى سَوْءَتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَى ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ ( O Children of Adam! We have granted clothing for you to cover yourselves, as well as for adornment; but the raiment of righteousness, that is better. ) 7:26 Since Allah mentioned cattle and other such animals in this Surah, all of which are ridden or can be used in any way necessary, carrying people's necessities for them to distant places and on difficult journeys - then He mentions the ways which people follow to try to reach Him, and explains that the right way is the one that does reach Him.
He says: وَعَلَى اللَّهِ قَصْدُ السَّبِيلِ ( And it is up to Allah to show the right way. ) This is like the Ayat, وَأَنَّ هَـذَا صِرَطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَن سَبِيلِهِ ( And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and do not follow the (other ) paths, for they will separate you away from His path.) 6:153 and, قَالَ هَذَا صِرَطٌ عَلَىَّ مُسْتَقِيمٌ ( (Allah ) said: "This is the way which will lead straight to Me.") ( 15:41 ) وَعَلَى اللَّهِ قَصْدُ السَّبِيلِ ( And it is up to Allah to show the right way. ) Mujahid said: "The true way is up to Allah." وَعَلَى اللَّهِ قَصْدُ السَّبِيلِ ( And it is up to Allah to show the right way. ) Al-`Awfi said that Ibn `Abbas said: "It is up to Allah to clarify, to explain the guidance and misguidance." This was also reported by `Ali bin Abi Talhah, and was also the opinion of Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak.
Hence Allah said: وَمِنْهَا جَآئِرٌ ( But there are ways that stray. ) meaning they deviate from the truth.
Ibn `Abbas and others said: "These are the different ways," and various opinions and whims, such as Judaism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism.
Ibn Mas`ud recited it as ( وَمِنْكُمْ جَائِرٌ ) "But among you are those who stray.
" Then Allah tells us that all of that happens by His will and decree.
He says: وَلَوْ شَآءَ لَهَدَاكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ( And had He willed, He would have guided you all. ) And Allah says: وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لآمَنَ مَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيعًا ( If your Lord had willed, then all who are in the earth would have believed. ) 10:99 وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلاَ يَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِينَ إِلاَّ مَن رَّحِمَ رَبُّكَ وَلِذلِكَ خَلَقَهُمْ وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبّكَ لاَمْلاَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ- ( And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely, have made humanity one Ummah, but they will not stop disagreeing.
Except those for whom your Lord has granted mercy.
And it is for this that He did create them; and the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled (i.e.
His saying ): "Surely, I shall fill Hell with Jinn and men all together.") ( 11:118-119 ).

( And Allah’s is the direction of the way ) He is the guide whether it is in the sea or on the land, ( and some (roads ) go not straight) they are crooked and one cannot find one’s way through them. ( And had He willed He would have led you all aright ) in your way whether you are in the sea or on the land; it is also said that ( And Allah’s is the direction of the way ) means: it is Allah Who guides to monotheism, and some of the religions are crooked and unjust such as Judaism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism. And if Allah had willed, He would have guided you all to His religion.

And upon Allah is the responsibility to explain the Straight Path (i.e. Islamic Monotheism for mankind i.e. to show them legal and illegal, good and evil things, etc. so, whosoever accepts the guidance, it will be for his own benefit and whosoever goes astray, it will be for his own destruction), but there are ways that turn aside (such as Paganism, Judaism, Christianity, etc.). And had He willed, He would have guided you all (mankind).

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