Skip to content
Ummah

Surah An-Nahl · سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ · Juz 14

Q 16:21

أَمْوَٰتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَآءٍ ۖ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ

Translations

They are, [in fact], dead, not alive, and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected.
Sahih International · EN
Ils sont morts, et non pas vivants, et ils ne savent pas quand ils seront ressuscités.
Muhammad Hamidullah · FR

Tafsir

Despite the fact that the idol worshippers made their gods with their own hands, they are also lifeless things that have no life nor knowledge. They do not know when they will be resurrected with their worshippers on the Day of Judgement, to be thrown together with them into the fire of Hell.

Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir al-Quran · Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies
Read Ibn Kathir (Ibn Kathir (abridged, English))
And Allah knows what you conceal and what you reveal (19)Those whom they invoke besides Allah have not created anything, but are themselves created (20)(They are) dead, not alive; and they do not know when they will be resurrected (21) Allah tells us that He knows what is hidden in people's hearts as well as what is apparent. He will reward or punish everyone for their deeds on the Day of Resurrection. If their deeds are good then they will be rewarded, and if their deeds are evil, then they will be punished. 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: أَتَعْبُدُونَ مَا تَنْحِتُونَ - وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمْ وَمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ("Do you worship that which you (yourselves) carve? While Allah has created you and what you make!")(37:95-96) أَمْوَاتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَاءٍ ((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.

Arabic text: Tanzil (Uthmani). Translations: Sahih International (en), Muhammad Hamidullah (fr). tanzil.net