Tafseer of The Bee · An-Nahl · 16:36
And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allah and avoid Taghut." And among them were those whom Allah guided, and among them were those upon whom error was [deservedly] decreed. So proceed through the earth and observe how was the end of the deniers.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Allah the Exalted says: Indeed, We sent a messenger to every nation that passed before you, just as We have sent a messenger among you, with the command: worship Allah alone, without any partner, give Him exclusive obedience, and devote worship purely to Him. وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ — He says: keep the Devil (al-Shayṭān) at a distance, and beware lest he seduce you and turn you away from the path of Allah, so that you would go astray. فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ هَدَى اللَّهُ — He says: among those to whom We sent Our messengers are some whom Allah guided — He led them to affirming His messengers, accepting their message, believing (īmān) in Allah, and acting in obedience to Him, so that they succeeded, found happiness, and were saved from Allah's punishment. وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلالَةُ — He says: and among the nations to whom We sent Our messengers are others upon whom misguidance was confirmed, so that they deviated from the straight path, denied Allah, gave the lie to His messengers, followed the Ṭāghūt, and Allah destroyed them with His punishment and let His might descend upon them — a might that is not turned away from the people of the criminals. فَسِيرُوا فِي الأَرْضِ فَانْظُروا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ — Allah the Exalted says to the polytheists of Quraysh: if you, O people, do not believe the messenger who tells you about these nations that were struck by what struck them of Our might because of their disbelief (kufr) in Allah and their giving the lie to His messenger, then travel through the land in which they dwelt and the cities they inhabited, and behold the signs of Allah upon them and the signs of His wrath that descended upon them — how their giving the lie to Allah's messengers proved fatal to them. You will witness the reality of that with your own eyes, and thereby see confirmed the truth of what Muḥammad ﷺ tells you.
