Quran 16:92 — An-Nahl, verse 92
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
Do not use your oaths to deceive each other- like a woman who unravels the thread she has firmly spun- just because one party may be more numerous than another. God tests you with this, and on the Day of the Resurrection He will make clear to you those things you differed about.
وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّتِي نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِنْ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنْكَاثًا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَانَكُمْ دَخَلًا بَيْنَكُمْ أَنْ تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِيَ أَرْبَىٰ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ اللَّهُ بِهِ ۚ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مَا كُنْتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ
walā takūnū ka-allatī naqaḍat ghazlahā min baʿdi quwwatin ankāthan tattakhidhūna aymānakum dakhalan baynakum an takūna ummatun hiya arbā min ummatin innamā yablūkumu l-lahu bihi walayubayyinanna lakum yawma l-qiyāmati mā kuntum fīhi takhtalifūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And be not as a woman who breaks her thread, after it is firmly spun, into fibres, by taking your oaths as mere mutual deceit, one nation being more numerous than another nation. God only tries you thereby; and certainly He will make clear to you upon the Day of Resurrection that whereon you were at variance.
- Muhammad Asad
- Hence, be not like her who breaks and completely untwists the yarn which she [herself] has spun and made strong-[be not like this by] using your oaths as a means of deceiving one another, simply because some of you may be more powerful than others." By all this, God but puts you to a test-and [He does it] so that on Resurrection Day He might make clear unto you all that on which you were wont to differ.
- Sahih International
- And do not be like she who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong [by] taking your oaths as [means of] deceit between you because one community is more plentiful [in number or wealth] than another community. Allāh only tries you thereby. And He will surely make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that over which you used to differ.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَلَاwalā | And (do) not | — |
| 2 | تَكُونُوا۟takūnū | be | كون |
| 3 | كَٱلَّتِىka-allatī | like her who | — |
| 4 | نَقَضَتْnaqaḍat | untwists | نقض |
| 5 | غَزْلَهَاghazlahā | her spun yarn | غزل |
| 6 | مِنۢmin | after | — |
| 7 | بَعْدِbaʿdi | after | بعد |
| 8 | قُوَّةٍquwwatin | strength | قوي |
| 9 | أَنكَـٰثًۭاankāthan | (into) untwisted strands | نكث |
| 10 | تَتَّخِذُونَtattakhidhūna | you take | أخذ |
| 11 | أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْaymānakum | your oaths | يمن |
| 12 | دَخَلًۢاdakhalan | (as) a deception | دخل |
| 13 | بَيْنَكُمْbaynakum | between you | بين |
| 14 | أَنan | because | — |
| 15 | تَكُونَtakūna | is | كون |
| 16 | أُمَّةٌummatun | a community | أمم |
| 17 | هِىَhiya | [it] | — |
| 18 | أَرْبَىٰarbā | more numerous | ربو |
| 19 | مِنْmin | than | — |
| 20 | أُمَّةٍ ۚummatin | (another) community | أمم |
| 21 | إِنَّمَاinnamā | Only | — |
| 22 | يَبْلُوكُمُyablūkumu | Allah tests you | بلو |
| 23 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | Allah tests you | أله |
| 24 | بِهِۦ ۚbihi | by it | — |
| 25 | وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّwalayubayyinanna | And He will make clear | بين |
| 26 | لَكُمْlakum | to you | — |
| 27 | يَوْمَyawma | (on) the Day | يوم |
| 28 | ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِl-qiyāmati | (of) the Resurrection | قوم |
| 29 | مَاmā | what | — |
| 30 | كُنتُمْkuntum | you used (to) | كون |
| 31 | فِيهِfīhi | in it | — |
| 32 | تَخْتَلِفُونَtakhtalifūna | differ | خلف |