وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولًا أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى ٱللَّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ ٱلضَّلَـٰلَةُ ۚ فَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ 36
Translations
And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allāh and avoid ṭāghūt." And among them were those whom Allāh guided, and among them were those upon whom error was [deservedly] decreed. So proceed [i.e., travel] through the earth and observe how was the end of the deniers.
Transliteration
Wa-laqad ba'athna fee kulli ummatin rasoulan ani 'a'budoo Allaha wajtaniboo al-taghout. Faminhum man hada Allahu wa minhum man haqqat alayhi al-dalalah. Faseerou fee al-ardi fanzuru kayfa kana aqibat al-mukazzibeen.
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah affirms that He sent a messenger to every nation commanding them to worship Him alone and abandon false deities and idolatry (taghut). Among these nations, some were guided by Allah's mercy while others earned misguidance through their rejection, and the believers are commanded to travel the earth and observe the fate of those who rejected the prophets. Ibn Kathir notes this demonstrates the universality of Allah's message and the justice of His punishment, while Al-Tabari emphasizes that guidance and misguidance are determined by Allah's will and human choice working in concert.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah An-Nahl, which addresses polytheism and false worship prevalent in pre-Islamic Arabia. It forms part of a broader theme (16:35-36) confronting the Meccan disbelievers with evidence that Allah's method throughout history has been consistent: sending messengers with the same fundamental message of monotheism, with varying responses from different communities.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Every child is born on the fitrah (natural disposition), but his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or a Zoroastrian' (Sahih Bukhari 1385). Additionally, the Prophet stated regarding the universality of messengers: 'There is no nation that has not been sent a warner' (Sahih Muslim 200).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that Allah's message of pure monotheism is timeless and universal, sent to every people, yet human response varies based on openness to truth and divine guidance. Modern believers should reflect on historical patterns of those who rejected truth and consider how sincere submission to Allah alone is the foundation of success in both worlds.
Related Ayahs
خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ مُّبِينٌ
He created man from a sperm-drop; then at once he is a clear adversary.
وَإِنَّ لَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ لَعِبْرَةً ۖ نُّسْقِيكُم مِّمَّا فِى بُطُونِهِۦ مِنۢ بَيْنِ فَرْثٍ وَدَمٍ لَّبَنًا خَالِصًا سَآئِغًا لِّلشَّـٰرِبِينَ
And indeed, for you in grazing livestock is a lesson. We give you drink from what is in their bellies - between excretion and blood - pure milk, palatable to drinkers.
۞ وَقِيلَ لِلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْا۟ مَاذَآ أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ ۚ قَالُوا۟ خَيْرًا ۗ لِّلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ فِى هَـٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ ۚ وَلَدَارُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ ۚ وَلَنِعْمَ دَارُ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
And it will be said to those who feared Allāh, "What did your Lord send down?" They will say, "[That which is] good." For those who do good in this world is good; and the home of the Hereafter is better. And how excellent is the home of the righteous -
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ رِزْقًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ
And they worship besides Allāh that which does not possess for them [the power of] provision from the heavens and the earth at all, and [in fact], they are unable.