يَتَوَٰرَىٰ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ مِن سُوٓءِ مَا بُشِّرَ بِهِۦٓ ۚ أَيُمْسِكُهُۥ عَلَىٰ هُونٍ أَمْ يَدُسُّهُۥ فِى ٱلتُّرَابِ ۗ أَلَا سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ 59
Translations
He hides himself from the people because of the ill of which he has been informed. Should he keep it in humiliation or bury it in the ground? Unquestionably, evil is what they decide.
Transliteration
Yatawara mina al-qawmi min su'i ma bushira bihi, ayumsikuhu 'ala hawnin am yaduSSuhu fi al-turab, ala sa'a ma yahkumun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the pre-Islamic Arabian practice of burying newborn daughters alive due to shame and fear of poverty, depicting the internal conflict of a father upon receiving news of a daughter's birth. He hides himself from people in distress, then faces the dilemma of whether to keep the child in humiliation or bury her in the earth—both options representing grave injustice. The concluding phrase condemns their judgment as evil, highlighting Islam's revolutionary protection of women's rights and dignity.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah An-Nahl's broader condemnation of pre-Islamic Arabian practices and customs. It appears in a section addressing the foolish beliefs and immoral deeds of the Jāhiliyyah period, particularly practices rooted in ignorance and economic anxiety. The context illustrates how Islam elevated the status of women and children in Arabian society.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever supports two daughters until they reach maturity, he and I will come on the Day of Resurrection like this'—joining his fingers together (Sunan Ibn Majah). Additionally, the Prophet condemned female infanticide as one of the great sins and emphasized the reward for raising daughters righteously.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah powerfully reminds modern believers that protection of vulnerable populations—especially women and children—is a core Islamic principle. The passage teaches that fear and shame cannot justify the abandonment of moral and spiritual responsibility, and that societal progress is measured by how we treat the weakest members.
Related Ayahs
لِيَحْمِلُوٓا۟ أَوْزَارَهُمْ كَامِلَةً يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۙ وَمِنْ أَوْزَارِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُضِلُّونَهُم بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۗ أَلَا سَآءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ
That they may bear their own burdens [i.e., sins] in full on the Day of Resurrection and some of the burdens of those whom they misguide without [i.e., by lack of] knowledge. Unquestionably, evil is that which they bear.
وَإِنْ عَاقَبْتُمْ فَعَاقِبُوا۟ بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبْتُم بِهِۦ ۖ وَلَئِن صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لِّلصَّـٰبِرِينَ
And if you punish [an enemy, O believers], punish with an equivalent of that with which you were harmed. But if you are patient - it is better for those who are patient.
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُۥ حَيَوٰةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.
ٱدْعُ إِلَىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِٱلْحِكْمَةِ وَٱلْمَوْعِظَةِ ٱلْحَسَنَةِ ۖ وَجَـٰدِلْهُم بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ ۖ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ
Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided.