Here is Verse 16:9 (Surah An-Nahl) from the Tafheem-ul-Quran (also known as “The Meaning of the Quran”), the renowned Urdu exegesis by Syed Abul Ala Maududi. I will present the original Arabic, a precise English translation of his Urdu translation, and then the core explanation/tafsir based on his commentary.
Arabic Text:
وَ عَلَى اللَّهِ قَصْدُ السَّبِيلِ وَ مِنْهَا جَآئِرٌۚ وَ لَوْ شَآءَ لَهَدَىكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
Transliteration:
Wa alallāhi qaṣdus-sabīli wa minhā jāir; wa law shāa lahadākum ajmaīn.
Translation (as per Maududi’s Urdu rendering):
“And upon Allah rests the showing of the Right Way, and there are ways that deviate. And if He had willed, He could have guided you all.”
Explanation / Tafsir (Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abul Ala Maududi):
Maududi’s explanation of this verse, which he titles “The Reality of Hidayah (Guidance)”, is profound and central to his thematic interpretation of the Quran. Here are the key points he makes:
- The Two Key Phrases:
· “And upon Allah rests the showing of the Right Way” (وَعَلَى اللَّهِ قَصْدُ السَّبِيلِ):
· Qasd us-Sabeel means “the straight, right, and balanced path.” It refers to the clear, unambiguous way of truth, righteousness, and Islam as revealed through the Prophets.
· Maududi emphasizes that Allah’s responsibility is to show the path. He has discharged this duty fully by sending Messengers, revealing Books, endowing humans with intellect and innate nature (fitrah), and filling the universe with signs (ayat). The means of guidance are complete and accessible.
· “And there are ways that deviate” (وَمِنْهَا جَائِرٌ):
· Jā’ir means crooked, deviant, and wrongful paths. These are the multitude of ways of error, misguidance, and sin that exist in the world.
· Maududi notes that while Allah has shown the one straight path, He has also, as part of the test of human free will, allowed for the existence of deviant paths. The choice between them is left to the individual.
- The Crucial Distinction: “Showing the Path” vs. “Forcing onto the Path”
This is the core of Maududi’s tafsir for this verse. He explains:
· Allah’s role is إبلاغ (Iblaagh – to convey clearly) and تبيين (Tabyeen – to make plain*) the guidance.
· It is not to forcibly make people believe or to remove their power of choice. Compulsion would negate the very purpose of the test of life and render accountability meaningless.
- The Concluding Part: “And if He had willed, He could have guided you all.”
· This part, Maududi argues, is often misunderstood. Some might think it implies Allah chooses not to guide some people.
· Maududi’s Correction: The verse is highlighting Allah’s absolute power (قدرة). It means that if Allah’s will was to create a world of compelled belief (like the angels), with no freedom of choice, He certainly had the power to do so.
· But He did not will that. Instead, He willed to create a being (humanity) endowed with free will and the capacity to choose between right and wrong. Therefore, His “will” in the cosmic sense was to establish the system of trial and accountability. Within that system, guidance is provided, but not imposed.
- The Overall Theme and Context in Surah An-Nahl:
Maududi places this verse within the larger argument of Surah An-Nahl, which extensively discusses Allah’s signs in nature and revelation. The sequence is:
- Allah has provided countless physical and intellectual signs of His existence and majesty.
- He has sent down clear revelation through His Messenger.
- Therefore, the means of finding the “Straight Path” are fully available.
- The existence of deviant paths is a test. The responsibility to choose the straight path now lies squarely with the human being, who has been given all the necessary tools and warnings.
Maududi’s Summary Message from this Verse:
“Do not blame Allah for misguidance. He has fulfilled His obligation of guidance in the most complete manner. Misguidance occurs when humans, using their own free will, turn away from the clear path He has shown and instead choose one of the many crooked paths of their own desires or of Satan. The door to guidance remains open for those who sincerely seek it.”
This explanation powerfully reinforces the Islamic concept of free will within the framework of divine omnipotence and mercy, a theme Maududi consistently highlights throughout his exegesis.
Summarization by grok
Quran Verse 16:9 (Surah An-Nahl)
Arabic Text:
وَعَلَى اللّٰهِ قَصْدُ السَّبِيلِ وَمِنْهَا جَآئِرٌۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ لَهَدَٮٰكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
English Translation (from Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A’la Maududi):
It rests with Allah alone to show you the Right Way, even when there are many crooked ways. Had He so willed, He would have (perforce) guided you all aright.
Explanation/Tafseer (from Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A’la Maududi):
This contains an argument for Prophethood along with a proof of Tauhid and of Allah’s compassion and providence. The argument is this:
There are many divergent ways of thought and action open for man to choose from. Obviously all these divergent ways cannot be straight ways, because there can be only one straight way; therefore, there can be only one right theory of life which is based on that way, and only one right way of life which is based on that right theory. Thus it is clear that the choice of the right way of life is man’s most important and basic need, for its wrong choice would inevitably lead to his ruin. This is because all other things fulfill his animal needs only, but this is the greatest necessity of his life as a human being and without its fulfillment his life would be an utter failure.
Now, it cannot be expected that Allah Who made so many provisions, and on such a large scale, for the fulfillment of the animal life of man, did not make any arrangement for the fulfillment of this real and greatest necessity of man. Just as He has provided for all the necessities of his life, so He has also provided for this greatest need of his through Prophethood. If Prophethood is denied then it should be pointed out in what way Allah has fulfilled this basic need of man. Experience of centuries has shown that mankind has always blundered whenever it has chosen a way of life by itself. This is because man’s wisdom and intelligence are limited, and he cannot depend on these for the choice of the right way of life. Above all, one cannot say that Allah has made no arrangement for this basic need of man, for this will be the greatest misconception of Allah that He may make most elaborate arrangements for man’s animal life but should leave him in the lurch to search out a way for himself for the fulfillment of this most important and basic need.
Here a question arises: Why didn’t Allah will to guide all the people aright inherently when He had taken upon Himself to show the right way? It is true that Allah could have imbued man, like other creatures, with the inborn instinct and enabled him to choose the right way without conscious thought, experience or teaching. But this would have been against His will which was to create a being, having will and power and freedom to follow the right way or the wrong way, whichever he chose for himself. This is why he has been endowed with different means of knowledge and power of conscious thought, deliberation and will, and has been empowered with the authority to make use of all powers in him and all things around him. Moreover, He has placed in him and all around him such factors as might lead him to guidance or deviation. All these things would have become meaningless, had he been created righteous by birth, and he could never have attained the heights of progress, which can be achieved only by the right use of freedom. That is why Allah has chosen Prophethood for man’s guidance, and left him free to follow or reject a Prophet. This is a test by means of which Allah judges whether man accepts the guidance that is presented to him in a rational way. 10
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