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Internal contradiction Analysis · argument Classical sources

An-Naḥl 16:84

By TheQuran.com research team (original site, 2020–21) · last edited 7 Mar 2021

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The verses

16:84
وَيَوْمَ نَبْعَثُ مِن كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ شَهِيدًا ثُمَّ لَا يُؤْذَنُ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَلَا هُمْ يُسْتَعْتَبُونَ ٨٤
And (bethink you of) the day when we raise up of every nation a witness, then there is no leave for disbelievers, nor are they allowed to make amends. — Marmaduke Pickthall
16:86
وَإِذَا رَءَا ٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ شُرَكَآءَهُمْ قَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ شُرَكَآؤُنَا ٱلَّذِينَ كُنَّا نَدْعُوا۟ مِن دُونِكَ ۖ فَأَلْقَوْا۟ إِلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقَوْلَ إِنَّكُمْ لَكَٰذِبُونَ ٨٦
And when those who ascribed partners to Allah behold those partners of theirs, they will say: Our Lord! these are our partners unto whom we used to cry instead of Thee. But they will fling to them the saying: Lo! ye verily are liars! — Marmaduke Pickthall
16:111
۞ يَوْمَ تَأْتِى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ تُجَٰدِلُ عَن نَّفْسِهَا وَتُوَفَّىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ ١١١
On the Day when every soul will come pleading for itself, and every soul will be repaid what it did, and they will not be wronged. — Marmaduke Pickthall

The issue

Verse 84 states that “those who misbelieve not be allowed (to excuse themselves).” But, two verses later (Q 16.86) the Qur’ān states that they (misbelievers) will speak: “And when those who join their partners with God say, ‘Our Lord! these be our partners on whom we used to call beside Thee….’' This idea of the misbelievers speaking is confirmed in the same sura: “On the day every soul will come to wrangle for itself…” (Q 16.111).

Questions: (1) Are the misbelievers going to excuse themselves? (2) Are they going to speak or not? (3) Are they going to argue? With these three verses, this sura offers three options.

Arabic text of this item

تقول الآية <لاَ يُؤْذَنُ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ> في الاعتذار، ولكن يرد بعد آيتين أنهم سيتكلمون: <وَإِذَا رَأى الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُواْ شُرَكَاءهُمْ قَالُواْ: رَبَّنَا هَؤُلاء شُرَكَآؤُنَا> آية 86، ويعاد تأكيد هذه الفكرة في نفس السورة: <يَوْمَ تَأْتِي كُلُّ نَفْسٍ تُجَادِلُ عَن نَّفْسِها> آية 111.

فهل يتكلمون؟ أم يعتذرون؟ أم يجادلون؟ ثلاثة خيارات مطروحة في هذه السورة.

Sources cited

Sources added in review (the original item cited none)

  1. al-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-bayān, on Q 16:84 · link checked 2026-10-12
  2. al-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-bayān, on Q 77:35 · link checked 2026-10-12

This item merges 3 entries of the original site that carried the same text across the passage (old ids 321, 322, 323; the old ids redirect here).