Surah Nahl Ayat 125 in Arabic Text
English Translation
Here you can read various translations of verse 125
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.
Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance.
(O Prophet), call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and reason with them in the best manner possible. Surely your Lord knows best who has strayed away from His path, and He also knows well those who are guided to the Right Way.
Invite (mankind, O Muhammad SAW) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Quran) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.
Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation, and reason with them in the better way. Lo! thy Lord is Best Aware of him who strayeth from His way, and He is Best Aware of those who go aright.
Call (This is addressed to the Prophet) to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair admonition, and dispute with them in the way (which is) fairest. Surely your Lord is The Best Knower of the ones who have erred away from His way, and He is The Best Knower of the right-guided.
[Prophet], call [people] to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good teaching. Argue with them in the most courteous way, for your Lord knows best who has strayed from His way and who is rightly guided.
اپنے رب کی راه کی طرف لوگوں کو حکمت اور بہترین نصیحت کے ساتھ بلایئے اور ان سے بہترین طریقے سے گفتگو کیجئے، یقیناً آپ کا رب اپنی راه سے بہکنے والوں کو بھی بخوبی جانتا ہے اور وه راه یافتہ لوگوں سے بھی پورا واقف ہے
Quran 16 Verse 125 Explanation
For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Nahl ayat 125, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.
Ala-Maududi
(16:125) (O Prophet), call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation,[122] and reason with them in the best manner possible.[123] Surely your Lord knows best who has strayed away from His path, and He also knows well those who are guided to the Right Way.
122. This instruction is very important for those who are engaged in the propagation of Islam. They should always keep in view two things, wisdom and excellent admonition. Wisdom implies that one should use discretion in the work of propagation and should not do this blindly like foolish people. Wisdom demands that one should keep in view the intelligence, capability and circumstances of the addressees and convey the message in accordance with the requirements of the occasion. Moreover, one should refrain from applying one and the same method to each and every person or group but should first diagnose the real disease of the addressee and then cure it by appealing to his mind and intellect.
Excellent admonition implies two things:
(1) One should not be content with convincing the addressee with arguments alone but should also appeal to his feelings. Likewise one should not confine himself merely to arguments in condemning evils and deviations but should try to convince the other of their repugnance that lies embedded in the human nature. One should also warn of the worst consequences of those evils. Besides, one should not only try to convince the addressee rationally of the soundness and excellence of guidance and righteous deeds but should also create in him interest and love for them.
(2) Admonition should be administered in such a manner as to show sincere concern for and the welfare of the addressee. Nothing should be said or done to create the impression that the admonisher is looking down upon him and taking pleasure in his own feeling of superiority. On the contrary, he should feel that the admonisher is filled with the strong desire for his reform and welfare.
123. “In a way that is better” implies that one should have a sweet tongue, show noble character and give reasonable and appealing arguments, and refrain from indulging in polemics, argumentation and controversies. The one who discusses things with people in the best manner, does not resort to accusations, crooked arguments, taunts, nor makes fun of the opponent in order to defeat him and to win applause for his own superiority in argument. For these things will produce obduracy and obstinacy. In contrast to this, he will try to convince the other in a simple and humble way, and when he feels that the other person has come down to crooked arguments, he will leave him alone lest the other should go further and further astray in his deviation.
Ibn-Kathir
125. Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair preaching, and argue with them with that which is best. Truly, your Lord best knows who has strayed from His path, and He best knows those who are guided.
Allah commands His Messenger Muhammad to invite the people to Allah with Hikmah (wisdom). Ibn Jarir said: “That is what was revealed to him from the Book and the Sunnah.”
(and fair preaching) meaning, with exhortation and stories of the events that happened to people that are mentioned in the Qur’an, which he is to tell them about in order to warn them of the punishment of Allah.
(and argue with them with that which is best.) meaning, if any of them want to debate and argue, then let that be in the best manner, with kindness, gentleness and good speech, as Allah says elsewhere:
(And do not argue with the People of the Book, unless it be with that which is best, except for those who purposefully do wrong.) ﴿29:46﴾ Allah commanded him to speak gently, as He commanded Musa and Harun to do when he sent them to Pharaoh, as He said:
(And speak to him mildly, perhaps he may accept admonition or fear (Allah))(20: 44).
(Truly, your Lord best knows who has strayed from His path,) meaning, Allah already knows who is doomed (destined for Hell) and who is blessed (destined for Paradise). This has already been written with Him and the matter is finished, so call them to Allah, but do not exhaust yourself with regret over those who go astray, for it is not your task to guide them. You are just a warner, and all you have to do is convey the Message, and it is He Who will bring them to account.
(You cannot guide whom you love) ﴿28:56﴾
(It is not up to you to guide them, but Allah guides whom He wills.) ﴿2:72﴾
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