Parables of the QuranA parable of the Quran · An-Nahl 16:112–113

The town that was secure

مثل القرية الآمنة المطمئنة

A town given security and plenty that denied Allah's favours was made to taste hunger and fear.

Quran

What it means

Allah strikes the parable of a town that was secure and at peace, its provision coming to it abundantly from everywhere; then it denied Allah's favours, so He made it taste hunger and fear for what it used to do (16:112-113).

As-Sa'di explains that the town is Makkah: so safe that even in the age of ignorance a man would not harm his father's killer there, and supplied from every place though it grew nothing. A messenger came to them from among themselves, known for his honesty; they denied him and were made to taste the opposite of what they had. Allah did not wrong them; they wronged themselves.

Evidence

QuranAn-Nahl (The Bee)Quran 16:112

وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا قَرْيَةً كَانَتْ ءَامِنَةً مُّطْمَئِنَّةً يَأْتِيهَا رِزْقُهَا رَغَدًا مِّن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ فَكَفَرَتْ بِأَنْعُمِ ٱللَّهِ فَأَذَٰقَهَا ٱللَّهُ لِبَاسَ ٱلْجُوعِ وَٱلْخَوْفِ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَصْنَعُونَ ١١٢

And Allāh presents an example: a city [i.e., Makkah] which was safe and secure, its provision coming to it in abundance from every location, but it denied the favors of Allāh. So Allāh made it taste the envelopment of hunger and fear for what they had been doing.

Saheeh International · QuranEnc v1.1.2

Another translation: Al-Hilali & Muhsin Khan · QuranEnc v1.1.2

112. And Allâh puts forward the example of a township (Makkah), that dwelt secure and well-content: its provision coming to it in abundance from every place, but it (its people) denied the Favours of Allâh (with ungratefulness). So Allâh made it taste extreme of hunger (famine) and fear, because of that (evil, i.e. denying Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) which they (its people) used to do[22].

[22] (V.16:112) Narrated Ibn ‘Abbâs رضي الله عنهما The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "I was shown the Hell-fire and that the majority of its dwellers were women who were disbelievers or ungrateful." He was asked, "Do they disbelieve in Allâh?" (or are they ungrateful to Allâh?) He replied, "They are ungrateful to their husbands and are ungrateful for the favours and the good (charitable deeds) done to them. If you have always been good (benevolent) to one of them for a period of time and then she sees something in you (not of her liking), she will say, ‘I have never seen any good from you.’ " (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol.1, Hadith No.28).

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