سُوْرَةُ الْفُرْقَانِ
Surah Al-Furqaan (25) — Ayah 4
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّآ إِفْكٌ ٱفْتَرَىٰهُ وَأَعَانَهُۥ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ ءَاخَرُونَ ۖ فَقَدْ جَآءُو ظُلْمًا وَزُورًا ﴿4﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Those who disbelieve say: "This (the Qur’ân) is nothing but a lie that he (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) has invented, and others have helped him at it. In fact they have produced an unjust wrong (thing) and a lie."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَقَالَ
waqāla
And say
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
كَفَرُوٓا۟
kafarū
disbelieve
إِنْ
in
Not
هَـٰذَآ
hādhā
this
إِلَّآ
illā
(is) but
إِفْكٌ
if'kun
a lie
ٱفْتَرَىٰهُ
if'tarāhu
he invented it
وَأَعَانَهُۥ
wa-aʿānahu
and helped him
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
at it
قَوْمٌ
qawmun
people
ءَاخَرُونَ ۖ
ākharūna
other
فَقَدْ
faqad
But verily
جَآءُو
jāū
they (have) produced
ظُلْمًۭا
ẓul'man
an injustice
وَزُورًۭا
wazūran
and a lie
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 4) ➊ { وَ قَالَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْۤا …:} After mentioning the explanation of Tawheed and the refutation of shirk and the polytheists, the doubts and objections of the deniers of Prophethood are mentioned. Thus, their first objection is stated here: that you have fabricated this Qur’an yourself and some people have helped you in this matter. Some details of this have already been mentioned in Surah An-Nahl (103).
➋ { فَقَدْ جَآءُوْ ظُلْمًا وَّ زُوْرًا :} The meaning of zulm is to put something in a place other than its rightful place, because the original meaning of zulm is darkness, and in darkness a person cannot put a thing in its proper place. {’’ زُوْرًا ‘‘} refers to such a severe lie that has been embellished and made attractive, therefore its meaning can also be deception. The tanween is for magnification, meaning the statement they have made is a great injustice (unfairness) and a severe lie, because they know that a book like the Qur’an, whose eloquence and rhetoric and content the entire universe is incapable of matching, cannot be authored and presented by any human being, even if not just a few but thousands, rather all except Allah, gather together. The regret and astonishment is that these people are saying this about Muhammad (peace be upon him), whose entire life has passed before them (see Yunus: 16), and about whom they know very well that he never learned to read or write, nor was he ever a student of any scholar (see Ankabut: 48), so how can this Qur’an be his composition?
➋ { فَقَدْ جَآءُوْ ظُلْمًا وَّ زُوْرًا :} The meaning of zulm is to put something in a place other than its rightful place, because the original meaning of zulm is darkness, and in darkness a person cannot put a thing in its proper place. {’’ زُوْرًا ‘‘} refers to such a severe lie that has been embellished and made attractive, therefore its meaning can also be deception. The tanween is for magnification, meaning the statement they have made is a great injustice (unfairness) and a severe lie, because they know that a book like the Qur’an, whose eloquence and rhetoric and content the entire universe is incapable of matching, cannot be authored and presented by any human being, even if not just a few but thousands, rather all except Allah, gather together. The regret and astonishment is that these people are saying this about Muhammad (peace be upon him), whose entire life has passed before them (see Yunus: 16), and about whom they know very well that he never learned to read or write, nor was he ever a student of any scholar (see Ankabut: 48), so how can this Qur’an be his composition?
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
4-1 The polytheists used to say that Muhammad ﷺ has fabricated this book with the help of the Jews or some of their friends (for example, Abu Fukaihah Yasar, 'Addas, and Jabr, etc.). As the necessary details of this have already been mentioned in Surah An-Nahl, verse 13.
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
4. The disbelievers say, “This (Qur’an) is nothing but a lie he has fabricated, and other people have helped him with it.” They have indeed come up with a great injustice and falsehood [8].
[8]
The Orientalists’ Allegation That You Benefited from the Scholars of the Jews and Christians, and the Responses to It:
The accusation of fabricating the Quran was not only made by the polytheists of Makkah in that era against the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, but even today’s Orientalists, under the guise of research and criticism, are making similar allegations. The only difference is that today’s researchers claim that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ undertook several trade journeys before prophethood, met with many scholars of the Jews and Christians, and in this context, the name of Bahira the Monk is especially mentioned. They claim that during these meetings, you ﷺ benefited from these scholars, and then presented this knowledge to the Arabs in your own style and language. This, they say, was the history of the prophets or previous nations which you presented under the name of prophethood. There are countless reasons why this objection of the Orientalists is invalid, which are as follows:
1. Whenever you ﷺ undertook a trade journey, you never did so alone, but always accompanied by people of your own tribe. If you ﷺ had met with the scholars of the Jews and Christians or acquired knowledge from them, your companions would have been most aware of it. However, before prophethood, none of these people ever raised such an objection against you. So, how could those people know something that your companions did not?
2. If, before prophethood, you had acquired some knowledge from the scholars of the Jews and Christians, it would have inevitably manifested itself—deliberately or unintentionally—even before prophethood, no matter how much you tried to conceal it. The fact that nothing of this sort ever came from your lips before prophethood is a strong proof that this objection is utterly false and baseless.
3. There are many prophecies mentioned in the Quran that were fulfilled word for word during your lifetime, and the scholars of the Jews and Christians could not possibly have known about them. For example, the Romans’ victory over the Persians after their defeat, or the dominance of Islam despite the intense opposition of the disbelievers, and the humiliating defeat of the disbelievers and polytheists, etc.
4. Numerous verses in the Quran were revealed that are deeply connected to their specific contexts. For example, the revelation of Surah Al-Anfal at the time of dispute over the spoils of war after the Battle of Badr, the revelation of the rulings of li‘an and zihar, the revelation of the rulings of qadhf and zina after the incident of ifk. How could the scholars of the Jews and Christians have known about such events beforehand, and how could they have provided such wise rulings?
5. In countless places in the Quran, the beliefs, morals, and conduct of the Jews and Christians are criticized. Could the scholars of the Jews and Christians have told you these things as well? In short, the more one reflects on this objection, the more reasons emerge to declare it invalid.
The Responses to the Polytheists’ Allegation That Someone Was Teaching You:
The objection raised by the polytheists of Makkah was related to your life after prophethood. Their objection was that a few literate Jewish slaves had become Muslim. The polytheists objected that you ﷺ had learned these things from them. Initially, only two prayers were obligatory: one in the morning and one in the evening. At these prayer times, Muslims would gather at Dar al-Arqam. If any revelation came during this time, you would recite it to the Muslims who came for prayer. From this, the polytheists fabricated the claim that the Muslims who gathered with Muhammad ﷺ morning and evening included these literate Jewish slaves, who would narrate the stories of previous nations and prophets, which were then written down, read, and recited. Then, these same things were attributed to Allah and presented to others under the name of the Quran. This objection is invalid for the following reasons:
1. If these Jewish slaves who had become Muslim were your teachers or informants, they could not have remained your obedient followers. Moreover, their obedience reached the level of self-sacrifice.
2. Even if, for the sake of argument, it is accepted that such a compromise was made for worldly interests, then your closest companions should have been those Jewish slaves, not Abu Bakr al-Siddiq ؓ, Umar ؓ, Uthman ؓ, Abu Ubaidah ؓ, Ali ؓ, and others.
3. Furthermore, all the refutations mentioned above also apply to them, such as the prophecies of the Quran, the revelation of divine rulings according to the occasion and need, and the severe criticism of the morals and beliefs of the Jews, etc. Therefore, this objection, in light of the internal and external evidence of the Noble Quran and rational arguments, is nothing but a fabrication and a bundle of lies.
[8]
The Orientalists’ Allegation That You Benefited from the Scholars of the Jews and Christians, and the Responses to It:
The accusation of fabricating the Quran was not only made by the polytheists of Makkah in that era against the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, but even today’s Orientalists, under the guise of research and criticism, are making similar allegations. The only difference is that today’s researchers claim that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ undertook several trade journeys before prophethood, met with many scholars of the Jews and Christians, and in this context, the name of Bahira the Monk is especially mentioned. They claim that during these meetings, you ﷺ benefited from these scholars, and then presented this knowledge to the Arabs in your own style and language. This, they say, was the history of the prophets or previous nations which you presented under the name of prophethood. There are countless reasons why this objection of the Orientalists is invalid, which are as follows:
1. Whenever you ﷺ undertook a trade journey, you never did so alone, but always accompanied by people of your own tribe. If you ﷺ had met with the scholars of the Jews and Christians or acquired knowledge from them, your companions would have been most aware of it. However, before prophethood, none of these people ever raised such an objection against you. So, how could those people know something that your companions did not?
2. If, before prophethood, you had acquired some knowledge from the scholars of the Jews and Christians, it would have inevitably manifested itself—deliberately or unintentionally—even before prophethood, no matter how much you tried to conceal it. The fact that nothing of this sort ever came from your lips before prophethood is a strong proof that this objection is utterly false and baseless.
3. There are many prophecies mentioned in the Quran that were fulfilled word for word during your lifetime, and the scholars of the Jews and Christians could not possibly have known about them. For example, the Romans’ victory over the Persians after their defeat, or the dominance of Islam despite the intense opposition of the disbelievers, and the humiliating defeat of the disbelievers and polytheists, etc.
4. Numerous verses in the Quran were revealed that are deeply connected to their specific contexts. For example, the revelation of Surah Al-Anfal at the time of dispute over the spoils of war after the Battle of Badr, the revelation of the rulings of li‘an and zihar, the revelation of the rulings of qadhf and zina after the incident of ifk. How could the scholars of the Jews and Christians have known about such events beforehand, and how could they have provided such wise rulings?
5. In countless places in the Quran, the beliefs, morals, and conduct of the Jews and Christians are criticized. Could the scholars of the Jews and Christians have told you these things as well? In short, the more one reflects on this objection, the more reasons emerge to declare it invalid.
The Responses to the Polytheists’ Allegation That Someone Was Teaching You:
The objection raised by the polytheists of Makkah was related to your life after prophethood. Their objection was that a few literate Jewish slaves had become Muslim. The polytheists objected that you ﷺ had learned these things from them. Initially, only two prayers were obligatory: one in the morning and one in the evening. At these prayer times, Muslims would gather at Dar al-Arqam. If any revelation came during this time, you would recite it to the Muslims who came for prayer. From this, the polytheists fabricated the claim that the Muslims who gathered with Muhammad ﷺ morning and evening included these literate Jewish slaves, who would narrate the stories of previous nations and prophets, which were then written down, read, and recited. Then, these same things were attributed to Allah and presented to others under the name of the Quran. This objection is invalid for the following reasons:
1. If these Jewish slaves who had become Muslim were your teachers or informants, they could not have remained your obedient followers. Moreover, their obedience reached the level of self-sacrifice.
2. Even if, for the sake of argument, it is accepted that such a compromise was made for worldly interests, then your closest companions should have been those Jewish slaves, not Abu Bakr al-Siddiq ؓ, Umar ؓ, Uthman ؓ, Abu Ubaidah ؓ, Ali ؓ, and others.
3. Furthermore, all the refutations mentioned above also apply to them, such as the prophecies of the Quran, the revelation of divine rulings according to the occasion and need, and the severe criticism of the morals and beliefs of the Jews, etc. Therefore, this objection, in light of the internal and external evidence of the Noble Quran and rational arguments, is nothing but a fabrication and a bundle of lies.
