سُوْرَةُ التَّغَابُنِ
Surah At-Taghaabun (64) — Ayah 6
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُۥ كَانَت تَّأْتِيهِمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ فَقَالُوٓا۟ أَبَشَرٌ يَهْدُونَنَا فَكَفَرُوا۟ وَتَوَلَّوا۟ ۚ وَّٱسْتَغْنَى ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَنِىٌّ حَمِيدٌ ﴿6﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
That was because there came to them their Messengers with clear proofs (signs), but they said: "Shall mere men guide us?" So they disbelieved and turned away (from the truth). But Allâh was not in need (of them). And Allâh is Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all praise.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
That
بِأَنَّهُۥ
bi-annahu
(is) because
كَانَت
kānat
had
تَّأْتِيهِمْ
tatīhim
come to them
رُسُلُهُم
rusuluhum
their Messengers
بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ
bil-bayināti
with clear proofs
فَقَالُوٓا۟
faqālū
but they said
أَبَشَرٌۭ
abasharun
Shall human beings
يَهْدُونَنَا
yahdūnanā
guide us
فَكَفَرُوا۟
fakafarū
So they disbelieved
وَتَوَلَّوا۟ ۚ
watawallaw
and turned away
وَّٱسْتَغْنَى
wa-is'taghnā
And can do without them
ٱللَّهُ ۚ
l-lahu
Allah
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
غَنِىٌّ
ghaniyyun
(is) Self-sufficient
حَمِيدٌۭ
ḥamīdun
Praiseworthy
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 6) ➊ In { ذٰلِكَ بِاَنَّهٗ كَانَتْ تَّاْتِيْهِمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنٰتِ: ’’ بِاَنَّهٗ ‘‘}, the pronoun in {’’ هٗ ‘‘} is called the pronoun of the matter, its purpose is to emphasize the importance of what is coming next. The literal meaning of "bayyinat" is clear and evident things. Among the clear proofs that the messengers brought are those miracles which were clear evidence of their prophethood, as well as the verses revealed by Allah and rational arguments which were absolutely clear and evident, with no difficulty in understanding them. By seeing and hearing these clear proofs, certainty in their prophethood was attained.
➋ { فَقَالُوْۤا اَبَشَرٌ يَّهْدُوْنَنَا: ’’بَشَرٌ ‘‘} is a generic noun which is used for both plural, as is evident here from {’’ يَهْدُوْنَنَا ‘‘}, and for singular as well, as He said: « اَبَشَرًا مِّنَّا وَاحِدًا نَّتَّبِعُهٗۤ » [ القمر : ۲۴ ] "Should we follow a single man from among us, alone?" In the saying of the disbelievers, {’’ بَشَرٌ ‘‘} is used as an indefinite noun for the purpose of belittlement, as if they are saying, "Will these ordinary humans guide us?" They were not willing to accept any human as a messenger, even if his prophethood was established in every way. In their view, the messenger should be an angel or Allah Himself should come to them. (See Al-Furqan: 21) This was the attitude of all previous deniers of the prophets, and the disbelievers of Quraysh adopted the same. Allah has mentioned their false notion at many places and refuted it. See Bani Isra'il (95, 94), Ibrahim (11, 10), Kahf (110), Mu'minun (33), Shu'ara (86), Ya-Sin (15), and Surah Al-An'am (91).
➌ { فَكَفَرُوْا وَ تَوَلَّوْا وَّ اسْتَغْنَى اللّٰهُ… :} When they declared the prophethood of a human to be impossible, the clear result was that they denied faith in the messengers and turned away, and Allah did not care, because Allah is not in need of anyone, He is independent and free of want from all creation. He alone possesses all excellence, no one's disbelief harms Him, nor does anyone's faith benefit Him. The benefit of faith and the harm of disbelief is for the human himself. See also the commentary of Surah Al-Imran (97) and Surah Az-Zumar (7).
➍ The case of the disbelievers is strange: they are not willing to accept a human as a messenger, but they accept idols of stone, wood, and metal as lords. Even after seeing the clear proofs sent by Allah, they do not believe, saying, "Will humans guide us?" As if they are not willing to accept the guidance of any human, no matter how correct and excellent it may be, while they blindly follow the wrong path of their elders, even though they too were humans, as He said: « قَالُوْۤا اِنَّا وَجَدْنَاۤ اٰبَآءَنَا عَلٰۤى اُمَّةٍ وَّ اِنَّا عَلٰۤى اٰثٰرِهِمْ مُّهْتَدُوْنَ» [ الزخرف : ۲۲ ] "They said, 'Indeed, we found our forefathers upon a way, and indeed, we are guided by their footsteps.'" If they are not willing to follow the way of any human, then why do they follow the way of their elders? The real issue is that they are not ready to follow the way of Allah, because Satan has set them and their elders upon his own path.
➋ { فَقَالُوْۤا اَبَشَرٌ يَّهْدُوْنَنَا: ’’بَشَرٌ ‘‘} is a generic noun which is used for both plural, as is evident here from {’’ يَهْدُوْنَنَا ‘‘}, and for singular as well, as He said: « اَبَشَرًا مِّنَّا وَاحِدًا نَّتَّبِعُهٗۤ » [ القمر : ۲۴ ] "Should we follow a single man from among us, alone?" In the saying of the disbelievers, {’’ بَشَرٌ ‘‘} is used as an indefinite noun for the purpose of belittlement, as if they are saying, "Will these ordinary humans guide us?" They were not willing to accept any human as a messenger, even if his prophethood was established in every way. In their view, the messenger should be an angel or Allah Himself should come to them. (See Al-Furqan: 21) This was the attitude of all previous deniers of the prophets, and the disbelievers of Quraysh adopted the same. Allah has mentioned their false notion at many places and refuted it. See Bani Isra'il (95, 94), Ibrahim (11, 10), Kahf (110), Mu'minun (33), Shu'ara (86), Ya-Sin (15), and Surah Al-An'am (91).
➌ { فَكَفَرُوْا وَ تَوَلَّوْا وَّ اسْتَغْنَى اللّٰهُ… :} When they declared the prophethood of a human to be impossible, the clear result was that they denied faith in the messengers and turned away, and Allah did not care, because Allah is not in need of anyone, He is independent and free of want from all creation. He alone possesses all excellence, no one's disbelief harms Him, nor does anyone's faith benefit Him. The benefit of faith and the harm of disbelief is for the human himself. See also the commentary of Surah Al-Imran (97) and Surah Az-Zumar (7).
➍ The case of the disbelievers is strange: they are not willing to accept a human as a messenger, but they accept idols of stone, wood, and metal as lords. Even after seeing the clear proofs sent by Allah, they do not believe, saying, "Will humans guide us?" As if they are not willing to accept the guidance of any human, no matter how correct and excellent it may be, while they blindly follow the wrong path of their elders, even though they too were humans, as He said: « قَالُوْۤا اِنَّا وَجَدْنَاۤ اٰبَآءَنَا عَلٰۤى اُمَّةٍ وَّ اِنَّا عَلٰۤى اٰثٰرِهِمْ مُّهْتَدُوْنَ» [ الزخرف : ۲۲ ] "They said, 'Indeed, we found our forefathers upon a way, and indeed, we are guided by their footsteps.'" If they are not willing to follow the way of any human, then why do they follow the way of their elders? The real issue is that they are not ready to follow the way of Allah, because Satan has set them and their elders upon his own path.
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.
6. 1. Thus, on this basis, they refused to accept the messengers as messengers and to believe in them.
6. 2. That is, they turned away from them and did not even reflect or ponder upon the message they presented.
6. 3. That is, from their faith and their worship.
6. 4. What benefit does He gain from anyone's worship, and what harm does He suffer from anyone's refusal to worship Him?
6. 5. Or, He is praised by all of creation, meaning every creature, by its state and speech, is eloquent in His praise and glorification.
6. 2. That is, they turned away from them and did not even reflect or ponder upon the message they presented.
6. 3. That is, from their faith and their worship.
6. 4. What benefit does He gain from anyone's worship, and what harm does He suffer from anyone's refusal to worship Him?
6. 5. Or, He is praised by all of creation, meaning every creature, by its state and speech, is eloquent in His praise and glorification.
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.
6. That was because their messengers came to them with clear proofs [11], but they said, "Shall a human guide us?" [12] So they disbelieved and turned away, and Allah was indifferent [13] to them. And Allah is Self-Sufficient and Praiseworthy by His very essence.
[11] That is, such proofs by which it could be ascertained with certainty that these messengers were indeed sent by Allah. Its second meaning could also be that the arguments they presented for their teachings were extremely rational and clear. There was no kind of ambiguity or complexity in them. The distinction between truth and falsehood was made completely clear.
[12] Their fundamental objection to their messenger was that he is just a human being like us—how can we accept him as our leader? If an angel had descended to guide us, that would have been something. In other words, in their view, there was a contradiction between being human and being a messenger. On this basis, they refused to accept the words of the messengers and chose the path of disbelief. The answer to this objection of the disbelievers has been given in countless places in the Quran: for human beings, the only way of guidance is that the messenger should be a human, and a human who is from their own people and speaks in their own language. In contrast, we must commend those friends who take the meaning from this very verse that calling the messenger a human is an act of disbelief, because it was the disbelievers who called the messengers human. And calling the messengers human is the practice of the disbelievers. Iqbal (may Allah have mercy on him) said it beautifully:
Zaman bar Sufi o Mulla salaam-e
Ke paigham-e Khuda goftand mara
Wale ta'weel shan dar hairat andaakht
Khuda o Jibreel o Mustafa ra
Translation: (My greetings to the Sufi and the Mulla, for they conveyed to us the message of Allah. But their interpretation left Allah, Jibreel, and the Messenger of Allah all astonished (at what we had said and what meaning these people derived from it).)
Every Messenger is a Human:
Moreover, not only was it the disbelievers who called the messengers human, but Allah Himself also called the messengers human, and the messengers themselves also called themselves human, whether their audience was disbelievers or believers. (For explanation, see the footnote of verse 110 of Surah Al-Kahf.)
[13] That is, Allah sent messengers for their own benefit and guidance, but if they want to fall into the pit, then let them fall. What concern does Allah have for them? If they do not accept Allah and His messenger, Allah’s sovereignty will not be taken away from Him, nor will there be any decrease in it.
[11] That is, such proofs by which it could be ascertained with certainty that these messengers were indeed sent by Allah. Its second meaning could also be that the arguments they presented for their teachings were extremely rational and clear. There was no kind of ambiguity or complexity in them. The distinction between truth and falsehood was made completely clear.
[12] Their fundamental objection to their messenger was that he is just a human being like us—how can we accept him as our leader? If an angel had descended to guide us, that would have been something. In other words, in their view, there was a contradiction between being human and being a messenger. On this basis, they refused to accept the words of the messengers and chose the path of disbelief. The answer to this objection of the disbelievers has been given in countless places in the Quran: for human beings, the only way of guidance is that the messenger should be a human, and a human who is from their own people and speaks in their own language. In contrast, we must commend those friends who take the meaning from this very verse that calling the messenger a human is an act of disbelief, because it was the disbelievers who called the messengers human. And calling the messengers human is the practice of the disbelievers. Iqbal (may Allah have mercy on him) said it beautifully:
Zaman bar Sufi o Mulla salaam-e
Ke paigham-e Khuda goftand mara
Wale ta'weel shan dar hairat andaakht
Khuda o Jibreel o Mustafa ra
Translation: (My greetings to the Sufi and the Mulla, for they conveyed to us the message of Allah. But their interpretation left Allah, Jibreel, and the Messenger of Allah all astonished (at what we had said and what meaning these people derived from it).)
Every Messenger is a Human:
Moreover, not only was it the disbelievers who called the messengers human, but Allah Himself also called the messengers human, and the messengers themselves also called themselves human, whether their audience was disbelievers or believers. (For explanation, see the footnote of verse 110 of Surah Al-Kahf.)
[13] That is, Allah sent messengers for their own benefit and guidance, but if they want to fall into the pit, then let them fall. What concern does Allah have for them? If they do not accept Allah and His messenger, Allah’s sovereignty will not be taken away from Him, nor will there be any decrease in it.
