سُوْرَةُ هُوْدٍ
Surah Hud (11) — Ayah 80
قَالَ لَوْ أَنَّ لِى بِكُمْ قُوَّةً أَوْ ءَاوِىٓ إِلَىٰ رُكْنٍ شَدِيدٍ ﴿80﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
He said: "Would that I had strength (men) to overpower you, or that I could betake myself to some powerful support (to resist you)."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالَ
qāla
He said
لَوْ
law
If
أَنَّ
anna
that
لِى
lī
I had
بِكُمْ
bikum
over you
قُوَّةً
quwwatan
power
أَوْ
aw
or
ءَاوِىٓ
āwī
I could take refuge
إِلَىٰ
ilā
in
رُكْنٍۢ
ruk'nin
a support
شَدِيدٍۢ
shadīdin
strong
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.
80. 1. By "strength" is meant the strength of one's own arm and resources, or the strength of offspring, and by "mighty support" (شديد) is meant family, tribe, or any such strong support. That is, in a state of utter helplessness, he is wishing that if only he had some strength himself or the protection and help of a family or tribe, then today, because of his guests, he would not have faced this humiliation and disgrace; he would have dealt with these wicked people and protected his guests. The wish of Prophet Lut (عليه السلام) is not contrary to trust in Allah. Rather, it is according to apparent means. And the correct meaning and concept of trust in Allah is also this: that first all apparent means and resources should be utilized, and then trust should be placed in Allah. It is a very wrong concept of trust to sit idle and say that our reliance is on Allah. Therefore, whatever Prophet Lut (عليه السلام) said, he said it absolutely rightly in terms of apparent means. From this, it is known that just as Allah's messenger is not the knower of the unseen, likewise he is not all-powerful, as people nowadays have invented this belief. If the Prophet had been endowed with authority in the world, then surely Prophet Lut (عليه السلام) would not have expressed his helplessness and this wish in the words he did.
