سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 35
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ لَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا عَبَدْنَا مِن دُونِهِۦ مِن شَىْءٍ نَّحْنُ وَلَآ ءَابَآؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمْنَا مِن دُونِهِۦ مِن شَىْءٍ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ فَعَلَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ فَهَلْ عَلَى ٱلرُّسُلِ إِلَّا ٱلْبَلَـٰغُ ٱلْمُبِينُ ﴿35﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And those who joined others in worship with Allâh said: "If Allâh had so willed, neither we nor our fathers would have worshipped aught but Him, nor would we have forbidden anything without (Command from) Him." So did those before them. Then! Are the Messengers charged with anything but to convey clearly the Message?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَقَالَ
waqāla
And said
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
أَشْرَكُوا۟
ashrakū
associate partners (with Allah)
لَوْ
law
If
شَآءَ
shāa
Allah (had) willed
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah (had) willed
مَا
mā
not
عَبَدْنَا
ʿabadnā
we (would) have worshipped
مِن
min
other than Him
دُونِهِۦ
dūnihi
other than Him
مِن
min
any
شَىْءٍۢ
shayin
thing
نَّحْنُ
naḥnu
we
وَلَآ
walā
and not
ءَابَآؤُنَا
ābāunā
our forefathers
وَلَا
walā
and not
حَرَّمْنَا
ḥarramnā
we (would) have forbidden
مِن
min
other than Him
دُونِهِۦ
dūnihi
other than Him
مِن
min
anything
شَىْءٍۢ ۚ
shayin
anything
كَذَٰلِكَ
kadhālika
Thus
فَعَلَ
faʿala
did
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
مِن
min
(were) before them
قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ
qablihim
(were) before them
فَهَلْ
fahal
Then is (there)
عَلَى
ʿalā
on
ٱلرُّسُلِ
l-rusuli
the messengers
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱلْبَلَـٰغُ
l-balāghu
the conveyance
ٱلْمُبِينُ
l-mubīnu
clear
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.
35. 1. In this verse, Allah Almighty has removed a misconception and delusion of the polytheists. They used to say that we worship others besides Allah or declare some things unlawful without His command; if what we are doing is wrong, then why does Allah, with His perfect power, not prevent us from these things? If He wills, we cannot do these deeds at all. If He does not prevent us, it means that whatever we are doing is according to His will. Allah Almighty has removed this doubt by saying, "The duty of the messengers is only to convey." The meaning is that your assumption is not correct that Allah Almighty has not prevented you from this. Allah Almighty has strictly forbidden you from these polytheistic acts. That is why He has been sending messengers to every nation and revealing books, and every prophet, upon coming, first tried to save his nation from polytheism. This clearly means that Allah Almighty never likes that people commit polytheism, The fact that you chose the path of denial and polytheism, and Allah did not forcibly prevent you from it under His creative will, is a part of His wisdom and expediency, under which He has given humans the freedom of will and choice. Because without this, their trial would not have been possible at all. Our messengers, by conveying Our message to you, kept explaining that do not misuse this freedom, rather use it according to Allah's pleasure. Our messengers could only do this, which they did, and you misused this freedom to commit polytheism, for which the punishment is eternal torment.
