سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 86
وَإِذَا رَءَا ٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ شُرَكَآءَهُمْ قَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ شُرَكَآؤُنَا ٱلَّذِينَ كُنَّا نَدْعُوا۟ مِن دُونِكَ ۖ فَأَلْقَوْا۟ إِلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقَوْلَ إِنَّكُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ ﴿86﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And when those who associated partners with Allâh see their (Allâh’s so-called) partners, they will say: "Our Lord! These are our partners whom we used to invoke besides you." But they will throw back their word at them (and say): "Surely! You indeed are liars!"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذَا
wa-idhā
And when
رَءَا
raā
(will) see
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
أَشْرَكُوا۟
ashrakū
associated partners with Allah
شُرَكَآءَهُمْ
shurakāahum
their partners
قَالُوا۟
qālū
They will say
رَبَّنَا
rabbanā
Our Lord
هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ
hāulāi
these
شُرَكَآؤُنَا
shurakāunā
(are) our partners
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those whom
كُنَّا
kunnā
we used to
نَدْعُوا۟
nadʿū
invoke
مِن
min
besides You
دُونِكَ ۖ
dūnika
besides You
فَأَلْقَوْا۟
fa-alqaw
But they (will) throw back
إِلَيْهِمُ
ilayhimu
at them
ٱلْقَوْلَ
l-qawla
(their) word
إِنَّكُمْ
innakum
Indeed, you
لَكَـٰذِبُونَ
lakādhibūna
(are) surely liars
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.
86. 1. Those who worship false deities will not be lying in their claim. But the partners whom they considered as Allah’s associates will say, “They are liars.” This is either a negation of association: “They are lying in associating us with Allah—can anyone be a partner of Allah?” Or they will declare them liars because they were completely unaware of their worship, just as the Noble Quran has mentioned this matter in several places: “Allah is sufficient as a witness between us and you that we were unaware of your worship of us.” See further Surah Ahqaf (وَمَنْ اَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ يَّدْعُوْا مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ مَنْ لَّا يَسْتَجِيْبُ لَهٗٓ اِلٰى يَوْمِ الْقِيٰمَةِ وَهُمْ عَنْ دُعَاۗىِٕهِمْ غٰفِلُوْنَ وَاِذَا حُشِرَ النَّاسُ كَانُوْا لَهُمْ اَعْدَاۗءً وَّكَانُوْا بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ كٰفِرِيْنَ ) 46. Al-Ahqaf: 6-5), (وَاتَّخَذُوْا مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ اٰلِهَةً لِّيَكُوْنُوْا لَهُمْ عِزًّا 81ۙ كَلَّا ۭ سَيَكْفُرُوْنَ بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ وَيَكُوْنُوْنَ عَلَيْهِمْ ضِدًّا 82) 19. Maryam: 82-81), (وَقَالَ اِنَّمَا اتَّخَذْتُمْ مِّنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ اَوْثَانًا ۙ مَّوَدَّةَ بَيْنِكُمْ فِي الْحَيٰوةِ الدُّنْيَا ۚ ثُمَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيٰمَةِ يَكْفُرُ بَعْضُكُمْ بِبَعْضٍ وَّيَلْعَنُ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا ۡ وَّمَاْوٰىكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِّنْ نّٰصِرِيْنَ) 29. Al-Ankabut: 25), (وَيَوْمَ يَقُوْلُ نَادُوْا شُرَكَاۗءِيَ الَّذِيْنَ زَعَمْتُمْ فَدَعَوْهُمْ فَلَمْ يَسْتَجِيْبُوْا لَهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَّوْبِقًا) 18. Al-Kahf: 52), and other such verses. Another meaning could be that “We never told you to worship us, so you are the liars.” If these partners are stones or trees, Allah will grant them the power of speech. If they are jinn or devils, then there is no problem at all. And if they are Allah’s righteous servants—as many pious, God-fearing, and friends of Allah are called upon for help, offerings are made in their names, and their graves are honored in the same way as a deity is honored with feelings of fear and hope—then Allah will declare them innocent in the plain of resurrection, and those who worshipped them will be thrown into Hell. As is mentioned regarding the question Allah will ask Isa (Jesus) (AS) and his answer at the end of Surah Al-Ma’idah.
