سُوْرَةُ الْاَحْقَافِ
Surah Al-Ahqaf (46) — Ayah 11
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَوْ كَانَ خَيْرًا مَّا سَبَقُونَآ إِلَيْهِ ۚ وَإِذْ لَمْ يَهْتَدُوا۟ بِهِۦ فَسَيَقُولُونَ هَـٰذَآ إِفْكٌ قَدِيمٌ ﴿11﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And those who disbelieve (the strong and wealthy) say of those who believe (the weak and poor): "Had it (Islâmic Monotheism to which Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is inviting mankind) been a good thing, they (the weak and poor) would not have preceded us thereto!" And when they have not let themselves be guided by it (this Qur’ân), they say: "This is an ancient lie!"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَقَالَ
waqāla
And say
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
كَفَرُوا۟
kafarū
disbelieve
لِلَّذِينَ
lilladhīna
of those who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe
لَوْ
law
If
كَانَ
kāna
it had been
خَيْرًۭا
khayran
good
مَّا
mā
not
سَبَقُونَآ
sabaqūnā
they (would) have preceded us
إِلَيْهِ ۚ
ilayhi
to it
وَإِذْ
wa-idh
And when
لَمْ
lam
not
يَهْتَدُوا۟
yahtadū
they (are) guided
بِهِۦ
bihi
by it
فَسَيَقُولُونَ
fasayaqūlūna
they say
هَـٰذَآ
hādhā
This
إِفْكٌۭ
if'kun
(is) a lie
قَدِيمٌۭ
qadīmun
ancient
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.
11. 1. The disbelievers of Makkah, upon seeing Muslims like Bilal, Ammar, Suhaib, and Khabbab (may Allah be pleased with them), who were poor and destitute people but had the honor of being the first to accept Islam, used to say that if there was any goodness in this religion, then people of honor and status like us would have been the first to accept it, not these people who believed before us. That is, in their own way, they assumed about themselves that they had a great status with Allah. Therefore, if this religion was also from Allah, then Allah would not have left us behind in accepting it, and since we did not adopt it, it means that this is an old lie, that is, they declared the Quran to be an old lie, just as they used to call it tales of the ancients (Asatir-ul-Awwalin). Whereas being distinguished in worldly wealth and riches is not proof of acceptance with Allah (as they were deluded or Satan deluded them). For acceptance with Allah, faith and sincerity are required, and He bestows this wealth of faith and sincerity upon whomever He wills, just as He gives wealth and riches as a test to whomever He wills.
