سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْعَامِ
Surah Al-An'aam (6) — Ayah 23
ثُمَّ لَمْ تَكُن فِتْنَتُهُمْ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُوا۟ وَٱللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ ﴿23﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
There will then be (left) no Fitnah (excuses or statements or arguments) for them but to say: "By Allâh, our Lord, we were not those who joined others in worship with Allâh."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ثُمَّ
thumma
Then
لَمْ
lam
not
تَكُن
takun
will be
فِتْنَتُهُمْ
fit'natuhum
(for) them a plea
إِلَّآ
illā
except
أَن
an
that
قَالُوا۟
qālū
they say
وَٱللَّهِ
wal-lahi
By Allah
رَبِّنَا
rabbinā
our Lord
مَا
mā
not
كُنَّا
kunnā
we were
مُشْرِكِينَ
mush'rikīna
those who associated others (with Allah)
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.
23. 1. One meaning of "fitnah" is argument, and another meaning is excuse. In the end, they will try to escape by presenting this argument or excuse that "we were not polytheists at all." And Imam Ibn Jarir has explained its meaning as: ثم لم یکن قیلھم عند فتنتنا ایاھم اعتذارا مما سلف منھم من الشرک باللہ. (When We throw them into the furnace of questioning, then, for the excuse of the shirk they committed in the world, they will have no option but to say, "We were not polytheists at all.") Here, the question may arise that on that Day, the hands and feet of people will bear witness, and seals will be set upon their tongues, so how will they deny? The answer to this has been given by Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): When the polytheists see that the people of Tawheed, the Muslims, are going to Paradise, they will consult among themselves and deny having committed shirk. Then Allah Almighty will set a seal upon their mouths, and their hands and feet will bear witness to what they did, and they will not be able to hide anything from Allah (Ibn Kathir).
