سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْعَامِ
Surah Al-An'aam (6) — Ayah 91
وَمَا قَدَرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِۦٓ إِذْ قَالُوا۟ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ بَشَرٍ مِّن شَىْءٍ ۗ قُلْ مَنْ أَنزَلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ ٱلَّذِى جَآءَ بِهِۦ مُوسَىٰ نُورًا وَهُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ ۖ تَجْعَلُونَهُۥ قَرَاطِيسَ تُبْدُونَهَا وَتُخْفُونَ كَثِيرًا ۖ وَعُلِّمْتُم مَّا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنتُمْ وَلَآ ءَابَآؤُكُمْ ۖ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ ۖ ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِى خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ ﴿91﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
They (the Jews, Quraish pagans, idolaters) did not estimate Allâh with an estimation due to Him when they said: "Nothing did Allâh send down to any human being (by revelation)." Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "Who then sent down the Book which Mûsâ (Moses) brought, a light and a guidance to mankind which you (the Jews) have made into (separate) papersheets, disclosing (some of it) and concealing much. And you (believers in Allâh and His Messenger Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) were taught (through the Qur’ân) that which neither you nor your fathers knew." Say: "Allâh (sent it down)." Then leave them to play in their vain discussions. (Tafsir Al-Qurtubî).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَا
wamā
And not
قَدَرُوا۟
qadarū
they appraised
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
حَقَّ
ḥaqqa
(with) true
قَدْرِهِۦٓ
qadrihi
[of his] appraisal
إِذْ
idh
when
قَالُوا۟
qālū
they said
مَآ
mā
Not
أَنزَلَ
anzala
revealed
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
(by) Allah
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
on
بَشَرٍۢ
basharin
a human being
مِّن
min
[of]
شَىْءٍۢ ۗ
shayin
anything
قُلْ
qul
Say
مَنْ
man
Who
أَنزَلَ
anzala
revealed
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ
l-kitāba
the Book
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
which
جَآءَ
jāa
brought
بِهِۦ
bihi
[it]
مُوسَىٰ
mūsā
Musa
نُورًۭا
nūran
(as) a light
وَهُدًۭى
wahudan
and guidance
لِّلنَّاسِ ۖ
lilnnāsi
for the people
تَجْعَلُونَهُۥ
tajʿalūnahu
You make it
قَرَاطِيسَ
qarāṭīsa
(into) parchments
تُبْدُونَهَا
tub'dūnahā
you disclose (some of) it
وَتُخْفُونَ
watukh'fūna
and you conceal
كَثِيرًۭا ۖ
kathīran
much (of it)
وَعُلِّمْتُم
waʿullim'tum
And you were taught
مَّا
mā
what
لَمْ
lam
not
تَعْلَمُوٓا۟
taʿlamū
knew
أَنتُمْ
antum
you
وَلَآ
walā
and not
ءَابَآؤُكُمْ ۖ
ābāukum
your forefathers
قُلِ
quli
Say
ٱللَّهُ ۖ
l-lahu
Allah (revealed it)
ثُمَّ
thumma
Then
ذَرْهُمْ
dharhum
leave them
فِى
fī
in
خَوْضِهِمْ
khawḍihim
their discourse
يَلْعَبُونَ
yalʿabūna
playing
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.
91. 1 Qadar means estimation, and it is used in the sense of knowing the true reality of something and attaining its recognition. The meaning is that these polytheists of Makkah deny the messengers and the revelation of books, which clearly means that they do not have the correct recognition of Allah, otherwise they would not deny these things. Moreover, due to this very lack of recognition of Allah, they also remained incapable of recognizing prophethood and messengership, that how can the word of Allah be revealed to a human? As Allah has said in another place (اَكَان للنَّاسِ عَجَبًا اَنْ اَوْحَيْنَآ اِلٰى رَجُلٍ مِّنْھُمْ اَنْ اَنْذِرِ النَّاسَ) (10:2): Is it a matter of wonder for people that We revealed to a man from among them, appointing him to warn the people? In another place, He said (وَمَا مَنَعَ النَّاسَ اَنْ يُّؤْمِنُوْٓا اِذْ جَاۗءَهُمُ الْهُدٰٓى اِلَّآ اَنْ قَالُوْٓا اَبَعَثَ اللّٰهُ بَشَرًا رَّسُوْلًا) (17:94): After guidance came to them, people refrained from accepting it because they said, "Has Allah sent a human as a messenger?" Some details of this have already passed in the footnote of verse number 8. In the verse under explanation, they also denied, on the basis of this very idea, that Allah has revealed any book to a human. Allah said, if this is the case, then ask them! Who revealed the Torah to Musa (which they accept)?
91. 2 According to the aforementioned explanation of the verse, now the address is to the Jews, saying that you keep this book in scattered pages, from which you reveal whatever you wish and conceal whatever you wish, such as the issue of stoning or the matter of the attributes of the Prophet ﷺ. Hafiz Ibn Kathir and Imam Ibn Jarir Tabari, etc., have argued that this is a Makki verse, so how can it be addressed to the Jews? And some commentators have considered the entire verse to be related to the Jews, and the outright denial of prophethood and messengership in it is considered to be based on the stubbornness, obstinacy, and enmity of the Jews. Thus, there are three opinions among the commentators regarding the explanation of this verse: one, that the whole verse is about the Jews; second, that the whole verse is about the polytheists; and third, that the initial part of the verse is about the polytheists and the rest about the Jews. And Allah knows best.
91. 3 In the case of accepting it as related to the Jews, its explanation would be that you were informed through the Torah; otherwise, through the Quran.
91. 4 This is the answer to مَنْ أَنْزَلَ (Who sent down).
91. 2 According to the aforementioned explanation of the verse, now the address is to the Jews, saying that you keep this book in scattered pages, from which you reveal whatever you wish and conceal whatever you wish, such as the issue of stoning or the matter of the attributes of the Prophet ﷺ. Hafiz Ibn Kathir and Imam Ibn Jarir Tabari, etc., have argued that this is a Makki verse, so how can it be addressed to the Jews? And some commentators have considered the entire verse to be related to the Jews, and the outright denial of prophethood and messengership in it is considered to be based on the stubbornness, obstinacy, and enmity of the Jews. Thus, there are three opinions among the commentators regarding the explanation of this verse: one, that the whole verse is about the Jews; second, that the whole verse is about the polytheists; and third, that the initial part of the verse is about the polytheists and the rest about the Jews. And Allah knows best.
91. 3 In the case of accepting it as related to the Jews, its explanation would be that you were informed through the Torah; otherwise, through the Quran.
91. 4 This is the answer to مَنْ أَنْزَلَ (Who sent down).
