سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 88
۞ قَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ مِن قَوْمِهِۦ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يَـٰشُعَيْبُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَكَ مِن قَرْيَتِنَآ أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِى مِلَّتِنَا ۚ قَالَ أَوَلَوْ كُنَّا كَـٰرِهِينَ ﴿88﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
The chiefs of those who were arrogant among his people said: "We shall certainly drive you out, O Shu‘aib, and those who have believed with you from our town, or else you (all) shall return to our religion." He said: "Even though we hate it!?"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ قَالَ
qāla
Said
ٱلْمَلَأُ
l-mala-u
the chiefs
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
(of) those who
ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟
is'takbarū
were arrogant
مِن
min
among
قَوْمِهِۦ
qawmihi
his people
لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ
lanukh'rijannaka
We will surely drive you out
يَـٰشُعَيْبُ
yāshuʿaybu
O Shuaib
وَٱلَّذِينَ
wa-alladhīna
And those who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
(have) believed
مَعَكَ
maʿaka
with you
مِن
min
from
قَرْيَتِنَآ
qaryatinā
our city
أَوْ
aw
or
لَتَعُودُنَّ
lataʿūdunna
you must return
فِى
fī
to
مِلَّتِنَا ۚ
millatinā
our religion
قَالَ
qāla
He said
أَوَلَوْ
awalaw
Even if
كُنَّا
kunnā
we are
كَـٰرِهِينَ
kārihīna
(the) ones who hate (it)
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.
88. 1. Consider the arrogance and rebellion of these leaders: not only did they reject the call to faith and monotheism, but they went even further by threatening Allah’s Messenger and those who believed in him, saying, “Either return to your ancestral religion, or we will expel you from here.” For the believers, the idea of returning to their former religion is understandable because they had abandoned disbelief and embraced faith. But inviting Prophet Shu‘ayb (عليه السلام) to return to the ancestral religion was in the sense that, before his prophethood and preaching, they considered him to be of their own religion, even though in reality it was not so. Or, by way of generalization, they included him as well. (2) This is the answer to an implied question, and the hamzah is for interrogative denial, while the waw is for the present state. That is, “Will you return us to your religion or expel us from our town, while we do not wish to return to that religion or to leave this town?” The meaning is that it is not appropriate for you to force us to choose either of these options.
