سُوْرَةُ يُوْنُسَ
Surah Yunus (10) — Ayah 19
وَمَا كَانَ ٱلنَّاسُ إِلَّآ أُمَّةً وَٰحِدَةً فَٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ﴿19﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Mankind were but one community (i.e. on one religion - Islâmic Monotheism), then they differed (later); and had not it been for a Word that went forth before from your Lord, it would have been settled between them regarding what they differed.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَا
wamā
And not
كَانَ
kāna
was
ٱلنَّاسُ
l-nāsu
the mankind
إِلَّآ
illā
but
أُمَّةًۭ
ummatan
a community
وَٰحِدَةًۭ
wāḥidatan
one
فَٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ ۚ
fa-ikh'talafū
then they differed
وَلَوْلَا
walawlā
And had (it) not been
كَلِمَةٌۭ
kalimatun
a word
سَبَقَتْ
sabaqat
(that) preceded
مِن
min
from
رَّبِّكَ
rabbika
your Lord
لَقُضِىَ
laquḍiya
surely, it (would) have been judged
بَيْنَهُمْ
baynahum
between them
فِيمَا
fīmā
concerning what
فِيهِ
fīhi
[therein]
يَخْتَلِفُونَ
yakhtalifūna
they differ
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 19) ➊ { وَ مَا كَانَ النَّاسُ اِلَّاۤ اُمَّةً وَّاحِدَةً فَاخْتَلَفُوْا :} Contrary to the atheist philosophers and historians of this age, the Quran repeatedly proclaims that the origin of humanity was not in disbelief or polytheism, but in pure monotheism. In the beginning, all humans followed one religion, that is, Islam, and they belonged to one community, but gradually they deviated from this religion and, following their desires, differed among themselves and invented religions and laws of their own choosing. See Surah Al-Baqarah (2:213).
➋ {وَ لَوْ لَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ …:} That is, if Allah Almighty had not already decided that people in the world would be given respite, so that they could use their intellect and understanding to choose whichever path they wished and abandon whichever path they wished, and that they would be rewarded or punished for their good or bad deeds only on the Day of Resurrection, then Allah Almighty would have long ago exposed the truth and seized those who left the path of faith and walked the path of disbelief and polytheism. (Ibn Kathir, Qurtubi)
➋ {وَ لَوْ لَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ …:} That is, if Allah Almighty had not already decided that people in the world would be given respite, so that they could use their intellect and understanding to choose whichever path they wished and abandon whichever path they wished, and that they would be rewarded or punished for their good or bad deeds only on the Day of Resurrection, then Allah Almighty would have long ago exposed the truth and seized those who left the path of faith and walked the path of disbelief and polytheism. (Ibn Kathir, Qurtubi)
