سُوْرَةُ هُوْدٍ
Surah Hud (11) — Ayah 27
فَقَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن قَوْمِهِۦ مَا نَرَىٰكَ إِلَّا بَشَرًا مِّثْلَنَا وَمَا نَرَىٰكَ ٱتَّبَعَكَ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ أَرَاذِلُنَا بَادِىَ ٱلرَّأْىِ وَمَا نَرَىٰ لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا مِن فَضْلٍۭ بَلْ نَظُنُّكُمْ كَـٰذِبِينَ ﴿27﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
The chiefs who disbelieved among his people said: "We see you but a man like ourselves, nor do we see any follow you but the meanest among us and they (too) followed you without thinking. And we do not see in you any merit above us, in fact we think you are liars."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَقَالَ
faqāla
So said
ٱلْمَلَأُ
l-mala-u
the chiefs
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
(of) those who
كَفَرُوا۟
kafarū
disbelieved
مِن
min
from
قَوْمِهِۦ
qawmihi
his people
مَا
mā
Not
نَرَىٰكَ
narāka
we see you
إِلَّا
illā
but
بَشَرًۭا
basharan
a man
مِّثْلَنَا
mith'lanā
like us
وَمَا
wamā
and not
نَرَىٰكَ
narāka
we see you
ٱتَّبَعَكَ
ittabaʿaka
followed [you]
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
هُمْ
hum
[they]
أَرَاذِلُنَا
arādhilunā
(are) the lowest of us
بَادِىَ
bādiya
immature in opinion
ٱلرَّأْىِ
l-rayi
immature in opinion
وَمَا
wamā
And not
نَرَىٰ
narā
we see
لَكُمْ
lakum
in you
عَلَيْنَا
ʿalaynā
over us
مِن
min
any
فَضْلٍۭ
faḍlin
merit
بَلْ
bal
nay
نَظُنُّكُمْ
naẓunnukum
we think you
كَـٰذِبِينَ
kādhibīna
(are) liars
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 27) ➊ {فَقَالَ الْمَلَاُ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا مِنْ قَوْمِهٖ: } Alusi said: The word { ’’ الْمَلَاُ ‘‘ } is a collective noun, just like {’’رَهْطٌ‘‘ } (group). This word does not have a singular form. The meaning of {’’ مَلَأَ يَمْلَأُ ‘‘} is to fill, that is, a group of people united in opinion, whose awe, majesty, and outward appearance fill the eyes. (Raghib)
➋ {مَا نَرٰىكَ اِلَّا بَشَرًا مِّثْلَنَا :} Just as the disbelievers of the communities of Noah (peace be upon him) and other prophets used to say about them, the disbelievers of Mecca also used to say the same thing about our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): How can a person who is a human like us, who eats and drinks, walks in the markets, sleeps and wakes, has wives and children, be a messenger of Allah? (See Furqan: 7) The meaning is that there is a contradiction between prophethood and humanity, and it is impossible for both to be combined in one person, whereas all the prophets had both qualities combined, as He said: «{ قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيْ هَلْ كُنْتُ اِلَّا بَشَرًا رَّسُوْلًا }» [ بنی إسرائیل : ۹۳ ] "Say: My Lord is pure, I am nothing but a human who is a messenger." And see Surah Furqan (20) and Muminoon (33, 34). The disbelievers knew you were a human, because you were born among them, so they refused to accept you as a messenger. It is unfortunate that some hereditary Muslims, having heard from their forefathers, accept you as a messenger but deny your humanity. In reality, it is the same mindset that a human cannot be a messenger.
➌ {وَ مَا نَرٰىكَ اتَّبَعَكَ … : ’’اَرَاذِلُ‘‘ ’’اَرْذَلُ‘‘} is the plural, meaning people of lower status. If it is the active participle from { ’’ بَادِيَ ‘‘ ’’ بَدَا يَبْدُوْ ‘‘} (to appear), the meaning will be "apparent in sight," and if it is from {’’بَدَءَ يَبْدَءُ‘‘} (to begin), the meaning will be "at first glance," that is, we cannot follow you for this reason as well, that some people who have become your followers are visibly, just by looking, our "razaleh," meaning people of lower status. As if, in their view, following a person whose followers are people of the lower class in society is beneath their dignity. (See Shu'ara: 111) Exactly the same thing was said by the affluent people of Mecca about the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), that his followers are the slaves and lower class of our nation. (See An'am: 52 to 54) Whereas history proves that the initial followers of the truth have always been, in worldly terms, the weak people, as is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari in the questions and answers between Heraclius and Abu Sufyan, that when Abu Sufyan said that the weak have followed him, Heraclius said, "These have always been the followers of all the messengers." [ بخاری، بدء الوحی، باب کیف کان بدء الوحی … : ۷ ]
➍ { وَ مَا نَرٰى لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ فَضْلٍ:} "We do not see any superiority in you over ourselves"—this address of the nation is to Noah (peace be upon him) and his followers, that in any matter you are not superior to us.
➎ { بَلْ نَظُنُّكُمْ كٰذِبِيْنَ:} That is, in the matter that you say Noah (peace be upon him) is the messenger of Allah.
➋ {مَا نَرٰىكَ اِلَّا بَشَرًا مِّثْلَنَا :} Just as the disbelievers of the communities of Noah (peace be upon him) and other prophets used to say about them, the disbelievers of Mecca also used to say the same thing about our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): How can a person who is a human like us, who eats and drinks, walks in the markets, sleeps and wakes, has wives and children, be a messenger of Allah? (See Furqan: 7) The meaning is that there is a contradiction between prophethood and humanity, and it is impossible for both to be combined in one person, whereas all the prophets had both qualities combined, as He said: «{ قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيْ هَلْ كُنْتُ اِلَّا بَشَرًا رَّسُوْلًا }» [ بنی إسرائیل : ۹۳ ] "Say: My Lord is pure, I am nothing but a human who is a messenger." And see Surah Furqan (20) and Muminoon (33, 34). The disbelievers knew you were a human, because you were born among them, so they refused to accept you as a messenger. It is unfortunate that some hereditary Muslims, having heard from their forefathers, accept you as a messenger but deny your humanity. In reality, it is the same mindset that a human cannot be a messenger.
➌ {وَ مَا نَرٰىكَ اتَّبَعَكَ … : ’’اَرَاذِلُ‘‘ ’’اَرْذَلُ‘‘} is the plural, meaning people of lower status. If it is the active participle from { ’’ بَادِيَ ‘‘ ’’ بَدَا يَبْدُوْ ‘‘} (to appear), the meaning will be "apparent in sight," and if it is from {’’بَدَءَ يَبْدَءُ‘‘} (to begin), the meaning will be "at first glance," that is, we cannot follow you for this reason as well, that some people who have become your followers are visibly, just by looking, our "razaleh," meaning people of lower status. As if, in their view, following a person whose followers are people of the lower class in society is beneath their dignity. (See Shu'ara: 111) Exactly the same thing was said by the affluent people of Mecca about the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), that his followers are the slaves and lower class of our nation. (See An'am: 52 to 54) Whereas history proves that the initial followers of the truth have always been, in worldly terms, the weak people, as is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari in the questions and answers between Heraclius and Abu Sufyan, that when Abu Sufyan said that the weak have followed him, Heraclius said, "These have always been the followers of all the messengers." [ بخاری، بدء الوحی، باب کیف کان بدء الوحی … : ۷ ]
➍ { وَ مَا نَرٰى لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ فَضْلٍ:} "We do not see any superiority in you over ourselves"—this address of the nation is to Noah (peace be upon him) and his followers, that in any matter you are not superior to us.
➎ { بَلْ نَظُنُّكُمْ كٰذِبِيْنَ:} That is, in the matter that you say Noah (peace be upon him) is the messenger of Allah.
