سُوْرَةُ هُوْدٍ
Surah Hud (11) — Ayah 29
وَيَـٰقَوْمِ لَآ أَسْـَٔلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مَالًا ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ بِطَارِدِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُم مُّلَـٰقُوا۟ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَـٰكِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰكُمْ قَوْمًا تَجْهَلُونَ ﴿29﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"And O my people! I ask of you no wealth for it, my reward is from none but Allâh. I am not going to drive away those who have believed. Surely, they are going to meet their Lord, but I see that you are a people that are ignorant.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَيَـٰقَوْمِ
wayāqawmi
And O my people
لَآ
lā
not
أَسْـَٔلُكُمْ
asalukum
I ask (of) you
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
for it
مَالًا ۖ
mālan
any wealth
إِنْ
in
Not
أَجْرِىَ
ajriya
(is) my reward
إِلَّا
illā
except
عَلَى
ʿalā
from
ٱللَّهِ ۚ
l-lahi
Allah
وَمَآ
wamā
And not
أَنَا۠
anā
I am
بِطَارِدِ
biṭāridi
going to drive away
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
ءَامَنُوٓا۟ ۚ
āmanū
believed
إِنَّهُم
innahum
Indeed, they
مُّلَـٰقُوا۟
mulāqū
(will) be meeting
رَبِّهِمْ
rabbihim
their Lord
وَلَـٰكِنِّىٓ
walākinnī
but I
أَرَىٰكُمْ
arākum
see you
قَوْمًۭا
qawman
(are) a people
تَجْهَلُونَ
tajhalūna
ignorant
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 30,29) ➊ { وَ يٰقَوْمِ لَاۤ اَسْـَٔلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مَالًا …:} And O my people! I do not ask you for any reward for delivering this message of Allah to you, lest you think that Noah has made up the excuse of prophethood to amass wealth. My reward is due from none but Allah, and I do not demand anything of this world from you.
➋ { وَ مَاۤ اَنَا بِطَارِدِ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا :} That is, as long as you continue to dislike and detest coming under the mercy (Islam) of Allah, I cannot force you to accept Islam against your will, just as you want me to drive out those who have followed me, since they are people of the lower class, I can never do such a thing. This was the same kind of demand that the chiefs of Quraysh made from the Prophet (peace be upon him), but Allah forbade him from it. See Surah Al-An'am (52), Al-Kahf (28), and Surah Abasa.
➌ { اِنَّهُمْ مُّلٰقُوْا رَبِّهِمْ:} That is, if I mistreat them or drive them out of my gathering, then they will seek justice from Allah, so what answer will I give? Or, those people will gain honor with Allah and, due to their faith and deeds, will attain rank and status in that exalted court, so what difference does it make if you consider them lowly? This is the answer to their second objection: O Noah! Your followers are our lowly ones. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "The disbelievers considered the Muslims lowly and wanted them to be driven away so that they would sit with you and listen to your words. So it was said that Allah will judge the matters of the heart when they meet Him. If I drive away the Muslims, who will save me from Allah? And they considered them lowly because they used to earn a living. There is no better earning than earning through work, so it was said that you are ignorant." (Muwadhih)
➍ {وَ لٰكِنِّيْۤ اَرٰىكُمْ قَوْمًا تَجْهَلُوْنَ :} That is, you do not understand anything properly; your attention is only on outward things and you do not consider the outcome. Is it any sense to say that such and such a person is from a lowly class, so do not let him sit with you? With Allah, only the believer and the pious are honored. No matter how highborn a disbeliever or evildoer is, in the sight of Allah he is worse than even the lowest of the low.
➋ { وَ مَاۤ اَنَا بِطَارِدِ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا :} That is, as long as you continue to dislike and detest coming under the mercy (Islam) of Allah, I cannot force you to accept Islam against your will, just as you want me to drive out those who have followed me, since they are people of the lower class, I can never do such a thing. This was the same kind of demand that the chiefs of Quraysh made from the Prophet (peace be upon him), but Allah forbade him from it. See Surah Al-An'am (52), Al-Kahf (28), and Surah Abasa.
➌ { اِنَّهُمْ مُّلٰقُوْا رَبِّهِمْ:} That is, if I mistreat them or drive them out of my gathering, then they will seek justice from Allah, so what answer will I give? Or, those people will gain honor with Allah and, due to their faith and deeds, will attain rank and status in that exalted court, so what difference does it make if you consider them lowly? This is the answer to their second objection: O Noah! Your followers are our lowly ones. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "The disbelievers considered the Muslims lowly and wanted them to be driven away so that they would sit with you and listen to your words. So it was said that Allah will judge the matters of the heart when they meet Him. If I drive away the Muslims, who will save me from Allah? And they considered them lowly because they used to earn a living. There is no better earning than earning through work, so it was said that you are ignorant." (Muwadhih)
➍ {وَ لٰكِنِّيْۤ اَرٰىكُمْ قَوْمًا تَجْهَلُوْنَ :} That is, you do not understand anything properly; your attention is only on outward things and you do not consider the outcome. Is it any sense to say that such and such a person is from a lowly class, so do not let him sit with you? With Allah, only the believer and the pious are honored. No matter how highborn a disbeliever or evildoer is, in the sight of Allah he is worse than even the lowest of the low.
