سُوْرَةُ اِبْرَاهِيْمَ
Surah Ibrahim (14) — Ayah 46
وَقَدْ مَكَرُوا۟ مَكْرَهُمْ وَعِندَ ٱللَّهِ مَكْرُهُمْ وَإِن كَانَ مَكْرُهُمْ لِتَزُولَ مِنْهُ ٱلْجِبَالُ ﴿46﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Indeed, they planned their plot, and their plot was with Allâh, though their plot was not such as to remove the mountains (real mountains or the Islâmic law) from their places (as it is of no importance)[Tafsir Ibn Kathir].
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَقَدْ
waqad
And indeed
مَكَرُوا۟
makarū
they planned
مَكْرَهُمْ
makrahum
their plan
وَعِندَ
waʿinda
but with
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
مَكْرُهُمْ
makruhum
(was) their plan
وَإِن
wa-in
even if
كَانَ
kāna
was
مَكْرُهُمْ
makruhum
their plan
لِتَزُولَ
litazūla
that should be moved
مِنْهُ
min'hu
by it
ٱلْجِبَالُ
l-jibālu
the mountains
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.
(Ayah46) ➊ {وَ قَدْ مَكَرُوْا مَكْرَهُمْ …: } That is, the previous disbelievers and the present disbelievers made every possible and most dangerous secret plan and conspiracy they could against their prophets and the people of faith. This is what is meant by {’’ مَكْرَهُمْ ‘‘}, and Allah had knowledge of all their conspiracies. In the commentaries under this verse, the story of Nimrod is also mentioned, which is not established with authenticity. (Razi)
➋ {وَ اِنْ كَانَ مَكْرُهُمْ لِتَزُوْلَ مِنْهُ الْجِبَالُ:} This is { ’’ اِنْ ‘‘} nafiya (meaning "not"), after which there is a kasrah on the laam, it is called laam of negation (laam jahd), which comes for emphasis of negation, and after it the present tense verb is made mansub with {’’أَنْ‘‘}, which is obligatorily omitted after laam jahd. This is the common recitation, and its meaning is: "Their plotting was never such that the mountains could be moved by it," meaning the religion of Allah, which is as firm as mountains, could never be harmed by their conspiracies.
Kisai's recitation is different from this; he reads {’’ لِتَزُوْلَ ‘‘} with a fathah on the laam and {’’ تَزُوْلُ‘‘ } as marfu'. In this case, in {’’ وَ اِنْ كَانَ مَكْرُهُمْ ‘‘}, { ’’ اِنْ ‘‘ ’’إِنَّهُ‘‘} (i.e., the particle resembling a verb { ’’إِنَّ‘‘} and its pronoun of status {’’ هٗ ‘‘ } as its substitute) is a lightened form of {’’إِنَّهُ‘‘}, and in { ’’لَتَزُوْلُ‘‘} the initial laam is for emphasis. The meaning will be that surely their plotting and conspiracy was so dangerous and extremely frightening that even the mountains (if they could somehow be moved from their place) would certainly have been moved by these conspiracies.
Note that this translation will be in the case of {’’لَتَزُوْلُ‘‘}, i.e., the initial laam with fathah and the final laam marfu'; if someone translates the first recitation (i.e., the first laam with kasrah and the last mansub) in this way, then it will not be correct. In terms of meaning, both the second recitation is very excellent and the first as well.
➋ {وَ اِنْ كَانَ مَكْرُهُمْ لِتَزُوْلَ مِنْهُ الْجِبَالُ:} This is { ’’ اِنْ ‘‘} nafiya (meaning "not"), after which there is a kasrah on the laam, it is called laam of negation (laam jahd), which comes for emphasis of negation, and after it the present tense verb is made mansub with {’’أَنْ‘‘}, which is obligatorily omitted after laam jahd. This is the common recitation, and its meaning is: "Their plotting was never such that the mountains could be moved by it," meaning the religion of Allah, which is as firm as mountains, could never be harmed by their conspiracies.
Kisai's recitation is different from this; he reads {’’ لِتَزُوْلَ ‘‘} with a fathah on the laam and {’’ تَزُوْلُ‘‘ } as marfu'. In this case, in {’’ وَ اِنْ كَانَ مَكْرُهُمْ ‘‘}, { ’’ اِنْ ‘‘ ’’إِنَّهُ‘‘} (i.e., the particle resembling a verb { ’’إِنَّ‘‘} and its pronoun of status {’’ هٗ ‘‘ } as its substitute) is a lightened form of {’’إِنَّهُ‘‘}, and in { ’’لَتَزُوْلُ‘‘} the initial laam is for emphasis. The meaning will be that surely their plotting and conspiracy was so dangerous and extremely frightening that even the mountains (if they could somehow be moved from their place) would certainly have been moved by these conspiracies.
Note that this translation will be in the case of {’’لَتَزُوْلُ‘‘}, i.e., the initial laam with fathah and the final laam marfu'; if someone translates the first recitation (i.e., the first laam with kasrah and the last mansub) in this way, then it will not be correct. In terms of meaning, both the second recitation is very excellent and the first as well.
