سُوْرَةُ اِبْرَاهِيْمَ
Surah Ibrahim (14) — Ayah 9
أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَبَؤُا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ ۛ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ ۛ لَا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ۚ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ فَرَدُّوٓا۟ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فِىٓ أَفْوَٰهِهِمْ وَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا كَفَرْنَا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِۦ وَإِنَّا لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَنَآ إِلَيْهِ مُرِيبٍ ﴿9﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Has not the news reached you, of those before you, the people of Nûh (Noah), and ‘Âd, and Thamûd? And those after them? None knows them but Allâh. To them came their Messengers with clear proofs, but they put their hands in their mouths (biting them from anger) and said: "Verily, we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent, and we are really in grave doubt as to that to which you invite us (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism)."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَلَمْ
alam
Has not
يَأْتِكُمْ
yatikum
come to you
نَبَؤُا۟
naba-u
(the) news
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
(of) those who
مِن
min
(were) before you
قَبْلِكُمْ
qablikum
(were) before you
قَوْمِ
qawmi
the people
نُوحٍۢ
nūḥin
of Nuh
وَعَادٍۢ
waʿādin
and Aad
وَثَمُودَ ۛ
wathamūda
and Thamud
وَٱلَّذِينَ
wa-alladhīna
and those who
مِنۢ
min
(were) after them
بَعْدِهِمْ ۛ
baʿdihim
(were) after them
لَا
lā
None
يَعْلَمُهُمْ
yaʿlamuhum
knows them
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱللَّهُ ۚ
l-lahu
Allah
جَآءَتْهُمْ
jāathum
Came to them
رُسُلُهُم
rusuluhum
their Messengers
بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ
bil-bayināti
with clear proofs
فَرَدُّوٓا۟
faraddū
but they returned
أَيْدِيَهُمْ
aydiyahum
their hands
فِىٓ
fī
in
أَفْوَٰهِهِمْ
afwāhihim
their mouths
وَقَالُوٓا۟
waqālū
and they said
إِنَّا
innā
Indeed we
كَفَرْنَا
kafarnā
[we] disbelieve
بِمَآ
bimā
in what
أُرْسِلْتُم
ur'sil'tum
you have been sent
بِهِۦ
bihi
with [it]
وَإِنَّا
wa-innā
and indeed, we
لَفِى
lafī
(are) surely in
شَكٍّۢ
shakkin
doubt
مِّمَّا
mimmā
about what
تَدْعُونَنَآ
tadʿūnanā
you invite us
إِلَيْهِ
ilayhi
to it
مُرِيبٍۢ
murībin
suspicious
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.
(Ayah9) ➊ { لَا يَعْلَمُهُمْ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ :} That is, Allah Almighty alone knows their number and all their circumstances, and no one except Allah knows their lineage correctly.
➋ { فَرَدُّوْۤا اَيْدِيَهُمْ فِيْۤ اَفْوَاهِهِمْ :} That is, out of anger, they began to bite their hands, as in another verse it is said about the hypocrites: «{ وَ اِذَا خَلَوْا عَضُّوْا عَلَيْكُمُ الْاَنَامِلَ مِنَ الْغَيْظِ }» [ آل عمران : ۱۱۹ ] "And (these hypocrites) when they are alone, they bite their fingertips at you in rage." Or, out of laughter and astonishment, they put their hands on the messengers' mouths, or they gestured by bringing their hands to the messengers' mouths to indicate, "Just be quiet." Most commentators have preferred the first meaning; another meaning could be that these people put their hands on the mouths of the messengers so that they would remain silent.
➌ From the words of {وَ قَالُوْۤا اِنَّا كَفَرْنَا بِمَاۤ اُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهٖ … : ’’ بِمَاۤ اُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهٖ ‘‘}, it is understood that after seeing the signs of the prophets, they certainly realized that these messengers were sent with these miracles, and the messengers themselves did not bring these miracles. Therefore, although they refused to accept the call to monotheism, their conviction in their disbelief was also shaken, and they said that regarding your call, we are in a restless and troubling doubt.
➋ { فَرَدُّوْۤا اَيْدِيَهُمْ فِيْۤ اَفْوَاهِهِمْ :} That is, out of anger, they began to bite their hands, as in another verse it is said about the hypocrites: «{ وَ اِذَا خَلَوْا عَضُّوْا عَلَيْكُمُ الْاَنَامِلَ مِنَ الْغَيْظِ }» [ آل عمران : ۱۱۹ ] "And (these hypocrites) when they are alone, they bite their fingertips at you in rage." Or, out of laughter and astonishment, they put their hands on the messengers' mouths, or they gestured by bringing their hands to the messengers' mouths to indicate, "Just be quiet." Most commentators have preferred the first meaning; another meaning could be that these people put their hands on the mouths of the messengers so that they would remain silent.
➌ From the words of {وَ قَالُوْۤا اِنَّا كَفَرْنَا بِمَاۤ اُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهٖ … : ’’ بِمَاۤ اُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهٖ ‘‘}, it is understood that after seeing the signs of the prophets, they certainly realized that these messengers were sent with these miracles, and the messengers themselves did not bring these miracles. Therefore, although they refused to accept the call to monotheism, their conviction in their disbelief was also shaken, and they said that regarding your call, we are in a restless and troubling doubt.
