سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 101
وَإِذَا بَدَّلْنَآ ءَايَةً مَّكَانَ ءَايَةٍ ۙ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُنَزِّلُ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُفْتَرٍۭ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿101﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And when We change a Verse (of the Qur’ân,) in place of another - and Allâh knows best what He sends down - they (the disbelievers) say: "You (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) are but a Muftari! (forger, liar)." Nay, but most of them know not.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذَا
wa-idhā
And when
بَدَّلْنَآ
baddalnā
We substitute
ءَايَةًۭ
āyatan
a Verse
مَّكَانَ
makāna
(in) place
ءَايَةٍۢ ۙ
āyatin
(of) a Verse
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
and Allah
أَعْلَمُ
aʿlamu
(is) most knowing
بِمَا
bimā
of what
يُنَزِّلُ
yunazzilu
He sends down
قَالُوٓا۟
qālū
they say
إِنَّمَآ
innamā
Only
أَنتَ
anta
you
مُفْتَرٍۭ ۚ
muf'tarin
(are) an inventor
بَلْ
bal
Nay
أَكْثَرُهُمْ
aktharuhum
most of them
لَا
lā
(do) not
يَعْلَمُونَ
yaʿlamūna
know
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.
(Ayah101) ➊ {وَ اِذَا بَدَّلْنَاۤ اٰيَةً مَّكَانَ اٰيَةٍ :} That is, by abrogating the command of the previous verse, a new command is revealed. For discussion on abrogation, see Surah Al-Baqarah, verse (106). Now, from here, the doubts of the disbelievers are being answered. (Shawkani)
➋ { بَلْ اَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ :} That is, most of them call you, O Prophet (peace be upon him), a fabricator because of abrogation, since they do not have knowledge of the previous Shari‘ahs. If they had, they would have understood that it has always been Allah’s way that He sends down a command, and then whenever He wills, He abrogates it and sends down another command. {’’ اَكْثَرُهُمْ ‘‘} Therefore, it is said that some people, despite knowing everything, call you a fabricator out of stubbornness and enmity.
➌ This verse has two meanings: one is the one mentioned above, where {’’ اٰيَةٍ ‘‘} refers to a legal verse and command; the second meaning is a sign and miracle. At this point, {’’ اٰيَةٍ ‘‘} would mean a cosmic sign, for example, Abraham (peace be upon him) not being burned in the fire, the staff of Moses, the shining hand, reviving the dead by Allah’s command, etc. In the Ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him), Allah also changed the system of cosmic signs and revealed the Qur’an itself as a miracle, and challenged them to produce even a single surah like it, which no one has been able to answer to this day, nor will anyone be able to. Instead of the miracles of the previous prophets, this sign, i.e., miracle, was revealed which will remain after you until the Day of Judgment. When they had no answer, they called you a fabricator; He (Allah) stated that the Prophet is not a fabricator, rather these poor people are ignorant.
➋ { بَلْ اَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ :} That is, most of them call you, O Prophet (peace be upon him), a fabricator because of abrogation, since they do not have knowledge of the previous Shari‘ahs. If they had, they would have understood that it has always been Allah’s way that He sends down a command, and then whenever He wills, He abrogates it and sends down another command. {’’ اَكْثَرُهُمْ ‘‘} Therefore, it is said that some people, despite knowing everything, call you a fabricator out of stubbornness and enmity.
➌ This verse has two meanings: one is the one mentioned above, where {’’ اٰيَةٍ ‘‘} refers to a legal verse and command; the second meaning is a sign and miracle. At this point, {’’ اٰيَةٍ ‘‘} would mean a cosmic sign, for example, Abraham (peace be upon him) not being burned in the fire, the staff of Moses, the shining hand, reviving the dead by Allah’s command, etc. In the Ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him), Allah also changed the system of cosmic signs and revealed the Qur’an itself as a miracle, and challenged them to produce even a single surah like it, which no one has been able to answer to this day, nor will anyone be able to. Instead of the miracles of the previous prophets, this sign, i.e., miracle, was revealed which will remain after you until the Day of Judgment. When they had no answer, they called you a fabricator; He (Allah) stated that the Prophet is not a fabricator, rather these poor people are ignorant.
