سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 103
وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا يُعَلِّمُهُۥ بَشَرٌ ۗ لِّسَانُ ٱلَّذِى يُلْحِدُونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْجَمِىٌّ وَهَـٰذَا لِسَانٌ عَرَبِىٌّ مُّبِينٌ ﴿103﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And indeed We know that they (polytheists and pagans) say: "It is only a human being who teaches him (Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم)." The tongue of the man they refer to is foreign, while this (the Qur’ân) is a clear Arabic tongue.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَقَدْ
walaqad
And certainly
نَعْلَمُ
naʿlamu
We know
أَنَّهُمْ
annahum
that they
يَقُولُونَ
yaqūlūna
say
إِنَّمَا
innamā
Only
يُعَلِّمُهُۥ
yuʿallimuhu
teaches him
بَشَرٌۭ ۗ
basharun
a human being
لِّسَانُ
lisānu
(The) tongue
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
(of) the one
يُلْحِدُونَ
yul'ḥidūna
they refer
إِلَيْهِ
ilayhi
to him
أَعْجَمِىٌّۭ
aʿjamiyyun
(is) foreign
وَهَـٰذَا
wahādhā
while this
لِسَانٌ
lisānun
(is) a language
عَرَبِىٌّۭ
ʿarabiyyun
Arabic
مُّبِينٌ
mubīnun
clear
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.
(Ayah103) ➊ {وَ لَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ اَنَّهُمْ يَقُوْلُوْنَ …:} This was their second accusation against the Qur’an. There are several narrations regarding the identification of this person; in some, his name is given as Bal‘am, in others as Muqis, and in some as a slave of Ibn al-Hadrami. However, the authentic narration is the one narrated by Abdullah bin Muslim al-Hadrami, who says: “We had two Christian slaves who were residents of ‘Ayn al-Tamr. One was named Yasar, the other Jabir; both used to read some book. Sometimes the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would pass by them and stop. The polytheists began to say, ‘Muhammad (peace be upon him) learns from both of them.’ So Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed this verse.” (Tabari: 22073) In {’’الاستيعاب في بيان الاسباب‘‘}, this narration is called authentic and the other narrations are called weak, and Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, also called it authentic in {’’الاصابة‘‘}. In any case, just by stopping for a few moments with this person, they accused the Prophet (peace be upon him) of being his student and the Qur’an of being his speech. Allah the Exalted said: the one to whom they falsely attribute this is himself non-Arab, while the Qur’an is in the most eloquent Arabic.
➋ Al-Alusi said: “The Qur’an did not specify the name of this person, even though in that the lie of the disbelievers would have been more evident, because the point is to show that their fundamental error is not in designating a particular person as your teacher, but in designating any human being as your teacher.” What greater insult could there be to the Word of Allah, revealed through the Holy Spirit, than to call it the speech of a man, no matter how great a scholar he may be.
➋ Al-Alusi said: “The Qur’an did not specify the name of this person, even though in that the lie of the disbelievers would have been more evident, because the point is to show that their fundamental error is not in designating a particular person as your teacher, but in designating any human being as your teacher.” What greater insult could there be to the Word of Allah, revealed through the Holy Spirit, than to call it the speech of a man, no matter how great a scholar he may be.
