سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 24
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُم مَّاذَآ أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ ۙ قَالُوٓا۟ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ ﴿24﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And when it is said to them: "What is it that your Lord has sent down (unto Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم)?" They say: "Tales of the men of old!"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذَا
wa-idhā
And when
قِيلَ
qīla
it is said
لَهُم
lahum
to them
مَّاذَآ
mādhā
What
أَنزَلَ
anzala
has your Lord sent down
رَبُّكُمْ ۙ
rabbukum
has your Lord sent down
قَالُوٓا۟
qālū
They say
أَسَـٰطِيرُ
asāṭīru
Tales
ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
l-awalīna
(of) the ancient
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.
“Asātīr” (fables) is the plural of “usṭūrah” {وَ اِذَا قِيْلَ لَهُمْ مَّا ذَاۤ اَنْزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ قَالُوْۤا …: ’’ اَسَاطِيْرُ ‘‘ ’’أُسْطُوْرَةٌ‘‘}, just as it is of {’’اَعَاجِيْبُ‘‘ ’’أُعْجُوْبَةٌ‘‘}. What is meant is baseless, false stories and legends. This is the comment of those arrogant disbelievers about the Noble Qur’an, which they used to make among themselves and spread, that this is not the word of Allah, but rather Muhammad (peace be upon him) has heard some tales of the former people from somewhere, and is presenting them to the people under the name of Allah’s word by piecing them together.
