سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 40
إِنَّمَا قَوْلُنَا لِشَىْءٍ إِذَآ أَرَدْنَـٰهُ أَن نَّقُولَ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ ﴿40﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Verily! Our Word unto a thing when We intend it, is only that We say unto it: "Be!" - and it is.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِنَّمَا
innamā
Only
قَوْلُنَا
qawlunā
Our Word
لِشَىْءٍ
lishayin
to a thing
إِذَآ
idhā
when
أَرَدْنَـٰهُ
aradnāhu
We intend it
أَن
an
(is) that
نَّقُولَ
naqūla
We say
لَهُۥ
lahu
to it
كُن
kun
Be
فَيَكُونُ
fayakūnu
and it is
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.
(Ayah40){اِنَّمَا قَوْلُنَا لِشَيْءٍ …:} That is, for the One whose power is such, resurrecting the dead is not at all difficult. From this, it is also established that Allah speaks. In many places in the Qur’an and Hadith, Allah’s speaking is mentioned in explicit words. (See Nisa: 164, Tawbah: 6) Those influenced by the infidel philosophy of Greece said that Allah cannot speak, nor can He hear, nor see. Some of our Muslims, who want to accept both the Qur’an and Greek philosophy, called Allah’s speech a creation and interpreted hearing and seeing to mean that He knows, whereas speech, creation, hearing, seeing, and knowledge are all separate attributes, and Allah Himself has described these attributes for Himself. However, these attributes of His are not like those of the creation; rather, He said: «{ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهٖ شَيْءٌ وَ هُوَ السَّمِيْعُ الْبَصِيْرُ} » [ الشورٰی : ۱۱ ] “There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” In the same way, Allah also speaks, but in a manner befitting His majesty. In summary, the fact that there is nothing like Him does not mean that you should deny His established attributes such as hearing, seeing, and speaking, nor should you interpret them in a way that results in their denial.
