سُوْرَةُ الإِسۡرَاءِ
Surah Al-Israa (17) — Ayah 99
۞ أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ قَادِرٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يَخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَهُمْ أَجَلًا لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهِ فَأَبَى ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ إِلَّا كُفُورًا ﴿99﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
See they not that Allâh, Who created the heavens and the earth, is Able to create the like of them. And He has decreed for them an appointed term, whereof there is no doubt. But the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers) refuse (the truth - the Message of Islâmic Monotheism, and accept nothing) but disbelief.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ أَوَلَمْ
awalam
Do not
يَرَوْا۟
yaraw
they see
أَنَّ
anna
that
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
the One Who
خَلَقَ
khalaqa
created
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ
l-samāwāti
the heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضَ
wal-arḍa
and the earth
قَادِرٌ
qādirun
(is) Able
عَلَىٰٓ
ʿalā
[on]
أَن
an
to
يَخْلُقَ
yakhluqa
create
مِثْلَهُمْ
mith'lahum
the like of them
وَجَعَلَ
wajaʿala
And He has made
لَهُمْ
lahum
for them
أَجَلًۭا
ajalan
a term
لَّا
lā
no
رَيْبَ
rayba
doubt
فِيهِ
fīhi
in it
فَأَبَى
fa-abā
But refused
ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
l-ẓālimūna
the wrongdoers
إِلَّا
illā
except
كُفُورًۭا
kufūran
disbelief
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.
(Ayah 99) ➊ The meaning of {’’اَوَ لَمْ يَرَوْا ‘‘} is {’’أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوْا‘‘}, that is, "Do they not know?" See Surah Al-Fil and Ibrahim (24). The meaning is that they do know. The interrogative hamzah over {’’ لَمْ ‘‘} is for rebuke, so the meaning becomes affirmative, because the negation of a negation is affirmation.
➋ { اَنَّ اللّٰهَ الَّذِيْ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ …:} This is the rational answer to their denial of the Resurrection: that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, also has the power to create the likes of them, because the creation of the earth and the heavens is much more difficult than their creation. See Surah Ya-Sin (81), Ahqaf (33), Mumin (57), and Nazi'at (27).
➌ { اَنْ يَّخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُمْ :} "The likes of them" means that He can create them again. The word {’’ مِثْلَهُمْ ‘‘} is for contempt, as it is said, "People like you are indeed wretched, what power do the likes of you have?" The meaning is: what power do you have? The second meaning is that the Allah Who created the heavens and the earth is able to create other people in their place who believe in His Oneness, are free from such corrupt doubts, and acknowledge His perfect wisdom in establishing the Resurrection, as He said: «وَ اِنْ تَتَوَلَّوْا يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَكُوْنُوْۤا اَمْثَالَكُمْ » [ محمد : ۳۸ ] "And if you turn away, He will replace you with other people, then they will not be like you." Both meanings are correct.
➍ The conjunction of {وَ جَعَلَ لَهُمْ اَجَلًا … : ’’ جَعَلَ ‘‘} is with {’’ قَادِرٌ ‘‘}, which is like {’’قَدَرَ‘‘}, meaning He is able to create people like them and He has fixed a time for the death and resurrection of all of them, about whose coming there is no doubt. Therefore, to deny resurrection merely because of its delay is utter foolishness. See Surah Hud (103, 104).
➋ { اَنَّ اللّٰهَ الَّذِيْ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ …:} This is the rational answer to their denial of the Resurrection: that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, also has the power to create the likes of them, because the creation of the earth and the heavens is much more difficult than their creation. See Surah Ya-Sin (81), Ahqaf (33), Mumin (57), and Nazi'at (27).
➌ { اَنْ يَّخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُمْ :} "The likes of them" means that He can create them again. The word {’’ مِثْلَهُمْ ‘‘} is for contempt, as it is said, "People like you are indeed wretched, what power do the likes of you have?" The meaning is: what power do you have? The second meaning is that the Allah Who created the heavens and the earth is able to create other people in their place who believe in His Oneness, are free from such corrupt doubts, and acknowledge His perfect wisdom in establishing the Resurrection, as He said: «وَ اِنْ تَتَوَلَّوْا يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَكُوْنُوْۤا اَمْثَالَكُمْ » [ محمد : ۳۸ ] "And if you turn away, He will replace you with other people, then they will not be like you." Both meanings are correct.
➍ The conjunction of {وَ جَعَلَ لَهُمْ اَجَلًا … : ’’ جَعَلَ ‘‘} is with {’’ قَادِرٌ ‘‘}, which is like {’’قَدَرَ‘‘}, meaning He is able to create people like them and He has fixed a time for the death and resurrection of all of them, about whose coming there is no doubt. Therefore, to deny resurrection merely because of its delay is utter foolishness. See Surah Hud (103, 104).
