سُوْرَةُ الْكَهْفِ
Surah Al-Kahf (18) — Ayah 5
مَّا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ وَلَا لِـَٔابَآئِهِمْ ۚ كَبُرَتْ كَلِمَةً تَخْرُجُ مِنْ أَفْوَٰهِهِمْ ۚ إِن يَقُولُونَ إِلَّا كَذِبًا ﴿5﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
No knowledge have they of such a thing, nor had their fathers. Mighty is the word that comes out of their mouths [i.e. He begot sons and daughters]. They utter nothing but a lie.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
مَّا
mā
Not
لَهُم
lahum
they have
بِهِۦ
bihi
about it
مِنْ
min
any
عِلْمٍۢ
ʿil'min
knowledge
وَلَا
walā
and not
لِـَٔابَآئِهِمْ ۚ
liābāihim
their forefathers
كَبُرَتْ
kaburat
Grave (is)
كَلِمَةًۭ
kalimatan
the word
تَخْرُجُ
takhruju
(that) comes out
مِنْ
min
of
أَفْوَٰهِهِمْ ۚ
afwāhihim
their mouths
إِن
in
Not
يَقُولُونَ
yaqūlūna
they say
إِلَّا
illā
except
كَذِبًۭا
kadhiban
a lie
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 5) ➊ {مَا لَهُمْ بِهٖ مِنْ عِلْمٍ …:} That is, neither do they have any evidence for Allah having offspring, nor do their forefathers, because knowledge is that for which there is some evidence. Their ancestors uttered this statement out of sheer ignorance without any knowledge, and they followed them merely on the basis of ignorance. Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) has beautifully said about imitation:
{اَلْعِلْمُ قَالَ اللّٰهُ قَالَ رَسُوْلُهُ ¤ مَا ذَاكَ وَالتَّقْلِيْدُ يَسْتَوِيَانِ ¤ اِذْ أَجْمَعَ الْعُلَمَاءُ أَنَّ مُقَلِّدًا ¤ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْأَعْمَي هُمَا سِيَّانِ}
“Knowledge is what Allah has said and what His Messenger has said. This and imitation are not equal, because there is consensus among the scholars that the one who imitates people and the blind person are equal.”
➋ {كَبُرَتْ كَلِمَةً … : ’’ كَبُرَتْ ‘‘} The past tense is used for condemnation, as if it is from the category of actions of praise and blame. {’’ كَبُرَتْ ‘‘} is a verb of blame, its subject {’’هِيَ‘‘} is omitted, {’’ كَلِمَةً ‘‘ } is the distinguishing word, meaning that what they have said—that Allah has offspring—even as a statement (i.e., in terms of utterance) is a very grave matter, let alone holding it as a belief. There is also some expression of astonishment in this, at how great a thing they have uttered from their mouths. Elsewhere it is said: «وَ قَالُوا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمٰنُ وَلَدًا (88) لَقَدْ جِئْتُمْ شَيْـًٔا اِدًّا (89) تَكَادُ السَّمٰوٰتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَ تَنْشَقُّ الْاَرْضُ وَ تَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدًّا (90) اَنْ دَعَوْا لِلرَّحْمٰنِ وَلَدًا (91) وَ مَا يَنْۢبَغِيْ لِلرَّحْمٰنِ اَنْ يَّتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا (92) اِنْ كُلُّ مَنْ فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ اِلَّاۤ اٰتِي الرَّحْمٰنِ عَبْدًا (93) لَقَدْ اَحْصٰىهُمْ وَ عَدَّهُمْ عَدًّا (94) وَ كُلُّهُمْ اٰتِيْهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيٰمَةِ فَرْدًا» [ مریم : ۸۸ تا ۹۵ ] “And they said, ‘The Most Merciful has taken a child.’ Surely you have come with a monstrous thing. The heavens are almost torn apart from it, and the earth splits, and the mountains collapse in devastation, that they ascribe a child to the Most Merciful. And it is not appropriate for the Most Merciful that He should take a child. There is no one in the heavens and the earth but that he comes to the Most Merciful as a servant. Indeed, He has encompassed them and counted them a full counting. And every one of them will come to Him on the Day of Resurrection alone.”
{اَلْعِلْمُ قَالَ اللّٰهُ قَالَ رَسُوْلُهُ ¤ مَا ذَاكَ وَالتَّقْلِيْدُ يَسْتَوِيَانِ ¤ اِذْ أَجْمَعَ الْعُلَمَاءُ أَنَّ مُقَلِّدًا ¤ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْأَعْمَي هُمَا سِيَّانِ}
“Knowledge is what Allah has said and what His Messenger has said. This and imitation are not equal, because there is consensus among the scholars that the one who imitates people and the blind person are equal.”
➋ {كَبُرَتْ كَلِمَةً … : ’’ كَبُرَتْ ‘‘} The past tense is used for condemnation, as if it is from the category of actions of praise and blame. {’’ كَبُرَتْ ‘‘} is a verb of blame, its subject {’’هِيَ‘‘} is omitted, {’’ كَلِمَةً ‘‘ } is the distinguishing word, meaning that what they have said—that Allah has offspring—even as a statement (i.e., in terms of utterance) is a very grave matter, let alone holding it as a belief. There is also some expression of astonishment in this, at how great a thing they have uttered from their mouths. Elsewhere it is said: «وَ قَالُوا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمٰنُ وَلَدًا (88) لَقَدْ جِئْتُمْ شَيْـًٔا اِدًّا (89) تَكَادُ السَّمٰوٰتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَ تَنْشَقُّ الْاَرْضُ وَ تَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدًّا (90) اَنْ دَعَوْا لِلرَّحْمٰنِ وَلَدًا (91) وَ مَا يَنْۢبَغِيْ لِلرَّحْمٰنِ اَنْ يَّتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا (92) اِنْ كُلُّ مَنْ فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ اِلَّاۤ اٰتِي الرَّحْمٰنِ عَبْدًا (93) لَقَدْ اَحْصٰىهُمْ وَ عَدَّهُمْ عَدًّا (94) وَ كُلُّهُمْ اٰتِيْهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيٰمَةِ فَرْدًا» [ مریم : ۸۸ تا ۹۵ ] “And they said, ‘The Most Merciful has taken a child.’ Surely you have come with a monstrous thing. The heavens are almost torn apart from it, and the earth splits, and the mountains collapse in devastation, that they ascribe a child to the Most Merciful. And it is not appropriate for the Most Merciful that He should take a child. There is no one in the heavens and the earth but that he comes to the Most Merciful as a servant. Indeed, He has encompassed them and counted them a full counting. And every one of them will come to Him on the Day of Resurrection alone.”
