سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْۣبِيَآءِ
Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 45
قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أُنذِرُكُم بِٱلْوَحْىِ ۚ وَلَا يَسْمَعُ ٱلصُّمُّ ٱلدُّعَآءَ إِذَا مَا يُنذَرُونَ ﴿45﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "I warn you only by the revelation (from Allâh and not by the opinion of the religious scholars and others). But the deaf (who follow the religious scholars and others blindly) will not hear the call, (even) when they are warned [i.e. one should follow only the Qur’ân and the Sunnah (legal ways, orders, acts of worship, and the statements of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, as the companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did)].
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قُلْ
qul
Say
إِنَّمَآ
innamā
Only
أُنذِرُكُم
undhirukum
I warn you
بِٱلْوَحْىِ ۚ
bil-waḥyi
by the revelation
وَلَا
walā
But not
يَسْمَعُ
yasmaʿu
hear
ٱلصُّمُّ
l-ṣumu
the deaf
ٱلدُّعَآءَ
l-duʿāa
the call
إِذَا
idhā
when
مَا
mā
when
يُنذَرُونَ
yundharūna
they are warned
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 45) ➊ { قُلْ اِنَّمَاۤ اُنْذِرُكُمْ بِالْوَحْيِ :} That is, you say to them that my task is only to warn you of Allah’s punishment according to revelation, not to bring the punishment. That is only in Allah’s hands, and bringing the punishment immediately is against His creative and legislative wisdoms, because that would nullify the purpose of testing.
➋ { وَ لَا يَسْمَعُ الصُّمُّ الدُّعَآءَ :} By “the deaf” are meant the disbelievers who cannot hear the truth at all. The definite article “al” is for specification, so the translation is “these deaf ones.” At the beginning of the verse, the disbelievers are addressed: “I only warn you with revelation,” then it is said, “these deaf ones do not hear the call,” and later they are mentioned in the third person, indicating that they are not even worthy of being addressed—this is a rhetorical shift.
➌ { اِذَا مَا يُنْذَرُوْنَ :} The words “when they are warned” are meant to emphasize the intensity of their deafness, because a deaf person does not hear anything, whether it is a warning or good news, but it is common practice that when warning, one calls out as loudly as possible. So, if a deaf person does not hear even such a loud call, how will he hear any other sound?
➋ { وَ لَا يَسْمَعُ الصُّمُّ الدُّعَآءَ :} By “the deaf” are meant the disbelievers who cannot hear the truth at all. The definite article “al” is for specification, so the translation is “these deaf ones.” At the beginning of the verse, the disbelievers are addressed: “I only warn you with revelation,” then it is said, “these deaf ones do not hear the call,” and later they are mentioned in the third person, indicating that they are not even worthy of being addressed—this is a rhetorical shift.
➌ { اِذَا مَا يُنْذَرُوْنَ :} The words “when they are warned” are meant to emphasize the intensity of their deafness, because a deaf person does not hear anything, whether it is a warning or good news, but it is common practice that when warning, one calls out as loudly as possible. So, if a deaf person does not hear even such a loud call, how will he hear any other sound?
