سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْۣبِيَآءِ
Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 46
وَلَئِن مَّسَّتْهُمْ نَفْحَةٌ مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّكَ لَيَقُولُنَّ يَـٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِينَ ﴿46﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And if a breath (minor calamity) of the Torment of your Lord touches them, they will surely cry: "Woe unto us! Indeed we have been Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers)."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَئِن
wala-in
And if
مَّسَّتْهُمْ
massathum
touches them
نَفْحَةٌۭ
nafḥatun
a whiff
مِّنْ
min
of
عَذَابِ
ʿadhābi
(the) punishment
رَبِّكَ
rabbika
(of) your Lord
لَيَقُولُنَّ
layaqūlunna
surely they will say
يَـٰوَيْلَنَآ
yāwaylanā
O woe to us
إِنَّا
innā
Indeed, we
كُنَّا
kunnā
[we] were
ظَـٰلِمِينَ
ẓālimīna
wrongdoers
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 46) ➊ { وَ لَىِٕنْ مَّسَّتْهُمْ نَفْحَةٌ … : ’’ نَفْحَةٌ ‘‘} A small portion of something at one time, for example, a light gust of wind, a slight flash of fire or heat, a faint waft of fragrance. That is, today these people are becoming deaf due to arrogance, but soon their condition will change, and not to mention the punishment itself, if even a slight touch of its mere waft reaches them just once, all their boasting will vanish and they will start wailing, but at that time, their cries will be of no use. The confession of the disbelievers about their wrongdoing upon seeing the punishment is mentioned in several places in the Quran. See Surah Al-Mu’min (84, 85).
➋ To depict their state even from the lightest punishment, three emphatic expressions have been used: the word { ’’مَسّ‘‘ } (to touch), the word {’’ نَفْحَةٌ ‘‘}, which means the least amount of anything, and in {’’ نَفْحَةٌ ‘‘} the “taa” which clarifies the meaning of a single occurrence. (Zamakhshari)
➋ To depict their state even from the lightest punishment, three emphatic expressions have been used: the word { ’’مَسّ‘‘ } (to touch), the word {’’ نَفْحَةٌ ‘‘}, which means the least amount of anything, and in {’’ نَفْحَةٌ ‘‘} the “taa” which clarifies the meaning of a single occurrence. (Zamakhshari)
