سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْۣبِيَآءِ
Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 5
بَلْ قَالُوٓا۟ أَضْغَـٰثُ أَحْلَـٰمٍۭ بَلِ ٱفْتَرَىٰهُ بَلْ هُوَ شَاعِرٌ فَلْيَأْتِنَا بِـَٔايَةٍ كَمَآ أُرْسِلَ ٱلْأَوَّلُونَ ﴿5﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Nay, they say: "These (revelations of the Qur’ân which are revealed to Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) are mixed up false dreams! Nay, he has invented them! - Nay, he is a poet! Let him then bring us an Ayâh (sign as a proof) like the ones (Prophets) the former were sent (with)!"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
بَلْ
bal
Nay
قَالُوٓا۟
qālū
they say
أَضْغَـٰثُ
aḍghāthu
Muddled
أَحْلَـٰمٍۭ
aḥlāmin
dreams
بَلِ
bali
nay
ٱفْتَرَىٰهُ
if'tarāhu
he (has) invented it
بَلْ
bal
nay
هُوَ
huwa
he
شَاعِرٌۭ
shāʿirun
(is) a poet
فَلْيَأْتِنَا
falyatinā
So let him bring us
بِـَٔايَةٍۢ
biāyatin
a sign
كَمَآ
kamā
like what
أُرْسِلَ
ur'sila
was sent
ٱلْأَوَّلُونَ
l-awalūna
(to) the former
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 For the explanation of {بَلْ قَالُوْۤا اَضْغَاثُ اَحْلَامٍۭ … : ’’ اَضْغَاثُ اَحْلَامٍۭ ‘‘}, see Surah Yusuf (44).
➋ Allah Almighty, after mentioning the various statements of the disbelievers who denied the Noble Qur’an, proved that they well know that the Qur’an is the word of Allah, but due to stubbornness and hostility, they are not ready to accept it, therefore they are extremely confused and hesitant about how to deny the Qur’an. Sometimes they say that these are confused tales of dreams, then they say no, rather you (ﷺ) have composed it yourself and attributed it to Allah. Then they are not satisfied with this, so they say no, actually you are a poet and this Qur’an is the result of your poetic imagination. In Surah Muddathir (18 to 25), a similar confusion of a prominent disbeliever is mentioned. But Allah Almighty had already answered all such statements of theirs, that if you doubt that this Qur’an is the word of Allah, then bring a book like it, or bring ten surahs like it, or at least bring one surah like it. If you do not do this, and you will not be able to do it, then fear the fire of Hell and believe in it. The reality is that the Noble Qur’an is the greatest miracle given to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The disbelievers had no answer to it at that time, nor will they ever be able to answer it until the Day of Judgment. But they were not ready to accept it, so they said that even after seeing this miracle, we will not believe; this Messenger should bring us the miracles that were given to the previous messengers, for example, the she-camel of Salih (علیہ السلام), the staff of Musa (علیہ السلام), Isa (علیہ السلام) giving life to the dead, making the blind see, etc.
➋ Allah Almighty, after mentioning the various statements of the disbelievers who denied the Noble Qur’an, proved that they well know that the Qur’an is the word of Allah, but due to stubbornness and hostility, they are not ready to accept it, therefore they are extremely confused and hesitant about how to deny the Qur’an. Sometimes they say that these are confused tales of dreams, then they say no, rather you (ﷺ) have composed it yourself and attributed it to Allah. Then they are not satisfied with this, so they say no, actually you are a poet and this Qur’an is the result of your poetic imagination. In Surah Muddathir (18 to 25), a similar confusion of a prominent disbeliever is mentioned. But Allah Almighty had already answered all such statements of theirs, that if you doubt that this Qur’an is the word of Allah, then bring a book like it, or bring ten surahs like it, or at least bring one surah like it. If you do not do this, and you will not be able to do it, then fear the fire of Hell and believe in it. The reality is that the Noble Qur’an is the greatest miracle given to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The disbelievers had no answer to it at that time, nor will they ever be able to answer it until the Day of Judgment. But they were not ready to accept it, so they said that even after seeing this miracle, we will not believe; this Messenger should bring us the miracles that were given to the previous messengers, for example, the she-camel of Salih (علیہ السلام), the staff of Musa (علیہ السلام), Isa (علیہ السلام) giving life to the dead, making the blind see, etc.
