سُوْرَةُ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ
Surah Al-Muminoon (23) — Ayah 33
وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ مِن قَوْمِهِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَكَذَّبُوا۟ بِلِقَآءِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَأَتْرَفْنَـٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا مَا هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يَأْكُلُ مِمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ مِنْهُ وَيَشْرَبُ مِمَّا تَشْرَبُونَ ﴿33﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And the chiefs of his people who disbelieved and denied the Meeting in the Hereafter, and whom We had given the luxuries and comforts of this life, said: "He is no more than a human being like you, he eats of that which you eat, and drinks of what you drink.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَقَالَ
waqāla
And said
ٱلْمَلَأُ
l-mala-u
the chiefs
مِن
min
of
قَوْمِهِ
qawmihi
his people
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
who
كَفَرُوا۟
kafarū
disbelieved
وَكَذَّبُوا۟
wakadhabū
and denied
بِلِقَآءِ
biliqāi
(the) meeting
ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ
l-ākhirati
(of) the Hereafter
وَأَتْرَفْنَـٰهُمْ
wa-atrafnāhum
while We had given them luxury
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ
l-ḥayati
the life
ٱلدُّنْيَا
l-dun'yā
(of) the world
مَا
mā
Not
هَـٰذَآ
hādhā
(is) this
إِلَّا
illā
but
بَشَرٌۭ
basharun
a man
مِّثْلُكُمْ
mith'lukum
like you
يَأْكُلُ
yakulu
He eats
مِمَّا
mimmā
of what
تَأْكُلُونَ
takulūna
you eat
مِنْهُ
min'hu
[from it]
وَيَشْرَبُ
wayashrabu
and he drinks
مِمَّا
mimmā
of what
تَشْرَبُونَ
tashrabūna
you drink
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 33) ➊ { وَ قَالَ الْمَلَاُ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا … :} In this verse, two major reasons are mentioned for their leaders rejecting their Messenger by calling him a human being: one is that they denied the meeting of the Hereafter, and the second is that they enjoyed vast prosperity in the world. The meaning of {’’تَرَفٌ‘‘} is vast prosperity. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) also described the same condition for the denier of hadith among the Muslim Ummah, that his denial would be due to his prosperity and leisure. Miqdam bin Ma’dikarib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ أَلَا إِنِّيْ أُوْتِيْتُ الْكِتَابَ وَ مِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ، أَلَا يُوْشِكُ رَجُلٌ شَبْعَانُ عَلٰی أَرِيْكَتِهِ يَقُوْلُ عَلَيْكُمْ بِهٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ فَمَا وَجَدْتُمْ فِيْهِ مِنْ حَلَالٍ فَأَحِلُّوْهُ وَمَا وَجَدْتُمْ فِيْهِ مِنْ حَرَامٍ فَحَرِّمُوْهُ، أَلَا، لَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمُ الْحِمَارُ الْأَهْلِيُّ وَلَا كُلُّ ذِيْ نَابٍ مِنَ السَّبُعِ ] [ أَبوداوٗد، السنۃ، باب في لزوم السنۃ… : ۴۶۰۴ ] “Listen! I have been given the Book and something like it along with it (i.e., hadith). Listen! Soon there will be a well-fed (i.e., prosperous) man reclining on his couch who will say: ‘Hold fast to this Qur’an; whatever you find in it as lawful, consider it lawful, and whatever you find in it as unlawful, consider it unlawful.’ Listen! The domestic donkey is not lawful for you, nor is any predatory animal with fangs lawful for you (even though this is not in the Qur’an but in the hadith of the Messenger).”
➋ { يَاْكُلُ مِمَّا تَاْكُلُوْنَ … :} “A human cannot be a Messenger”—all those who denied the Prophets said the same. There is comfort in this for our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that you are not alone in this rejection, because the disbelievers also said about you: « مَالِ هٰذَا الرَّسُوْلِ يَاْكُلُ الطَّعَامَ وَ يَمْشِيْ فِي الْاَسْوَاقِ» [ الفرقان: ۷ ] “What is with this Messenger that he eats food and walks in the markets?”
➌ In Surah Al-A’raf and Surah Hud, after the Prophets’ admonition, the words of the leaders of the people begin with {’’ قَالَ الْمَلَاُ ‘‘}, whereas in this Surah, after the admonition of Noah (peace be upon him), it is {’’ فَقَالَ الْمَلَؤُا ‘‘}, and in the verse under commentary, it is {’’ وَ قَالَ الْمَلَاُ‘‘}. Ibn Ashur (may Allah have mercy on him) has explained this difference by stating that in both these Surahs, i.e., Al-A’raf and Hud, after the Prophets’ admonition, the leaders of the people address the Prophets directly, so there is no need for “fa” or “waaw,” whereas here, after the Prophets’ admonition, the response of the leaders of the people to the Prophets is not mentioned, rather, after that, it is mentioned that they went to their people and misled them so that they would not be influenced by the words of the Prophet; therefore, “fa” and “waaw” are used.
➋ { يَاْكُلُ مِمَّا تَاْكُلُوْنَ … :} “A human cannot be a Messenger”—all those who denied the Prophets said the same. There is comfort in this for our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that you are not alone in this rejection, because the disbelievers also said about you: « مَالِ هٰذَا الرَّسُوْلِ يَاْكُلُ الطَّعَامَ وَ يَمْشِيْ فِي الْاَسْوَاقِ» [ الفرقان: ۷ ] “What is with this Messenger that he eats food and walks in the markets?”
➌ In Surah Al-A’raf and Surah Hud, after the Prophets’ admonition, the words of the leaders of the people begin with {’’ قَالَ الْمَلَاُ ‘‘}, whereas in this Surah, after the admonition of Noah (peace be upon him), it is {’’ فَقَالَ الْمَلَؤُا ‘‘}, and in the verse under commentary, it is {’’ وَ قَالَ الْمَلَاُ‘‘}. Ibn Ashur (may Allah have mercy on him) has explained this difference by stating that in both these Surahs, i.e., Al-A’raf and Hud, after the Prophets’ admonition, the leaders of the people address the Prophets directly, so there is no need for “fa” or “waaw,” whereas here, after the Prophets’ admonition, the response of the leaders of the people to the Prophets is not mentioned, rather, after that, it is mentioned that they went to their people and misled them so that they would not be influenced by the words of the Prophet; therefore, “fa” and “waaw” are used.
