سُوْرَةُ النَّمْلِ
Surah An-Naml (27) — Ayah 49
قَالُوا۟ تَقَاسَمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُۥ وَأَهْلَهُۥ ثُمَّ لَنَقُولَنَّ لِوَلِيِّهِۦ مَا شَهِدْنَا مَهْلِكَ أَهْلِهِۦ وَإِنَّا لَصَـٰدِقُونَ ﴿49﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
They said: "Swear one to another by Allâh that we shall make a secret night attack on him and his household, and thereafter we will surely say to his near relatives: ‘We witnessed not the destruction of his household, and verily we are telling the truth.’"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالُوا۟
qālū
They said
تَقَاسَمُوا۟
taqāsamū
Swear to each other
بِٱللَّهِ
bil-lahi
by Allah
لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُۥ
lanubayyitannahu
surely, we will attack him by night
وَأَهْلَهُۥ
wa-ahlahu
and his family
ثُمَّ
thumma
Then
لَنَقُولَنَّ
lanaqūlanna
we will surely say
لِوَلِيِّهِۦ
liwaliyyihi
to his heir
مَا
mā
Not
شَهِدْنَا
shahid'nā
we witnessed
مَهْلِكَ
mahlika
(the) destruction
أَهْلِهِۦ
ahlihi
(of) his family
وَإِنَّا
wa-innā
and indeed, we
لَصَـٰدِقُونَ
laṣādiqūna
(are) surely truthful
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 49) ➊ { قَالُوْا تَقَاسَمُوْا بِاللّٰهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهٗ وَ اَهْلَهٗ …: ’’ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهٗ‘‘ ’’ بَيَّتَ يُبَيِّتُ تَبْيِيْتًا ‘‘} Night raid, to attack suddenly at night. When these people, after mutual consultation, killed the she-camel and Salih (peace be upon him) warned them that the punishment would come after three days, even then these people thought that whether this punishment comes or not, why not finish off Salih and his family before that. Thus, these nine miscreants made a plan to kill Salih (peace be upon him) just as the Quraysh of Makkah had made a plan to kill the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) before the migration. However, there was this difference that the Quraysh thought that in case of retaliation, if we are demanded blood money for the killing, we will all collect it together and pay it. But these miscreants were thinking even further ahead than them; they decided that when the kinsmen of Salih (peace be upon him) (just as the kinsmen of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, were Banu Hashim) ask us anything, we will say that we were not even present at the scene, how would we know who killed him? The second difference was that the Quraysh of Makkah had only planned to kill the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), whereas these miscreants planned to kill Salih (peace be upon him) and his entire family, and all of them swore oaths in front of each other on this plan that firstly, they would not rest until they killed him and his family, and secondly, they would never confess to their crime. (Kilani)
➋ The commentator Shanqiti said: "Allah Almighty greatly benefited Salih (peace be upon him) through his supporters, because it is clear that these nine (9) miscreants made the plan to attack at night and kill Salih (peace be upon him) and his family and not confess to it only because they did not have the courage to kill openly due to fear of his supporters, and even if they did kill, they feared his supporters." Just as the Quraysh did not dare to lay hands openly on the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) because of Abu Talib and Banu Hashim.
➋ The commentator Shanqiti said: "Allah Almighty greatly benefited Salih (peace be upon him) through his supporters, because it is clear that these nine (9) miscreants made the plan to attack at night and kill Salih (peace be upon him) and his family and not confess to it only because they did not have the courage to kill openly due to fear of his supporters, and even if they did kill, they feared his supporters." Just as the Quraysh did not dare to lay hands openly on the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) because of Abu Talib and Banu Hashim.
