سُوْرَةُ لُقْمَانَ
Surah Luqman (31) — Ayah 25
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قُلِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿25﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And if you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) ask them: "Who has created the heavens and the earth," they will certainly say: "Allâh." Say: "All the praises and thanks be to Allâh!" But most of them know not.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَئِن
wala-in
And if
سَأَلْتَهُم
sa-altahum
you ask them
مَّنْ
man
Who
خَلَقَ
khalaqa
created
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ
l-samāwāti
the heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضَ
wal-arḍa
and the earth
لَيَقُولُنَّ
layaqūlunna
They will surely say
ٱللَّهُ ۚ
l-lahu
Allah
قُلِ
quli
Say
ٱلْحَمْدُ
l-ḥamdu
All praises
لِلَّهِ ۚ
lillahi
(are) for Allah
بَلْ
bal
But
أَكْثَرُهُمْ
aktharuhum
most of them
لَا
lā
(do) not
يَعْلَمُونَ
yaʿlamūna
know
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 25) ➊ { وَ لَىِٕنْ سَاَلْتَهُمْ مَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضَ … :} Before this, the argument of the polytheists regarding Allah Almighty was mentioned; now their conclusive answer is mentioned: if you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will certainly say that Allah Almighty created them. Now, after this admission, they have no room for argument, because {’’أَلْمَرْءُ يُؤْخَذُ بِإِقْرَارِهِ‘‘} "A person is held accountable by his own admission."
➋ {قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ:} Say: When you have accepted that Allah Almighty is the Creator of everything, which includes the deities you have made, then all praise and every excellence belongs to Allah Almighty alone. So why do you worship those who possess no excellence of their own, leaving the One who possesses all excellence?
➌ {بَلْ اَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ :} Rather, most of them do not know what they are saying, or what the meaning and consequence of what they are saying is. For example, when they have admitted that the Creator of the heavens and the earth is Allah Almighty, then they must necessarily accept that He alone is the Owner, the Lord, the Ruler, and the Lawgiver; He alone deserves worship and servitude, and supplication and pleas should be made to Him alone. How far removed from knowledge and reason, and what a great contradiction it is, that the Creator is someone else, but a deity is made from among His creation.
➍ As for the statement "most of them do not know," the reason is that among the polytheists, there were and are some who, when the matter becomes clear, understand and accept it. Their mention is coming ahead in {’’ فَمِنْهُمْ مُّقْتَصِدٌ ‘‘}, and there are some who know but do not accept due to stubbornness and hostility.
➋ {قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ:} Say: When you have accepted that Allah Almighty is the Creator of everything, which includes the deities you have made, then all praise and every excellence belongs to Allah Almighty alone. So why do you worship those who possess no excellence of their own, leaving the One who possesses all excellence?
➌ {بَلْ اَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ :} Rather, most of them do not know what they are saying, or what the meaning and consequence of what they are saying is. For example, when they have admitted that the Creator of the heavens and the earth is Allah Almighty, then they must necessarily accept that He alone is the Owner, the Lord, the Ruler, and the Lawgiver; He alone deserves worship and servitude, and supplication and pleas should be made to Him alone. How far removed from knowledge and reason, and what a great contradiction it is, that the Creator is someone else, but a deity is made from among His creation.
➍ As for the statement "most of them do not know," the reason is that among the polytheists, there were and are some who, when the matter becomes clear, understand and accept it. Their mention is coming ahead in {’’ فَمِنْهُمْ مُّقْتَصِدٌ ‘‘}, and there are some who know but do not accept due to stubbornness and hostility.
