سُوْرَةُ الْاَحْزَابِ
Surah Al-Ahzaab (33) — Ayah 67
وَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّآ أَطَعْنَا سَادَتَنَا وَكُبَرَآءَنَا فَأَضَلُّونَا ٱلسَّبِيلَا۠ ﴿67﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And they will say: "Our Lord! Verily, we obeyed our chiefs and our great ones, and they misled us from the (Right) Way.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَقَالُوا۟
waqālū
And they will say
رَبَّنَآ
rabbanā
Our Lord
إِنَّآ
innā
Indeed, we
أَطَعْنَا
aṭaʿnā
[we] obeyed
سَادَتَنَا
sādatanā
our chiefs
وَكُبَرَآءَنَا
wakubarāanā
and our great men
فَأَضَلُّونَا
fa-aḍallūnā
and they misled us
ٱلسَّبِيلَا۠
l-sabīlā
(from) the Way
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.
{وَ قَالُوْا رَبَّنَاۤ اِنَّاۤ اَطَعْنَا سَادَتَنَا وَ كُبَرَآءَنَا … : ’’سَادَةٌ‘‘ ’’سَيِّدٌ‘‘} is the plural of {’’كُبَرَاءُ‘‘ ’’كَبِيْرٌ‘‘} and {’’ سَادَتَنَا ‘‘} is the plural of {’’ كُبَرَآءَنَا ‘‘}. It is mentioned in Ibn Kathir: "Tawoos said that by {’’ سَادَتَنَا ‘‘} is meant leaders and chiefs, and by {’’ كُبَرَآءَنَا ‘‘} is meant scholars." In the Noble Qur’an, three groups are mentioned as causes of people’s misguidance: the arrogant (chiefs, leaders), the ahbar (scholars), and the ruhban (dervishes). Abdullah bin Mubarak said:
{وَ هَلْ أَفْسَدَ الدِّيْنَ إِلَّا الْمُلُوْكُ ¤ وَ أَحْبَارُ سَوْءٍ وَ رُهْبَانُهَا}
"Religion has only been corrupted by kings, evil scholars, and dervishes."
That is, the people of Hell will say that instead of obeying Allah and His Messenger, we obeyed our leaders, scholars, and dervishes, and thought that they were speaking the truth. Now it has become clear that instead of guiding us to the straight path, they led us astray from the real path. From these verses, it is understood that whoever, despite knowing a verse of the Noble Qur’an or a hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), acts against it by obeying his leaders and elders, i.e., any king, scholar, or spiritual guide, will wish on the Day of Resurrection what is mentioned in this verse. See also Surah Al-Baqarah (165 to 167).
{وَ هَلْ أَفْسَدَ الدِّيْنَ إِلَّا الْمُلُوْكُ ¤ وَ أَحْبَارُ سَوْءٍ وَ رُهْبَانُهَا}
"Religion has only been corrupted by kings, evil scholars, and dervishes."
That is, the people of Hell will say that instead of obeying Allah and His Messenger, we obeyed our leaders, scholars, and dervishes, and thought that they were speaking the truth. Now it has become clear that instead of guiding us to the straight path, they led us astray from the real path. From these verses, it is understood that whoever, despite knowing a verse of the Noble Qur’an or a hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), acts against it by obeying his leaders and elders, i.e., any king, scholar, or spiritual guide, will wish on the Day of Resurrection what is mentioned in this verse. See also Surah Al-Baqarah (165 to 167).
