سُوْرَةُ سَبَاٍ
Surah Saba (34) — Ayah 31
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانِ وَلَا بِٱلَّذِى بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ۗ وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ مَوْقُوفُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يَرْجِعُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ٱلْقَوْلَ يَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتُضْعِفُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ لَوْلَآ أَنتُمْ لَكُنَّا مُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿31﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And those who disbelieve say: "We believe not in this Qur’ân nor in that which was before it." But if you could see when the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers) will be made to stand before their Lord, how they will cast the (blaming) word one to another! Those who were deemed weak will say to those who were arrogant: "Had it not been for you, we should certainly have been believers!"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَقَالَ
waqāla
And say
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
كَفَرُوا۟
kafarū
disbelieve
لَن
lan
Never will
نُّؤْمِنَ
nu'mina
we believe
بِهَـٰذَا
bihādhā
in this
ٱلْقُرْءَانِ
l-qur'āni
Quran
وَلَا
walā
and not
بِٱلَّذِى
bi-alladhī
in (that) which
بَيْنَ
bayna
(was) before it
يَدَيْهِ ۗ
yadayhi
(was) before it
وَلَوْ
walaw
But if
تَرَىٰٓ
tarā
you (could) see
إِذِ
idhi
when
ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
l-ẓālimūna
the wrongdoers
مَوْقُوفُونَ
mawqūfūna
will be made to stand
عِندَ
ʿinda
before
رَبِّهِمْ
rabbihim
their Lord
يَرْجِعُ
yarjiʿu
will throw back
بَعْضُهُمْ
baʿḍuhum
some of them
إِلَىٰ
ilā
to
بَعْضٍ
baʿḍin
others
ٱلْقَوْلَ
l-qawla
the word
يَقُولُ
yaqūlu
Will say
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
ٱسْتُضْعِفُوا۟
us'tuḍ'ʿifū
were oppressed
لِلَّذِينَ
lilladhīna
to those who
ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟
is'takbarū
were arrogant
لَوْلَآ
lawlā
If not
أَنتُمْ
antum
(for) you
لَكُنَّا
lakunnā
certainly we (would) have been
مُؤْمِنِينَ
mu'minīna
believers
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 31) ➊ { وَ قَالَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا لَنْ نُّؤْمِنَ بِهٰذَا الْقُرْاٰنِ … :} When the Prophet (peace be upon him) would speak to the disbelievers of Makkah about monotheism, prophethood, and the Hereafter, he would sometimes mention the Torah and the Gospel in support of his revelation, stating that they too mention monotheism and the Hereafter just like the Qur’an. The disbelievers of Makkah, out of arrogance and stubbornness, would say that they would neither accept this Qur’an nor any scripture before it. The Qur’an did not feel the need to respond to or refute their statement, because they had said something whose result was the denial of all previous prophets, which was clearly wrong, and they had said this merely out of obstinacy, otherwise they knew about the previous prophets and their scriptures. The proof of this is that they sometimes demanded from the Prophet (peace be upon him) miracles like those of Musa (peace be upon him), as mentioned in Surah Al-Qasas: « لَوْ لَاۤ اُوْتِيَ مِثْلَ مَاۤ اُوْتِيَ مُوْسٰى» [ القصص : ۴۸ ] “Why has he not been given things like those which were given to Musa?” Sometimes they demanded a written book like the Torah, as mentioned in Surah Bani Isra’il: «وَ لَنْ نُّؤْمِنَ لِرُقِيِّكَ حَتّٰى تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا كِتٰبًا نَّقْرَؤُهٗ » [ بني إسرائیل : ۹۳ ] “And we will never believe in your ascension until you bring down to us a book that we can read.” If they did not believe in any previous prophet or his law or scripture, then what was the meaning of these demands? Therefore, instead of refuting their statement, Allah Almighty mentioned the terrible state that would befall them on the Day of Resurrection, the very Resurrection which they vehemently denied and mocked.
➋ { وَ لَوْ تَرٰۤى اِذِ الظّٰلِمُوْنَ مَوْقُوْفُوْنَ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ … : ’’رَجَعَ يَرْجِعُ‘‘} (ض) Comes as both intransitive and transitive, to return and to make return. Here, “to make return” is meant. {’’ الظّٰلِمُوْنَ ‘‘} By “wrongdoer” is meant the polytheist, because shirk is a great injustice; due to the definite article, it is translated as “these wrongdoers.” That is, each one of them will be blaming others for their misguidance, as usually happens in the case of failure. This conversation will take place before entering Hell, however, even after entering Hell, their dispute will continue. See Surah Al-A’raf (38, 39), Ibrahim (21), Al-Qasas (63), Al-Ahzab (66 to 68), Al-Mu’min (47, 48), Sad (55 to 61), Al-Baqarah (165 to 167), and Ha Mim As-Sajdah (29).
➋ { وَ لَوْ تَرٰۤى اِذِ الظّٰلِمُوْنَ مَوْقُوْفُوْنَ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ … : ’’رَجَعَ يَرْجِعُ‘‘} (ض) Comes as both intransitive and transitive, to return and to make return. Here, “to make return” is meant. {’’ الظّٰلِمُوْنَ ‘‘} By “wrongdoer” is meant the polytheist, because shirk is a great injustice; due to the definite article, it is translated as “these wrongdoers.” That is, each one of them will be blaming others for their misguidance, as usually happens in the case of failure. This conversation will take place before entering Hell, however, even after entering Hell, their dispute will continue. See Surah Al-A’raf (38, 39), Ibrahim (21), Al-Qasas (63), Al-Ahzab (66 to 68), Al-Mu’min (47, 48), Sad (55 to 61), Al-Baqarah (165 to 167), and Ha Mim As-Sajdah (29).
