سُوْرَةُ سَبَاٍ
Surah Saba (34) — Ayah 43
وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتُنَا بَيِّنَـٰتٍ قَالُوا۟ مَا هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا رَجُلٌ يُرِيدُ أَن يَصُدَّكُمْ عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ ءَابَآؤُكُمْ وَقَالُوا۟ مَا هَـٰذَآ إِلَّآ إِفْكٌ مُّفْتَرًى ۚ وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿43﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And when Our Clear Verses are recited to them, they say: "This (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) is naught but a man who wishes to hinder you from that which your fathers used to worship." And they say: "This (the Qur’ân) is nothing but an invented lie." And those who disbelieve say of the truth when it has come to them (i.e. Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم when Allâh sent him as a Messenger with proofs, evidence, verses of this Qur’ân, lessons, signs, etc.): "This is nothing but evident magic!"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذَا
wa-idhā
And when
تُتْلَىٰ
tut'lā
are recited
عَلَيْهِمْ
ʿalayhim
to them
ءَايَـٰتُنَا
āyātunā
Our Verses
بَيِّنَـٰتٍۢ
bayyinātin
clear
قَالُوا۟
qālū
they say
مَا
mā
Not
هَـٰذَآ
hādhā
(is) this
إِلَّا
illā
but
رَجُلٌۭ
rajulun
a man
يُرِيدُ
yurīdu
who wishes
أَن
an
to
يَصُدَّكُمْ
yaṣuddakum
hinder you
عَمَّا
ʿammā
from what
كَانَ
kāna
used
يَعْبُدُ
yaʿbudu
(to) worship
ءَابَآؤُكُمْ
ābāukum
your forefathers
وَقَالُوا۟
waqālū
And they say
مَا
mā
Not
هَـٰذَآ
hādhā
(is) this
إِلَّآ
illā
except
إِفْكٌۭ
if'kun
a lie
مُّفْتَرًۭى ۚ
muf'taran
invented
وَقَالَ
waqāla
And said
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
كَفَرُوا۟
kafarū
disbelieved
لِلْحَقِّ
lil'ḥaqqi
about the truth
لَمَّا
lammā
when
جَآءَهُمْ
jāahum
it came to them
إِنْ
in
Not
هَـٰذَآ
hādhā
(is) this
إِلَّا
illā
except
سِحْرٌۭ
siḥ'run
a magic
مُّبِينٌۭ
mubīnun
obvious
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 43) ➊ { وَ اِذَا تُتْلٰى عَلَيْهِمْ اٰيٰتُنَا … :} After mentioning that on the Day of Resurrection the polytheists will enter Hell and the deities they made will be of no use to them, now the reason for their deserving this punishment is stated, which was that when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) or any caller to Islam recited Our clear verses before them, they uttered the words mentioned in this verse.
➋ { قَالُوْا مَا هٰذَاۤ اِلَّا رَجُلٌ …:} That is, this person wants to stop you from worshipping those beings whom your forefathers have been worshipping for ages. Their purpose was to incite people against the one inviting them to Islam, by saying that this person wants to stop you from the religion of your forefathers, so were your forefathers insane that they worshipped them? And not only did they do this once or twice, but {’’ كَانَ يَعْبُدُ اٰبَآؤُكُمْ ‘‘} they have been worshipping them for ages. Thus, in their view, the only proof of the truth of their polytheism was the imitation of their forefathers, which is utter ignorance and has nothing to do with knowledge.
➌ { وَ قَالُوْا مَا هٰذَاۤ اِلَّاۤ اِفْكٌ مُّفْتَرًى :} Here, {’’ هٰذَاۤ ‘‘} refers to the Qur’an. In the word {’’ اِفْكٌ مُّفْتَرًى ‘‘}, they said two things about the Qur’an: first, that it is a lie in itself, and second, that it has been fabricated and attributed to Allah.
➍ { وَ قَالَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا لِلْحَقِّ … :} See the confusion of the disbelievers: sometimes they call it a lie and sometimes they call it clear magic, and as for the statement that when the truth came to them, they called it clear magic, it means that if they had no knowledge of the truth and said such things, perhaps they would be excused, but now that the truth has become clear, what end can they have except Hell in case of denial?
➋ { قَالُوْا مَا هٰذَاۤ اِلَّا رَجُلٌ …:} That is, this person wants to stop you from worshipping those beings whom your forefathers have been worshipping for ages. Their purpose was to incite people against the one inviting them to Islam, by saying that this person wants to stop you from the religion of your forefathers, so were your forefathers insane that they worshipped them? And not only did they do this once or twice, but {’’ كَانَ يَعْبُدُ اٰبَآؤُكُمْ ‘‘} they have been worshipping them for ages. Thus, in their view, the only proof of the truth of their polytheism was the imitation of their forefathers, which is utter ignorance and has nothing to do with knowledge.
➌ { وَ قَالُوْا مَا هٰذَاۤ اِلَّاۤ اِفْكٌ مُّفْتَرًى :} Here, {’’ هٰذَاۤ ‘‘} refers to the Qur’an. In the word {’’ اِفْكٌ مُّفْتَرًى ‘‘}, they said two things about the Qur’an: first, that it is a lie in itself, and second, that it has been fabricated and attributed to Allah.
➍ { وَ قَالَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا لِلْحَقِّ … :} See the confusion of the disbelievers: sometimes they call it a lie and sometimes they call it clear magic, and as for the statement that when the truth came to them, they called it clear magic, it means that if they had no knowledge of the truth and said such things, perhaps they would be excused, but now that the truth has become clear, what end can they have except Hell in case of denial?
