سُوْرَةُ الزُّخْرُفِ
Surah Az-Zukhruf (43) — Ayah 87
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ ٱللَّهُ ۖ فَأَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ ﴿87﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And if you ask them who created them, they will surely say: "Allâh." How then are they turned away (from the worship of Allâh, Who created them)?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَئِن
wala-in
And if
سَأَلْتَهُم
sa-altahum
you ask them
مَّنْ
man
who
خَلَقَهُمْ
khalaqahum
created them
لَيَقُولُنَّ
layaqūlunna
they will certainly say
ٱللَّهُ ۖ
l-lahu
Allah
فَأَنَّىٰ
fa-annā
Then how
يُؤْفَكُونَ
yu'fakūna
are they deluded
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 87) ➊ { وَ لَىِٕنْ سَاَلْتَهُمْ مَّنْ خَلَقَهُمْ … :} In this verse, the contradiction between the statements and actions of the polytheists has been made clear, that is, when they admit that Allah Almighty created them, then why do they worship others instead of the Creator? How did they come to believe those who have created nothing to be the remover of difficulties and fulfiller of needs, leaving aside the Owner?
➋ { فَاَنّٰى يُؤْفَكُوْنَ:} That is, then where are the misleaders leading them astray? One meaning of {’’ فَاَنّٰى يُؤْفَكُوْنَ ‘‘} is also: {’’ مِنْ أَيْنَ يُؤْفَكُوْنَ ‘‘} that then from where are they being led astray, what argument or what reason is there due to which they are being misled. From this it is known that man is originally upon monotheism, then devils, whether human or jinn, mislead him from monotheism and involve him in polytheism. Therefore, one should be very cautious and alert from such people, as Iyad bin Himar Al-Mujashi'i (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said one day in his sermon: [ أَلَا! إِنَّ رَبِّيْ أَمَرَنِيْ أَنْ أُعَلِّمَكُمْ مَا جَهِلْتُمْ مِمَّا عَلَّمَنِيْ يَوْمِيْ هٰذَا، كُلُّ مَالٍ نَحَلْتُهُ عَبْدًا حَلَالٌ وَ إِنِّيْ خَلَقْتُ عِبَادِيْ حُنَفَاءَ كُلَّهُمْ وَإِنَّهُمْ أَتَتْهُمُ الشَّيَاطِيْنُ فَاجْتَالَتْهُمْ عَنْ دِيْنِهِمْ وَ حَرَّمَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ مَا أَحْلَلْتُ لَهُمْ وَأَمَرَتْهُمْ أَنْ يُشْرِكُوْا بِيْ مَا لَمْ أُنْزِلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا ] [ مسلم، الجنۃ و صفۃ نعیمھا و أہلہا، باب الصفات التي یعرف بہا في الدنیا أھل الجنۃ و أھل النار : ۲۸۶۵ ] "Listen! My Lord has commanded me to teach you those things of which you are unaware, among those things which He has taught me today. (He says that) every wealth which I have bestowed upon a servant (is) lawful for him, and I have created all My servants as Hunafa (inclined towards one Allah), but then the devils came to them and led them astray from their religion and made unlawful for them what I had made lawful for them, and commanded them to associate with Me those things for which I have sent down no authority."
➋ { فَاَنّٰى يُؤْفَكُوْنَ:} That is, then where are the misleaders leading them astray? One meaning of {’’ فَاَنّٰى يُؤْفَكُوْنَ ‘‘} is also: {’’ مِنْ أَيْنَ يُؤْفَكُوْنَ ‘‘} that then from where are they being led astray, what argument or what reason is there due to which they are being misled. From this it is known that man is originally upon monotheism, then devils, whether human or jinn, mislead him from monotheism and involve him in polytheism. Therefore, one should be very cautious and alert from such people, as Iyad bin Himar Al-Mujashi'i (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said one day in his sermon: [ أَلَا! إِنَّ رَبِّيْ أَمَرَنِيْ أَنْ أُعَلِّمَكُمْ مَا جَهِلْتُمْ مِمَّا عَلَّمَنِيْ يَوْمِيْ هٰذَا، كُلُّ مَالٍ نَحَلْتُهُ عَبْدًا حَلَالٌ وَ إِنِّيْ خَلَقْتُ عِبَادِيْ حُنَفَاءَ كُلَّهُمْ وَإِنَّهُمْ أَتَتْهُمُ الشَّيَاطِيْنُ فَاجْتَالَتْهُمْ عَنْ دِيْنِهِمْ وَ حَرَّمَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ مَا أَحْلَلْتُ لَهُمْ وَأَمَرَتْهُمْ أَنْ يُشْرِكُوْا بِيْ مَا لَمْ أُنْزِلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا ] [ مسلم، الجنۃ و صفۃ نعیمھا و أہلہا، باب الصفات التي یعرف بہا في الدنیا أھل الجنۃ و أھل النار : ۲۸۶۵ ] "Listen! My Lord has commanded me to teach you those things of which you are unaware, among those things which He has taught me today. (He says that) every wealth which I have bestowed upon a servant (is) lawful for him, and I have created all My servants as Hunafa (inclined towards one Allah), but then the devils came to them and led them astray from their religion and made unlawful for them what I had made lawful for them, and commanded them to associate with Me those things for which I have sent down no authority."
