سُوْرَةُ الزُّخْرُفِ
Surah Az-Zukhruf (43) — Ayah 9
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ خَلَقَهُنَّ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ﴿9﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And indeed if you ask them, "Who has created the heavens and the earth?" They will surely say: "The All-Mighty, the All-Knower created them."
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
خَلَقَهُنَّ
khalaqahunna
Created them
ٱلْعَزِيزُ
l-ʿazīzu
the All-Mighty
ٱلْعَلِيمُ
l-ʿalīmu
the All-Knower
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 9) ➊ { وَ لَىِٕنْ سَاَلْتَهُمْ مَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضَ:} From here, the contradiction in the words and actions of the disbelievers is being made clear: these people associate partners with Allah, deny the Prophethood of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him), and declare it impossible to be resurrected and presented on the Day of Judgment. However, if you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will certainly say that Allah Almighty created them. So then, what an injustice it is that these people associate with that Being who created the heavens, the earth, and the entire universe, such entities who have not created even a speck. Then, it is evident that the knowledge that Allah Almighty created the heavens and the earth was known to people only through the previous messengers. The people of Arabia also came to know this through the teachings of Ibrahim and Ismail (peace be upon them), because the common people do not have the capability to discover the realities of the universe on their own. So when they accept the previous messengers, why do they not believe in this Prophet who has come with the same teachings? On one hand, they acknowledge that Allah Almighty was capable of creating the heavens and the earth when they did not exist, and on the other hand, they consider Him so powerless that He cannot recreate what He created before.
➋ { لَيَقُوْلُنَّ خَلَقَهُنَّ الْعَزِيْزُ الْعَلِيْمُ:} The answer from the Arab polytheists to the question of who created the heavens and the earth was the same: that “Allah” created them, as stated in Surah Luqman (25) and Surah Az-Zumar (38): «وَ لَىِٕنْ سَاَلْتَهُمْ مَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضَ لَيَقُوْلُنَّ اللّٰهُ » “And surely if you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will certainly say, ‘Allah did.’” Here, the same point is expressed in these words: that they will say that the same Mighty and All-Knowing One created them. Because their admission that “Allah created them” necessarily implies that they also admit He is Mighty and All-Knowing, for without perfect power and complete knowledge, creating the heavens and the earth is not possible.
➋ { لَيَقُوْلُنَّ خَلَقَهُنَّ الْعَزِيْزُ الْعَلِيْمُ:} The answer from the Arab polytheists to the question of who created the heavens and the earth was the same: that “Allah” created them, as stated in Surah Luqman (25) and Surah Az-Zumar (38): «وَ لَىِٕنْ سَاَلْتَهُمْ مَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضَ لَيَقُوْلُنَّ اللّٰهُ » “And surely if you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will certainly say, ‘Allah did.’” Here, the same point is expressed in these words: that they will say that the same Mighty and All-Knowing One created them. Because their admission that “Allah created them” necessarily implies that they also admit He is Mighty and All-Knowing, for without perfect power and complete knowledge, creating the heavens and the earth is not possible.
