سُوْرَةُ الدُّخَانِ
Surah Ad-Dukhaan (44) — Ayah 18
أَنْ أَدُّوٓا۟ إِلَىَّ عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنِّى لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ ﴿18﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Saying: "Deliver to me the slaves of Allâh (i.e. the Children of Israel). Verily, I am to you a Messenger worthy of all trust.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَنْ
an
That
أَدُّوٓا۟
addū
Deliver
إِلَىَّ
ilayya
to me
عِبَادَ
ʿibāda
(the) servants
ٱللَّهِ ۖ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
إِنِّى
innī
Indeed, I am
لَكُمْ
lakum
to you
رَسُولٌ
rasūlun
a Messenger
أَمِينٌۭ
amīnun
trustworthy
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 18) ➊ { اَنْ اَدُّوْۤا اِلَيَّ عِبَادَ اللّٰهِ … :} Here, it should be kept in mind that the statements of Musa (peace be upon him) mentioned here are not from a single occasion, but rather, over several years, at different times, whatever he said to Pharaoh and his courtiers has been summarized in a few sentences.
➋ { اَنْ اَدُّوْۤا اِلَيَّ عِبَادَ اللّٰهِ:} This sentence can be interpreted in two ways: one is that the word {’’ عِبَادَ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} is the object of {’’ اَدُّوْۤا اِلَيَّ ‘‘}, meaning that Musa (peace be upon him) said to them, "Hand over the servants of Allah to me." By {’’ عِبَادَ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} (the servants of Allah) is meant the Children of Israel, whom Pharaoh had enslaved. The purpose of Musa's (peace be upon him) prophethood was, along with inviting Pharaoh and his people to Islam, to deliver the Children of Israel from his slavery. This interpretation is supported by this verse: « فَاْتِيٰهُ فَقُوْلَاۤ اِنَّا رَسُوْلَا رَبِّكَ فَاَرْسِلْ مَعَنَا بَنِيْۤ اِسْرَآءِيْلَ وَ لَا تُعَذِّبْهُمْ » [ طٰہٰ : ۴۷ ] "So go to him and say, 'Indeed, we are messengers of your Lord, so send with us the Children of Israel and do not torment them.'" Here, calling the Children of Israel {’’ عِبَادَ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} means that they are servants and slaves of Allah; you have no right to keep them as your slaves. The same thing was said by Rabi' bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) to the Persian commander Rustam at the time of the Battle of Qadisiyyah, when he asked him: [ مَا جَاءَ بِكُمْ؟ ] "What has brought you here?" In response, he delivered a speech, a few sentences of which are: [ اَللّٰهُ ابْتَعَثَنَا لِنُخْرِجَ مَنْ شَاءَ مِنْ عِبَادَةِ الْعِبَادِ إِلٰی عِبَادَةِ اللّٰهِ وَ مِنْ ضِيْقِ الدُّنْيَا إِلٰی سَعَتِهَا وَمِنْ جَوْرِ الْأَدْيَانِ إِلٰی عَدْلِ الْإِسْلَامِ ] [ البدایۃ والنہایۃ : 47/7، سن ۱۴ ہجري کے واقعات ] "Allah Almighty has sent us so that we may bring out whom He wills from the servitude to men to the servitude of Allah, from the narrowness of the world to its vastness, and from the oppression and tyranny of all religions to the justice of Islam."
The second interpretation is that before {’’ عِبَادَ اللّٰهِ ‘‘}, the vocative particle {’’يَا‘‘} is omitted, and since the vocative is annexed, it is accusative, and the object of {’’ اَدُّوْۤا اِلَيَّ ‘‘} is omitted: {’’ أَيْ أَدُّوْا إِلَيَّ مَا وَجَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ يَا عِبَادَ اللّٰهِ! ‘‘} "O servants of Allah! Fulfill the rights that are obligatory upon you to me." That is, believe in me and obey me. According to this interpretation, by {’’ عِبَادَ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} is meant the Copts. This interpretation is also correct; the following sentence {’’ اِنِّيْ لَكُمْ رَسُوْلٌ اَمِيْنٌ ‘‘} is more appropriate to this interpretation. The omission of the vocative particle is common in Arabic speech, as the Aziz of Egypt said: « يُوْسُفُ اَعْرِضْ عَنْ هٰذَا » [ یوسف : ۲۹ ] {’’ أَيْ يَا يُوْسُفُ! أَعْرِضْ عَنْ هٰذَا ‘‘} meaning, "O Yusuf! Overlook this matter."
➌ { اِنِّيْ لَكُمْ رَسُوْلٌ اَمِيْنٌ:} This is the reason for the previous sentence, meaning, "Fulfill the rights that are obligatory upon you to me, because I am a trustworthy messenger for you; I convey to you the message of Allah exactly, without any omission or addition." These words are from the time when Musa (peace be upon him) first presented his message.
➋ { اَنْ اَدُّوْۤا اِلَيَّ عِبَادَ اللّٰهِ:} This sentence can be interpreted in two ways: one is that the word {’’ عِبَادَ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} is the object of {’’ اَدُّوْۤا اِلَيَّ ‘‘}, meaning that Musa (peace be upon him) said to them, "Hand over the servants of Allah to me." By {’’ عِبَادَ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} (the servants of Allah) is meant the Children of Israel, whom Pharaoh had enslaved. The purpose of Musa's (peace be upon him) prophethood was, along with inviting Pharaoh and his people to Islam, to deliver the Children of Israel from his slavery. This interpretation is supported by this verse: « فَاْتِيٰهُ فَقُوْلَاۤ اِنَّا رَسُوْلَا رَبِّكَ فَاَرْسِلْ مَعَنَا بَنِيْۤ اِسْرَآءِيْلَ وَ لَا تُعَذِّبْهُمْ » [ طٰہٰ : ۴۷ ] "So go to him and say, 'Indeed, we are messengers of your Lord, so send with us the Children of Israel and do not torment them.'" Here, calling the Children of Israel {’’ عِبَادَ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} means that they are servants and slaves of Allah; you have no right to keep them as your slaves. The same thing was said by Rabi' bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) to the Persian commander Rustam at the time of the Battle of Qadisiyyah, when he asked him: [ مَا جَاءَ بِكُمْ؟ ] "What has brought you here?" In response, he delivered a speech, a few sentences of which are: [ اَللّٰهُ ابْتَعَثَنَا لِنُخْرِجَ مَنْ شَاءَ مِنْ عِبَادَةِ الْعِبَادِ إِلٰی عِبَادَةِ اللّٰهِ وَ مِنْ ضِيْقِ الدُّنْيَا إِلٰی سَعَتِهَا وَمِنْ جَوْرِ الْأَدْيَانِ إِلٰی عَدْلِ الْإِسْلَامِ ] [ البدایۃ والنہایۃ : 47/7، سن ۱۴ ہجري کے واقعات ] "Allah Almighty has sent us so that we may bring out whom He wills from the servitude to men to the servitude of Allah, from the narrowness of the world to its vastness, and from the oppression and tyranny of all religions to the justice of Islam."
The second interpretation is that before {’’ عِبَادَ اللّٰهِ ‘‘}, the vocative particle {’’يَا‘‘} is omitted, and since the vocative is annexed, it is accusative, and the object of {’’ اَدُّوْۤا اِلَيَّ ‘‘} is omitted: {’’ أَيْ أَدُّوْا إِلَيَّ مَا وَجَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ يَا عِبَادَ اللّٰهِ! ‘‘} "O servants of Allah! Fulfill the rights that are obligatory upon you to me." That is, believe in me and obey me. According to this interpretation, by {’’ عِبَادَ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} is meant the Copts. This interpretation is also correct; the following sentence {’’ اِنِّيْ لَكُمْ رَسُوْلٌ اَمِيْنٌ ‘‘} is more appropriate to this interpretation. The omission of the vocative particle is common in Arabic speech, as the Aziz of Egypt said: « يُوْسُفُ اَعْرِضْ عَنْ هٰذَا » [ یوسف : ۲۹ ] {’’ أَيْ يَا يُوْسُفُ! أَعْرِضْ عَنْ هٰذَا ‘‘} meaning, "O Yusuf! Overlook this matter."
➌ { اِنِّيْ لَكُمْ رَسُوْلٌ اَمِيْنٌ:} This is the reason for the previous sentence, meaning, "Fulfill the rights that are obligatory upon you to me, because I am a trustworthy messenger for you; I convey to you the message of Allah exactly, without any omission or addition." These words are from the time when Musa (peace be upon him) first presented his message.
