سُوْرَةُ الْاَحْقَافِ
Surah Al-Ahqaf (46) — Ayah 26
وَلَقَدْ مَكَّنَّـٰهُمْ فِيمَآ إِن مَّكَّنَّـٰكُمْ فِيهِ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ سَمْعًا وَأَبْصَـٰرًا وَأَفْـِٔدَةً فَمَآ أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَلَآ أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ وَلَآ أَفْـِٔدَتُهُم مِّن شَىْءٍ إِذْ كَانُوا۟ يَجْحَدُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ ﴿26﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And indeed We had firmly established them with that wherewith We have not established you (O Quraish)! And We had assigned them the (faculties of) hearing (ears), seeing (eyes), and hearts; but their hearing (ears), seeing (eyes), and their hearts availed them nothing since they used to deny the Ayât (Allâh’s Prophets and their Prophethood, proofs, evidence, verses, signs, revelations) of Allâh, and they were completely encircled by that which they used to mock at!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَقَدْ
walaqad
And certainly
مَكَّنَّـٰهُمْ
makkannāhum
We had established them
فِيمَآ
fīmā
in what
إِن
in
not
مَّكَّنَّـٰكُمْ
makkannākum
We have established you
فِيهِ
fīhi
in it
وَجَعَلْنَا
wajaʿalnā
and We made
لَهُمْ
lahum
for them
سَمْعًۭا
samʿan
hearing
وَأَبْصَـٰرًۭا
wa-abṣāran
and vision
وَأَفْـِٔدَةًۭ
wa-afidatan
and hearts
فَمَآ
famā
But not
أَغْنَىٰ
aghnā
availed
عَنْهُمْ
ʿanhum
them
سَمْعُهُمْ
samʿuhum
their hearing
وَلَآ
walā
and not
أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ
abṣāruhum
their vision
وَلَآ
walā
and not
أَفْـِٔدَتُهُم
afidatuhum
their hearts
مِّن
min
any
شَىْءٍ
shayin
thing
إِذْ
idh
when
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they were
يَجْحَدُونَ
yajḥadūna
rejecting
بِـَٔايَـٰتِ
biāyāti
(the) Signs
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
وَحَاقَ
waḥāqa
and enveloped
بِهِم
bihim
them
مَّا
mā
what
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they used to
بِهِۦ
bihi
[at it]
يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ
yastahziūna
ridicule
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 26) ➊ {وَ لَقَدْ مَكَّنّٰهُمْ فِيْمَاۤ اِنْ مَّكَّنّٰكُمْ فِيْهِ: ’’مَكَّنَ يُمَكِّنُ تَمْكِيْنًا‘‘} Granting power over something. In {’’ اِنْ مَّكَّنّٰكُمْ ‘‘}, { ’’ اِنْ ‘‘} is not conditional but negative, meaning it is in the sense of "not" instead of "if." This is being said to the Quraysh of Makkah that the physical stature, wealth, children, strength, kingdom—in short, the worldly means over which We granted the people of ‘Ad power—We have not granted you power over them. When all their strength and grandeur were blown away like straw before Allah’s punishment, then what worth do you have? Allah Almighty has stated this at several places; see Surah Ar-Rum (9) and Surah Al-Mu’min (21).
➋ { وَ جَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ سَمْعًا وَّ اَبْصَارًا وَّ اَفْـِٕدَةً … :} Elsewhere, it is said about them: « وَ كَانُوْا مُسْتَبْصِرِيْنَ» [ العنکبوت : ۳۸] "Even though they were very intelligent." That is, We gave them ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts to ponder, but they used them only as much as was useful for acquiring worldly goods, instead of listening to Allah’s verses, seeing His signs for reflection, and pondering about the life of the Hereafter. They were intelligent in worldly matters, but did not have the sense that would set their Hereafter right. When listening to Allah’s verses, their ears would become deaf, and their eyes would remain closed to seeing Allah’s signs. Then, when Allah’s punishment came upon them, their intelligence was of no use to them, because they used to openly deny Allah’s verses.
➌ { وَ حَاقَ بِهِمْ مَّا كَانُوْا بِهٖ يَسْتَهْزِءُوْنَ:} That is, the punishment they used to mock and say, "When is that punishment you warn us about coming?"—that very punishment surrounded them, and surrounded them in such a way that they could not escape from it.
➋ { وَ جَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ سَمْعًا وَّ اَبْصَارًا وَّ اَفْـِٕدَةً … :} Elsewhere, it is said about them: « وَ كَانُوْا مُسْتَبْصِرِيْنَ» [ العنکبوت : ۳۸] "Even though they were very intelligent." That is, We gave them ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts to ponder, but they used them only as much as was useful for acquiring worldly goods, instead of listening to Allah’s verses, seeing His signs for reflection, and pondering about the life of the Hereafter. They were intelligent in worldly matters, but did not have the sense that would set their Hereafter right. When listening to Allah’s verses, their ears would become deaf, and their eyes would remain closed to seeing Allah’s signs. Then, when Allah’s punishment came upon them, their intelligence was of no use to them, because they used to openly deny Allah’s verses.
➌ { وَ حَاقَ بِهِمْ مَّا كَانُوْا بِهٖ يَسْتَهْزِءُوْنَ:} That is, the punishment they used to mock and say, "When is that punishment you warn us about coming?"—that very punishment surrounded them, and surrounded them in such a way that they could not escape from it.
