سُوْرَةُ الْاَحْقَافِ
Surah Al-Ahqaf (46) — Ayah 28
فَلَوْلَا نَصَرَهُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ قُرْبَانًا ءَالِهَةًۢ ۖ بَلْ ضَلُّوا۟ عَنْهُمْ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ إِفْكُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ ﴿28﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Then why did those whom they had taken for âlihah (gods) besides Allâh, as a way of approach (to Allâh) not help them? Nay, but they vanished completely from them (when there came the torment). And that was their lie, and their inventions which they had been inventing (before their destruction).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَلَوْلَا
falawlā
Then why (did) not
نَصَرَهُمُ
naṣarahumu
help them
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those whom
ٱتَّخَذُوا۟
ittakhadhū
they had taken
مِن
min
besides
دُونِ
dūni
besides
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
قُرْبَانًا
qur'bānan
gods as a way of approach
ءَالِهَةًۢ ۖ
ālihatan
gods as a way of approach
بَلْ
bal
Nay
ضَلُّوا۟
ḍallū
they were lost
عَنْهُمْ ۚ
ʿanhum
from them
وَذَٰلِكَ
wadhālika
And that
إِفْكُهُمْ
if'kuhum
(was) their falsehood
وَمَا
wamā
and what
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they were
يَفْتَرُونَ
yaftarūna
inventing
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 28) ➊ {فَلَوْ لَا نَصَرَهُمُ الَّذِيْنَ اتَّخَذُوْا … : ’’ قُرْبَانًا ‘‘} is either a circumstantial adverb or an adverb of purpose; the translation is according to the adverb of purpose. The greatest and common crime of the people of Makkah and the surrounding nations was that they had made several deities besides Allah, about whom they believed that they would help them in times of distress, intercede for them with Allah, convey their pleas to Him, and become a means of bringing them closer to Allah. It has already been mentioned in Surah Az-Zumar that the polytheists of Makkah, like their predecessors, used to say: « مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ اِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُوْنَاۤ اِلَى اللّٰهِ زُلْفٰى » [ الزمر : ۳ ] "We only worship them so that they may bring us nearer to Allah." And in Surah Yunus it is stated: « هٰۤؤُلَآءِ شُفَعَآؤُنَا عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ » [ یونس : ۱۸ ] "These are our intercessors with Allah." Then it should have been that when the punishment came upon them as a result of this crime, those deities would come to their aid, but none came to help them. Therefore, Allah said: Why then did those patrons, fulfillers of needs, and removers of difficulties not help them, whom they had taken as deities besides Allah to gain nearness to Him?
➋ { بَلْ ضَلُّوْا عَنْهُمْ:} That is, when the time came for which they were worshipped and offerings were presented before them, those deities disappeared in such a way that no trace of them was found.
➌ { وَ ذٰلِكَ اِفْكُهُمْ وَ مَا كَانُوْا يَفْتَرُوْنَ:} It is evident that all those claims which they had fabricated to instill awe of their deities were lies, and they were sheer slanders which they used to invent.
➋ { بَلْ ضَلُّوْا عَنْهُمْ:} That is, when the time came for which they were worshipped and offerings were presented before them, those deities disappeared in such a way that no trace of them was found.
➌ { وَ ذٰلِكَ اِفْكُهُمْ وَ مَا كَانُوْا يَفْتَرُوْنَ:} It is evident that all those claims which they had fabricated to instill awe of their deities were lies, and they were sheer slanders which they used to invent.
