سُوْرَةُ مُحَمَّدٍ
Surah Muhammad (47) — Ayah 1
ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَصَدُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَضَلَّ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ ﴿1﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Those who disbelieve (in the Oneness of Allâh, and in the Message of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), and hinder (men) from the Path of Allâh (Islâmic Monotheism), He will render their deeds vain.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
Those who
كَفَرُوا۟
kafarū
disbelieve
وَصَدُّوا۟
waṣaddū
and turn away
عَن
ʿan
from
سَبِيلِ
sabīli
(the) way of Allah
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(the) way of Allah
أَضَلَّ
aḍalla
He will cause to be lost
أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ
aʿmālahum
their deeds
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.
The name of this Surah is Surah Muhammad (peace be upon him), because his noble name appears in it. Besides this, it is also called Surah Qital, because the word "Qital" (fighting) appears twice in it and its central theme is fighting against the disbelievers.
(Ayah 1) ➊ {اَلَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا وَ صَدُّوْا عَنْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ … :} Since most of this Surah consists of urging war against the polytheists, Allah Almighty began the Surah by expressing His wrath upon the disbelievers and His mercy upon the believers, so that, due to their disbelief and their crime of preventing others from the way of Allah, the Muslims may be encouraged to fight them. Thus, after this introduction, it is said: « فَاِذَا لَقِيْتُمُ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا فَضَرْبَ الرِّقَابِ» [ محمد : ۴ ] "So when you meet those who disbelieve, strike their necks."
➋ {صَدُّوْا عَنْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ اَضَلَّ اَعْمَالَهُمْ: ’’ صَدُّوْا ‘‘ ’’صَدَّ يَصُدُّ ‘‘} (n) It also comes in the sense of "to turn away" as an intransitive verb, its verbal noun is {’’ صُدُوْدًا‘‘}, and as a transitive verb, "to prevent," its verbal noun is {’’صَدًّا ‘‘}. Here, the second meaning is intended, because the matter of turning away itself has come in {’’ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا ‘‘}, and disbelief is more severe than turning away. Therefore, the meaning is that those who refused to believe and also prevented others from the way of Allah, that is, from accepting Islam, Allah Almighty rendered their deeds null and void. That is, the apparently good deeds these people did while remaining disbelievers, such as charity, hospitality, maintaining family ties, repairing and performing Hajj of the Ka'bah, helping the oppressed, etc., they will receive no reward for them with Allah Almighty, because without faith, no deed has any value. See also the commentary of Surah Al-Furqan (23). Another meaning of rendering the deeds of the disbelievers void is that Allah Almighty nullified all their actions, that is, their conspiracies and plans which they used to try to bring Islam down.
➌ { صَدُّوْا عَنْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ اَضَلَّ اَعْمَالَهُمْ:} There are several forms of preventing from the way of Allah, one of which is that a person forcibly prevents someone from believing. The second is that he inflicts such oppression and persecution upon the believers that it becomes difficult for them to remain steadfast in faith, and seeing their miserable condition, those intending to believe do not dare to do so. Allah Almighty has used the word "fitnah" for this. The third is that he incites people against Islam in various ways and puts such doubts in their hearts that they become disillusioned with the religion of Islam. The fourth is that every disbeliever raises his children and dependents upon disbelief, making it difficult for them to accept the true religion, thus becoming guilty of preventing from the way of Allah. To eliminate all these forms of preventing from the way of Allah, the command to fight the disbelievers was given.
(Ayah 1) ➊ {اَلَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا وَ صَدُّوْا عَنْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ … :} Since most of this Surah consists of urging war against the polytheists, Allah Almighty began the Surah by expressing His wrath upon the disbelievers and His mercy upon the believers, so that, due to their disbelief and their crime of preventing others from the way of Allah, the Muslims may be encouraged to fight them. Thus, after this introduction, it is said: « فَاِذَا لَقِيْتُمُ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا فَضَرْبَ الرِّقَابِ» [ محمد : ۴ ] "So when you meet those who disbelieve, strike their necks."
➋ {صَدُّوْا عَنْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ اَضَلَّ اَعْمَالَهُمْ: ’’ صَدُّوْا ‘‘ ’’صَدَّ يَصُدُّ ‘‘} (n) It also comes in the sense of "to turn away" as an intransitive verb, its verbal noun is {’’ صُدُوْدًا‘‘}, and as a transitive verb, "to prevent," its verbal noun is {’’صَدًّا ‘‘}. Here, the second meaning is intended, because the matter of turning away itself has come in {’’ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا ‘‘}, and disbelief is more severe than turning away. Therefore, the meaning is that those who refused to believe and also prevented others from the way of Allah, that is, from accepting Islam, Allah Almighty rendered their deeds null and void. That is, the apparently good deeds these people did while remaining disbelievers, such as charity, hospitality, maintaining family ties, repairing and performing Hajj of the Ka'bah, helping the oppressed, etc., they will receive no reward for them with Allah Almighty, because without faith, no deed has any value. See also the commentary of Surah Al-Furqan (23). Another meaning of rendering the deeds of the disbelievers void is that Allah Almighty nullified all their actions, that is, their conspiracies and plans which they used to try to bring Islam down.
➌ { صَدُّوْا عَنْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ اَضَلَّ اَعْمَالَهُمْ:} There are several forms of preventing from the way of Allah, one of which is that a person forcibly prevents someone from believing. The second is that he inflicts such oppression and persecution upon the believers that it becomes difficult for them to remain steadfast in faith, and seeing their miserable condition, those intending to believe do not dare to do so. Allah Almighty has used the word "fitnah" for this. The third is that he incites people against Islam in various ways and puts such doubts in their hearts that they become disillusioned with the religion of Islam. The fourth is that every disbeliever raises his children and dependents upon disbelief, making it difficult for them to accept the true religion, thus becoming guilty of preventing from the way of Allah. To eliminate all these forms of preventing from the way of Allah, the command to fight the disbelievers was given.
