سُوْرَةُ مُحَمَّدٍ
Surah Muhammad (47) — Ayah 22
فَهَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِن تَوَلَّيْتُمْ أَن تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَتُقَطِّعُوٓا۟ أَرْحَامَكُمْ ﴿22﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Would you then, if you were given the authority, do mischief in the land, and sever your ties of kinship?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَهَلْ
fahal
Then would
عَسَيْتُمْ
ʿasaytum
you perhaps
إِن
in
if
تَوَلَّيْتُمْ
tawallaytum
you are given authority
أَن
an
that
تُفْسِدُوا۟
tuf'sidū
you cause corruption
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
وَتُقَطِّعُوٓا۟
watuqaṭṭiʿū
and cut off
أَرْحَامَكُمْ
arḥāmakum
your ties of kinship
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.
For the investigation of the meaning of {فَهَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ اِنْ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ … : ’’هَلْ‘‘}, see the first verse of Surah Dahr: the exegesis of « هَلْ اَتٰى عَلَى الْاِنْسَانِ حِيْنٌ مِّنَ الدَّهْرِ ». Here, this is in the meaning of {’’ قَدْ ‘‘} (certainly). {’’ عَسَيْتُمْ ‘‘} means you are near, you are expected. {’’ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ ‘‘} is either from {’’تَوَلَّي الْوِلاَيَةَ‘‘}, meaning to be a ruler or one in authority, or from {’’ تَوَلّٰي عَنْهُ‘‘}, meaning to turn away, to show aversion. If it is from being a ruler, then the meaning of the verse is that it is better for you to adopt obedience and a kind word, because if you attain authority in this state of hypocrisy, then certainly you are near to returning to the state you were in before Islam due to being devoid of faith; you will spread corruption in the land to fulfill your desires and will severely sever your family ties. And if the meaning of {’’ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ ‘‘} is aversion and turning away, then the meaning is that it is better for you that when the command of jihad becomes definite and obligatory, you prove your sincerity by striving in the way of Allah, because if you turn away from jihad, you will never remain in peace and security, rather you will commit disobedience and sever family ties, as a result of which the same state of civil war, disobedience, and looting will return as was before Islam. In {’’ تُقَطِّعُوْۤا ‘‘} (in the intensive form), there is emphasis, meaning you will severely sever your family ties, or you will completely cut them off.
