سُوْرَةُ الْحُجُراتِ
Surah Al-Hujuraat (49) — Ayah 17
يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُوا۟ ۖ قُل لَّا تَمُنُّوا۟ عَلَىَّ إِسْلَـٰمَكُم ۖ بَلِ ٱللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ هَدَىٰكُمْ لِلْإِيمَـٰنِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ ﴿17﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
They regard as favour to you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) that they have embraced Islâm. Say: "Count not your Islâm as a favour to me. Nay, but Allâh has conferred a favour upon you that He has guided you to the Faith if you indeed are true.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَمُنُّونَ
yamunnūna
They consider (it) a favor
عَلَيْكَ
ʿalayka
to you
أَنْ
an
that
أَسْلَمُوا۟ ۖ
aslamū
they have accepted Islam
قُل
qul
Say
لَّا
lā
(Do) not
تَمُنُّوا۟
tamunnū
consider a favor
عَلَىَّ
ʿalayya
on me
إِسْلَـٰمَكُم ۖ
is'lāmakum
your Islam
بَلِ
bali
Nay
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
يَمُنُّ
yamunnu
has conferred a favor
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
upon you
أَنْ
an
that
هَدَىٰكُمْ
hadākum
He has guided you
لِلْإِيمَـٰنِ
lil'īmāni
to the faith
إِن
in
if
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you are
صَـٰدِقِينَ
ṣādiqīna
truthful
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 17) ➊ { يَمُنُّوْنَ عَلَيْكَ اَنْ اَسْلَمُوْا:} The Bedouins, by saying {’’ اٰمَنَّا ‘‘} (We have believed), were actually showing a favor to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for their becoming Muslim. In their view, it was a favor upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) which he should acknowledge, and in return, he should fulfill their demands and requests, just as a chieftain or leader, by joining a political party, considers it a favor upon the party and seeks his interests from the party leader.
➋ { قُلْ لَّا تَمُنُّوْا عَلَيَّ اِسْلَامَكُمْ:} Allah Almighty said, say to them, do not show your Islam as a favor to me, because when someone becomes a Muslim, its benefit is for himself, and if he does not, its harm is also for himself, as He said: «مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلِنَفْسِهٖ وَ مَنْ اَسَآءَ فَعَلَيْهَا » [ حٰمٓ السجدۃ : ۴۶ ] “Whoever does a good deed, it is for himself, and whoever does evil, it is against himself.” Your accepting or not accepting Islam has no benefit for me.
➌ { بَلِ اللّٰهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ اَنْ هَدٰىكُمْ:} Here, apparently, it should have been said that do not show your Islam as a favor to me, rather it is my favor upon you that because of me you accepted Islam, but Allah Almighty taught to say that Allah Almighty reminds you and makes you recall His favor that He guided you to faith, that is, He granted you the ability, because even though the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gives guidance, as He said: «وَ اِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِيْۤ اِلٰى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيْمٍ » [ الشورٰی : ۵۲ ] “And indeed, you surely guide to a straight path.” But you can only guide to the straight path, the guidance which is to walk upon the straight path, the ability for that is only in the hands of Allah Almighty, so He said: « اِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِيْ مَنْ اَحْبَبْتَ وَ لٰكِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَهْدِيْ مَنْ يَّشَآءُ» [القصص: ۵۶] “Indeed, you do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills.” And if Allah Almighty granted you the ability to have faith, then in that is entirely your benefit, you cannot benefit Allah Almighty in any way, nor can you harm Him. Not just you, even if all creation were to gather, they could neither benefit Allah Almighty nor harm Him, so what is the meaning of showing a favor upon Him or His Messenger?
➍ {اِنْ كُنْتُمْ صٰدِقِيْنَ:} That is, Allah Almighty’s favor of guiding to faith is upon you only if you are truthful in your claim of faith, otherwise your claim has not yet been verified.
➋ { قُلْ لَّا تَمُنُّوْا عَلَيَّ اِسْلَامَكُمْ:} Allah Almighty said, say to them, do not show your Islam as a favor to me, because when someone becomes a Muslim, its benefit is for himself, and if he does not, its harm is also for himself, as He said: «مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلِنَفْسِهٖ وَ مَنْ اَسَآءَ فَعَلَيْهَا » [ حٰمٓ السجدۃ : ۴۶ ] “Whoever does a good deed, it is for himself, and whoever does evil, it is against himself.” Your accepting or not accepting Islam has no benefit for me.
➌ { بَلِ اللّٰهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ اَنْ هَدٰىكُمْ:} Here, apparently, it should have been said that do not show your Islam as a favor to me, rather it is my favor upon you that because of me you accepted Islam, but Allah Almighty taught to say that Allah Almighty reminds you and makes you recall His favor that He guided you to faith, that is, He granted you the ability, because even though the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gives guidance, as He said: «وَ اِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِيْۤ اِلٰى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيْمٍ » [ الشورٰی : ۵۲ ] “And indeed, you surely guide to a straight path.” But you can only guide to the straight path, the guidance which is to walk upon the straight path, the ability for that is only in the hands of Allah Almighty, so He said: « اِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِيْ مَنْ اَحْبَبْتَ وَ لٰكِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَهْدِيْ مَنْ يَّشَآءُ» [القصص: ۵۶] “Indeed, you do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills.” And if Allah Almighty granted you the ability to have faith, then in that is entirely your benefit, you cannot benefit Allah Almighty in any way, nor can you harm Him. Not just you, even if all creation were to gather, they could neither benefit Allah Almighty nor harm Him, so what is the meaning of showing a favor upon Him or His Messenger?
➍ {اِنْ كُنْتُمْ صٰدِقِيْنَ:} That is, Allah Almighty’s favor of guiding to faith is upon you only if you are truthful in your claim of faith, otherwise your claim has not yet been verified.
