سُوْرَةُ المَآئِدَةِ
Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 116
وَإِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَـٰعِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ ءَأَنتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ ٱتَّخِذُونِى وَأُمِّىَ إِلَـٰهَيْنِ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ مَا يَكُونُ لِىٓ أَنْ أَقُولَ مَا لَيْسَ لِى بِحَقٍّ ۚ إِن كُنتُ قُلْتُهُۥ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَهُۥ ۚ تَعْلَمُ مَا فِى نَفْسِى وَلَآ أَعْلَمُ مَا فِى نَفْسِكَ ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّـٰمُ ٱلْغُيُوبِ ﴿116﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And (remember) when Allâh will say (on the Day of Resurrection): "O ‘Îsâ (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)! Did you say unto men: ‘Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allâh?’ " He will say: "Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my inner-self though I do not know what is in Yours; truly, You, only You, are the All-Knower of all that is hidden (and unseen).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذْ
wa-idh
And when
قَالَ
qāla
said
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
يَـٰعِيسَى
yāʿīsā
O Isa
ٱبْنَ
ib'na
son
مَرْيَمَ
maryama
(of) Maryam
ءَأَنتَ
a-anta
Did you
قُلْتَ
qul'ta
say
لِلنَّاسِ
lilnnāsi
to the people
ٱتَّخِذُونِى
ittakhidhūnī
Take me
وَأُمِّىَ
wa-ummiya
and my mother
إِلَـٰهَيْنِ
ilāhayni
(as) two gods
مِن
min
from
دُونِ
dūni
besides
ٱللَّهِ ۖ
l-lahi
Allah
قَالَ
qāla
He said
سُبْحَـٰنَكَ
sub'ḥānaka
Glory be to You
مَا
mā
Not
يَكُونُ
yakūnu
was
لِىٓ
lī
for me
أَنْ
an
that
أَقُولَ
aqūla
I say
مَا
mā
what
لَيْسَ
laysa
not
لِى
lī
I
بِحَقٍّ ۚ
biḥaqqin
(had) right
إِن
in
If
كُنتُ
kuntu
I had
قُلْتُهُۥ
qul'tuhu
said it
فَقَدْ
faqad
then surely
عَلِمْتَهُۥ ۚ
ʿalim'tahu
You would have known it
تَعْلَمُ
taʿlamu
You know
مَا
mā
what
فِى
fī
(is) in
نَفْسِى
nafsī
myself
وَلَآ
walā
and not
أَعْلَمُ
aʿlamu
I know
مَا
mā
what
فِى
fī
(is) in
نَفْسِكَ ۚ
nafsika
Yourself
إِنَّكَ
innaka
Indeed, You
أَنتَ
anta
You
عَلَّـٰمُ
ʿallāmu
(are) All-Knower
ٱلْغُيُوبِ
l-ghuyūbi
(of) the unseen
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 116) ➊ {وَ اِذْ قَالَ اللّٰهُ يٰعِيْسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ … :} Its connection is with the previous verse: «اِذْ قَالَ اللّٰهُ يٰعِيْسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ اذْكُرْ نِعْمَتِيْ», as if first, as a preface, Allah enumerated His favors upon Isa (peace be upon him), and now the main purpose is beginning. This question will be asked on the Day of Resurrection, because it is mentioned further that Allah will say: «هٰذَا يَوْمُ يَنْفَعُ الصّٰدِقِيْنَ صِدْقُهُمْ» The purpose of this address is not to rebuke Isa (peace be upon him), but rather to rebuke those who made Masih (peace be upon him) and his mother objects of worship. So that they may know that the Masih and his mother whom they made objects of worship and granters of needs, they themselves will be answerable before Allah and will be questioned because of the shirk of their community. Secondly, it is known that the Christians made the mother of Masih (peace be upon him) also an object of worship along with him. Thirdly, Isa (peace be upon him) and his mother are also {’’ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} (besides Allah), not only idols made of stone, wood, or any metal are {’’مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘}, calling upon whom makes a person a mushrik, as today’s grave-worshippers are misled by saying that the Prophets and the Awliya are not {’’ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘}, so asking them for needs and seeking help from them is permissible. This is completely wrong, because in {’’ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} Masih (peace be upon him), his blessed mother, and all the Prophets and the righteous are included. To consider any of them as granters of needs, removers of difficulties, or owners of divine powers is clear major shirk, for which there is no forgiveness with Allah.
➋ {سُبْحٰنَكَ:} You are pure from every partner, then how can I and my mother be Your partners.
➌ {مَا يَكُوْنُ لِيْۤ اَنْ اَقُوْلَ … :} That is, I am only one of Your servants, then how can a servant dare to claim divinity in opposition to his Master.
➍ {اِنْ كُنْتُ قُلْتُهٗ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَهٗ:} That is, even if, hypothetically, I had said such a thing, You would surely have known it, because nothing can be hidden from You.
➎ {تَعْلَمُ مَا فِيْ نَفْسِيْ …:} When You know what is in my heart, then why would You not know what is uttered by my tongue? From this verse, the existence of a self (nafs) for Allah is established.
➏ {اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوْبِ:} No one has knowledge of the unseen except You; whatever knowledge any servant possesses is all granted by You alone. No one else’s knowledge, compared to Yours, is even as significant as a drop of water compared to the ocean. And the one who has only as much knowledge as he is told, he is not the Knower of the unseen; the Knower of the unseen is only the One who knows everything without being told, and that is only Your pure Self.
➋ {سُبْحٰنَكَ:} You are pure from every partner, then how can I and my mother be Your partners.
➌ {مَا يَكُوْنُ لِيْۤ اَنْ اَقُوْلَ … :} That is, I am only one of Your servants, then how can a servant dare to claim divinity in opposition to his Master.
➍ {اِنْ كُنْتُ قُلْتُهٗ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَهٗ:} That is, even if, hypothetically, I had said such a thing, You would surely have known it, because nothing can be hidden from You.
➎ {تَعْلَمُ مَا فِيْ نَفْسِيْ …:} When You know what is in my heart, then why would You not know what is uttered by my tongue? From this verse, the existence of a self (nafs) for Allah is established.
➏ {اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوْبِ:} No one has knowledge of the unseen except You; whatever knowledge any servant possesses is all granted by You alone. No one else’s knowledge, compared to Yours, is even as significant as a drop of water compared to the ocean. And the one who has only as much knowledge as he is told, he is not the Knower of the unseen; the Knower of the unseen is only the One who knows everything without being told, and that is only Your pure Self.
