سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْعَامِ
Surah Al-An'aam (6) — Ayah 123
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا فِى كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَكَـٰبِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا لِيَمْكُرُوا۟ فِيهَا ۖ وَمَا يَمْكُرُونَ إِلَّا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿123﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And thus We have set up in every town great ones of its wicked people to plot therein. But they plot not except against their ownselves, and they perceive (it) not.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَكَذَٰلِكَ
wakadhālika
And thus
جَعَلْنَا
jaʿalnā
We placed
فِى
fī
in
كُلِّ
kulli
every
قَرْيَةٍ
qaryatin
city
أَكَـٰبِرَ
akābira
greatest
مُجْرِمِيهَا
muj'rimīhā
(of) its criminals
لِيَمْكُرُوا۟
liyamkurū
so that they plot
فِيهَا ۖ
fīhā
therein
وَمَا
wamā
And not
يَمْكُرُونَ
yamkurūna
they plot
إِلَّا
illā
except
بِأَنفُسِهِمْ
bi-anfusihim
against themselves
وَمَا
wamā
and not
يَشْعُرُونَ
yashʿurūna
they perceive
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 123) ➊ { وَ كَذٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا فِيْ كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ …… : ’’ اَكٰبِرَ ‘‘} is the plural of {’’ اَكْبَرُ ‘‘}, the noon of {’’ مُجْرِمِيْنَ ‘‘} has dropped due to its annexation to {’’ هَا ‘‘}, meaning just as in Makkah, previously also We made the chiefs, leaders, and influential people of every town from among its criminals, as a result of which they kept people from faith through their deception, trickery, and power, and remained involved in sin and immorality. These same people used to confront the prophets, but in the end, the outcome was the dominance of the believers. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: The leaders of the disbelievers always devise schemes so that the common people do not become obedient to the prophet, just as Pharaoh, when he saw the miracle, devised a scheme saying that he wants to seize the kingdom through magic. (Muwaddih)
➋ {وَ مَا يَمْكُرُوْنَ اِلَّا بِاَنْفُسِهِمْ:} means its consequence will fall back upon themselves, so it is as if they are deceiving themselves.
➋ {وَ مَا يَمْكُرُوْنَ اِلَّا بِاَنْفُسِهِمْ:} means its consequence will fall back upon themselves, so it is as if they are deceiving themselves.
