سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْعَامِ
Surah Al-An'aam (6) — Ayah 148
سَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ لَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَآ أَشْرَكْنَا وَلَآ ءَابَآؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمْنَا مِن شَىْءٍ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ ذَاقُوا۟ بَأْسَنَا ۗ قُلْ هَلْ عِندَكُم مِّنْ عِلْمٍ فَتُخْرِجُوهُ لَنَآ ۖ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَإِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا تَخْرُصُونَ ﴿148﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Those who took partners (in worship) with Allâh will say: "If Allâh had willed, we would not have taken partners (in worship) with Him, nor would our fathers, and we would not have forbidden anything (against His Will)." Likewise belied those who were before them, (they argued falsely with Allâh’s Messengers), till they tasted Our Wrath. Say: "Have you any knowledge (proof) that you can produce before us? Verily, you follow nothing but guess and you do nothing but lie."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
سَيَقُولُ
sayaqūlu
Will say
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
أَشْرَكُوا۟
ashrakū
associate partners (with Allah)
لَوْ
law
If
شَآءَ
shāa
Had willed
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
مَآ
mā
not
أَشْرَكْنَا
ashraknā
we (would) have associated partners (with Allah)
وَلَآ
walā
and not
ءَابَآؤُنَا
ābāunā
our forefathers
وَلَا
walā
and not
حَرَّمْنَا
ḥarramnā
we (would) have forbidden
مِن
min
[of]
شَىْءٍۢ ۚ
shayin
anything
كَذَٰلِكَ
kadhālika
Likewise
كَذَّبَ
kadhaba
denied
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
مِن
min
(were from)
قَبْلِهِمْ
qablihim
before them
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
ذَاقُوا۟
dhāqū
they tasted
بَأْسَنَا ۗ
basanā
Our wrath
قُلْ
qul
Say
هَلْ
hal
Is
عِندَكُم
ʿindakum
with you
مِّنْ
min
[of]
عِلْمٍۢ
ʿil'min
any knowledge
فَتُخْرِجُوهُ
fatukh'rijūhu
then produce it
لَنَآ ۖ
lanā
for us
إِن
in
Not
تَتَّبِعُونَ
tattabiʿūna
you follow
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱلظَّنَّ
l-ẓana
the assumption
وَإِنْ
wa-in
and not
أَنتُمْ
antum
you (do)
إِلَّا
illā
but
تَخْرُصُونَ
takhruṣūna
guess
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 148) ➊ { سَيَقُوْلُ الَّذِيْنَ اَشْرَكُوْا …… :} That is, when they do not find any evidence for their polytheism and criminal conduct, they resort to fate and say that it is Allah’s own will and intention for us to commit shirk and to declare certain things forbidden, because if Allah had not willed, we could not have done these things. This is proof, they claim, that whatever we are doing is pleasing to Allah, therefore it is correct and true. The meaning is that they present Allah’s will, pleasure, and intention as evidence for the correctness and truth of their polytheism and of declaring some lawful things forbidden. As if, according to them, Allah’s will and intention mean that Allah is pleased with these actions, likes them, and they are correct, whereas these two things are not necessarily linked. Allah said: «اِنْ تَكْفُرُوْا فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنْكُمْ وَ لَا يَرْضٰى لِعِبَادِهِ الْكُفْرَوَ اِنْ تَشْكُرُوْا يَرْضَهُ لَكُمْ » [ الزمر: ۷ ] “If you are ungrateful, surely Allah is independent of you, and He does not like ingratitude for His servants, and if you are grateful, He likes it for you.” That is, disbelief and ingratitude cannot happen without Allah’s will, but He is neither pleased with them nor does He like them. Will and intention, and pleasure and love, are not necessarily linked. Whatever is happening in the world is under Allah’s will and intention, but He is not pleased with everything. Pleasure is the name of following His Shariah, and will and intention are His creative decree, that is, His system of running the universe. What He wants in terms of creation, no one knows nor can know, but what He likes in terms of law, He sent messengers to explain, and everyone can know it. Therefore, we are bound to act upon the Shariah.
➋ {كَذٰلِكَ كَذَّبَ الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ:} That is, in reality, to say this and to take Allah’s decree and will as proof of His pleasure is to deny Allah and His messengers. The people before them also used this excuse as a basis to deny the messengers.
➌ { حَتّٰى ذَاقُوْا بَاْسَنَا:} That is, their excuse is absolutely wrong and baseless. If it were correct, then why did Allah send down His punishment on the people before them for their crimes and denial? (Ibn Kathir)
➍ {قُلْ هَلْ عِنْدَكُمْ مِّنْ عِلْمٍ …… : } That is, the excuse you are presenting is not based on any rational or scholarly foundation. If you have any knowledge, then bring it and present it. Have you ever, for the sake of acquiring anything in the world, abandoned striving by making fate an excuse, or has Allah ever told you beforehand that He will do such and such in the future? When you do not even know what is in fate, then this excuse or doubt is merely your own conjecture, and you are only making accusations against Allah based on guesswork, whereas in the real world, conjecture and suspicion have no value. See Surah Najm (23 and 28).
➋ {كَذٰلِكَ كَذَّبَ الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ:} That is, in reality, to say this and to take Allah’s decree and will as proof of His pleasure is to deny Allah and His messengers. The people before them also used this excuse as a basis to deny the messengers.
➌ { حَتّٰى ذَاقُوْا بَاْسَنَا:} That is, their excuse is absolutely wrong and baseless. If it were correct, then why did Allah send down His punishment on the people before them for their crimes and denial? (Ibn Kathir)
➍ {قُلْ هَلْ عِنْدَكُمْ مِّنْ عِلْمٍ …… : } That is, the excuse you are presenting is not based on any rational or scholarly foundation. If you have any knowledge, then bring it and present it. Have you ever, for the sake of acquiring anything in the world, abandoned striving by making fate an excuse, or has Allah ever told you beforehand that He will do such and such in the future? When you do not even know what is in fate, then this excuse or doubt is merely your own conjecture, and you are only making accusations against Allah based on guesswork, whereas in the real world, conjecture and suspicion have no value. See Surah Najm (23 and 28).
