سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْعَامِ
Surah Al-An'aam (6) — Ayah 40
قُلْ أَرَءَيْتَكُمْ إِنْ أَتَىٰكُمْ عَذَابُ ٱللَّهِ أَوْ أَتَتْكُمُ ٱلسَّاعَةُ أَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ تَدْعُونَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ ﴿40﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "Tell me if Allâh’s Torment comes upon you, or the Hour comes upon you, would you then call upon any one other than Allâh? (Reply) if you are truthful!"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قُلْ
qul
Say
أَرَءَيْتَكُمْ
ara-aytakum
Have you seen
إِنْ
in
if
أَتَىٰكُمْ
atākum
(there) came to you
عَذَابُ
ʿadhābu
punishment
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
أَوْ
aw
or
أَتَتْكُمُ
atatkumu
(there) came to you
ٱلسَّاعَةُ
l-sāʿatu
the Hour
أَغَيْرَ
aghayra
is it other
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(than) Allah
تَدْعُونَ
tadʿūna
you call
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 41,40) {قُلْ اَرَءَيْتَكُمْ اِنْ اَتٰىكُمْ عَذَابُ اللّٰهِ …:} Allah Almighty has mentioned this subject in several places. See Surah Bani Isra'il (67), Surah Zumar (38), Surah Mu’minun (84 to 89), Surah Luqman (32), and Surah Yunus (22). In these verses, Allah Almighty has described the behavior of the polytheists at the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The meaning is that monotheism has been placed in human nature; due to the influence of environment or imitation of ancestors, a person falls into polytheism and continues to consider others besides Allah as the fulfiller of needs and remover of difficulties, and even offers vows and offerings in their names. But when faced with a trial, he forgets all of them, and nature prevails over everything; then the helpless human forgets everything and calls only upon the One who should be called upon. Here too, Allah Almighty has mentioned this behavior of theirs as proof and evidence for monotheism, meaning that if, in your claim, those whom you call upon besides Allah can avert the calamity that has befallen you, then tell me, in the case of Allah’s punishment coming, or when the Day of Resurrection arrives, will you call upon others besides Allah? No, rather you will call only upon Him, and the rest of your so-called helpers will forget you. This was the condition of those disbelievers and polytheists, but today, even among Muslims, there are such people whose nature has become so distorted that even in the severest of calamities, when they cry for help, they call upon some self-made benefactor, or ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), or Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir Jilani, calling him Ghawth al-A’zam, meaning the greatest helper, or the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), or Fatimah, Husayn, and Hasan (may Allah be pleased with them). They even raise slogans with words seeking help from them, such as Ya Rasul Allah, Ya ‘Ali, Ya Ghawth al-A’zam, etc., as if their condition in practice is even worse than those earlier disbelievers and polytheists.
