سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْعَامِ
Surah Al-An'aam (6) — Ayah 50
قُل لَّآ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِى خَزَآئِنُ ٱللَّهِ وَلَآ أَعْلَمُ ٱلْغَيْبَ وَلَآ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنِّى مَلَكٌ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ ۚ أَفَلَا تَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿50﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "I don’t tell you that with me are the treasures of Allâh, nor (that) I know the Unseen; nor I tell you that I am an angel. I but follow what is revealed to me." Say: "Are the blind and the one who sees equal? Will you not then take thought?"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قُل
qul
Say
لَّآ
lā
Not
أَقُولُ
aqūlu
(do) I say
لَكُمْ
lakum
to you
عِندِى
ʿindī
(that) with me
خَزَآئِنُ
khazāinu
(are the) treasures
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(of) Allah
وَلَآ
walā
and not
أَعْلَمُ
aʿlamu
(that) I know
ٱلْغَيْبَ
l-ghayba
the unseen
وَلَآ
walā
and not
أَقُولُ
aqūlu
I say
لَكُمْ
lakum
to you
إِنِّى
innī
that I (am)
مَلَكٌ ۖ
malakun
an Angel
إِنْ
in
Not
أَتَّبِعُ
attabiʿu
(do) I follow
إِلَّا
illā
except
مَا
mā
what
يُوحَىٰٓ
yūḥā
is revealed
إِلَىَّ ۚ
ilayya
to me
قُلْ
qul
Say
هَلْ
hal
Can
يَسْتَوِى
yastawī
be equal
ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ
l-aʿmā
the blind
وَٱلْبَصِيرُ ۚ
wal-baṣīru
and the seeing one
أَفَلَا
afalā
Then will not
تَتَفَكَّرُونَ
tatafakkarūna
you give thought
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 50) ➊ {قُلْ لَّاۤ اَقُوْلُ لَكُمْ عِنْدِيْ خَزَآىِٕنُ اللّٰهِ:} Those people used to say to the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) that if you are Allah’s Messenger, then ask Allah to grant us the provisions and abundance of this world. In this verse, their demand is answered. From this, it is understood that if someone believes that a certain disciple was granted a treasure or made wealthy without a certain spiritual guide, then this belief falls under the category of shirk (associating partners with Allah).
➋ {وَ لَاۤ اَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ:} And nor do I know the unseen, that whatever you keep asking me about the future, I would keep informing you. Knowing the unseen is only Allah’s attribute; whatever knowledge I have, He has informed me of it. If He willed, He would not have given me even this much knowledge, and if He willed, He could have given me even more. From this, it is proven that whoever believes that the Prophets (peace be upon them) possess knowledge of the unseen is a mushrik (polytheist). When the Leader of the Messengers (peace be upon him) did not have knowledge of the unseen, then what about others? And when the Messenger is not a knower of the unseen, then how can any spiritual guide, martyr, saint, scholar, or worshipper be a knower of the unseen? And where do soothsayers, astrologers, and geomancers stand in comparison? See Surah An-Naml (65) and Surah Luqman (34).
➌ {وَ لَاۤ اَقُوْلُ لَكُمْ اِنِّيْ مَلَكٌ:} And nor do I say to you that I am an angel; rather, I am a human being like you, so why do you demand from me to ascend to the sky? See Surah Al-A’raf (188) and Surah Hud (31).
➍ {اِنْ اَتَّبِعُ اِلَّا مَا يُوْحٰۤى اِلَيَّ:} That is, I am a human being like you, not an angel. However, the difference is that revelation comes to me and does not come to you (see Al-Kahf: 110), and I do not follow my own desires in any matter, but rather act according to Allah’s revelation. From this, it is understood that all the commands the Prophet (peace be upon him) conveyed to the servants, whether in the form of the Qur’an or in the form of hadith, all were from Allah. Therefore, following the Sunnah is also necessary just like the Qur’an; in fact, following the Qur’an is not possible without the Sunnah. Those who emphasize following only the Qur’an while abandoning the Sunnah actually want to make their own arbitrary interpretations, which are blocked without the hadith.
➎ {قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الْاَعْمٰى وَ الْبَصِيْرُ:} This is apparently a question, but in reality, it is a denial that the blind and the seeing can be equal. This is called an interrogative of denial. By the blind and the seeing are meant the followers of falsehood and the followers of truth, or the disbeliever and the Muslim, or the ignorant and the scholar. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that the Prophet does not become anything other than a human being, such that impossible things should be demanded from him. This is the very difference between a blind person and a seeing person. (Muwadhih)
➋ {وَ لَاۤ اَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ:} And nor do I know the unseen, that whatever you keep asking me about the future, I would keep informing you. Knowing the unseen is only Allah’s attribute; whatever knowledge I have, He has informed me of it. If He willed, He would not have given me even this much knowledge, and if He willed, He could have given me even more. From this, it is proven that whoever believes that the Prophets (peace be upon them) possess knowledge of the unseen is a mushrik (polytheist). When the Leader of the Messengers (peace be upon him) did not have knowledge of the unseen, then what about others? And when the Messenger is not a knower of the unseen, then how can any spiritual guide, martyr, saint, scholar, or worshipper be a knower of the unseen? And where do soothsayers, astrologers, and geomancers stand in comparison? See Surah An-Naml (65) and Surah Luqman (34).
➌ {وَ لَاۤ اَقُوْلُ لَكُمْ اِنِّيْ مَلَكٌ:} And nor do I say to you that I am an angel; rather, I am a human being like you, so why do you demand from me to ascend to the sky? See Surah Al-A’raf (188) and Surah Hud (31).
➍ {اِنْ اَتَّبِعُ اِلَّا مَا يُوْحٰۤى اِلَيَّ:} That is, I am a human being like you, not an angel. However, the difference is that revelation comes to me and does not come to you (see Al-Kahf: 110), and I do not follow my own desires in any matter, but rather act according to Allah’s revelation. From this, it is understood that all the commands the Prophet (peace be upon him) conveyed to the servants, whether in the form of the Qur’an or in the form of hadith, all were from Allah. Therefore, following the Sunnah is also necessary just like the Qur’an; in fact, following the Qur’an is not possible without the Sunnah. Those who emphasize following only the Qur’an while abandoning the Sunnah actually want to make their own arbitrary interpretations, which are blocked without the hadith.
➎ {قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الْاَعْمٰى وَ الْبَصِيْرُ:} This is apparently a question, but in reality, it is a denial that the blind and the seeing can be equal. This is called an interrogative of denial. By the blind and the seeing are meant the followers of falsehood and the followers of truth, or the disbeliever and the Muslim, or the ignorant and the scholar. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that the Prophet does not become anything other than a human being, such that impossible things should be demanded from him. This is the very difference between a blind person and a seeing person. (Muwadhih)
