سُوْرَةُ الْقَلَمِ
Surah Al-Qalam (68) — Ayah 28
قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ ﴿28﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
The best among them said: "Did I not tell you: why say you not: Inshâ’ Allâh (If Allâh wills)."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالَ
qāla
Said
أَوْسَطُهُمْ
awsaṭuhum
(the) most moderate of them
أَلَمْ
alam
Did not
أَقُل
aqul
I tell
لَّكُمْ
lakum
you
لَوْلَا
lawlā
'Why not
تُسَبِّحُونَ
tusabbiḥūna
you glorify (Allah)?'
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.
The meaning of {قَالَ اَوْسَطُهُمْ اَلَمْ اَقُلْ لَّكُمْ … : ’’ اَوْسَطُهُمْ ‘‘} is also "the middle one among them" and "the best among them," as it is said: «وَ كَذٰلِكَ جَعَلْنٰكُمْ اُمَّةً وَّسَطًا » [ البقرۃ : ۱۴۳ ] "And thus We made you the best nation." So, the one who was better among them had advised them at the time of their evil intention {’’ لَوْ لَا تُسَبِّحُوْنَ ‘‘} that why do you not glorify Allah and why do you not repent from this evil intention? But they did not accept his words, and now he reminded them of that statement. Some have interpreted {’’ لَوْ لَا تُسَبِّحُوْنَ ‘‘} to mean "why do you not say insha’Allah?" But even if they had recited "insha’Allah" after intending to pick all the fruit, it would have been of no benefit, so the correct meaning seems to be that he said, why do you not remember your Lord, His being free from every defect, especially from such miserliness and from the intention of depriving the poor, so that you too may be saved from this miserliness and baseness. One indication of the correctness of this meaning is that when their brother reminded them of his words, they tried to make up for not saying "Subhan Allah" at that time by saying {’’ سُبْحٰنَ رَبِّنَا‘‘}.
