سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 88
۞ قَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ مِن قَوْمِهِۦ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يَـٰشُعَيْبُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَكَ مِن قَرْيَتِنَآ أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِى مِلَّتِنَا ۚ قَالَ أَوَلَوْ كُنَّا كَـٰرِهِينَ ﴿88﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
The chiefs of those who were arrogant among his people said: "We shall certainly drive you out, O Shu‘aib, and those who have believed with you from our town, or else you (all) shall return to our religion." He said: "Even though we hate it!?"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ قَالَ
qāla
Said
ٱلْمَلَأُ
l-mala-u
the chiefs
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
(of) those who
ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟
is'takbarū
were arrogant
مِن
min
among
قَوْمِهِۦ
qawmihi
his people
لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ
lanukh'rijannaka
We will surely drive you out
يَـٰشُعَيْبُ
yāshuʿaybu
O Shuaib
وَٱلَّذِينَ
wa-alladhīna
And those who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
(have) believed
مَعَكَ
maʿaka
with you
مِن
min
from
قَرْيَتِنَآ
qaryatinā
our city
أَوْ
aw
or
لَتَعُودُنَّ
lataʿūdunna
you must return
فِى
fī
to
مِلَّتِنَا ۚ
millatinā
our religion
قَالَ
qāla
He said
أَوَلَوْ
awalaw
Even if
كُنَّا
kunnā
we are
كَـٰرِهِينَ
kārihīna
(the) ones who hate (it)
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 88) ➊ {قَالَ الْمَلَاُ الَّذِيْنَ اسْتَكْبَرُوْا مِنْ قَوْمِهٖ: ’’ اسْتَكْبَرُوْا ‘‘} is from the form "Istif‘al," which generally means seeking or requesting, that is, those chiefs were very desirous of becoming great, as if this was their very demand.
➋ {لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يٰشُعَيْبُ:} means they did not just suffice with denial, but with extreme rudeness, addressing by name, said that you must choose one of two things: either we will expel you from our town, or you will have to return to our religion, that is, revert to disbelief and polytheism. Now you decide which of these you prefer for yourself.
➌ {وَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا مَعَكَ مِنْ قَرْيَتِنَاۤ: ’’ مَعَكَ ‘‘} can have two meanings: one, that it is connected to {’’ اٰمَنُوْا ‘‘}, meaning those who have believed with you; the second, that it is connected to {’’ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يٰشُعَيْبُ ‘‘}, meaning we will expel you and also those people who have believed with you. Our teacher Muhammad Abduh (may Allah have mercy on him) considered it to be connected to {’’ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ ‘‘}.
➍ The meaning of { اَوْلَتَعُوْدُنَّ فِيْ مِلَّتِنَا: ’’عَادَ يَعُوْدُ عَوْدًا‘‘} is to return to something. Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) himself was never involved in disbelief and polytheism, so what would it mean for him to return to their religion? In the next verse, Shu‘ayb’s (peace be upon him) statement {’’ اِنْ عُدْنَا ‘‘} (if we return to your religion) and {’’ اَنْ نَّعُوْدَ فِيْهَاۤ ‘‘} makes this objection even stronger. Scholars have given various answers to this: one is that before prophethood, although Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) was protected from disbelief, polytheism, and actions unbefitting the rank of prophethood, before being granted prophethood, in general ways he was with his people. However, despite avoiding disbelief, polytheism, and evil deeds, due to not being appointed as a prophet, he remained silent. Because of this, his people thought he was on their religion. That is why they said {’’ اَوْ لَتَعُوْدُنَّ ‘‘}, otherwise, this was not the reality. Or their meaning was that if you remain silent as before, we will consider you as one of us. He said, now we cannot be as before. The second is that since most of his companions had left disbelief and entered Islam, they included Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) with all of them. This is called "Taghlib," meaning the same words are used for all that apply to most. Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) also replied to them in their manner with {’’ اِنْ عُدْنَا ‘‘} and {’’ اَنْ نَّعُوْدَ ‘‘}. The third is that {’’عَادَ يَعُوْدُ‘‘} sometimes comes in the meaning of {’’صَارَ يَصِيْرُ‘‘}, this is called {’’صَيْرُوْرَةٌ‘‘}, meaning to choose something for the first time (initially), meaning that you will adopt our religion.
➎ { اَوَ لَوْ كُنَّا كٰرِهِيْنَ:} means if we do not accept either of the two things, will we still have to choose one? How can this be? This question is actually for the purpose of denial.
➋ {لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يٰشُعَيْبُ:} means they did not just suffice with denial, but with extreme rudeness, addressing by name, said that you must choose one of two things: either we will expel you from our town, or you will have to return to our religion, that is, revert to disbelief and polytheism. Now you decide which of these you prefer for yourself.
➌ {وَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا مَعَكَ مِنْ قَرْيَتِنَاۤ: ’’ مَعَكَ ‘‘} can have two meanings: one, that it is connected to {’’ اٰمَنُوْا ‘‘}, meaning those who have believed with you; the second, that it is connected to {’’ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يٰشُعَيْبُ ‘‘}, meaning we will expel you and also those people who have believed with you. Our teacher Muhammad Abduh (may Allah have mercy on him) considered it to be connected to {’’ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ ‘‘}.
➍ The meaning of { اَوْلَتَعُوْدُنَّ فِيْ مِلَّتِنَا: ’’عَادَ يَعُوْدُ عَوْدًا‘‘} is to return to something. Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) himself was never involved in disbelief and polytheism, so what would it mean for him to return to their religion? In the next verse, Shu‘ayb’s (peace be upon him) statement {’’ اِنْ عُدْنَا ‘‘} (if we return to your religion) and {’’ اَنْ نَّعُوْدَ فِيْهَاۤ ‘‘} makes this objection even stronger. Scholars have given various answers to this: one is that before prophethood, although Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) was protected from disbelief, polytheism, and actions unbefitting the rank of prophethood, before being granted prophethood, in general ways he was with his people. However, despite avoiding disbelief, polytheism, and evil deeds, due to not being appointed as a prophet, he remained silent. Because of this, his people thought he was on their religion. That is why they said {’’ اَوْ لَتَعُوْدُنَّ ‘‘}, otherwise, this was not the reality. Or their meaning was that if you remain silent as before, we will consider you as one of us. He said, now we cannot be as before. The second is that since most of his companions had left disbelief and entered Islam, they included Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) with all of them. This is called "Taghlib," meaning the same words are used for all that apply to most. Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) also replied to them in their manner with {’’ اِنْ عُدْنَا ‘‘} and {’’ اَنْ نَّعُوْدَ ‘‘}. The third is that {’’عَادَ يَعُوْدُ‘‘} sometimes comes in the meaning of {’’صَارَ يَصِيْرُ‘‘}, this is called {’’صَيْرُوْرَةٌ‘‘}, meaning to choose something for the first time (initially), meaning that you will adopt our religion.
➎ { اَوَ لَوْ كُنَّا كٰرِهِيْنَ:} means if we do not accept either of the two things, will we still have to choose one? How can this be? This question is actually for the purpose of denial.
