سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 89
قَدِ ٱفْتَرَيْنَا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا إِنْ عُدْنَا فِى مِلَّتِكُم بَعْدَ إِذْ نَجَّىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ مِنْهَا ۚ وَمَا يَكُونُ لَنَآ أَن نَّعُودَ فِيهَآ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّنَا ۚ وَسِعَ رَبُّنَا كُلَّ شَىْءٍ عِلْمًا ۚ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا ٱفْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْفَـٰتِحِينَ ﴿89﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"We should have invented a lie against Allâh if we returned to your religion, after Allâh has rescued us from it. And it is not for us to return to it unless Allâh, our Lord, should will. Our Lord comprehends all things in His Knowledge. In Allâh (Alone) we put our trust. Our Lord! Judge between us and our people in truth, for You are the Best of those who give judgment."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَدِ
qadi
Verily
ٱفْتَرَيْنَا
if'taraynā
we would have fabricated
عَلَى
ʿalā
against
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
كَذِبًا
kadhiban
a lie
إِنْ
in
if
عُدْنَا
ʿud'nā
we returned
فِى
fī
in
مِلَّتِكُم
millatikum
your religion
بَعْدَ
baʿda
after
إِذْ
idh
[when]
نَجَّىٰنَا
najjānā
saved us
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
مِنْهَا ۚ
min'hā
from it
وَمَا
wamā
And not
يَكُونُ
yakūnu
it is
لَنَآ
lanā
for us
أَن
an
that
نَّعُودَ
naʿūda
we return
فِيهَآ
fīhā
in it
إِلَّآ
illā
except
أَن
an
that
يَشَآءَ
yashāa
wills
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
رَبُّنَا ۚ
rabbunā
our Lord
وَسِعَ
wasiʿa
Encompasses
رَبُّنَا
rabbunā
(by) Our Lord
كُلَّ
kulla
every
شَىْءٍ
shayin
thing
عِلْمًا ۚ
ʿil'man
(in) knowledge
عَلَى
ʿalā
Upon
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
تَوَكَّلْنَا ۚ
tawakkalnā
we put our trust
رَبَّنَا
rabbanā
Our Lord
ٱفْتَحْ
if'taḥ
Decide
بَيْنَنَا
baynanā
between us
وَبَيْنَ
wabayna
and between
قَوْمِنَا
qawminā
our people
بِٱلْحَقِّ
bil-ḥaqi
in truth
وَأَنتَ
wa-anta
and You
خَيْرُ
khayru
(are the) Best
ٱلْفَـٰتِحِينَ
l-fātiḥīna
(of) those who Decide
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 89) ➊ {قَدِ افْتَرَيْنَا عَلَى اللّٰهِ كَذِبًا … :} This is an answer in another way. Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) was an Arab, and among the Arabs, there has always been a strong aversion to lying. It appears that Allah Almighty decided to send His Prophet, who was for all the worlds and until the Day of Judgment, among the Arabs because, despite all their vices, the Arabs possessed some praiseworthy qualities that other nations did not have. Among these qualities was a love for truth and a hatred for falsehood. That is why Abu Sufyan did not lie in the court of Heraclius, fearing that no one in Mecca would say that the leader had lied. Therefore, Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) said that when Allah Almighty saved us from your religion and granted us the ability to proclaim monotheism, if we were now to adopt your religion again, it would mean that we had fabricated a lie—and that too against Allah Almighty! How could this be possible?
➋ {وَ مَا يَكُوْنُ لَنَاۤ اَنْ نَّعُوْدَ فِيْهَاۤ …:} That is, it is not possible for us to adopt your religion, except if Allah Almighty wills, because He can do whatever He wants. Thus, even our claim that we will never again adopt your religion is not based on our own strength, but rather on the ability granted by Allah Almighty, because no matter how good the intention, its fulfillment depends solely on the will of Allah Almighty. From this exception, one should not think that Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) had any doubt about his good end; rather, he said this only to express his humility and to entrust himself to Allah, and he included other believers in this as well. Wahidi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that the Prophets (peace be upon them) and the great ones of the Ummah have always sought refuge from a bad end. The prayer of Khalilullah (peace be upon him) is: «{ وَ اجْنُبْنِيْ وَ بَنِيَّ اَنْ نَّعْبُدَ الْاَصْنَامَ }» [ إبراہیم : ۳۵ ] "And save me and my sons from worshipping idols." And the frequent prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was: [ يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوْبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِيْ عَلٰی دِيْنِكَ ] "O Turner of hearts! Keep my heart firm upon Your religion." [ ترمذي، الدعوات، باب یا مقلب القلوب … : ۳۵۲۲، عن أم سلمۃرضی اللہ عنھا و صححہ الألبانی ] And it is also possible that this sentence is hypothetical, meaning that we cannot adopt disbelief due to your compulsion and coercion, but (hypothetically) if it is the will of Allah Almighty, then that is another matter.
➌ {عَلَى اللّٰهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا :} That is, for steadfastness in faith, we rely not on our own strength but only on Allah. By bringing { ’’ عَلَى اللّٰهِ ‘‘} first, the meaning of exclusivity is established.
➍ The meaning of {رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا …: ’’فَتَحَ‘‘} is a clear decision. Obviously, the decision of Allah Almighty will be in favor of His followers, meaning that by helping us against these polytheists who persist in denial and stubbornness, He will make clear that we are upon the truth and they are upon falsehood.
➋ {وَ مَا يَكُوْنُ لَنَاۤ اَنْ نَّعُوْدَ فِيْهَاۤ …:} That is, it is not possible for us to adopt your religion, except if Allah Almighty wills, because He can do whatever He wants. Thus, even our claim that we will never again adopt your religion is not based on our own strength, but rather on the ability granted by Allah Almighty, because no matter how good the intention, its fulfillment depends solely on the will of Allah Almighty. From this exception, one should not think that Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) had any doubt about his good end; rather, he said this only to express his humility and to entrust himself to Allah, and he included other believers in this as well. Wahidi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that the Prophets (peace be upon them) and the great ones of the Ummah have always sought refuge from a bad end. The prayer of Khalilullah (peace be upon him) is: «{ وَ اجْنُبْنِيْ وَ بَنِيَّ اَنْ نَّعْبُدَ الْاَصْنَامَ }» [ إبراہیم : ۳۵ ] "And save me and my sons from worshipping idols." And the frequent prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was: [ يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوْبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِيْ عَلٰی دِيْنِكَ ] "O Turner of hearts! Keep my heart firm upon Your religion." [ ترمذي، الدعوات، باب یا مقلب القلوب … : ۳۵۲۲، عن أم سلمۃرضی اللہ عنھا و صححہ الألبانی ] And it is also possible that this sentence is hypothetical, meaning that we cannot adopt disbelief due to your compulsion and coercion, but (hypothetically) if it is the will of Allah Almighty, then that is another matter.
➌ {عَلَى اللّٰهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا :} That is, for steadfastness in faith, we rely not on our own strength but only on Allah. By bringing { ’’ عَلَى اللّٰهِ ‘‘} first, the meaning of exclusivity is established.
➍ The meaning of {رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا …: ’’فَتَحَ‘‘} is a clear decision. Obviously, the decision of Allah Almighty will be in favor of His followers, meaning that by helping us against these polytheists who persist in denial and stubbornness, He will make clear that we are upon the truth and they are upon falsehood.
