سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْفَالِ
Surah Al-Anfaal (8) — Ayah 23
وَلَوْ عَلِمَ ٱللَّهُ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا لَّأَسْمَعَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ أَسْمَعَهُمْ لَتَوَلَّوا۟ وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ ﴿23﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Had Allâh known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen; and even if He had made them listen, they would but have turned away with aversion (to the truth).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَوْ
walaw
And if
عَلِمَ
ʿalima
(had) known
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
فِيهِمْ
fīhim
in them
خَيْرًۭا
khayran
any good
لَّأَسْمَعَهُمْ ۖ
la-asmaʿahum
surely, He (would) have made them hear
وَلَوْ
walaw
And if
أَسْمَعَهُمْ
asmaʿahum
He had made them hear
لَتَوَلَّوا۟
latawallaw
surely they would have turned away
وَّهُم
wahum
while they
مُّعْرِضُونَ
muʿ'riḍūna
(were) averse
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 23) {وَ لَوْ عَلِمَ اللّٰهُ فِيْهِمْ خَيْرًا لَّاَسْمَعَهُمْ … :} That is, if there had been goodness in their hearts, meaning a desire for the truth, then Allah would have made their hearing beneficial for them and granted them the ability to have faith and act accordingly. Earlier, {’’ لَاَسْمَعَهُمْ ‘‘} (He would surely have made them hear) refers to that hearing which is from the heart and is beneficial, and {’’ لَوْ اَسْمَعَهُمْ ‘‘} (and if He had made them hear) refers to merely making them hear with their ears, meaning if He had made them hear in the same state in which there is no goodness within them, then surely they would have turned away and walked off. That is, these people, by continuously committing sins, have destroyed within themselves the very capacity which serves as the seed for faith and following the path of guidance. Then, when there is no seed, what hope can there be for fruit? Thus, in another verse it is said: «{ كَلَّا بَلْ رَانَ عَلٰى قُلُوْبِهِمْ مَّا كَانُوْا يَكْسِبُوْنَ }» [ المطففین : ۱۴ ] "Beware! Their evil deeds have become a rust upon their hearts."
