سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْفَالِ
Surah Al-Anfaal (8) — Ayah 35
وَمَا كَانَ صَلَاتُهُمْ عِندَ ٱلْبَيْتِ إِلَّا مُكَآءً وَتَصْدِيَةً ۚ فَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ ﴿35﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Their Salât (prayer) at the House (of Allâh, i.e. the Ka‘bah at Makkah) was nothing but whistling and clapping of hands. Therefore taste the punishment because you used to disbelieve.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَا
wamā
And not
كَانَ
kāna
was
صَلَاتُهُمْ
ṣalātuhum
their prayer
عِندَ
ʿinda
at
ٱلْبَيْتِ
l-bayti
the House
إِلَّا
illā
except
مُكَآءًۭ
mukāan
whistling
وَتَصْدِيَةًۭ ۚ
wataṣdiyatan
and clapping
فَذُوقُوا۟
fadhūqū
So taste
ٱلْعَذَابَ
l-ʿadhāba
the punishment
بِمَا
bimā
because
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you used to
تَكْفُرُونَ
takfurūna
disbelieve
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 35) ➊ {وَ مَا كَانَ صَلَاتُهُمْ عِنْدَ الْبَيْتِ اِلَّا مُكَآءً وَّ تَصْدِيَةً:’’ مُكَآءً ‘‘ ’’مَكَا يَمْكُوْ مَكْوًا وَ مُكَاءً‘‘} Whistling and {’’ تَصْدِيَةً ‘‘ ’’صَدّٰي يُصَدِّيْ تَصْدِيَةً‘‘} (tafeel) clapping. That is, those people would clap and whistle right at the Ka'bah, in the very Haram, and considered this their prayer, worship of Allah, and a means of drawing near to Him. It is unfortunate that now Muslims too, having abandoned prayers and the Qur'an, have declared gatherings of passionate poetry, whistling, and clapping—Qawwali—as the path of spirituality and gnosis, calling it nourishment for the soul. Countless people, considering it an important pillar of Sufism, not only suffice with whistling and clapping, but also formally circumambulate and dance around their spiritual guide, considering this their prayer, and openly say:
The prayer of the worshippers is bowing and prostration,
But the prayer of the lovers is the entire being of the beloved.
A Sufi has even plainly declared his spiritual guide as his qiblah, thus he says:
Every nation has a path, a religion, and a qiblah,
But I have made my qiblah straight towards the one with the crooked cap.
If any among them does pray, it is in such a manner that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to the one who prayed like this: "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed." By Allah! Until Muslims abandon the shirk of the concept of the Shaykh and these self-invented methods of worship of the Sufis, and the absurdities like music and dance that create hypocrisy in the heart, and until they adhere to the pillars of Islam and faith, especially jihad, according to the method taught by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), they will never be able to raise their heads in the world; humiliation and disgrace will always be imposed upon them.
➋ {فَذُوْقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْفُرُوْنَ:} The result of committing disbelief and shirk, and considering whistling, clapping, and dancing as prayer, is to taste the punishment in this world and the Hereafter.
The prayer of the worshippers is bowing and prostration,
But the prayer of the lovers is the entire being of the beloved.
A Sufi has even plainly declared his spiritual guide as his qiblah, thus he says:
Every nation has a path, a religion, and a qiblah,
But I have made my qiblah straight towards the one with the crooked cap.
If any among them does pray, it is in such a manner that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to the one who prayed like this: "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed." By Allah! Until Muslims abandon the shirk of the concept of the Shaykh and these self-invented methods of worship of the Sufis, and the absurdities like music and dance that create hypocrisy in the heart, and until they adhere to the pillars of Islam and faith, especially jihad, according to the method taught by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), they will never be able to raise their heads in the world; humiliation and disgrace will always be imposed upon them.
➋ {فَذُوْقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْفُرُوْنَ:} The result of committing disbelief and shirk, and considering whistling, clapping, and dancing as prayer, is to taste the punishment in this world and the Hereafter.
