سُوْرَةُ هُوْدٍ
Surah Hud (11) — Ayah 27
فَقَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن قَوْمِهِۦ مَا نَرَىٰكَ إِلَّا بَشَرًا مِّثْلَنَا وَمَا نَرَىٰكَ ٱتَّبَعَكَ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ أَرَاذِلُنَا بَادِىَ ٱلرَّأْىِ وَمَا نَرَىٰ لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا مِن فَضْلٍۭ بَلْ نَظُنُّكُمْ كَـٰذِبِينَ ﴿27﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
The chiefs who disbelieved among his people said: "We see you but a man like ourselves, nor do we see any follow you but the meanest among us and they (too) followed you without thinking. And we do not see in you any merit above us, in fact we think you are liars."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَقَالَ
faqāla
So said
ٱلْمَلَأُ
l-mala-u
the chiefs
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
(of) those who
كَفَرُوا۟
kafarū
disbelieved
مِن
min
from
قَوْمِهِۦ
qawmihi
his people
مَا
mā
Not
نَرَىٰكَ
narāka
we see you
إِلَّا
illā
but
بَشَرًۭا
basharan
a man
مِّثْلَنَا
mith'lanā
like us
وَمَا
wamā
and not
نَرَىٰكَ
narāka
we see you
ٱتَّبَعَكَ
ittabaʿaka
followed [you]
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
هُمْ
hum
[they]
أَرَاذِلُنَا
arādhilunā
(are) the lowest of us
بَادِىَ
bādiya
immature in opinion
ٱلرَّأْىِ
l-rayi
immature in opinion
وَمَا
wamā
And not
نَرَىٰ
narā
we see
لَكُمْ
lakum
in you
عَلَيْنَا
ʿalaynā
over us
مِن
min
any
فَضْلٍۭ
faḍlin
merit
بَلْ
bal
nay
نَظُنُّكُمْ
naẓunnukum
we think you
كَـٰذِبِينَ
kādhibīna
(are) liars
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
But the disbelieving chiefs of his people replied, "We see you as nothing but a human being like ourselves [34], and those who follow you [35] appear to us to be the lowest among us at first glance. Nor do we see any merit in you over us; rather, we think you are liars."
[34] This is the same objection that has always been raised by the deniers of the truth against all the Prophets, in their view, a Prophet should either be a superhuman being, or an angel should always accompany him, or at the very least, in terms of worldly status—meaning wealth, riches, and grandeur—he should surpass everyone else. Unless, according to their view, a Prophet possesses some distinguishing feature among these things, he cannot be a Prophet.
[35]
The Qualities of the First Followers of Any Prophet:
The second major objection of the deniers of the truth is that the first people to believe in a Prophet are those who have been oppressed by the chiefs of society and the nation, who are poor, young, and courageous, and who possess some boldness to stand up against such a tyrannical society. Such people are always the initial capital of every Prophet, and these very people become a thorn in the eyes of the chiefs of the nation, to the extent that the chiefs consider it an insult to sit with the Prophet and listen to anything in their presence. Since the views of these chiefs are purely materialistic, this gives them another excuse to reject the Prophet’s message: that the companions of this Prophet are lowly people, so how can we consider him truthful? If some respectable people were his followers, we too would sit with them and listen to this Prophet.
[34] This is the same objection that has always been raised by the deniers of the truth against all the Prophets, in their view, a Prophet should either be a superhuman being, or an angel should always accompany him, or at the very least, in terms of worldly status—meaning wealth, riches, and grandeur—he should surpass everyone else. Unless, according to their view, a Prophet possesses some distinguishing feature among these things, he cannot be a Prophet.
[35]
The Qualities of the First Followers of Any Prophet:
The second major objection of the deniers of the truth is that the first people to believe in a Prophet are those who have been oppressed by the chiefs of society and the nation, who are poor, young, and courageous, and who possess some boldness to stand up against such a tyrannical society. Such people are always the initial capital of every Prophet, and these very people become a thorn in the eyes of the chiefs of the nation, to the extent that the chiefs consider it an insult to sit with the Prophet and listen to anything in their presence. Since the views of these chiefs are purely materialistic, this gives them another excuse to reject the Prophet’s message: that the companions of this Prophet are lowly people, so how can we consider him truthful? If some respectable people were his followers, we too would sit with them and listen to this Prophet.
