سُوْرَةُ اِبْرَاهِيْمَ
Surah Ibrahim (14) — Ayah 9
أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَبَؤُا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ ۛ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ ۛ لَا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ۚ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ فَرَدُّوٓا۟ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فِىٓ أَفْوَٰهِهِمْ وَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا كَفَرْنَا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِۦ وَإِنَّا لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّمَّا تَدْعُونَنَآ إِلَيْهِ مُرِيبٍ ﴿9﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Has not the news reached you, of those before you, the people of Nûh (Noah), and ‘Âd, and Thamûd? And those after them? None knows them but Allâh. To them came their Messengers with clear proofs, but they put their hands in their mouths (biting them from anger) and said: "Verily, we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent, and we are really in grave doubt as to that to which you invite us (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism)."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَلَمْ
alam
Has not
يَأْتِكُمْ
yatikum
come to you
نَبَؤُا۟
naba-u
(the) news
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
(of) those who
مِن
min
(were) before you
قَبْلِكُمْ
qablikum
(were) before you
قَوْمِ
qawmi
the people
نُوحٍۢ
nūḥin
of Nuh
وَعَادٍۢ
waʿādin
and Aad
وَثَمُودَ ۛ
wathamūda
and Thamud
وَٱلَّذِينَ
wa-alladhīna
and those who
مِنۢ
min
(were) after them
بَعْدِهِمْ ۛ
baʿdihim
(were) after them
لَا
lā
None
يَعْلَمُهُمْ
yaʿlamuhum
knows them
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱللَّهُ ۚ
l-lahu
Allah
جَآءَتْهُمْ
jāathum
Came to them
رُسُلُهُم
rusuluhum
their Messengers
بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ
bil-bayināti
with clear proofs
فَرَدُّوٓا۟
faraddū
but they returned
أَيْدِيَهُمْ
aydiyahum
their hands
فِىٓ
fī
in
أَفْوَٰهِهِمْ
afwāhihim
their mouths
وَقَالُوٓا۟
waqālū
and they said
إِنَّا
innā
Indeed we
كَفَرْنَا
kafarnā
[we] disbelieve
بِمَآ
bimā
in what
أُرْسِلْتُم
ur'sil'tum
you have been sent
بِهِۦ
bihi
with [it]
وَإِنَّا
wa-innā
and indeed, we
لَفِى
lafī
(are) surely in
شَكٍّۢ
shakkin
doubt
مِّمَّا
mimmā
about what
تَدْعُونَنَآ
tadʿūnanā
you invite us
إِلَيْهِ
ilayhi
to it
مُرِيبٍۢ
murībin
suspicious
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.
9. Have you not heard of those who came before you—the people of Noah, ‘Ad, and Thamud, and those after them, whom only [11] Allah knows? Their messengers came to them with clear proofs, but they put their hands to the messengers' mouths [12] and said, "We reject what you have been sent with, and we are in such doubt about what you call us to that it unsettles [13] us."
[11] The address of Musa (علیہ السلام) ended in the previous verse, and from this verse, Allah Almighty's address to the polytheists of Makkah begins. In previous places, the nations and prophets were mentioned separately. Here, the mention is collective, and only those nations are mentioned to the Quraysh of Makkah who were around them or whose circumstances could have reached them by some means. For example, the people of Nuh, ‘Ad, Thamud, the people of Pharaoh, the people of Madyan, etc. However, there were many such nations whose circumstances were beyond their reach and who lived in far-off regions, and they too were punished for denying the truth. Therefore, the Quran did not mention them in detail, but only alluded to them.
[12] This is an idiom. And by it is meant such a denial in which astonishment is also included, just as we say in our language that he bit his finger or put his hands over his ears, and Mujahid says: "This is an idiom which means that he refrained from what Allah had commanded." [بخاری، کتاب التفسیر، تفسیر سورۃ ابراہیم]
[13]
The Restlessness of the Polytheists at the Call of the Prophets:
This has always been the case with the opponents of all the prophets: although they apparently oppose the truth and exert all their efforts in this opposition, they are rendered helpless before the arguments of the truth. Moreover, as the truth gains ascendancy, their inner peace departs, and doubt, anxiety, and restlessness increase. In this way, those who try to disturb the callers to the truth themselves become deprived of peace. And if the literal meaning is considered, it would mean that these people would not even let the messengers speak, and when they spoke, they would put their hands in front of the messengers' mouths and say, "We do not even consider you to be messengers, so what is the benefit of talking and listening?"
[11] The address of Musa (علیہ السلام) ended in the previous verse, and from this verse, Allah Almighty's address to the polytheists of Makkah begins. In previous places, the nations and prophets were mentioned separately. Here, the mention is collective, and only those nations are mentioned to the Quraysh of Makkah who were around them or whose circumstances could have reached them by some means. For example, the people of Nuh, ‘Ad, Thamud, the people of Pharaoh, the people of Madyan, etc. However, there were many such nations whose circumstances were beyond their reach and who lived in far-off regions, and they too were punished for denying the truth. Therefore, the Quran did not mention them in detail, but only alluded to them.
[12] This is an idiom. And by it is meant such a denial in which astonishment is also included, just as we say in our language that he bit his finger or put his hands over his ears, and Mujahid says: "This is an idiom which means that he refrained from what Allah had commanded." [بخاری، کتاب التفسیر، تفسیر سورۃ ابراہیم]
[13]
The Restlessness of the Polytheists at the Call of the Prophets:
This has always been the case with the opponents of all the prophets: although they apparently oppose the truth and exert all their efforts in this opposition, they are rendered helpless before the arguments of the truth. Moreover, as the truth gains ascendancy, their inner peace departs, and doubt, anxiety, and restlessness increase. In this way, those who try to disturb the callers to the truth themselves become deprived of peace. And if the literal meaning is considered, it would mean that these people would not even let the messengers speak, and when they spoke, they would put their hands in front of the messengers' mouths and say, "We do not even consider you to be messengers, so what is the benefit of talking and listening?"
