سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْۣبِيَآءِ
Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 36
وَإِذَا رَءَاكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِن يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا أَهَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى يَذْكُرُ ءَالِهَتَكُمْ وَهُم بِذِكْرِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ هُمْ كَـٰفِرُونَ ﴿36﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And when those who disbelieved (in the Oneness of Allâh) see you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), they take you not except for mockery (saying): "Is this the one who talks (badly) about your gods?" While they disbelieve at the mention of the Most Gracious (Allâh). [Tafsir Al-Qurtubî].
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذَا
wa-idhā
And when
رَءَاكَ
raāka
they see you
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
كَفَرُوٓا۟
kafarū
disbelieve
إِن
in
not
يَتَّخِذُونَكَ
yattakhidhūnaka
they take you
إِلَّا
illā
except
هُزُوًا
huzuwan
(in) ridicule
أَهَـٰذَا
ahādhā
Is this
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
the one who
يَذْكُرُ
yadhkuru
mentions
ءَالِهَتَكُمْ
ālihatakum
your gods
وَهُم
wahum
And they
بِذِكْرِ
bidhik'ri
at (the) mention
ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ
l-raḥmāni
(of) the Most Gracious
هُمْ
hum
[they]
كَـٰفِرُونَ
kāfirūna
(are) disbelievers
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.
36. And when the disbelievers see you, they only make fun of you, saying, "Is this the one who talks about your gods?" while they themselves deny the mention of the Most Merciful [34].
[34]
The Polytheists Considering Their Deities Superior to You and Mocking You:
That is, according to the polytheists of Makkah, the status of their own deities was much higher and more exalted compared to the Prophet ﷺ. Therefore, when they saw you, they would mockingly say, "Look, this is the person who talks about your deities" (meaning, what status does he have compared to them?). Whereas you neither abused nor spoke ill of their deities. And when you did speak, you only said that these deities of yours can neither harm you nor benefit you. And they considered this to be the greatest insult to themselves. The reason was that, in their view, your belief amounted to the insult of their deities, themselves, and their forefathers. Now, they did not try to understand the matter seriously. Rather, out of stubbornness and prejudice, they began to mock you. And the other aspect was that when the mention was made of that Being who truly possesses the power to benefit or harm anyone, they would become agitated as to why he mentions Allah alone and does not include their deities alongside Him, even though they themselves considered Allah to be a greater deity than their own deities, and when faced with death, they would call upon Him alone. Therefore, even calling upon Allah alone would trouble them. And they were particularly averse to the word "Rahman," as has already been mentioned in the footnote number 39 of Surah Ra'd, verse 30.
[34]
The Polytheists Considering Their Deities Superior to You and Mocking You:
That is, according to the polytheists of Makkah, the status of their own deities was much higher and more exalted compared to the Prophet ﷺ. Therefore, when they saw you, they would mockingly say, "Look, this is the person who talks about your deities" (meaning, what status does he have compared to them?). Whereas you neither abused nor spoke ill of their deities. And when you did speak, you only said that these deities of yours can neither harm you nor benefit you. And they considered this to be the greatest insult to themselves. The reason was that, in their view, your belief amounted to the insult of their deities, themselves, and their forefathers. Now, they did not try to understand the matter seriously. Rather, out of stubbornness and prejudice, they began to mock you. And the other aspect was that when the mention was made of that Being who truly possesses the power to benefit or harm anyone, they would become agitated as to why he mentions Allah alone and does not include their deities alongside Him, even though they themselves considered Allah to be a greater deity than their own deities, and when faced with death, they would call upon Him alone. Therefore, even calling upon Allah alone would trouble them. And they were particularly averse to the word "Rahman," as has already been mentioned in the footnote number 39 of Surah Ra'd, verse 30.
