سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْۣبِيَآءِ
Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 8
وَمَا جَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ جَسَدًا لَّا يَأْكُلُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ خَـٰلِدِينَ ﴿8﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And We did not create them (the Messengers, with) bodies that ate not food, nor were they immortals.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَا
wamā
And not
جَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ
jaʿalnāhum
We made them
جَسَدًۭا
jasadan
bodies
لَّا
lā
not
يَأْكُلُونَ
yakulūna
eating
ٱلطَّعَامَ
l-ṭaʿāma
the food
وَمَا
wamā
and not
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they were
خَـٰلِدِينَ
khālidīna
immortals
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.
8. We did not make their (the messengers') bodies such that they would not eat food, nor were they immortal [8].
[8]
All Prophets Were Men, Used to Eat Food, and Have All Departed from This World:
Now, an answer is being given to a fundamental objection of the disbelievers of Makkah. The objection was that this Prophet is a human being just like us. All human weaknesses and needs are present in him as they are in us. He, like us, is dependent on eating, drinking, walking, and moving about, and, like us, he also marries. Furthermore, he neither possesses any religious grandeur nor is there any angel who stays with him. In response to all these things, they were told that you, who keep asking the People of the Book various questions and raising various objections against this Prophet, should ask them this question as well: Was Musa (Moses) ؑ a human being or not? Their answer will satisfy you that Musa ؑ himself and all the other prophets besides him were all human beings. All human needs were attached to them as well. Besides eating and drinking, all of them also faced death, and today, none of them is alive. [نيز ديكهئے سورة نحل كا حاشيه 44۔ 1]
[8]
All Prophets Were Men, Used to Eat Food, and Have All Departed from This World:
Now, an answer is being given to a fundamental objection of the disbelievers of Makkah. The objection was that this Prophet is a human being just like us. All human weaknesses and needs are present in him as they are in us. He, like us, is dependent on eating, drinking, walking, and moving about, and, like us, he also marries. Furthermore, he neither possesses any religious grandeur nor is there any angel who stays with him. In response to all these things, they were told that you, who keep asking the People of the Book various questions and raising various objections against this Prophet, should ask them this question as well: Was Musa (Moses) ؑ a human being or not? Their answer will satisfy you that Musa ؑ himself and all the other prophets besides him were all human beings. All human needs were attached to them as well. Besides eating and drinking, all of them also faced death, and today, none of them is alive. [نيز ديكهئے سورة نحل كا حاشيه 44۔ 1]
