سُوْرَةُ سَبَاٍ
Surah Saba (34) — Ayah 43
وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتُنَا بَيِّنَـٰتٍ قَالُوا۟ مَا هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا رَجُلٌ يُرِيدُ أَن يَصُدَّكُمْ عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ ءَابَآؤُكُمْ وَقَالُوا۟ مَا هَـٰذَآ إِلَّآ إِفْكٌ مُّفْتَرًى ۚ وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿43﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And when Our Clear Verses are recited to them, they say: "This (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) is naught but a man who wishes to hinder you from that which your fathers used to worship." And they say: "This (the Qur’ân) is nothing but an invented lie." And those who disbelieve say of the truth when it has come to them (i.e. Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم when Allâh sent him as a Messenger with proofs, evidence, verses of this Qur’ân, lessons, signs, etc.): "This is nothing but evident magic!"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِذَا
wa-idhā
And when
تُتْلَىٰ
tut'lā
are recited
عَلَيْهِمْ
ʿalayhim
to them
ءَايَـٰتُنَا
āyātunā
Our Verses
بَيِّنَـٰتٍۢ
bayyinātin
clear
قَالُوا۟
qālū
they say
مَا
mā
Not
هَـٰذَآ
hādhā
(is) this
إِلَّا
illā
but
رَجُلٌۭ
rajulun
a man
يُرِيدُ
yurīdu
who wishes
أَن
an
to
يَصُدَّكُمْ
yaṣuddakum
hinder you
عَمَّا
ʿammā
from what
كَانَ
kāna
used
يَعْبُدُ
yaʿbudu
(to) worship
ءَابَآؤُكُمْ
ābāukum
your forefathers
وَقَالُوا۟
waqālū
And they say
مَا
mā
Not
هَـٰذَآ
hādhā
(is) this
إِلَّآ
illā
except
إِفْكٌۭ
if'kun
a lie
مُّفْتَرًۭى ۚ
muf'taran
invented
وَقَالَ
waqāla
And said
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
كَفَرُوا۟
kafarū
disbelieved
لِلْحَقِّ
lil'ḥaqqi
about the truth
لَمَّا
lammā
when
جَآءَهُمْ
jāahum
it came to them
إِنْ
in
Not
هَـٰذَآ
hādhā
(is) this
إِلَّا
illā
except
سِحْرٌۭ
siḥ'run
a magic
مُّبِينٌۭ
mubīnun
obvious
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.
And when Our clear verses are recited to them, they say, "This man only wishes to turn you away from what your forefathers [66] used to worship." And they say, "This Qur'an is nothing but a fabricated lie." And when the truth came to the disbelievers, they said, "This is nothing but clear magic [67]."
[65] At that time, the angels will also be present before Allah, as well as the polytheists and the devils. And all of them will be subjugated and helpless before Allah. The angels will disown the polytheists, and so will the devils, and the polytheists, because of the angels’ response, will disown them as well as the devils who led them to the path of polytheism. In other words, each will disown the other, and each will be helpless, so in such a situation, how could anyone benefit another, and why would they benefit them?
[66]
Why Did the Disbelievers of Makkah Call the Quran Magic?
That is, he wants to turn us away from our way of life and put us on a new path. Our way of life is the one that has been practiced by our forefathers for a long time, and the path this person wants to put us on is based merely on his own invented statements. And what he wants is to become our leader himself, and that we should live as his followers. How can we possibly accept this? In other words, in the view of the Quraysh of Makkah, the call of the Prophet of Islam was merely a matter of authority. Apart from this, they were not willing to accept any point or argument.
[67] The reason the disbelievers of Makkah called Allah’s word or the Noble Quran magic was that they themselves were afraid of the magical effect of the Quran. They had also imposed a restriction on the Muslims that they should not recite the Quran aloud, because in this way their wives and children would be influenced by the Quran, even though those wretches themselves could not remain unaffected by its impact. But merely out of stubbornness, obstinacy, and for a few worldly interests, they would deny and mock the Quran and the call of the Quran. Then, they also meant by magic that whoever accepted faith no longer cared whether so-and-so was his father or brother or son, or so-and-so was his mother or daughter, etc. And since the polytheists of Makkah used to employ magicians to create such separation, and this word also caused such separation, in this sense too they would call the Quran magic. In other words, despite being deniers of the Quran, they admitted that the Quran possessed an effect even greater than magic.
[65] At that time, the angels will also be present before Allah, as well as the polytheists and the devils. And all of them will be subjugated and helpless before Allah. The angels will disown the polytheists, and so will the devils, and the polytheists, because of the angels’ response, will disown them as well as the devils who led them to the path of polytheism. In other words, each will disown the other, and each will be helpless, so in such a situation, how could anyone benefit another, and why would they benefit them?
[66]
Why Did the Disbelievers of Makkah Call the Quran Magic?
That is, he wants to turn us away from our way of life and put us on a new path. Our way of life is the one that has been practiced by our forefathers for a long time, and the path this person wants to put us on is based merely on his own invented statements. And what he wants is to become our leader himself, and that we should live as his followers. How can we possibly accept this? In other words, in the view of the Quraysh of Makkah, the call of the Prophet of Islam was merely a matter of authority. Apart from this, they were not willing to accept any point or argument.
[67] The reason the disbelievers of Makkah called Allah’s word or the Noble Quran magic was that they themselves were afraid of the magical effect of the Quran. They had also imposed a restriction on the Muslims that they should not recite the Quran aloud, because in this way their wives and children would be influenced by the Quran, even though those wretches themselves could not remain unaffected by its impact. But merely out of stubbornness, obstinacy, and for a few worldly interests, they would deny and mock the Quran and the call of the Quran. Then, they also meant by magic that whoever accepted faith no longer cared whether so-and-so was his father or brother or son, or so-and-so was his mother or daughter, etc. And since the polytheists of Makkah used to employ magicians to create such separation, and this word also caused such separation, in this sense too they would call the Quran magic. In other words, despite being deniers of the Quran, they admitted that the Quran possessed an effect even greater than magic.
