سُوْرَةُ فَاطِرٍ
Surah Faatir (35) — Ayah 42
وَأَقْسَمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ لَئِن جَآءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ لَّيَكُونُنَّ أَهْدَىٰ مِنْ إِحْدَى ٱلْأُمَمِ ۖ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ مَّا زَادَهُمْ إِلَّا نُفُورًا ﴿42﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And they swore by Allâh their most binding oath that if a warner came to them, they would be more guided than any of the nations (before them); yet when a warner (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) came to them, it increased in them nothing but flight (from the truth)
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَأَقْسَمُوا۟
wa-aqsamū
And they swore
بِٱللَّهِ
bil-lahi
by Allah
جَهْدَ
jahda
(the) strongest
أَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ
aymānihim
(of) their oaths
لَئِن
la-in
that if
جَآءَهُمْ
jāahum
came to them
نَذِيرٌۭ
nadhīrun
a warner
لَّيَكُونُنَّ
layakūnunna
surely, they would be
أَهْدَىٰ
ahdā
more guided
مِنْ
min
than
إِحْدَى
iḥ'dā
any
ٱلْأُمَمِ ۖ
l-umami
(of) the nations
فَلَمَّا
falammā
But when
جَآءَهُمْ
jāahum
came to them
نَذِيرٌۭ
nadhīrun
a warner
مَّا
mā
not
زَادَهُمْ
zādahum
it increased them
إِلَّا
illā
but
نُفُورًا
nufūran
(in) aversion
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.
42. They used to swear strong oaths by Allah that if a warner (prophet) came to them, they would be better guided than any other community [48]. But when a warner did come to them, it only increased them in aversion.
[48]
The Saying of the Polytheists of Makkah: If a Prophet Had Come to Us, We Would Have Been More Guided Than You:
Before your ﷺ appointment, the disbelievers of Makkah, when they observed the corrupted moral state of the Jews and Christians, would boast and say emphatically, swearing oaths, that if a prophet had come to us who would guide us, we would certainly have been better than you in every respect. Then, when Allah Almighty sent His Prophet among them and they realized that now they would have to give up their leadership and chieftaincy and live as obedient followers of this Prophet, they became arrogant. They forgot the promises and statements they had made before the Jews and Christians. And in order to protect their leadership and chieftaincy, they instead girded themselves for opposition to the Prophet and continued striving to make life difficult for this warner and his followers. In this regard, besides open opposition, they also wove many webs of secret conspiracies. But Allah Almighty was with His Prophet and His believers. Therefore, whatever plot they devised would turn back upon themselves. As a result, they themselves were humiliated and disgraced, and despite their countless oppositions, Islam continued to gain dominance and ascendancy. And the more Islam was elevated, the more they became enraged due to their malice, hatred, and enmity.
[48]
The Saying of the Polytheists of Makkah: If a Prophet Had Come to Us, We Would Have Been More Guided Than You:
Before your ﷺ appointment, the disbelievers of Makkah, when they observed the corrupted moral state of the Jews and Christians, would boast and say emphatically, swearing oaths, that if a prophet had come to us who would guide us, we would certainly have been better than you in every respect. Then, when Allah Almighty sent His Prophet among them and they realized that now they would have to give up their leadership and chieftaincy and live as obedient followers of this Prophet, they became arrogant. They forgot the promises and statements they had made before the Jews and Christians. And in order to protect their leadership and chieftaincy, they instead girded themselves for opposition to the Prophet and continued striving to make life difficult for this warner and his followers. In this regard, besides open opposition, they also wove many webs of secret conspiracies. But Allah Almighty was with His Prophet and His believers. Therefore, whatever plot they devised would turn back upon themselves. As a result, they themselves were humiliated and disgraced, and despite their countless oppositions, Islam continued to gain dominance and ascendancy. And the more Islam was elevated, the more they became enraged due to their malice, hatred, and enmity.
