سُوْرَةُ فُصِّلَتۡ
Surah Fussilat (41) — Ayah 14
إِذْ جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلرُّسُلُ مِنۢ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ ۖ قَالُوا۟ لَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّنَا لَأَنزَلَ مَلَـٰٓئِكَةً فَإِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِۦ كَـٰفِرُونَ ﴿14﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
When the Messengers came to them, from before them and behind them (saying): "Worship none but Allâh", they said: "If our Lord had so willed, He would surely have sent down the angels. So indeed we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِذْ
idh
When
جَآءَتْهُمُ
jāathumu
came to them
ٱلرُّسُلُ
l-rusulu
the Messengers
مِنۢ
min
from before them
بَيْنِ
bayni
from before them
أَيْدِيهِمْ
aydīhim
from before them
وَمِنْ
wamin
and from
خَلْفِهِمْ
khalfihim
behind them
أَلَّا
allā
(saying) "Do not
تَعْبُدُوٓا۟
taʿbudū
worship
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱللَّهَ ۖ
l-laha
Allah
قَالُوا۟
qālū
They said
لَوْ
law
If
شَآءَ
shāa
(had) willed
رَبُّنَا
rabbunā
our Lord
لَأَنزَلَ
la-anzala
surely, He (would have) sent down
مَلَـٰٓئِكَةًۭ
malāikatan
Angels
فَإِنَّا
fa-innā
So indeed, we
بِمَآ
bimā
in what
أُرْسِلْتُم
ur'sil'tum
you have been sent
بِهِۦ
bihi
with
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.
14. When messengers came to them from before them and from behind them [16], saying, "Worship none but Allah," they said, "If our Lord had willed, He would have sent down angels. So we surely deny what you have been sent with [17]."
[16] This verse has several meanings. One is that messengers kept coming to them. The second is that the messengers who came to them tried to explain to them from every angle. And the third is that messengers came to their own region as well as to the surrounding regions, and their teachings had reached them.
[17] That is, "You are just human beings. How can we accept you as Allah’s messengers? If an angel had come to us as a messenger, then it would have been something." Every nation that denies the truth has had this objection, and the reality of this objection is nothing more than “a bad habit has many excuses.” The answers to this objection are mentioned repeatedly in the Quran.
[16] This verse has several meanings. One is that messengers kept coming to them. The second is that the messengers who came to them tried to explain to them from every angle. And the third is that messengers came to their own region as well as to the surrounding regions, and their teachings had reached them.
[17] That is, "You are just human beings. How can we accept you as Allah’s messengers? If an angel had come to us as a messenger, then it would have been something." Every nation that denies the truth has had this objection, and the reality of this objection is nothing more than “a bad habit has many excuses.” The answers to this objection are mentioned repeatedly in the Quran.
