سُوْرَةُ فُصِّلَتۡ
Surah Fussilat (41) — Ayah 15
فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَقَالُوا۟ مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً ۖ أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً ۖ وَكَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ ﴿15﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
As for ‘Âd, they were arrogant in the land without right, and they said: "Who is mightier than us in strength?" See they not that Allâh, Who created them was mightier in strength than them. And they used to deny Our Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, revelations, etc.)!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَأَمَّا
fa-ammā
Then as for
عَادٌۭ
ʿādun
Aad
فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟
fa-is'takbarū
they were arrogant
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the land
بِغَيْرِ
bighayri
without
ٱلْحَقِّ
l-ḥaqi
[the] right
وَقَالُوا۟
waqālū
and they said
مَنْ
man
Who
أَشَدُّ
ashaddu
(is) mightier
مِنَّا
minnā
than us
قُوَّةً ۖ
quwwatan
(in) strength
أَوَلَمْ
awalam
Do not
يَرَوْا۟
yaraw
they see
أَنَّ
anna
that
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
the One Who
خَلَقَهُمْ
khalaqahum
created them
هُوَ
huwa
He
أَشَدُّ
ashaddu
(is) Mightier
مِنْهُمْ
min'hum
than them
قُوَّةًۭ ۖ
quwwatan
(in) strength
وَكَانُوا۟
wakānū
But they used to
بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا
biāyātinā
in Our Signs
يَجْحَدُونَ
yajḥadūna
deny
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.
As for the people of ‘Ad, they acted arrogantly in the land without right and said, “Who is mightier than us in strength?” Did they not see that the One Who created them, is certainly mightier than them [18] in strength? Yet they continued to reject Our signs deliberately.
[18] The greatest obstacle in accepting the truth is arrogance. Accepting the words of the messengers would undermine their own leadership and chieftainship. Therefore, these chieftain-type people stand up boldly in opposition to the messengers and gather the people of their sphere of influence with them. And the people of ‘Ad were also of great stature and very powerful, so they became arrogant. And they said to the messengers, "What do we consider you to be?" At that time, they did not realize that the messenger may be weaker than them in strength, but the Being Who sent them as His messenger is not weaker than them.
[18] The greatest obstacle in accepting the truth is arrogance. Accepting the words of the messengers would undermine their own leadership and chieftainship. Therefore, these chieftain-type people stand up boldly in opposition to the messengers and gather the people of their sphere of influence with them. And the people of ‘Ad were also of great stature and very powerful, so they became arrogant. And they said to the messengers, "What do we consider you to be?" At that time, they did not realize that the messenger may be weaker than them in strength, but the Being Who sent them as His messenger is not weaker than them.
