Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ahqaf Verse 10

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Say, “Tell me, If it (the Qur’ān) is from Allah and you reject it, and a witness from the children of Isrā’īl testifies about something similar to it and comes to believe (in it), while you persist in your arrogance, (then, how unjust you are!) Surely, Allah does not give guidance to the unjust people.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Ask ˹them, O  Prophet˺, “Consider if this ˹Quran˺ is ˹truly˺ from Allah and you deny it, and a witness from the Children of Israel attests to it and then believes,[[ This refers to ’Abdullâh ibn Salâm, a Jewish scholar, who embraced Islam when the Prophet (ﷺ) emigrated to Medina. ]] whereas you act arrogantly. Surely Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

Say, “What do you think, if this [Qur’an] is really from Allah and yet you reject it, and a witness from the Children of Israel has testified in its favor and believed, whereas you persist in arrogance? Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.”

A. J. Arberry

Say: 'Have you considered? If it be from God, and you disbelieve in it, and a witness from among the Children of Israel hears witness to its like, and believes, and you wax proud, God guides not the people of the evildoers.

Abdul Haleem

Say, ‘Have you thought: what if this Quran really is from God and you reject it? What if one of the Children of Israel testifies to its similarity [to earlier scripture] and believes in it, and yet you are too proud to [do the same]? God certainly does not guide evildoers.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Say thou: bethink ye: if it is from Allah while ye disbelieve therein and a witness from the Children of Isra'il beareth witness to the like thereof and believeth, while ye are still stiff necked, then who is further astray than you? Verily Allah guideth not a wrong-doing people.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Say; "See ye? If (this teaching) be from Allah, and ye reject it, and a witness from among the Children of Israel testifies to its similarity (with earlier scripture), and has believed while ye are arrogant, (how unjust ye are!) truly, Allah guides not a people unjust."

Abul Ala Maududi

Tell them, (O Prophet): “Did you consider (what would be your end) if this Qur'an were indeed from Allah and yet you rejected it? And this even though a witness from the Children of Israel has testified to the like of it. But he believed, while you waxed arrogant. Verily Allah does not guide such wrong-doers to the Right Way.

Ahmed Ali

Tell them: "Think (of the consequence) if this is from God and you deny it when a witness from the people of Israel had testified to the like of it and come to believe, while you spurn it?" Assuredly God does not guide a wicked people.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Say, “What is your opinion – if the Qur’an is from Allah and you have rejected faith in it, and a witness among the Descendants of Israel has already testified upon this and accepted faith, while you became arrogant? Indeed Allah does not guide the unjust.”

Ali Quli Qarai

Say, ‘Tell me, if it is from Allah and you disbelieve in it, and a witness from the Children of Israel has testified to its like and believed [in it], while you are disdainful [of it]?’ Indeed Allah does not guide the wrongdoing lot.

Ali Ünal

Say: "Do you ever consider that if this Qur’an is from God, and you disbelieve in it while (many) a witness from among the Children of Israel (those who had knowledge of Revelation) had already testified to the like of it and (also) believed, whereas you are too arrogant to believe: (is this not plain deviation and wrong)? Surely God does not guide the wrongdoing people."

Amatul Rahman Omar

Say, `Have you considered (that) if this (Qur´ân) is from Allâh and you do not believe in it (there will be no way of escape for you); (more so because) a witness (in the person of Moses) from among the Children of Israel has borne witness to (the advent of) his like. So, whereas he has believed (in those prophecies) but you turn away in disdain, (how should you fare then? Bear in mind) Allâh guides no unjust people (to success).

English Literal

Say: "Did you see if (it) was from at God, and you disbelieved with (in) it, and a witness/testifier from Israel`s sons and daughters witnessed/testified on similar/alike to it (Old Testament), so he believed and you became arrogant? That truly God does not guide the nation the unjust/oppressive."

Faridul Haque

Say, “What is your opinion - if the Qur’an is from Allah and you have rejected faith in it, and a witness among the Descendants of Israel has already testified upon this and accepted faith, while you became arrogant? Indeed Allah does not guide the unjust.”

Hamid S. Aziz

Say, "Have you considered :- if it is from Allah, and you disbelieve in it, and a witness from among the Children of Israel testifies to its similarity with earlier Scriptures, and he believed, while you are inflated with pride; surely Allah does not guide unjust people."

Hilali & Khan

Say: "Tell me! If this (Quran) is from Allah, and you deny it, and a witness from among the Children of Israel ('Abdullah bin Salam) testifies that this Quran is from Allah [like the Taurat (Torah)], so he believed (embraced Islam) while you are too proud (to believe)." Verily! Allah guides not the people who are Zalimun (polytheists, disbelievers and wrong-doing).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Say: I am not the first of the messengers, and I know not what will be done with me or with you. I follow naught but that which is revealed to me, and I am but a plain warner.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Say: Have you considered if it is from Allah, and you disbelieve in it, and a witness from among the children of Israel has borne witness of one like it, so he believed, while you are big with pride; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Bethink you: If it is from Allah and ye disbelieve therein, and a witness of the Children of Israel hath already testified to the like thereof and hath believed, and ye are too proud (what plight is yours)? Lo! Allah guideth not wrong-doing folk.

Muhammad Sarwar

Say, "What do you think will happen if this Quran is from God and you have rejected it? Besides, a witness from among the Israelites has testified to the divinity of a Book like it and believed in it (Quran) while you have arrogantly denied it. God does not guide the unjust.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Say: 'Consider, if this (Koran) is from Allah and you disbelieve in it, and a witness from the Children of Israel testifies to its like and believes, while you areproud! Indeed, Allah does not guide the harmdoers'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Say: "Tell me! If it was from Allah and you disbelieved it, (at the same time), a witness from among the Children of Israel has testified to something similar and believed while you rejected (the truth)!" Verily, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.

Wahiduddin Khan

Say, "Have you thought: what if this Quran really is from God and you reject it? What if one of the Children of Israel testifies to its similarity to earlier scripture and believes in it, and yet you are too arrogant to do the same? God certainly does not guide evil-doers."

Talal Itani

Say, “Have you considered? What if it is from God and you disbelieve in it? A witness from the Children of Israel testified to its like, and has believed, while you turned arrogant. God does not guide the unjust people.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Say; `Have you considered?, [say;] inform me, what will be your predicament, if it, the Qur'n, is from God and you disbelieve in it (wa-kafartum bihi, the sentence is a circumstantial qualifier), and a witness from the Children of Israel has [already] testified, this was `Abd Allh b. Salm, to the like of it, that is to say, to it [the Qur'n], that it is from God, and he, the witness, has believed [in it], while you act with arrogance ...', you are disdainful of faith (the response to the conditional [`if ...'] is given [by implication] in what has been supplemented to it, in other words; `Would you not then be [considered] wrongdoers?'; this [understanding of the response] is indicated by [what follows]). Truly God does not guide wrongdoing folk'.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Qur'an is Allah's True Speech and the Position of the Disbelievers and the Muslims towards it

Allah says,

قُلْ

Say,

meaning, `O Muhammad to these idolators who disbelieve in the Qur'an.'

أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كَانَ

Tell me! If it was, (meaning, this Qur'an).

مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَكَفَرْتُم بِهِ

from Allah, and you disbelieved in it,

meaning, `what do you think that Allah will do to you if this Book that I have come to you with is actually revealed to me from Him in order that I convey it to you, and yet you disbelieve in it and deny it

وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّن بَنِي إِسْرَايِيلَ

عَلَى مِثْلِهِ

(at the same time), a witness from among the Children of Israel has testified to something similar,

meaning, `the previous Scriptures that were revealed to the Prophets before me all testify to its truthfulness and authenticity. They have prophecied, well in advance, about things similar to that which this Qur'an informs of.'

Concerning Allah's statement,

فَأمَنَ

and believed,

`this person who testified to its truthfulness from the Children of Israel, due to his realization that it was the truth.'

وَاسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ

while you rejected (the truth)!

`whereas you have arrogantly refused to follow it.'

Masruq said;

"That witness believed in his Prophet and Book, while you disbelieved in your Prophet and Book."

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ




Verily, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.

The witness here refers to any witness in general. It includes Abdullah bin Salam and other from them as well. For indeed, this Ayah was revealed in Makkah before Abdullah bin Salam had accepted Islam.

This is similar to the statement of Allah,

وَإِذَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا بِهِ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّنَأ إنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلِهِ مُسْلِمِينَ

And when it is recited to them, they say;"We believe in it. Verily, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed, even before it we have been Muslims." (28;53)

It is also similar to Allah's saying,

قُلْ ءَامِنُواْ بِهِ أَوْ لَا تُوْمِنُواْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهِ إِذَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ يَخِرُّونَ لِلٌّذْقَانِ سُجَّدًا


وَيَقُولُونَ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَأ إِن كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُولاً


Verily! Those who were given knowledge before it -- when it is recited to them, they fall upon their faces in prostration,

and they say;"Exalted is our Lord! Truly, the promise of our Lord has been fulfilled." (17;107-108)

It has been narrated from Sa`d, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said,

"I have not heard Allah's Messenger say about anyone walking on the surface of the earth that he is of the people of Jannah -- except for Abdullah bin Salam. Concerning him the following Ayah was revealed,
وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّن بَنِي إِسْرَايِيلَ

عَلَى مِثْلِهِ
((at the same time), a witness from among the Children of Israel has testified to something similar)"

This has been recorded in the Two Sahihs and An-Nasa'i.

Similarly, Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Ikrimah, Yusuf bin Abdullah bin Salam, Hilal bin Yasaf, As-Suddi, Ath-Thawri, Malik bin Anas and Ibn Zayd all said that this refers to Abdullah bin Salam.

Allah then says