Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ahqaf Verse 11

Mufti Taqi Usmani

The disbelievers say about the believers, “Had it (Islamic faith) been a good thing, these (weak and poor) people would not have preceded us (in proceeding) towards it.” Since they did not accept guidance through it (the Qur’ān), they will say, “This is a classical lie.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

The disbelievers say of the believers, “Had it been ˹something˺ good, they[[ Poor and powerless Muslims. ]] would not have beaten us to it.” Now since they reject its guidance, they will say, “˹This is˺ an ancient fabrication!”

Ruwwad Translation Center

The disbelievers say about the believers, “If this [faith] were something good, they would not have believed in it before us.” Now since they are not guided by it, they will say, “This is an old fabrication.”

A. J. Arberry

The unbelievers say, as regards the believers, 'If it had been aught good, they had not outstripped us to it.' And since they are not guided by it, certainly they will say, 'This is an old calumny!'

Abdul Haleem

Those who disbelieve say of the believers, ‘If there were any good in this Quran, they would not have believed in it before we did,’and, since they refuse to be guided by it, they say, ‘This is an ancient fabrication.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And those who disbelieve say of those who believe: had it been good, they would not have preceded us thereto. And when they have not let themselves be guided thereby, they say: this is an ancient falsehood.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Unbelievers say of those who believe; "If (this Message) were a good thing, (such men) would not have gone to it first, before us!" And seeing that they guide not themselves thereby, they will say, "this is an (old,) falsehood!"

Abul Ala Maududi

The unbelievers say to the believers: If there was any good in this Book, others would not have beaten us to its acceptance.” But since they have not been guided to it, they will certainly say: “This is an old fabrication.”

Ahmed Ali

Those who deny say of those who believe: "Had there been any good in it they would not have preceded us in coming to it." Since they have not taken guidance from it, they will say: "This is the same old lie."

Ahmed Raza Khan

And the disbelievers said regarding the Muslims, “If there were any good in it, the Muslims would not have surpassed us in achieving it!”; and since they did not receive guidance with it, they will now say, “This is an old slander.”

Ali Quli Qarai

The faithless say about the faithful, ‘Had it been [anything] good, they would not have taken the lead over us toward [accepting] it.’ And since they could not find the way to it, they will say, ‘It is an ancient lie.’

Ali Ünal

Those who disbelieve say of those who believe (as another pretext for their rejection of faith in the Qur’an): "If it (the Qur’an) had been something good and useful, those people would not have preceded us in accepting it." And as they (having refused it) have not found guidance through it, they say: "This is a fabrication from ancient times."

Amatul Rahman Omar

And those who disbelieve say of those who believe, `If these (- the Qur´ânic doctrines) were any good they would not have taken precedence over us in believing in it.´ Since they themselves have received no guidance from it they say (out of malice), `It is an old lie.´

English Literal

And those who disbelieved said to those who believed: "If (it) was good , they would not have preceded us to it." And if they not be guided with it, so they will say: "That (is) old lies/falsehood."

Faridul Haque

And the disbelievers said regarding the Muslims, “If there were any good in it, the Muslims would not have surpassed us in achieving it!”; and since they did not receive guidance with it, they will now say, “This is an old slander.”

Hamid S. Aziz

And those who disbelieve say concerning those who believe, "If it had been good, they would not have accepted it ahead of us." And as they do not seek to be rightly directed thereby, they say, “It is an old lie".

Hilali & Khan

And those who disbelieve (strong and wealthy) say of those who believe (weak and poor): "Had it (Islamic Monotheism to which Muhammad SAW is inviting mankind) been a good thing, they (weak and poor) would not have preceded us thereto!" And when they have not let themselves be guided by it (this Quran), they say: "This is an ancient lie!"

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Say: See you 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 him, so he believed, while you are big with pride. Surely Allah guides not the iniquitous ones.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And those who disbelieve say concerning those who believe: If it had been a good, they would not have gone ahead of us therein. And as they do not seek to be rightly directed thereby, they say: It is an old lie.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And those who disbelieve say of those who believe: If it had been (any) good, they would not have been before us in attaining it. And since they will not be guided by it, they say: This is an ancient lie;

Muhammad Sarwar

The disbelievers have said about the believers, "Had there been anything good in it (Quran), they could not have accepted it before us" Since they do not benefit from its guidance, they say, "It (Quran) is only a fabricated legend".

Qaribullah & Darwish

The unbelievers say of the believers: 'Had it been any good they would not have believed in it before us' And because they are not guided by it they say: 'This is an ancient falsehood'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And those who disbelieve say of those who believe: "Had it been a good thing, they (the poor believers) would not have preceded us to it!" And when they have not been guided by it, they say: "This is ancient falsehood!"

Wahiduddin Khan

Those who deny the truth say of the believers, "If there were any good in this Quran, they would not have believed in it before we did." And since they refuse to be guided by it, they say, "This is an ancient fabrication."

Talal Itani

Those who disbelieve say to those who believe, “If it were anything good, they would not have preceded us to it.” And since they were not guided by it, they will say, “This is an ancient lie.”

Tafsir jalalayn

And those who disbelieve say of those who believe, that is, [they say] with regards to them; `Had it, faith, been [anything] good, they would not have attained it before us'. And since they, the ones [now] speaking, will not be guided by it, that is, [by] the Qur'n, they say, `This, that is, the Qur'n, is an ancient lie!'

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِلَّذِينَ امَنُوا لَوْ كَانَ خَيْرًا مَّا سَبَقُونَا إِلَيْهِ

And those who disbelieve say of those who believe;"Had it been good, they (the weak and poor) would not have preceded us to it!"

which means that those who disbelieve say of those who believe in the Qur'an;"Had it (the Qur'an) been any good, they (the weak and poor) would not have preceded us to it!"

By that, they meant Bilal, `Ammar, Suhayb, Khabbab, may Allah be pleased with them, and others like them of the weak, the male servants, and female servants.

The pagans said this only because they thought that they held a high status with Allah, and that He took special care of them. By that, they made a great and obvious error, as Allah says;

وَكَذلِكَ فَتَنَّا بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لِّيَقُولواْ أَهَـوُلاءِ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّن بَيْنِنَأ

Thus have We tried some of them with others, that they might say;"Is it these whom Allah has favored from among us?" (6;53)

meaning, they wonder how could those weaklings be the ones who were guided from among them.

Thus, Allah says,
لَوْ كَانَ خَيْرًا مَّا سَبَقُونَا إِلَيْهِ
(Had it been good, they (the weak and poor) would not have preceded us to it!)

Contrary to this is the position of Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah;They say about any act or saying that has not been reported from the Companions;

"It is an innovation. If there was any good in it, they would have preceded us in doing it, because they have not left off any of the good characteristics except that they hurried to perform them."

Allah continues,

وَإِذْ لَمْ يَهْتَدُوا بِهِ

And when they have not been guided by it, (meaning, the Qur'an).

فَسَيَقُولُونَ هَذَا إِفْكٌ قَدِيمٌ



they say;"This is an ancient falsehood!"

meaning, an old lie. They mean by this that the Qur'an has been quoted and taken from the ancient people, thereby belittling the Qur'an and its followers. This is clear arrogance, as Allah's Messenger said;

بَطَرُ الْحَقِّ وَغَمْطُ النَّاس

(Arrogance is) rejecting the truth and belittling the people.

Allah then says