Al-Qur'an Surah Al-An'am Verse 33

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Indeed We know that what they say makes you sad, because it is not you whom they reject, but the transgressors actually deny the signs of Allah.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

We certainly know that what they say grieves you ˹O Prophet˺. It is not your honesty they question—it is Allah’s signs that the wrongdoers deny.

Ruwwad Translation Center

We know well that what they say grieves you [O Prophet]. It is not you that they doubt, rather it is the verses of Allah that the wrongdoers deny.

A. J. Arberry

We know indeed that it grieves thee the things they say; yet it is not thee they cry lies to, but the evildoers - it is the signs of God that they deny.

Abdul Haleem

We know well that what they say grieves you [Prophet]. It is not you they disbelieve: the evildoers reject God’s revelation.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

We know indeed that verily that which they say grieveth thee, but it is not thee they belie; it is the signs of Allah the wrong- doers gainsay.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

We know indeed the grief which their words do cause thee; It is not thee they reject; it is the signs of Allah, which the wicked contemn.

Abul Ala Maududi

(O Muhammad!) We know indeed that the things they say grieve you, though in truth it is not you whom they give the lie to, but it is the signs of Allah that these wrong-doers reject.

Ahmed Ali

We know what they say distresses you. It is not you in fact they accuse of lies, but the wicked deny the revelations of God!

Ahmed Raza Khan

We know well that their statement grieves you – so they do not deny you (Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) but in fact the unjust deny the signs of Allah.

Ali Quli Qarai

We certainly know that what they say grieves you. Yet it is not you that they deny, but it is Allah’s signs that the wrongdoers impugn.

Ali Ünal

(O Messenger!) We know indeed that the things (lies, mockery, and slanders) that they say grieve you: yet, it is not you that they deny (they cannot very well call you a liar since they themselves have called you ‘the trustworthy one’); rather, it is the signs and Revelations of God that the wrongdoers obstinately reject.

Amatul Rahman Omar

We know full well that what they say (by way of denying Our Messages) grieves you, yet surely it is not you that they cry lies to, but it is the Messages of Allâh that these wrongdoers are deliberately rejecting.

English Literal

We had known that it saddens you (E) what they say, so they truly do not deny you, and but the unjust/oppressors, (are) disbelieving and denying with God`s verses/evidences.

Faridul Haque

We know well that their statement grieves you - so they do not deny you (Prophet Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him) but in fact the unjust deny the signs of Allah.

Hamid S. Aziz

Indeed, Messengers have been called liars before you; but they were patient under denial and persecution until Our help came to them; for there is none to alter the words of Allah. Already has there come to you the story of those He sent in the past.

Hilali & Khan

We know indeed the grief which their words cause you (O Muhammad SAW): it is not you that they deny, but it is the Verses (the Quran) of Allah that the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers) deny.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And this world’s life is naught but a play and an idle sport. And certainly the abode of the Hereafter is better for those who keep their duty. Do you not then understand?

Mohammad Habib Shakir

We know indeed that what they say certainly grieves you, but surely they do not call you a liar; but the unjust deny the communications of Allah.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

We know well how their talk grieveth thee, though in truth they deny not thee (Muhammad) but evil-doers flout the revelations of Allah.

Muhammad Sarwar

We certainly know that you (Muhammad) are sad about what they (the unbelievers) say. It is not you (alone) who has been accused of lying. The unjust have always rejected God's revelations.

Qaribullah & Darwish

We know what they say saddens you. It is not you that they belie; but the harmdoers deny the verses of Allah.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

We know indeed the grief which their words cause you; it is not you that they deny, but it is the verses of Allah that the wrongdoers deny.

Wahiduddin Khan

We know that what they say grieves you. It is not you that the wrongdoers are rejecting, rather it is the signs of God that they reject.

Talal Itani

We know that what they say grieves you. It is not you they reject, but it is God's revelations that the wicked deny.

Tafsir jalalayn

We know indeed (qad is a confirmative particle) that it grieves you that, matter, which they say, to you, in denial; yet it is not that they deny you, in secret, for they know that you are truthful (a variant reading [for l yukadhdhibnaka, `not [that] they deny you'] has l yukdhibnak, that is to say, `they do not associate you with mendacity') but evildoers (al-zlimn replaces the previous pronominalisation [`they']) knowingly reject, deny, the signs of God, the Qur'n.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Comforting the Prophet

Allah comforts the Prophet in his grief over his people's denial and defiance of him,

قَدْ نَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُ لَيَحْزُنُكَ الَّذِي يَقُولُونَ

We know indeed the grief which their words cause you;

meaning, We know about their denial of you and your sadness and sorrow for them.

Allah said in other Ayat,

فَلَ تَذْهَبْ نَفْسُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسَرَتٍ

So destroy not yourself in sorrow for them. (35;8)

and,

لَعَلَّكَ بَـخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ أَلاَّ يَكُونُواْ مُوْمِنِينَ

It may be that you are going to kill yourself with grief, that they do not become believers. (26;3)

and,

فَلَعَلَّكَ بَـخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ عَلَى ءَاثَـرِهِمْ إِن لَّمْ يُوْمِنُواْ بِهَـذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَسَفاً

Perhaps, you, would kill yourself in grief, over their footsteps (for their turning away from you), because they believe not in this narration. (18;6)

Allah's statement,

فَإِنَّهُمْ لَا يُكَذِّبُونَكَ وَلَكِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ بِأيَاتِ اللّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ



it is not you that they deny, but it is the verses of Allah that the wrongdoers deny.

means, they do not accuse you of being a liar,
وَلَكِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ بِأيَاتِ اللّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ
(but it is the Verses of Allah that the wrongdoers deny). It is only the truth that they reject and refuse.

Muhammad bin Ishaq mentioned that Az-Zuhri said that;

Abu Jahl, Abu Sufyan Sakhr bin Harb and Al-Akhnas bin Shurayq once came to listen to the Prophet reciting the Qur'an at night, but these three men were not aware of the presence of each other. So they listened to the Prophet's recitation until the morning, and then left.

They met each other on their way back and each one of them asked the others, "What brought you!"

So they mentioned to each other the reason why they came. They vowed not to repeat this incident so that the young men of Quraysh would not hear of what they did and imitate them.

On the second night, each one of the three came back thinking that the other two would not come because of the vows they made to each other. In the morning, they again met each other on their way back and criticized each other, vowing not to repeat what they did.

On the third night, they again went to listen to the Prophet and in the morning they again vowed not to repeat this incident.

During that day, Al-Akhnas bin Shurayq took his staff and went to Abu Sufyan bin Harb in his house saying, "O Abu Hanzalah! What is your opinion concerning what you heard from Muhammad."

Abu Sufyan said, "O Abu Thalabah! By Allah, I have heard some things that I recognize and know their implications. I also heard some things whose meaning and implications were unknown to me."

Al-Akhnas said, "And I the same, by He Whom you swore by!"

Al-Akhnas left Abu Sufyan and went to Abu Jahl and asked him, "O Abu Al-Hakam! What is your opinion about what you heard from Muhammad."

Abu Jahl said, "We competed with Bani Abd Manaf (the Prophet's sub tribe) and so we fed as they fed and gave away as they gave away. So, when we were neck and neck with them, just as two horses in a race, they said, `There is a Prophet from among us, to whom revelation from the heaven comes.' So how can we ever beat them at that! By Allah we will never believe in him or accept what he says.'

This is when Al-Akhnas left Abu Jahl and went away."

Allah's statement