Surah 7 Al-A'raaf — Ayah 88
۞ قَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ مِن قَوْمِهِۦ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يَٰشُعَيْبُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَكَ مِن قَرْيَتِنَآ أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِى مِلَّتِنَا ۚ قَالَ أَوَلَوْ كُنَّا كَٰرِهِينَ
Said the eminent ones who were arrogant among his people, "We will surely evict you, O Shu'ayb, and those who have believed with you from our city, or you must return to our religion." He said, "Even if we were unwilling?"
qāla l-mala-u alladhīna is'takbarū min qawmihi lanukh'rijannaka yāshuʿaybu wa-alladhīna āmanū maʿaka min qaryatinā aw lataʿūdunna fī millatinā qāla awalaw kunnā kārihīna
Word by word
- ۞ قَالَ qāla Said
- ٱلْمَلَأُ l-mala-u the chiefs
- ٱلَّذِينَ alladhīna (of) those who
- ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ is'takbarū were arrogant
- مِن min among
- قَوْمِهِۦ qawmihi his people
- لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ lanukh'rijannaka We will surely drive you out
- يَـٰشُعَيْبُ yāshuʿaybu O Shuaib
- وَٱلَّذِينَ wa-alladhīna And those who
- ءَامَنُوا۟ āmanū (have) believed
- مَعَكَ maʿaka with you
- مِن min from
- قَرْيَتِنَآ qaryatinā our city
- أَوْ aw or
- لَتَعُودُنَّ lataʿūdunna you must return
- فِى fī to
- مِلَّتِنَا ۚ millatinā our religion
- قَالَ qāla He said
- أَوَلَوْ awalaw Even if
- كُنَّا kunnā we are
- كَـٰرِهِينَ kārihīna (the) ones who hate (it)
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
Allah describes the way the disbelievers answered His ProphetShu` ayb and those who believed in him, by threatening them withexpulsion from their village, or with forceful reversion to thedisbeliever's religion.
The chiefs spoke the words mentioned here to the Messenger Shu`ayb, but intended it for those who followed his religion too. The statement,
("Even though we hate it"), means, would you force us to do that, even though we hate what you are calling us to Certainly if we revert to your religion and accept your ways, we will have uttered a tremendous lie against Allah by calling partners as rivals to Him,
(And it is not for us to return to it unless Allah, our Lord, should will.) This part of the Ayah refers all matters to Allah's will, and certainly, He has perfect knowledge of all matters and His observation encompasses all things,
(In Allah (Alone) we put our trust. ), concerning all our affairs, what we practice of them and what we ignore,
(Our Lord! Judge between us and our people in truth) judge between us and our people and give us victory over them,
(for You are the best of those who give judgment) and You are the Most Just Who never wrongs any in His judgment.