Transliteration:( Qaalal mala ul lazeenas takbaroo min qawmihee lillazeenas tud'ifoo liman aamana minhum ata'lamoona anna Saaliham mursalum mir Rabbih; qaalooo innaa bimaaa ursila bihee mu'minoon )
"The proud leaders [185] of his people said to the weak Muslims: 'Do you know [186] that Saleh is a Messenger from his Lord?' [187] They said: 'Indeed, we believe in what has been revealed to him.'" [188]
The term “proud leaders” refers to those who were not truly great, but considered themselves to be so out of arrogance and delusion. When such pride is attributed to humans, it implies false ego and rebellion. In contrast, when used for Allah Almighty, it signifies His absolute greatness and incomparable majesty beyond human comprehension.
This verse shows that the weak and poor were the ones who believed in Prophet Saleh (عليه السلام), while the wealthy and elite leaders rejected him. This pattern is consistent across Prophetic history—the humble and destitute are often the first to embrace truth, while the arrogant elite resist due to pride and attachment to power.
The question, "Do you know that Saleh is a Messenger?" was asked not with sincerity, but as a form of mockery and ridicule. This sarcastic tone was a mark of their disbelief, and so Allah presents it as part of their kufr (infidelity), exposing their real intentions.
The response of the weak believers—“Indeed, we believe in what has been revealed to him”—shows that faith in general form is valid. Just as we believe in all the Prophets collectively, even without knowing their exact number, and in all the divine laws brought by the Holy Prophet ﷺ, without knowing every detail—general belief is accepted in Islam when it is sincere and complete in conviction.
The tafsir of Surah Al-A’raf verse 75 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah A’raf ayat 73 which provides the complete commentary from verse 73 through 78.
(7:75) The haughty elders of his people said to those believers who had been oppressed: ‘Do you know that Salih is one sent forth with a message from his Lord?’ They, replied: ‘Surely we believe in the message with which he has been sent.’
There is no commentary by Abul Maududi available for this verse.
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