Quran Quote  :  Be steadfast, surely Allah is with those who remain steadfast - 8:46

Quran-16:103 Surah An-nahl English Translation,Transliteration and Tafsir(Tafseer).

وَلَقَدۡ نَعۡلَمُ أَنَّهُمۡ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا يُعَلِّمُهُۥ بَشَرٞۗ لِّسَانُ ٱلَّذِي يُلۡحِدُونَ إِلَيۡهِ أَعۡجَمِيّٞ وَهَٰذَا لِسَانٌ عَرَبِيّٞ مُّبِينٌ

Transliteration:( Wa laqad na'lamu annahum yaqooloona innamaa yu'allimuhoo bashar; lisaanul lazee yulhidoona ilaihi a'ja miyyunw wa haaza lisaanun 'Arabiyyum mubeen )

103. And indeed, We know that they say, 'It is only a man who teaches him [235].' The tongue of the one they hint at is foreign, while this is a clear Arabic tongue [236]. (Kanzul Imaan Translation)

(103) And We certainly know that they say, "It is only a human being who teaches him [i.e., the Prophet (ﷺ)]." The tongue of the one they refer to is foreign,[715] and this [recitation, i.e., Qur’ān] is [in] a clear Arabic language. (Saheen International Translation)

Surah An-Nahl Ayat 103 Tafsir (Commentry)



  • Tafseer-e-Naeemi (Ahmad Yaar Khan)
  • Ibn Kathir
  • Ala-Madudi
  • Shaheen International

235. Reason for its Revelation:
Hazrat Ubaid bin Muslima says we had two non-Arab slaves Yasaar and Jabeer who would burnish iron. Sometimes the Holy Prophet ﷺ would converse with them  and listen to their talks. The polytheists began to accuse the Messenger of Allah learns the Holy QUR'AAN from these slaves and recites it. The above verse was revealed to refute this claim. Here the word 'man' refers to these two slaves.
From this we learn that the infidels have no consistency at what they say.Some times they call the Holy QUR'AAN a work of magic, sometimes as poetry, sometimes something else. In short, they have no confidence and faith in their own words. 

236. How can the non-Arab slaves create the equivalent of the Holy QUR'AAN when the most eloquent literary Arabs are totally helpless to produce the like of it?
From this we learn that the Holy QUR'AAN is the name of both the text and meaning. Thus, the mere translation of the Holy QUR'AAN is not the Holy QURAAN.

 

Ibn-Kathir

103. And indeed We know that they (polytheists and pagans) say: “It is only a human being who teaches him.” The tongue of the man they refer to is foreign, while this (the Qur’an) is (in) a clear Arabic tongue.


The Idolators’ Claim that the Qur’an was taught by a Human, and the Refutation of their Claim

Allah tells us about the idolators’ lies, allegations, and slander when they claimed that this Qur’an which Muhammad had recited for them, was actually taught to him by a human. They referred to a foreign (i.e., non-Arab) man who lived among them as the servant of some of the clans of Quraysh and who used to sell goods by As-Safa. Maybe the Messenger of Allah used to sit with him sometimes and talk to him a little, but he was a foreigner who did not know much Arabic, only enough simple phrases to answer questions when he had to. So in refutation of their claims of fabrication, Allah said:

﴿لِّسَانُ الَّذِى يُلْحِدُونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْجَمِىٌّ وَهَـذَا لِسَانٌ عَرَبِىٌّ مُّبِينٌ﴾

(The tongue of the man they refer to is foreign, while this (the Qur’an) is a (in) clear Arabic tongue.) meaning, how could it be that this Qur’an with its eloquent style and perfect meanings, which is more perfect than any Book revealed to any previously sent Prophet, have been learnt from a foreigner who hardly speaks the language No one with the slightest amount of common sense would say such a thing.

(16:103) Surely We know well that they say about you: “It is only a human being who teaches him,”[107] (notwithstanding) that he whom they maliciously hint at is of foreign tongue, while this (Qur’an) is plain Arabic speech.

Ala-Maududi

(16:103) Surely We know well that they say about you: “It is only a human being who teaches him,”[107] (notwithstanding) that he whom they maliciously hint at is of foreign tongue, while this (Qur’an) is plain Arabic speech.


107. In this connection, traditions mention the names of several persons, one of whom is Jabar. According to the disbelievers of Makkah he taught the Prophet (peace be upon him). However, one thing particularly noteworthy about all these persons is that they were non Arab slaves. Whosoever he might be, the fact that he used to recite the Torah and the Gospel and had an acquaintance with the Prophet (peace be upon him). This gave an opportunity to the disbelievers for spreading this false report that it was the particular slave who was the real author of the Holy Quran, but Muhammad (peace be upon him) presented it as the Word of God. This not only shows that his opponents were very impudent in spreading false accusations against the Prophet (peace be upon him) but also that, in general, people are not just in judging the worth of their contemporaries. They were ill treating like this that great personality who has had no parallel in history. Nevertheless, these people who had become blind in their opposition, preferred to attribute the authorship of the matchless Arabic Quran to a non Arab slave who had a smattering of the Torah and the Gospel. Instead of accepting the claim of the Prophet (peace be upon him), who was an embodiment of truth, they attributed its authorship to an insignificant foreign slave.

(103) And We certainly know that they say, "It is only a human being who teaches him [i.e., the Prophet (ﷺ)]." The tongue of the one they refer to is foreign,[715] and this [recitation, i.e., Qur’ān] is [in] a clear Arabic language.

[715]- Having seen the Prophet (ﷺ) speaking with a foreign man on occasion, the Quraysh accused him of repeating the man's words.

Sign up for Newsletter