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Ayah
Word by Word
وَلَقَدۡ
And certainly
نَعۡلَمُ
We know
أَنَّهُمۡ
that they
يَقُولُونَ
say
إِنَّمَا
Only
يُعَلِّمُهُۥ
teaches him
بَشَرٞۗ
a human being
لِّسَانُ
(The) tongue
ٱلَّذِي
(of) the one
يُلۡحِدُونَ
they refer
إِلَيۡهِ
to him
أَعۡجَمِيّٞ
(is) foreign
وَهَٰذَا
while this
لِسَانٌ
(is) a language
عَرَبِيّٞ
Arabic
مُّبِينٌ
clear
وَلَقَدۡ
And certainly
نَعۡلَمُ
We know
أَنَّهُمۡ
that they
يَقُولُونَ
say
إِنَّمَا
Only
يُعَلِّمُهُۥ
teaches him
بَشَرٞۗ
a human being
لِّسَانُ
(The) tongue
ٱلَّذِي
(of) the one
يُلۡحِدُونَ
they refer
إِلَيۡهِ
to him
أَعۡجَمِيّٞ
(is) foreign
وَهَٰذَا
while this
لِسَانٌ
(is) a language
عَرَبِيّٞ
Arabic
مُّبِينٌ
clear
Translation
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,1 and this [recitation, i.e., Qur’ān] is [in] a clear Arabic language.
Footnotes
1 - Having seen the Prophet (ﷺ) speaking with a foreign man on occasion, the Quraysh accused him of repeating the man's words.
Tafsir
And verily (wa-laqad is for confirmation) We know that they say, 'It is only a human that is teaching him, the Qur'aan' - this was a Christian blacksmith whom the Prophet may peace and salutation be upon him used to frequent. God, exalted be He, says: The tongue, the language, of him to whom they refer, to whom they incline, [with the accusation] that he is [the one] teaching him, is foreign'; while this, Qur'aan, is [in] a clear Arabic tongue, one of lucidity and clarity: so how can a foreigner be teaching him?
"
The Idolators' Claim that the Qur'an was taught by a Human, and the Refutation of their Claim
Allah says:
وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا يُعَلِّمُهُ بَشَرٌ
And indeed We know that they (polytheists and pagans) say:""It is only a human being who teaches him.""
Allah tells 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 الَّذِي يُلْحِدُونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْجَمِيٌّ وَهَـذَا لِسَانٌ عَرَبِيٌّ 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
Allah says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يُوْمِنُونَ بِأيَاتِ اللّهِ لَا يَهْدِيهِمُ اللّهُ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
Verily, those who do not believe in Allah's Ayat (signs, or revelation), Allah will not guide them, and theirs will be a painful punishment.
Allah tells that He does not guide those who turn away from remembering Him and who are heedless of that which He revealed to His Messenger, those who have no intention of believing in that which he has brought from Allah. This kind of people will never be guided to faith by the signs of Allah and the Message which He sent His Messengers in this world, and they will suffer a painful and severe punishment in the Hereafter.
إِنَّمَا يَفْتَرِي الْكَذِبَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُوْمِنُونَ بِأيَاتِ اللّهِ وَأُوْلـيِكَ هُمُ الْكَاذِبُونَ
It is only those who do not believe in Allah's Ayat who fabricate the falsehood, and it is they who are liars.
Then Allah informs that His Messenger is not a forger nor a liar, because the one who fabricates falsehood about Allah and His Messenger is the most evil of creatures.
الَّذِينَ لَا يُوْمِنُونَ بِأيَاتِ اللّهِ
Verily, those who do not believe in Allah's Ayat,
Allah will not guide them, and theirs will be a painful punishment, meaning, the disbelievers and heretics who are known to the people as liars.
The Messenger Muhammad, on the other hand, was the most honest and righteous of people, the most perfect in knowledge, deeds, faith and conviction. He was known among his people for his truthfulness and no one among them had any doubts about that - to such an extent that they always addressed him as Al-Amin (the Trustworthy) Muhammad.
Thus when Heraclius, the king of the Romans, asked Abu Sufyan about the attributes of the Messenger of Allah, one of the things he said to him was, ""Did you ever accuse him of lying before he made his claim?""
Abu Sufyan said, ""No"".
Heraclius said,
""He would refrain from lying about people and then go and fabricate lies about Allah."
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