Ayah
Word by Word
سَيَقُولُ
Will say
ٱلَّذِينَ
those who
أَشۡرَكُواْ
associate partners (with Allah)
لَوۡ
If
شَآءَ
Had willed
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
مَآ
not
أَشۡرَكۡنَا
we (would) have associated partners (with Allah)
وَلَآ
and not
ءَابَآؤُنَا
our forefathers
وَلَا
and not
حَرَّمۡنَا
we (would) have forbidden
مِن
[of]
شَيۡءٖۚ
anything
كَذَٰلِكَ
Likewise
كَذَّبَ
denied
ٱلَّذِينَ
those who
مِن
(were from)
قَبۡلِهِمۡ
before them
حَتَّىٰ
until
ذَاقُواْ
they tasted
بَأۡسَنَاۗ
Our wrath
قُلۡ
Say
هَلۡ
Is
عِندَكُم
with you
مِّنۡ
[of]
عِلۡمٖ
any knowledge
فَتُخۡرِجُوهُ
then produce it
لَنَآۖ
for us
إِن
Not
تَتَّبِعُونَ
you follow
إِلَّا
except
ٱلظَّنَّ
the assumption
وَإِنۡ
and not
أَنتُمۡ
you (do)
إِلَّا
but
تَخۡرُصُونَ
guess
سَيَقُولُ
Will say
ٱلَّذِينَ
those who
أَشۡرَكُواْ
associate partners (with Allah)
لَوۡ
If
شَآءَ
Had willed
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
مَآ
not
أَشۡرَكۡنَا
we (would) have associated partners (with Allah)
وَلَآ
and not
ءَابَآؤُنَا
our forefathers
وَلَا
and not
حَرَّمۡنَا
we (would) have forbidden
مِن
[of]
شَيۡءٖۚ
anything
كَذَٰلِكَ
Likewise
كَذَّبَ
denied
ٱلَّذِينَ
those who
مِن
(were from)
قَبۡلِهِمۡ
before them
حَتَّىٰ
until
ذَاقُواْ
they tasted
بَأۡسَنَاۗ
Our wrath
قُلۡ
Say
هَلۡ
Is
عِندَكُم
with you
مِّنۡ
[of]
عِلۡمٖ
any knowledge
فَتُخۡرِجُوهُ
then produce it
لَنَآۖ
for us
إِن
Not
تَتَّبِعُونَ
you follow
إِلَّا
except
ٱلظَّنَّ
the assumption
وَإِنۡ
and not
أَنتُمۡ
you (do)
إِلَّا
but
تَخۡرُصُونَ
guess
Translation
Those who give partners (to Allah) will say: "If Allah had wished, we should not have given partners to Him nor would our fathers; nor should we have had any taboos." So did their ancestors argue falsely, until they tasted of Our wrath. Say: "Have ye any (certain) knowledge? If so, produce it before us. Ye follow nothing but conjecture: ye do nothing but lie."
Tafsir
The idolaters will say, 'Had God willed, we would not have been idolaters, neither, we [nor], our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything', in other words, our idolatry and our forbidding [of things] are by His will, and so He must be satisfied with it. God, exalted be He, says: So, in the same way that these have lied, those who were before them gave the lie, to their prophets, until they tasted Our might, Our chastisement. Say: 'Have you any knowledge, that God is satisfied with this, such that you can adduce for us?, that is, you have no such knowledge. You follow only supposition, in this [matter], merely guessing', telling lies therein.
A False Notion and its Rebuttal
Allah tells;
سَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ أَشۡرَكُواۡ
Those who committed Shirk say:
Here Allah mentioned a debate with the idolators, refuting a false notion they have over their Shirk and the things that they prohibited.
They said, surely, Allah has full knowledge of the Shirk we indulge in, and that we forbid some kinds of wealth. Allah is able to change this Shirk by directing us to the faith, - they claimed - and prevent us from falling into disbelief, but He did not do that. Therefore - they said Allah indicated that He willed, decided and agreed that we do all this. They said,
لَوۡ شَاء اللّهُ مَا أَشۡرَكۡنَا وَلَا ابَاوُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمۡنَا مِن شَيۡءٍ
If Allah had willed, we would not have taken partners (in worship) with Him, nor would our fathers, and we would not have forbidden anything.
Allah said in another Ayah,
وَقَالُواۡ لَوۡ شَأءَ الرَّحۡمَـنُ مَا عَبَدۡنَـهُمۡ
And they said:If it had been the will of the Most Gracious (Allah), we should not have worshipped them (false deities). (43:20)
Similar is mentioned in Surah An-Nahl.
Allah said next,
كَذَلِكَ كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِم
Likewise belied those who were before them,
for by using and relying on this understanding, the misguided ones before them were led astray. This notion is false and ungrounded, for had it been true, Allah would not have harmed them, destroyed them, aided His honorable Messengers over them, and made them taste His painful punishment.
حَتَّى ذَاقُواۡ بَأۡسَنَا
till they tasted Our wrath.
قُلۡ هَلۡ عِندَكُم مِّنۡ عِلۡمٍ
Say:Have you any knowledge...
that Allah is pleased with you and with your ways,
فَتُخۡرِجُوهُ لَنَا
that you can produce before us.
and make it plain, apparent and clear for us.
However,
إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ الظَّنَّ
Verily, you only follow the Zann,
doubts and wishful thinking,
وَإِنۡ أَنتُمۡ إَلاَّ تَخۡرُصُونَ
and you do nothing but lie.
about Allah in the false claims that you utter.
Allah said next,
قُلۡ فَلِلّهِ الۡحُجَّةُ الۡبَالِغَةُ فَلَوۡ شَاء لَهَدَاكُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ
Say:With Allah is the perfect proof and argument; had He so willed, He would indeed have guided you all.
Allah said to His Prophet;
قُلۡ
Say, (O Muhammad, to them),
فَلِلّهِ الۡحُجَّةُ الۡبَالِغَةُ
With Allah is the perfect proof and argument...,
the perfect wisdom and unequivocal proof to guide whom He wills and misguide whom He wills.
فَلَوۡ شَاء لَهَدَاكُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ
had He so willed, He would indeed have guided you all.
All of this happens according to His decree, His will, and His choice. So in this way, He is pleased with the believers, and angry with the disbelievers. Allah said in other Ayat,
وَلَوۡ شَأءَ اللَّهُ لَجَمَعَهُمۡ عَلَى الۡهُدَى
And had Allah willed, He could have gathered them together (all) on true guidance, (6:35)
and,
وَلَوۡ شَأءَ رَبُّكَ لامَنَ مَن فِى الاٌّرۡضِ
And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together. (10:99)
and,
وَلَوۡ شَأءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَا يَزَالُونَ مُخۡتَلِفِينَ
إِلاَّ مَن رَّحِمَ رَبُّكَ وَلِذلِكَ خَلَقَهُمۡ وَتَمَّتۡ كَلِمَةُ رَبّكَ لَامۡلَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ الۡجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجۡمَعِينَ
And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely have made mankind one Ummah, but they will not cease to disagree. Except him on whom your Lord has bestowed His mercy and for that did He create them. And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled:Surely, I shall fill Hell with Jinns and men all together. (11:118-119)
Ad-Dahhak said,
No one has an excuse if he disobeys Allah. Surely, Allah has the perfect proof established against His servants.
Allah said
قُلۡ هَلُمَّ شُهَدَاءكُمُ
Say:Bring forward your witnesses,
produce your witnesses,
الَّذِينَ يَشۡهَدُونَ أَنَّ اللّهَ حَرَّمَ هَـذَا
who can testify that Allah has forbidden this.
which you have forbidden and lied and invented about Allah in this regard,
فَإِن شَهِدُواۡ فَلَ تَشۡهَدۡ مَعَهُمۡ
Then if they testify, do not testify with them.
because in this case, their testimony is false and untrue,
وَلَا تَتَّبِعۡ أَهۡوَاء الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواۡ بِأيَاتِنَا وَالَّذِينَ لَا يُوۡمِنُونَ بِالاخِرَةِ وَهُم بِرَبِّهِمۡ يَعۡدِلُونَ
And do not follow the vain desires of those who belie Our Ayat, and such as believe not in the Hereafter, and they hold others as equal with their Lord.
by associating others with Allah in worship and treating them as equals to Him.
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