The Believers — Verse 38
23:38 · al-Mu`minun
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إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا رَجُلٌ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبࣰا وَمَا نَحۡنُ لَهُۥ بِمُؤۡمِنِینَ ٣٨
in huwa illā rajulun if'tarā ʿalā l-lahi kadhiban wamā naḥnu lahu bimu'minīn
The Believers / al-Mu`minun (23:38)
Connections 3 single-source 2 commentators
Multi-source connections
No verses on this ayah are cited by 2 or more commentators using numeric S:A notation. All extracted references come from a single source's commentary.
Single-source mentions (3) cited by only one commentator
By commentator who cites how many verses on this ayah
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Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) 2 verses
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Ma'arif-ul-Quran 1 verse
Note: these connections are extracted from numeric S:A references inside the commentary text and are therefore biased toward mufassirun who use that notation. Prose-style references (e.g. "Surat al-Baqarah verse 30") will be added later, which should surface additional multi-source consensus.
He is just a man making lies up about God. We will never believe in him.’
in huwa illā rajulun if'tarā ʿalā l-lahi kadhiban wamā naḥnu lahu bimu'minīn
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Tafsir Commentary
The Story of `Ad or Thamud
Allah tells us that after the people of Nuh, He created another nation. It was said that this was `Ad, because they were the successors of the people of Nuh. Or it was said that they were Thamud, because Allah says:
فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّيْحَةُ بِالْحَقِّ
(So, the Sayhah overtook them in truth.) Allah sent to them a Messenger from among themselves, and he called them to worship Allah Alone with no partner or associate, but they belied him, opposed him and refused to follow him because he was a human being like them, and they refused to follow a human Messenger. They did not believe in the meeting with Allah on the Day of Resurrection and they denied the idea of physical resurrection. They said:
أَيَعِدُكُمْ أَنَّكُمْ إِذَا مِتٌّمْ وَكُنتُمْ تُرَاباً وَعِظـماً أَنَّكُمْ مُّخْرَجُونَ - هَيْهَاتَ هَيْهَاتَ لِمَا تُوعَدُونَ
(Does he promise you that when you have died and have become dust and bones, you shall come out alive (resurrected) Far, very far is that which you are promised!) meaning, very unlikely.
إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ افتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِباً
(He is only a man who has invented a lie against Allah,) meaning, `in the Message he has brought to you, and his warnings and promise of resurrection.'
وَمَا نَحْنُ لَهُ بِمُؤْمِنِينَقَالَ رَبِّ انصُرْنِى بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ
(and we are not going to believe in him. He said: "O my Lord! Help me because they deny me.") meaning, the Messenger ﷺ prayed against his people and asked his Lord to help him against them. His Lord answered his prayer:
قَالَ عَمَّا قَلِيلٍ لَّيُصْبِحُنَّ نَـدِمِينَ
((Allah) said: "In a little while, they are sure to be regretful.") meaning, `for their opposition towards you and their stubborn rejection of the Message you brought to them.'
فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّيْحَةُ بِالْحَقِّ
(So, The Sayhah overtook them in truth,) meaning, they deserved that from Allah because of their disbelief and wrongdoing. The apparent meaning is that the Sayhah was combined with the furious cold wind,
تُدَمِّرُ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّهَا فَأْصْبَحُواْ لاَ يُرَى إِلاَّ مَسَـكِنُهُمْ
(Destroying everything by the command of its Lord! So they became such that nothing could be seen except their dwellings!) 46:25
فَجَعَلْنَـهُمْ غُثَآءً
(and We made them as rubbish of dead plants.) means, they are dead and destroyed, like the scum and rubbish left by a flood, i.e., something insignificant and useless that is of no benefit to anyone.
فَبُعْداً لِّلْقَوْمِ الظَّـلِمِينَ
(So, away with the people who are wrongdoers.) As Allah's statement:
وَمَا ظَلَمْنَـهُمْ وَلَـكِن كَانُواْ هُمُ الظَّـلِمِينَ
(We wronged them not, but they were the wrongdoers.) 43:76 means, who are wrongdoers because of their disbelief and stubborn opposition to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, so let those who hear this beware of disbelieving in their Messengers.
He is the Messenger is just a man who has invented a lie against God and we will not believe in him’ we will not accept the truth of resurrection after death.
وما هذا الداعي لكم إلى الإيمان إلا رجل اختلق على الله كذبًا، ولسنا بمصدقين ما قاله لنا.
" إن هو إلا رجل افتري على الله كذبا " أي فيما جاءكم به من الرسالة والنذارة والإخبار بالمعاد " وما نحن له بمؤمنين ".
ثم أضافوا إلى إنكارهم هذا للدار الآخرة ، تكاولاً على نبيهم ، واتهاماً له بما هو برىء منه ، فقالوا : ( إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ افترى على الله كَذِباً . . . ) أى؛ ما هذا النبى الذى أمركم بترك عبادة آلهتكم ، وأخبركم بأن هناك بعثاً وحساباً ، إلا رجل اختلق على الله الكذب فيما يقوله ويدعو إليه ( وَمَا نَحْنُ لَهُ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ ) فى يوم من الأيام ، فكونوا مثلنا - أيها الناس - فى عدم الإيمان به ، وفى الانصراف عنه .وهكذا يصور لنا القرآن الكريم بأسلوبه البليغ ، موقف الطغاة من دعوة الحق ، وكيف أنهم لا يكتفون بالانصراف عنها وحدهم ، بل يؤلبون غيرهم بكل وسيلة على الانقياد لهم ، وعلى محاربة من جاء بهذه الدعوة بمختلف السبل وشتى الطرق .
يقول تعالى ذكره: قالوا ما صالح إلا رجل اختلق على الله كذبا في قوله : مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ وفي وعده إياكم أنكم إذا متم وكنتم ترابا وعظاما أنكم مُخرجون. وقوله: هُوَ من ذكر الرسول، وهو صالح. وَمَا نَحْنُ لَهُ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ يقول: وما نحن له بمصدقين فيما يقول : إنه لا إله لنا غير الله، وفيما يعدنا من البعث بعد الممات.
( إن هو ) يعني الرسول ، ( إلا رجل افترى على الله كذبا وما نحن له بمؤمنين ) بمصدقين بالبعث بعد الموت . ( قال رب انصرني بما كذبون ) .
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا رَجُلٌ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا وَمَا نَحْنُ لَهُ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ (38)ثم جاءت جملة { إن هو إلا رجل افترى على الله كذباً } نتيجة عقب الاستدلال ، فجاءت مستأنفة لأنها مستقلة على ما تقدمها فهي تصريح بما كني عنه آنفاً في قوله : { ما هذا إلا بشر مثلكم } وما بعده من تكذيب دعوته ، فاستخلصوا من ذلك أن حاله منحصر في أنه كاذب على الله فيما ادعاه من الإرسال . وضمير { إن هو } عائد إلى اسم الإشارة من قوله : { ما هذا إلا بشر مثلكم } .فجملة { افترى على الله كذباً } صفة ل { رجل } وهي منصَبّ الحصر فهو من قصر الموصوف على الصفة قصر قلب إضافياً ، أي لا كما يزعم أنه مرسل من الله .وإنما أجروا عليه أنه رجل متابعة لوصفه بالبشرية في قولهم : { ما هذا إلا بشر مثلكم } تقريراً لدليل المماثلة المنافية للرسالة في زعمهم ، أي زيادة على كونه رجلاً مثلهم فهو رجل كاذب .والافتراء : الاختلاق . وهو الكذب الذي لا شبهة فيه للمخبِر . وتقدم عند قوله تعالى : { ولكن الذين كفروا يفترون على الله الكذب } في سورة المائدة ( 103 ) .وإنما صرحوا بأنهم لا يؤمنون به مع دلالة نسبته إلى الكذب على أنهم لا يؤمنون به إعلاناً بالتبري من أن ينخدعوا لما دعاهم إليه ، وهو مقتضى حال خطاب العامة .والقول في إفادة الجملة الاسميَّة التقوية كالقول في { وما نحن بمبعوثين } .
{ إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا } أي: يموت أناس، ويحيا أناس { وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ }
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا رَجُلٌيعنون الرسول .افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا وَمَا نَحْنُ لَهُ بِمُؤْمِنِينَأي اختلق .
This verse refers to people’s utterances regarding the Hereafter—some implicit and others explicit. Sometimes a man is so completely engrossed in worldly pursuits, that he seems to become forgetful of the Hereafter, as if he considered it to be only a remote possibility. And, sometimes it happens that his neglect of the Hereafter takes him to the extreme limit of arrogance, to the extent that he is outspoken, openly expressing the view that one should seize upon whatever one can today, and not lose today’s certain benefits for the sake of tomorrow’s imaginary gains. Such people deride the Prophet by saying that he is an imposter who misrepresents God. Utterances such as these give people a reason for neglecting and ignoring the preacher of Truth.
إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ
There is nothing but our worldly life. We die and we live and we are not to be raised again. - 23:37
This is the argument which the unbelievers advance when denying belief in the Day of Judgment. Those who deny it publicly are confirmed infidels, but it is very unfortunate that many Muslims also act in a manner that the same denial can be felt from their deeds and actions. They seem to be totally oblivious of the coming in of the Hereafter. May Allah Ta'ala grant them faith to release themselves from the clutches of this belief of theirs.
(He is only a man) they mean the Messenger is only a man (who hath invented a lie about Allah) in that which he says. (We are not going to put faith in him) we are not going to believe what he says.