Study the Quran

Tafsir

Scholarly commentary explaining a verse — its context, its meaning and how the scholars have understood it.

Fussilat 41:44

Word by word

وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَـٰهُ قُرْءَانًا أَعْجَمِيًّا لَّقَالُوا۟ لَوْلَا فُصِّلَتْ ءَايَـٰتُهُۥٓ ۖ ءَا۬عْجَمِىٌّ وَعَرَبِىٌّ ۗ قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ هُدًى وَشِفَآءٌ ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ فِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍۭ بَعِيدٍ

And if We had made it a foreign [i.e., non-Arabic] Qur’ān, they would have said, "Why are its verses not explained in detail [in our language]? Is it a foreign [recitation] and an Arab [messenger]?" Say, "It is, for those who believe, a guidance and cure." And those who do not believe - in their ears is deafness, and it is upon them blindness. Those are being called from a distant place.

Ibn Kathir (Abridged) English Ma'arif al-Qur'an English Tafsir Muyassar Arabic Tafsir Ibn Kathir Arabic All sources

Ibn Kathir (Abridged)

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Rejection of the Qur'an is pure Stubbornness

Allah tells us that the Qur'an is so eloquent and perfect in its wording and meanings, yet despite that the idolators do not believe in it. He tells us that their disbelief is the disbelief of stubbornness, as He says elsewhere:وَلَوْ نَزَّلْنَـهُ عَلَى بَعْضِ الاٌّعْجَمِينَ فَقَرَأَهُ عَلَيْهِم مَّا كَانُوا بِهِ مُؤْمِنِينَ (And if We had revealed it unto any of the non-Arabs, and he had recited it unto them, they would not have believed in it.) (26:198-199). If the Qur'an had been revealed in the language of the non-Arabs, they would have said, because of their stubbornness:لَوْلاَ فُصِّلَتْ ءَايَـتُهُ ءَاعْجَمِىٌّ وَعَرَبِىٌّ(Why are not its verses explained in detail What! not in Arabic and an Arab) meaning, why is it not revealed in detail in Arabic And by way of denunciation they would have said, "What!

not in Arabic nor from an Arab -- i.e., how can foreign words be revealed to an Arab who does not understand them This interpretation was reported from Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, As-Suddi and others.قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ هُدًى وَشِفَآءٌ(Say: "It is for those who believe, a guide and a cure...") means, `say, O Muhammad: this Qur'an, for the one who believes in it, is guidance for his heart and a cure for the doubts and confusion that exists in people's hearts.'وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ فِى ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ(And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness in their ears,) means, they do not understand what is in it.وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى(and it is blindness for them.) means they are not guided to the explanations contained therein.

This is like the Ayah:وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَآءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلاَ يَزِيدُ الظَّـلِمِينَ إَلاَّ خَسَارًا (And We send down of the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe, and it increases the wrongdoers nothing but loss.) (17:82).أُوْلَـئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ(They are called from a place far away.) Mujahid said, "Far away from their hearts." Ibn Jarir said, "It is as if the one who is addressing them is calling to them from a distant place, and they cannot understand what he is saying." This is like the Ayah:وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِى يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لاَ يَسْمَعُ إِلاَّ دُعَآءً وَنِدَآءً صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌ فَهُمْ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ (And the example of those who disbelieve is as that of him who shouts to those (flock of sheep) that hears nothing but calls and cries. (They are) deaf, dumb and blind.

So they do not understand.) (2:171)Taking Musa as an Exampleوَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَـبَ فَاخْتُلِفَ فِيهِ(And indeed We gave Musa the Scripture, but dispute arose therein.) means, they disbelieved in him and did not show him any respect.فَاصْبِرْ كَمَا صَبَرَ أُوْلُواْ الْعَزْمِ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ(Therefore be patient as did the Messengers of strong will) (46:35).وَلَوْلاَ كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى(And had it not been for a Word that went forth before from your Lord,) i.e., to delay the Reckoning until the Day of Resurrection,لَّقُضِىَ بِيْنَهُمْ(the matter would have been settled between them.) means, the punishment would have been hastened for them. But they have an appointed time, beyond which they will find no escape.وَإِنَّهُمْ لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ مُرِيبٍ(But truly, they are in grave doubt thereto.) means, their words of disbelief are not due to any wisdom or insight on their part; rather they spoke without any attempt at examining it thoroughly. This was also the interpretation of Ibn Jarir, and it is a plausible interpretation.

And Allah knows best.

Ma'arif al-Qur'an

Mufti Muhammad Shafi

أَأَعْجَمِيٌّ وَعَرَ‌بِيٌّ (Is it a non- Arabic [ book ] and an Arab [ messenger ]? - 44) The original word used for non-Arabic in the text is a'jamiyy (with hamza before the letter 'ain) which is an Arabic term for ` ineloquent speech', while ` ajam' (without hamzah in its beginning) means any nation other than Arabs. Therefore ` ajamiyy is a person who is non-Arab, even though he may speak eloquently, and a'jamiyy is a person who cannot speak eloquently (Qurtubi). The use of the word أَعْجَمِيٌّ ajamiyy in this verse means that if We had revealed the Qur'an in any language other than Arabic, then the Quraysh who are the first addressees of the Qur'an would have complained that they did not understand this Book and would have said wonderingly that the prophet is an ` Arab, but the book is ajamiyy which is ineloquent.قلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاءٌ (Say, "For those who believe, it is guidance and cure. - 44) Two attributes of The noble Qur'an are stated here.

One is that Qur'an gives guidance - such guidance in all spheres of life as is beneficial and useful for human beings. The second attribute is that the Qur'an is cure. That it is a cure for spiritual ailments like kufr, shirk, arrogance, jealousy, greed, etc. is quite obvious, but is also cure for bodily ailments, as has been proved by experience of treating patients through Qur'anic prayers which has been successful.أُولَـٰئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ (Such people are being called from a distant place. - 44) This is a similitude. A person who understands what is being said, the Arabs say to him, اَنتَ تسمَعُ مِن قَرِیب (you are listening from a near place) and if a person does not understand the discourse, they say to him اَنتَ تُنَادٰی مِن بَعِید (you are being called from a distant place) (Qurtubi).

The meaning is that since these people do not intend to listen and to understand the directions of the Qur'an, their ears are almost deaf and their eyes are blind, therefore teaching them the Qur'anic guidance is like calling someone from such a distant place that the voice does not reach his ears.

Tafsir Muyassar

Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia

ولو جعلنا هذا القرآن الذي أنزلناه عليك -أيها الرسول- أعجميًا، لقال المشركون: هلا بُيِّنتْ آياته، فنفقهه ونعلمه، أأعجمي هذا القرآن، ولسان الذي أنزل عليه عربي؟ هذا لا يكون. قل لهم -أيها الرسول-: هذا القرآن للذين آمنوا بالله ورسوله هدى من الضلالة، وشفاء لما في الصدور من الشكوك والأمراض، والذين لا يؤمنون بالقرآن في آذانهم صمم من سماعه وتدبره، وهو على قلوبهم عَمًى، فلا يهتدون به، أولئك المشركون كمن يُنادى، وهو في مكان بعيد لا يسمع داعيًا، ولا يجيب مناديًا.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

لما ذكر تعالى القرآن وفصاحته وبلاغته ، وإحكامه في لفظه ومعناه ، ومع هذا لم يؤمن به المشركون ، نبه على أن كفرهم به كفر عناد وتعنت ، كما قال : ( ولو نزلناه على بعض الأعجمين فقرأه عليهم ما كانوا به مؤمنين ) [ الشعراء : 198 ، 199 ] . وكذلك لو أنزل القرآن كله بلغة العجم ، لقالوا على وجه التعنت والعناد : ( لولا فصلت آياته أأعجمي وعربي ) أي : لقالوا : هلا أنزل مفصلا بلغة العرب ، ولأنكروا ذلك وقالوا : أعجمي وعربي ؟

أي : كيف ينزل كلام أعجمي على مخاطب عربي لا يفهمه .هكذا روي هذا المعنى عن ابن عباس ، ومجاهد ، وعكرمة ، وسعيد بن جبير ، والسدي ، وغيرهم .وقيل : المراد بقولهم : ( لولا فصلت آياته أأعجمي وعربي ) أي : هلا أنزل بعضها بالأعجمي ، وبعضها بالعربي .هذا قول الحسن البصري ، وكان يقرؤها كذلك بلا استفهام في قوله ( أعجمي ) وهو رواية عن سعيد بن جبير وهو في [ التعنت و ] العناد أبلغ .ثم قال تعالى : ( قل هو للذين آمنوا هدى وشفاء ) أي : قل يا محمد : هذا القرآن لمن آمن به هدى لقلبه وشفاء لما في الصدور من الشكوك والريب ، ( والذين لا يؤمنون في آذانهم وقر ) أي : لا يفهمون ما فيه ، ( وهو عليهم عمى ) أي : لا يهتدون إلى ما فيه من البيان كما قال تعالى : ( وننزل من القرآن ما هو شفاء ورحمة للمؤمنين ولا يزيد الظالمين إلا خسارا ) [ الإسراء : 82 ] .( أولئك ينادون من مكان بعيد ) قال مجاهد : يعني بعيدا من قلوبهم .قال ابن جرير : معناه : كأن من يخاطبهم يناديهم من مكان بعيد ، لا يفهمون ما يقول .قلت : وهذا كقوله تعالى : ( ومثل الذين كفروا كمثل الذي ينعق بما لا يسمع إلا دعاء ونداء صم بكم عمي فهم لا يعقلون ) [ البقرة : 171 ] .وقال الضحاك : ينادون يوم القيامة بأشنع أسمائهم .وقال السدي : كان عمر بن الخطاب [ رضي الله عنه ] جالسا عند رجل من المسلمين يقضي ، إذ قال : يا لبيكاه .

فقال عمر : لم تلبي ؟ هل رأيت أحدا ، أو دعاك أحد ؟ قال : دعاني داع من وراء البحر . فقال عمر : أولئك ينادون من مكان بعيد . رواه ابن أبي حاتم .

Tafsir is provided for educational reference. Paragraph breaks are added for readability — the wording of each commentary is unchanged. For religious guidance, consult a qualified scholar.