Surah 11. Hud, Ayah 35
| أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ ۖ قُلْ إِنِ افْتَرَيْتُهُ فَعَلَيَّ إِجْرَامِي وَأَنَا بَرِيءٌ مِمَّا تُجْرِمُونَ |
| Transliteration | : | 'am yaqolon iftaraa -hu qul 'in iftaraytu -hu fa- calay -ya ijraam -e wa- 'anaa bare' min maa tujrimon |
| Pickthall | : | Or say they (again) He hath invented it? Say: If I have invented it, upon me be my crimes, but I am innocent of (all) that ye commit. |
| Asad | : | DO SOME, perchance, assert, "[Muhammad] has invented this [story]"?57 Say [O Prophet]: "If I have invented it, upon me be this sin; but far be it from me to commit the sin of which you are guilty."58 |
| Malik | : | Do the unbelievers say "He (Muhammad) himself has forged all this?" Say to them: "If I have indeed forged it, then its sin is on me! And I am clear of the sins which you are committing for not believing it." |
| Yusuf Ali | : | Or do they say "He has forged it?" Say: "If I had forged it on me were my sin! And I am free of the sins of which ye are guilty! 1528 |
Note - 57Some of the classical commentators assume that this verse
forms part of the story of Noah and his people. This,
however, is improbable in view of the sudden change from
the past tense employed in the preceding and subsequent
verses ("he said", "they said") to the present tense ("do
they say"). The only plausible explanation is that given
by Tabari and Ibn Kathir (and mentioned also by Baghawi
on the authority of Muqatil): namely, that the whole of
verse {35} is a parenthetic passage addressed to the
Prophet Muhammad, relating in the first instance to the
story of Noah as narrated in the Qur'an and, by
implication, to the Qur'an as such - in other words, a
reiteration of the argument mentioned in verse {13} of
this surah and in other places as well. This eminently
convincing interpretation has also been adopted by Rashid
Rida' (Manar XII, 71).
|
Note - 58Or: "I have nothing to do with the sin of which you are
guilty" - i.e., the sin of giving the lie to God's
messages (cf. 10:41) or of inventing lies about God.
|
Note - 1528The fine narrative of dramatic power is here interrupted
by a verse which shows that the story of Noah is also a
Parable for the time and the ministry of Muhammad the
Prophet. The wonderful force and aptness of the story
cannot be denied. The enemy therefore turns and says,
"Oh! but you invented it!" The answer is, "No! but it is
Allah's own truth! You may be accustomed to dealing in
falsehoods, but I protest that I am free from such sins."
The place of this verse here corresponds to the place of
verse 49 at the end of the next Section. While
understanding this verse to refer to Al-Mustafa, as most
of the accepted Commentators understand it, it is
possible also, I think, to read it into the story of
Noah, for all Prophets have similar experience.
|
Share your thoughts about this with others by posting a comment. Visit our FAQ for some ideas.
Filter Comments 
 |
Some of the classical commentators assume that this verse forms part of the story of Noah and his people. This, however, is improbable in view of the sudden change from the past tense employed in the preceding and subsequent verses ("he said", "they said") to the present tense ("do they say"). The only plausible explanation is that given by Tabari and Ibn Kathir (and mentioned also by Baghawi on the authority of Muqatil): namely, that the whole of verse {35} is a parenthetic passage addressed to the Prophet Muhammad, relating in the first instance to the story of Noah as narrated in the Qur'an and, by implication, to the Qur'an as such - in other words, a reiteration of the argument mentioned in verse {13} of this surah and in other places as well. This eminently convincing interpretation has also been adopted by Rashid Rida' (Manar XII, 71). |
| |
Or: "I have nothing to do with the sin of which you are guilty" - i.e., the sin of giving the lie to God's messages (cf. 10:41) or of inventing lies about God. |
| |
The fine narrative of dramatic power is here interrupted by a verse which shows that the story of Noah is also a Parable for the time and the ministry of Muhammad the Prophet. The wonderful force and aptness of the story cannot be denied. The enemy therefore turns and says, "Oh! but you invented it!" The answer is, "No! but it is Allah's own truth! You may be accustomed to dealing in falsehoods, but I protest that I am free from such sins." The place of this verse here corresponds to the place of verse 49 at the end of the next Section. While understanding this verse to refer to Al-Mustafa, as most of the accepted Commentators understand it, it is possible also, I think, to read it into the story of Noah, for all Prophets have similar experience. |
