Skip to content

Al-Baqarah 118

Ayah 118 of 286 · Medinan

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ لَوۡلَا يُكَلِّمُنَا ٱللَّهُ أَوۡ تَأۡتِينَآ ءَايَةٞۗ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّثۡلَ قَوۡلِهِمۡۘ تَشَٰبَهَتۡ قُلُوبُهُمۡۗ قَدۡ بَيَّنَّا ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ لِقَوۡمٖ يُوقِنُونَ ١١٨

Those who do not know say, "Why does Allāh not speak to us or there come to us a sign?" Thus spoke those before them like their words. Their hearts resemble each other. We have shown clearly the signs to a people who are certain [in faith].

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. وَقَالَAnd saidwaqāla
  2. ٱلَّذِينَthose whoalladhīna
  3. لَا(do) notlā
  4. يَعۡلَمُونَknowyaʿlamūna
  5. لَوۡلَاWhy notlawlā
  6. يُكَلِّمُنَاspeaks to usyukallimunā
  7. ٱللَّهُAllahl-lahu
  8. أَوۡoraw
  9. تَأۡتِينَآcomes to ustatīnā
  10. ءَايَةٞۗa signāyatun
  11. كَذَٰلِكَLike thatkadhālika
  12. قَالَsaidqāla
  13. ٱلَّذِينَthosealladhīna
  14. مِنfrommin
  15. قَبۡلِهِمbefore themqablihim
  16. مِّثۡلَsimilarmith'la
  17. قَوۡلِهِمۡۘtheir sayingqawlihim
  18. تَشَٰبَهَتۡBecame aliketashābahat
  19. قُلُوبُهُمۡۗtheir heartsqulūbuhum
  20. قَدۡIndeedqad
  21. بَيَّنَّاWe have made clearbayyannā
  22. ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِthe signsl-āyāti
  23. لِقَوۡمٖfor peopleliqawmin
  24. يُوقِنُونَ(who) firmly believeyūqinūna

Tafsir

Those without knowledge from among the People of the Scripture and the idolaters asked, in their stubbornness against the truth, why Allah did not speak to them directly, or why a miracle was not sent for them to see. Disbelieving communities said similar things to their prophets in the past: their hearts are all similar, because all disbelievers are the same, even if they are from different times and places. Allah makes His signs clear to those who are certain of the truth when it appears to them, not doubting or resisting it.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran