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Surah Al-Anbya, Verse 63

سورة الأنبياء، الآية ٦٣

21:63 Juz 17 Hizb 33 Page 327 of the mushaf Meccan surah

Text of verse 21:63

قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَهُۥ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَٰذَا فَسْـَٔلُوهُمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ يَنطِقُونَ ۝٦٣

Transliteration

qāla bal faʿalahu kabīruhum hādhā fasalūhum in kānū yanṭiqūna

Translation

He said, "Rather, this - the largest of them - did it, so ask them, if they should [be able to] speak."

Translation in another language
Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary Read in the surah

Verse 63 of Surah Al-Anbya (21:63), a Meccan surah, is in juz 17, on page 327 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 74 reciters.

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Tafsir of verse 63

Al-Mukhtasar

Sarcastically, exposing the helplessness of the idols to the people, Abraham said, “I did not do it; rather, the biggest idol did it. Ask your idols, if indeed they are capable of speaking!”

Tafsir of the whole Surah Al-Anbya

Other translations of verse 63

He said, “Rather, it was this biggest one who did it. So ask them, if they can speak!”

[Ibrâhîm (Abraham)] said: "Nay, this one, the biggest of them (idols) did it. Ask them, if they can speak!"5

Notes

[5] (V.21:63) See the footnote (C) of (V.16:121).

He said: But this, their chief hath done it. So question them, if they can speak.

He said: "Nay, this was done by - this is their biggest one! ask them, if they can speak intelligently!"

He said: Surely (some doer) has done it; the chief of them is this, therefore ask them, if they can speak.

He said, "No indeed, it was this great one of them that performed it; so, ask them in case they (can) pronounce (a word)."

Verse 63 word by word

  1. قَالَ qāla He said ق و ل
  2. بَلْ bal Nay
  3. فَعَلَهُۥ faʿalahu (some doer) did it ف ع ل
  4. كَبِيرُهُمْ kabīruhum Their chief ك ب ر
  5. هَٰذَا hādhā (is) this
  6. فَسْـَٔلُوهُمْ fasalūhum So ask them س أ ل
  7. إِن in if
  8. كَانُوا۟ kānū they (can) ك و ن
  9. يَنطِقُونَ yanṭiqūna speak ن ط ق

Hadiths that cite this verse

Authentic Sahih al-Bukhari 3358

Abraham did not tell a lie except on three occasion. Twice for the Sake of Allah when he said, "I am sick," and he said, "(I have not done this but) the big idol has done it." The (third was) that while Abraham and Sarah (his wife) were going (on a journey) they passed by (the territory of) a…

لَمْ يَكْذِبْ إِبْرَاهِيمُ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ـ إِلاَّ ثَلاَثَ كَذَبَاتٍ ثِنْتَيْنِ مِنْهُنَّ فِي ذَاتِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، قَوْلُهُ ‏‏{‏إِنِّي سَقِيمٌ ‏}‏ وَقَوْلُهُ ‏‏{‏بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَذَا‏}‏…

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 1 other version

Authentic Sahih Muslim 2371

Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) never told a lie but only thrice: two times for the sake of Allah (for example, his words): "I am sick," and his words: "But it was the big one amongst them which has done that" and because of Sara (his wife). He had come in a land inhabited by haughty and cruel…

لَمْ يَكْذِبْ إِبْرَاهِيمُ النَّبِيُّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ قَطُّ إِلاَّ ثَلاَثَ كَذَبَاتٍ ثِنْتَيْنِ فِي ذَاتِ اللَّهِ قَوْلُهُ ‏‏{‏ إِنِّي سَقِيمٌ‏}‏ ‏.‏ وَقَوْلُهُ ‏‏{‏ بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَذَا‏}‏ وَوَاحِدَةً…

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 1 other version

Authentic Sunan Abu Dawud 2212

Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet(ﷺ) as saying Abraham(peace be upon him) never told a lie except on three occasions twice for the sake of Allaah. Allaah quoted his words (in the Qur’an) “I am indeed sick” and “Nay, this was done by - this is their biggest one”. Once he was passing through the land…

إِبْرَاهِيمَ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَمْ يَكْذِبْ قَطُّ إِلاَّ ثَلاَثًا ثِنْتَانِ فِي ذَاتِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى قَوْلُهُ ‏{‏ إِنِّي سَقِيمٌ ‏}‏ وَقَوْلُهُ ‏‏{‏ بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَذَا ‏}‏ وَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ يَسِيرُ فِي…

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3166

that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Ibrahim, peace be upon him, did not lie about anything at all - except for three: 'Verily I am sick (37:89)' while he was not sick. And his saying about Sarah: 'She is my sister' and his saying: 'Nay, this one, the biggest of them did it (21:63).'"

"‏ لَمْ يَكْذِبْ إِبْرَاهِيمُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ فِي شَيْءٍ قَطُّ إِلاَّ فِي ثَلاَثٍ قَوْلُهُ ‏:‏ ‏‏‏(‏إنِّي سَقِيمٌ ‏)‏‏ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ سَقِيمًا وَقَوْلُهُ لِسَارَةَ أُخْتِي وَقَوْلُهُ ‏:‏ ‏‏(‏ بلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ…

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 1 other version

Other hadiths (3)

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