Surah Ankabut Ayat 48 in Arabic Text
English Translation
Here you can read various translations of verse 48
And you did not recite before it any scripture, nor did you inscribe one with your right hand. Otherwise the falsifiers would have had [cause for] doubt.
And thou wast not (able) to recite a Book before this (Book came), nor art thou (able) to transcribe it with thy right hand: In that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted.
(O Prophet), you did not recite any Book before, nor did you write it down with your hand; for then the votaries of falsehood would have had a cause for doubt.
Neither did you (O Muhammad SAW) read any book before it (this Quran), nor did you write any book (whatsoever) with your right hand. In that case, indeed, the followers of falsehood might have doubted.
And thou (O Muhammad) wast not a reader of any scripture before it, nor didst thou write it with thy right hand, for then might those have doubted, who follow falsehood.
And in no way did you recite any Book before (this), nor did you pen it with your right (hand); then the wrongdoers (Literally: the doers) would indeed suspect it.
You never recited any Scripture before We revealed this one to you; you never wrote one down with your hand. If you had done so, those who follow falsehood might have had cause to doubt.
اس سے پہلے تو آپ کوئی کتاب پڑھتے نہ تھے اور نہ کسی کتاب کو اپنے ہاتھ سے لکھتے تھے کہ یہ باطل پرست لوگ شک وشبہ میں پڑتے
Quran 29 Verse 48 Explanation
For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Ankabut ayat 48, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.
Ala-Maududi
(29:48) (O Prophet), you did not recite any Book before, nor did you write it down with your hand; for then the votaries of falsehood would have had a cause for doubt.[88]
88. This is the same argument that has already been given in Surahs Yunus and Al-Qasas as a proof of the Prophet’s Prophethood. See (Surah Yunus, ayat 16) note 21 and (Surah Al-Qasas, ayat 46) note 64, (Surah Al-Qasas, ayat 86) note 109. For further explanation, see (Surah An-Nahl, ayat 103) note 107, (Surah Bani Israil, ayat 88) note 105, (Surah Al-Muminun, ayat 69) note 66, (Surah Al-Furqan, ayat 6) note 12, and (Surah Ash-Shuara, ayat 116) note 84.
The basis of the argument in this verse is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was unlettered. His compatriots and his kinsmen among whom he had spent his whole life, from birth to old age, knew fully that he had never read a book nor ever handled a pen. Presenting this actual fact Allah says: This is a proof of the fact that the vast and deep knowledge of the teachings of the Divine Books, of the stories of the former Prophets, of the beliefs of the various religions and creeds, of the histories of the ancient nations, and the questions of social and moral and economic life, which is being presented through this unlettered man could not have been attained by him through any means but revelation. If he had been able to read and write and the people had seen him reading books and undertaking serious studies, the worshipers of falsehood could have had some basis for their doubts, that he had acquired the knowledge not through revelation but through study and reading. But the fact of his being absolutely unlettered has left no basis whatsoever for any such doubt. Therefore, there can be no ground, except sheer stubbornness, which can be regarded as rational in any degree for denying his Prophethood.
Ibn-Kathir
The tafsir of Surah Ankabut verse 48 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Ankabut ayat 47 which provides the complete commentary from verse 47 through 49.
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