Tafsir of Hud 11:91

Surah Hud (11:91)

{They said, "O Shu'ayb, we do not understand much of what you say...}

Know that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) reached the peak of clarification and explanation, they responded to him with flawed statements.

The first of these is their saying: {We do not understand much of what you say} (11:91). This contains several issues:

One might ask: Since the Prophet (peace be upon him) was addressing them in their own language, why did they say, {We do not understand}? Scholars have mentioned several interpretations for this:

1. Lack of Receptivity: It means, "We do not grasp much of what you say," because they refused to direct their minds toward his speech due to their intense aversion to it. This is like the verse: {And We place over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it} (Al-An'am: 25).
2. Contemptuous Dismissal: They understood it with their hearts but did not give it any weight. They uttered this statement as a form of mockery, similar to how a man might say to his companion when he disregards his talk: "I don't know what you are saying."
3. Rejection of Proof: The proofs he presented did not convince them regarding the truth of Monotheism (Tawhid), Prophethood, Resurrection, or the obligation to abandon injustice and theft. Thus, their statement {We do not understand} means, "We do not recognize the validity of the proofs you have presented for these essential truths."

Some scholars hold that Fiqh is a specific type of knowledge: knowing the speaker's intent behind their speech. They use this verse, {We do not understand much of what you say}, as evidence, noting that Fiqh was initially attributed to speech. Later, it became the name for a specific category of religious sciences.

Others maintain that Fiqh is simply a name for general comprehension. It is said, "So-and-so was granted Fiqh in religion," meaning understanding. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whomsoever Allah intends good for, He makes him understand the religion (Yufaqqihuhu fi'd-din)," meaning He makes him understand its interpretation.

The second point they raised was their saying: {And indeed, we consider you among us as weak} (11:91). This has two possible interpretations:

1. He was weak in the sense that he was unable to defend himself against the people.
2. Da'if (weak) means blind, according to the dialect of the tribe of Himyar.

Know that this second interpretation is weak for several reasons:

1. It requires abandoning the apparent meaning without evidence.
2. The phrase {among us} invalidates this interpretation. If they meant blindness, saying, "We consider you blind among us," would be nonsensical, as a blind person is blind whether among them or elsewhere.
3. They immediately followed this by saying, {And were it not for your clan, we would have stoned you}. This implies they negated a strength from him that they affirmed for his clan. Since the strength they affirmed for his clan was support/protection, the strength they negated from him must also be support. Those who interpreted the word as referring to poor eyesight might have done so because poor sight is a cause of weakness.

Know that our scholars (Ahl al-Sunnah) permit blindness for the Prophets. However, this specific wording is not a sound basis for proving this meaning, due to the reasons we have explained.

As for the Mu'tazila, they differed on this matter. Some stated that blindness is impermissible for a Prophet because he is religiously obligated (Mukallaf); he cannot avoid ritual impurities. Furthermore, if blindness were permissible, it would be permissible for him to be a judge or a witness, and if he can be prevented from these roles, it is even more fitting that he be prevented from Prophethood. However, discussing this is not appropriate for this verse, as we have shown that the verse does not indicate this meaning.

The third point they raised was their saying: {And were it not for your clan, we would have stoned you} (11:91). This contains two issues:

The author of Al-Kashshāf stated that al-Raḥṭ refers to a group of three to ten people, and some say up to seven. Their clan was upon their own religion (i.e., they were part of the community). They meant: "Were it not for the sanctity of your clan among us because they adhere to our religion, we would have stoned you." The purpose of this statement was to show that he had no honor or standing in their eyes, and they only refrained from killing him out of respect for his clan.

In the language, Rajm means throwing. This throwing can be with stones with the intent to kill. Since this stoning leads to death, the killing itself is called Rajm. It can also be by speech, such as slander, as in {a hurling into the unseen} (Al-Kahf: 22) and {and they cast [calumny] into the unseen from a distant place} (Saba: 53). It can also be by cursing and reviling, such as in {The accursed Satan} (Al-Nahl: 98). It can also mean expulsion, as in {a pelting against the devils} (Al-Mulk: 5).

Given this, there are two interpretations for {we would have stoned you} in the verse:

1. We would have killed you.
2. We would have reviled you and expelled you.

The fourth point they raised was their saying: {And you are not held in high esteem by us} (11:91). This means that because you are not honored among us, it was easy for us to dare to kill you or harm you.

Know that all these points they raised do not refute the proofs and clear evidence that Shu'ayb (peace be upon him) established. Rather, they serve as a mere counter to proof and argument with insults and foolishness.

{He said, "O my people, is my clan more esteemed to you than Allah? And you have taken Him behind you as something discarded? Indeed, my Lord, of what you do, is encompassing. O my people, work according to your way; indeed, I am working. Soon you will know whose lot comes the torment that disgraces him, and who is the liar. And wait; indeed, I too am waiting with you."}