Al-Kashshaf on Hud 11:27

Surah Hud 11:27

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ﲤ ﲥ ﲦ ﲧ ﲨ ﲩ ﲪ ﲫ ﲬ ﲭ ﲮ ﲯ ﲰ ﲱ ﲲ ﲳ ﲴ ﲵ ﲶ ﲷ ﲸ ﲹ ﲺ ﲻ ﲼ ﲽ ﲾ ﲿ ﳀ

So the eminent among those who disbelieved from his people said, "We do not see you but as a man like ourselves, and we do not see you followed except by those who are the lowest of us [and] at first suggestion. And we do not see in you over us any merit; rather, we think you are liars."

{The Chiefs (al-mala’)} They are the nobles. It is derived from the saying: "So-and-so is mali’ (capable) of such-and-such," meaning he is able to handle it. They are called mala’ because they are filled (muli’u) with the management of affairs and are capable of handling them; or because they conspire together (yatamala’un); or because they fill hearts with awe and gatherings with majesty; or because they are filled with wisdom and sound opinions.

{We do not see you but as a human being like us} This is an insinuation that they are more deserving of prophethood than he is, and that if God had willed to place it in any human, He would have placed it in them. They are saying: "Grant that you are one of the chiefs and equal to them in status, what makes you more deserving than them?" Do you not see their saying: {And we do not see that you have any superiority over us}? Or, they meant that it should have been an angel, not a human.

{The lowest of us (al-aradhil)} This is the plural of al-ardhal, similar to the expressions: {The greatest of its criminals} (Al-An'am: 123) and "The best of you in character."

{At first glance (badi al-ra’y)} It is recited both with and without the hamza. It means: they followed you at the first instance of their opinion or at the surface of their opinion. Its grammatical position is that of an adverb of time. Its origin is: "at the time of the occurrence of their first opinion" or "at the time of the occurrence of the surface of their opinion," then the noun was omitted and the genitive (mudaf ilayh) took its place. They meant that their following of you was something that occurred to them spontaneously without reflection or consideration.

They deemed the believers "low" only because of their poverty and their lack of worldly status. They were ignorant people who knew only the outward appearance of the worldly life. Thus, the "noble" in their view was the one who possessed status and wealth—just as you see most of those who call themselves Muslims today believing the same and basing their honor and contempt upon it. They have slipped into forgetting that advancement in this world does not bring anyone closer to God; rather, it distances them. It does not elevate them; rather, it lowers them—let alone making it a cause for selection for prophethood or qualification for it.

Furthermore, the Prophets (peace be upon them) were sent to encourage the seeking of the Hereafter and the rejection of the world, making people ascetic toward it and belittling its status and the status of those who cling to it. How far removed is their state from being characterized by that which distances one from God, or seeking honor in that which is low in the sight of God!

{Any superiority} Any increase in honor over us that would qualify you for prophethood.

{But we think you are liars} In what you claim.

{He said: "O my people, have you considered: if I am upon a clear evidence from my Lord and He has given me mercy from Himself, but it has been made obscure to you—shall we force it upon you while you are averse to it? And O my people, I ask you not for wealth in return for it. My reward is only from God. And I am not one to drive away those who have believed; indeed, they will meet their Lord. But I see that you are a people who are ignorant. And O my people, who would protect me from God if I drove them away? Will you not then be reminded? And I do not tell you that I have the treasuries of God, nor do I know the unseen, nor do I say that I am an angel, nor do I say of those whom your eyes despise that God will never give them any good—God is most knowing of what is within their souls. Indeed, I would then be among the wrongdoers."}

Tafsir of Hud 11:27

Al-Kashshaf

{The lowest of us (al-aradhil)} This is the plural of *al-ardhal*, similar to the expressions: {The greatest of its criminals} (Al-An'am: 123) and "The best of you in character."

{Any superiority} Any increase in honor over us that would qualify you for prophethood.

{But we think you are liars} In what you claim.

{The lowest of us (al-aradhil)} This is the plural of al-ardhal, similar to the expressions: {The greatest of its criminals} (Al-An'am: 123) and "The best of you in character."