Surah An-Nahl, Ayah 103 (16:103)

ٱلنَّحْل

وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا يُعَلِّمُهُۥ بَشَرٌ ۗ لِّسَانُ ٱلَّذِى يُلْحِدُونَ إِلَيْهِ …

Quran 16:103 is ayah 103 of Surah An-Nahl (“The Bee”), a Meccan surah of 128 ayahs. It is in Juz 14, on page 279 of the Madani Mushaf.

16:103
وَلَقَدْنَعْلَمُأَنَّهُمْيَقُولُونَإِنَّمَايُعَلِّمُهُۥبَشَرٌ ۗلِّسَانُٱلَّذِىيُلْحِدُونَإِلَيْهِأَعْجَمِىٌّوَهَٰذَالِسَانٌعَرَبِىٌّمُّبِينٌ١٠٣
walaqad naʿlamu annahum yaqūlūna innamā yuʿallimuhu basharun lisānu alladhī yul'ḥidūna ilayhi aʿjamiyyun wahādhā lisānun ʿarabiyyun mubīnun

And We certainly know that they say, "It is only a human being who teaches him [i.e., the Prophet (ﷺ)]." The tongue of the one they refer to is foreign, and this [recitation, i.e., Qur’ān] is [in] a clear Arabic language.(103)

Word by word

  1. وَلَقَدْwalaqadAnd certainly
  2. نَعْلَمُnaʿlamuWe know
  3. أَنَّهُمْannahumthat they
  4. يَقُولُونَyaqūlūnasay
  5. إِنَّمَاinnamāOnly
  6. يُعَلِّمُهُۥyuʿallimuhuteaches him
  7. بَشَرٌ ۗbasharuna human being
  8. لِّسَانُlisānu(The) tongue
  9. ٱلَّذِىalladhī(of) the one
  10. يُلْحِدُونَyul'ḥidūnathey refer
  11. إِلَيْهِilayhito him
  12. أَعْجَمِىٌّaʿjamiyyun(is) foreign
  13. وَهَٰذَاwahādhāwhile this
  14. لِسَانٌlisānun(is) a language
  15. عَرَبِىٌّʿarabiyyunArabic
  16. مُّبِينٌmubīnunclear

Tafsir (commentary) of 16:103

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Idolators' Claim that the Qur'an was taught by a Human, and the Refutation of their Claim

Allah tells us about the idolators' lies, allegations, and slander when they claimed that this Qur'an which Muhammad had recited for them, was actually taught to him by a human. They referred to a foreign (i.e., non-Arab) man who lived among them as the servant of some of the clans of Quraysh and who used to sell goods by As-Safa. Maybe the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to sit with him sometimes and talk to him a little, but he was a foreigner who did not know much Arabic, only enough simple phrases to answer questions when he had to. So in refutation of their claims of fabrication, Allah said:

لِّسَانُ الَّذِى يُلْحِدُونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْجَمِىٌّ وَهَـذَا لِسَانٌ عَرَبِىٌّ مُّبِينٌ

(The tongue of the man they refer to is foreign, while this (the Qur'an) is a (in) clear Arabic tongue.) meaning, how could it be that this Qur'an with its eloquent style and perfect meanings, which is more perfect than any Book revealed to any previously sent Prophet, have been learnt from a foreigner who hardly speaks the language No one with the slightest amount of common sense would say such a thing.

Read the full Surah An-Nahl