Tafseer of The Believers · Al-Muminoon · 23:66
My verses had already been recited to you, but you were turning back on your heels
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Allah, exalted be His remembrance, says to these polytheists of Quraysh: Do not lament today, now that the wrath and punishment of Allah have descended upon you because of what your hands have acquired and what you have earned through your unbelief (kufr) in the signs of your Lord.
قَدْ كَانَتْ آيَاتِي تُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ (My signs were recited to you): that is to say: the signs of the Book of Allah — He says: the verses of My Book were recited to you, and then you denied them and turned your backs when you heard them, out of aversion to listening to them. And thus it is said of everyone who returned from whence he came: "So-and-so has turned back on his heels."
In the spirit of what we have said spoke the exegetes also.
Mention of those who said this:
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid: فَكُنْتُمْ عَلَى أَعْقَابِكُمْ تَنْكِصُونَ (and you drew back on your heels): he said: "You withdrew."
ʿAlī related to me, saying: ʿAbdullāh related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning the words: فَكُنْتُمْ عَلَى أَعْقَابِكُمْ تَنْكِصُونَ (and you drew back on your heels): he said: "You turned away."
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning the words: قَدْ كَانَتْ آيَاتِي تُتْلَى عَلَيْكُمْ فَكُنْتُمْ عَلَى أَعْقَابِكُمْ تَنْكِصُونَ (My signs were recited to you, and you drew back on your heels): he means the people of Mecca.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning the word of Allah: تَنْكِصُونَ (you draw back): he said: "You withdraw."
