Tafseer of Those drawn up in Ranks · As-Saaffaat · 37:35
Indeed they, when it was said to them, "There is no deity but Allah," were arrogant
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.
The explanation of His statement, the Exalted: إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ ("Indeed, when it was said to them, 'There is no god but Allah,' they were arrogant") (35)
He, the Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: and these polytheists (mushrikīn) with regard to Allah, whose condition He has described in these verses, were such that, when it was said to them in the world: say لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ("There is no god but Allah"), يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ ("they were arrogant"). He says: they behaved arrogantly and haughtily, holding themselves above pronouncing it, and were proud. And the word "say" (qūlū) is elided from the sentence, because the indication of the sentence is sufficient to point to that mention.
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His statement إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ ("when it was said to them, 'There is no god but Allah,' they were arrogant"), he said: by this the polytheists (mushrikīn) in particular are meant.
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning his statement إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ ("Indeed, when it was said to them, 'There is no god but Allah,' they were arrogant"), he said: ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb said: be present with your dying ones, and prompt them with "there is no god but Allah," for they see and hear.
