Tafseer of The letter Saad · Saad · 38:62
And they will say, "Why do we not see men whom we used to count among the worst?
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 the word of the Exalted: wa-qālū mā lanā lā narā rijālan kunnā naʿudduhum mina l-ashrār ("And they said: 'What is the matter with us that we do not see men whom we used to count among the worst?'") (62)
The Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says: the transgressors (al-ṭāghūn), whose description He, whose praise is exalted, has given in these verses — and they are, according to what has been related, Abū Jahl and al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra and their like — said: mā lanā lā narā rijālan ("What is the matter with us that we do not see men?"): he says: what is the matter with us that we do not see with us in the Fire men kunnā naʿudduhum mina l-ashrār ("whom we used to count among the worst?"): he says: whom we used to count in this worldly life among our worst. And by that they meant, according to what has been related, Ṣuhayb and Khabbāb and Bilāl and Salmān.
And in accordance with what we have said about that, the scholars of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) spoke.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad related to me, he said: Aḥmad related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of Layth, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning his word mā lanā lā narā rijālan kunnā naʿudduhum mina l-ashrār ("What is the matter with us that we do not see men whom we used to count among the worst?"): he said: they are Abū Jahl ibn Hishām and al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra; and he named some people: Ṣuhayb and ʿAmmār and Khabbāb — whom we used to count in this worldly life among the worst.
Abū l-Sāʾib related to us, he said: Ibn Idrīs related to us, he said: I heard Layth mention on the authority of Mujāhid concerning his word wa-qālū mā lanā lā narā rijālan kunnā naʿudduhum mina l-ashrār ("And they said: 'What is the matter with us that we do not see men whom we used to count among the worst?'"): he said: they said: where is Salmān? Where is Khabbāb? Where is Bilāl?
