Tafseer of The Moon · Al-Qamar · 54:43
Are your disbelievers better than those [former ones], or have you immunity in the scripture?
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 saying of the Exalted: أَكُفَّارُكُمْ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أُولَئِكُمْ أَمْ لَكُمْ بَرَاءَةٌ فِي الزُّبُرِ "Are your disbelievers better than those, or do you have an exemption in the scriptures?" (54:43)
The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says to the disbelievers (kuffār) of the Quraysh, concerning whom Allah has reported that they وَإِنْ يَرَوْا آيَةً يُعْرِضُوا وَيَقُولُوا سِحْرٌ مُسْتَمِرٌّ "and if they see a sign, they turn away and say: continuous sorcery": Are your disbelievers (kuffār), O assembly of the Quraysh, better than those upon whom I have brought My retribution, namely the people of Nūḥ and ʿĀd and Thamūd and the people of Lūṭ and the people of Pharaoh, that they should hope to escape My punishment and My retribution for their disbelief in Me and their denial of My messenger? He says: You, in your disbelief in Allah and your denial of His messenger, are only like some of these communities whose affair I have described to you, and the punishment of Allah for you will descend upon you on account of your disbelief in Him, just as it descended upon them, if you do not repent and return.
As Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying أَكُفَّارُكُمْ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أُولَئِكُمْ "Are your disbelievers better than those?": that is to say: than those who have passed away.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Yaḥyā ibn Wāḍiḥ related to us, he said: al-Ḥasan related to us, on the authority of Yazīd al-Naḥwī, on the authority of ʿIkrima أَكُفَّارُكُمْ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أُولَئِكُمْ "Are your disbelievers better than those?" — he says: Are your disbelievers, O assembly of the Quraysh, better than those who have passed away?
Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning His saying أَكُفَّارُكُمْ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أُولَئِكُمْ "Are your disbelievers better than those?" — he says: Are your disbelievers better than the disbelievers whom We punished for disobedience to Allah, and are these disbelievers better than those? And he said: أَكُفَّارُكُمْ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أُولَئِكُمْ — He denies that (by means of the question).
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His saying أَكُفَّارُكُمْ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أُولَئِكُمْ أَمْ لَكُمْ بَرَاءَةٌ فِي الزُّبُرِ "Are your disbelievers better than those, or do you have an exemption in the scriptures?" — he says: Your disbelievers are not better than the people of Nūḥ and the people of Lūṭ.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Abū Jaʿfar, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ ibn Anas أَكُفَّارُكُمْ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أُولَئِكُمْ "Are your disbelievers better than those?" — he said: the disbelievers of this community.
And His saying أَمْ لَكُمْ بَرَاءَةٌ فِي الزُّبُرِ "or do you have an exemption in the scriptures?" — He, exalted is His praise, says: Or do you have an exemption from the punishment of Allah, O assembly of the Quraysh, that it will not befall you on account of your disbelief in that with which the revelation of Allah has come to you, in the scriptures (al-zubur), that is to say: the books?
As it was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: Abū ʿUbayd informed us, he said: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His saying الزُّبُرِ "the scriptures" — he says: the books.
Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning His saying أَمْ لَكُمْ بَرَاءَةٌ فِي الزُّبُرِ "or do you have an exemption in the scriptures?": in the Book of Allah an exemption from that which you fear.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Yaḥyā ibn Wāḍiḥ related to us, he said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, on the authority of Yazīd, on the authority of ʿIkrima أَمْ لَكُمْ بَرَاءَةٌ فِي الزُّبُرِ "or do you have an exemption in the scriptures?" — that is to say: in the books.
