Quran 16:103 — An-Nahl, verse 103
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
We know very well that they say, ‘It is a man who teaches him,’ but the language of the person they allude to is foreign, while this revelation is in clear Arabic.
وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا يُعَلِّمُهُ بَشَرٌ ۗ لِسَانُ الَّذِي يُلْحِدُونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْجَمِيٌّ وَهَـٰذَا لِسَانٌ عَرَبِيٌّ مُبِينٌ
walaqad naʿlamu annahum yaqūlūna innamā yuʿallimuhu basharun lisānu alladhī yul'ḥidūna ilayhi aʿjamiyyun wahādhā lisānun ʿarabiyyun mubīnun
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And We know very well that they say, 'Only a mortal is teaching him.' The speech of him at whom they hint is barbarous; and this is speech Arabic, manifest.
- Muhammad Asad
- And, indeed, full well do We know that they say, "It is but a human being that imparts [all] this to him! -[notwithstanding that] the tongue of him to whom they so maliciously point is wholly outlandish, whereas this is Arabic speech, clear [in itself] and clearly showing the truth [of its source].
- Sahih International
- 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.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَلَقَدْwalaqad | And certainly | — |
| 2 | نَعْلَمُnaʿlamu | We know | علم |
| 3 | أَنَّهُمْannahum | that they | — |
| 4 | يَقُولُونَyaqūlūna | say | قول |
| 5 | إِنَّمَاinnamā | Only | — |
| 6 | يُعَلِّمُهُۥyuʿallimuhu | teaches him | علم |
| 7 | بَشَرٌۭ ۗbasharun | a human being | بشر |
| 8 | لِّسَانُlisānu | (The) tongue | لسن |
| 9 | ٱلَّذِىalladhī | (of) the one | — |
| 10 | يُلْحِدُونَyul'ḥidūna | they refer | لحد |
| 11 | إِلَيْهِilayhi | to him | — |
| 12 | أَعْجَمِىٌّۭaʿjamiyyun | (is) foreign | عجم |
| 13 | وَهَـٰذَاwahādhā | while this | — |
| 14 | لِسَانٌlisānun | (is) a language | لسن |
| 15 | عَرَبِىٌّۭʿarabiyyun | Arabic | عرب |
| 16 | مُّبِينٌmubīnun | clear | بين |