وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا يُعَلِّمُهُۥ بَشَرٌ ۗ لِّسَانُ ٱلَّذِى يُلْحِدُونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْجَمِىٌّ وَهَـٰذَا لِسَانٌ عَرَبِىٌّ مُّبِينٌ 103
Translations
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.
Transliteration
Wa-laqad na'lamu annahum yaqulun innama yu'allimuh basharun. Lisanu alladhee yulhidun ilayhi a'jami wa-hadha lisanun 'arabiyyun mubin.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses the false claim of the Meccan disbelievers that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was being taught by a human rather than receiving revelation from Allah. Allah refutes this accusation by pointing out that the person they alleged was teaching him (likely Salman al-Farisi or another foreign slave) spoke a non-Arabic language, while the Quran itself is in clear, eloquent Arabic—a language he was known to speak perfectly. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this is a logical proof of the Quran's divine origin, as no foreign non-Arabic speaker could have authored such perfect Arabic prose.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in Mecca during the early period of the Islamic call, responding directly to the accusations of the Quraysh who attributed the Quran's origin to human teachers rather than divine revelation. The Quraysh attempted to delegitimize the Prophet by claiming he learned from foreign slaves living in Mecca, yet Allah demolishes this argument by highlighting the linguistic impossibility of such a claim.
Related Hadiths
The tafsir of this ayah is supported by various historical reports about the accusers and the alleged teachers, though no single hadith directly quotes this allegation. However, Surah Al-Furqan (25:4) contains a related refutation: 'And those who have disbelieved say, "This is not but a lie he invented."' Both ayahs address similar accusations against the Quran's authenticity.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that the Quran's linguistic perfection and eloquence are themselves proofs of its divine origin, and it encourages us to recognize and appreciate the miracle of the Quran's clear Arabic language as evidence of Allah's guidance.