What does Quran 21:63 mean?

Quran 21:63 (Surah Al-Anbiyaa, Ayah 63) translates to: "He said, "Rather, this - the largest of them - did it, so ask them, if they should [be able to] speak.""

Which Surah and Juz is Quran 21:63 from?

This ayah is from Surah Al-Anbiyaa (The Prophets), the 21th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 17.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 21:63?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Sahih Muslim, Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Sahih al-Bukhari.

What tafsir is available for Quran 21:63?

Commentary on this ayah is available from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas, Al-Jalalayn — classical scholars of Quranic exegesis.

What topics does Quran 21:63 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Prophet Ibrahim, Idolatry, Tawhid, Historical Events, Divine Judgment.

Ayah 62

قَالُوٓا۟ ءَأَنتَ فَعَلْتَ هَٰذَا بِـَٔالِهَتِنَا ...

21:63Al-Anbiyaa

Ayah 64

فَرَجَعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ فَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ...

قَالَ بَلْ فَعَلَهُۥ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَٰذَا فَسْـَٔلُوهُمْ إِن كَانُوا۟ يَنطِقُونَ

Qaala bal fa'alahoo kabeeruhum haazaa fas'aloohum in kaanoo yantiqoon

He said, "Rather, this - the largest of them - did it, so ask them, if they should [be able to] speak."

Themes in this ayah

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Lessons from past peoples75

Scores run 0–100: how strongly this ayah speaks to a theme. 70+ is central, 50+ is clear, under 50 is weak.

3 other themes with weak connections

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Lessons from past peoples

21:63Ayah 1112

41 ayahs in Al-Anbiyaa are strongly about lessons from past peoples. This is one of them.

← Previous on Lessons from past peoples21:62They said, "Have you done this to our gods, O Abraham?"Next on Lessons from past peoples →21:64So they returned to [blaming] themselves and said [to each other], "Indeed, you are the wrongdoers."

Tafsir

Scholars offer complementary perspectives

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 21:63→

He said concealing his deed ‘Rather it was this principal one among them did it. So question them about the perpetrator of this if they can speak!’ here the response to the conditional statement precedes the conditional clause; in the preceding clause there is an intimation for them that an idol acknowledged as being incapable of action cannot be a god.

" So that they should ask him."

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #85Qais bin Talq bin Ali - Al-Hanafi narrated from his father, that:Sahih

the Prophet said: 'Is it other than a piece of his flesh?" Or: "part of him?"

Sahih Muslim #7195Mughira b. Shu'ba reported that none asked Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) about Dajjal more than I asked him. I (one of the narrators other than Mughira b. Shu'ba) said:Sahih

What did you ask? Mughira replied: I said that the people alleged that he would have a mountain load of bread and mutton and rivers of water. Thereupon he said: He would be more insignificant in the eye of Allah compared with all this.

Sahih al-Bukhari #3829Narrated Mu`adh:Sahih

The one who asked (the Prophet) was Gabriel (refer to Hadith 5.327).

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #3172Narrated 'Ali:Sahih

"I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about the day of Al-Hajj Al-Akbar, and he said: "The day of An-Nahr."