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Al-Kahf (The Cave)

Verse 109of 110

قُل لَّوْ كَانَ ٱلْبَحْرُ مِدَادًۭا لِّكَلِمَٰتِ رَبِّى لَنَفِدَ ٱلْبَحْرُ قَبْلَ أَن تَنفَدَ كَلِمَٰتُ رَبِّى وَلَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِهِۦ مَدَدًۭا﴿١٠٩

Translation (Sahih International)

Say, "If the sea were ink for [writing] the words of my Lord, the sea would be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even if We brought the like of it as a supplement."

Word-by-word meaning

قُلqulSay
لَّوْlawIf
كَانَkānawere
ٱلْبَحْرُl-baḥruthe sea
مِدَادًۭاmidādanink
لِّكَلِمَـٰتِlikalimātifor (the) Words
رَبِّىrabbī(of) my Lord
لَنَفِدَlanafidasurely (would be) exhausted
ٱلْبَحْرُl-baḥruthe sea
قَبْلَqablabefore
أَنan[that]
تَنفَدَtanfada(were) exhausted
كَلِمَـٰتُkalimātu(the) Words
رَبِّىrabbī(of) my Lord
وَلَوْwalaweven if
جِئْنَاji'nāWe brought
بِمِثْلِهِۦbimith'lihi(the) like (of) it
مَدَدًۭاmadadan(as) a supplement

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Words of the Lord can never be finishedAllah says: `Say, O Muhammad, if the water of the sea were ink for a pen to write down the words, wisdom and signs of Allah, the sea would run dry before it all could be written down.وَلَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِهِ(even if We brought like it) means, another sea, then another, and so on, additional seas to be used for writing. The Words of Allah would still never run out.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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