Surah 11

Surah 11:35

"Or do they say, ‘He has forged it’? Say: ‘If I have forged it, my sin is on me, but I am free of the sins you commit.’"
An Interruption to verify the Truthfulness of the Prophet Verses 11:35
Show Full Scripture Context (11:35) — 1 Verse
Verse 35

أَمۡ يَقُولُونَ ٱفۡتَرَىٰهُۖ قُلۡ إِنِ ٱفۡتَرَيۡتُهُۥ فَعَلَيَّ إِجۡرَامِي وَأَنَا۠ بَرِيٓءٞ مِّمَّا تُجۡرِمُونَ

Or do they say, ‘He has forged it’? Say: ‘If I have forged it, my sin is on me, but I am free of the sins you commit.’

This is presented in the middle of the story to affirm the story itself. It is as if Allah, the Exalted, is saying to Muhammad, "Or do these obstinate disbelievers say that he fabricated this and invented it himself?"

Quoted Scripture
"Say: "If I have fabricated it, upon me be my crimes...""

This means: such sin would be mine alone.

Quoted Scripture
"but I am innocent of (all) those crimes which you commit."

This story is not invented, or fabricated falsely. Because he (the Prophet) knows better the punishment of Allah for one who lies on Allah.

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.