Quran Universe
11:35

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

Am yaqooloona iftarahu qul ini iftaraytuhu faAAalayya ijramee waana bareeon mimma tujrimoona

Or do they say [about Prophet Muhammad], "He invented it"? Say, "If I have invented it, then upon me is [the consequence of] my crime; but I am innocent of what [crimes] you commit."

Word by word
  1. أَمۡOr
  2. يَقُولُونَ(do) they say
  3. ٱفۡتَرَىٰهُۖHe has invented it
  4. قُلۡSay
  5. إِنِIf
  6. ٱفۡتَرَيۡتُهُۥI have invented it
  7. فَعَلَيَّthen on me
  8. إِجۡرَامِي(is) my crime
  9. وَأَنَا۠but I am
  10. بَرِيٓءٞinnocent
  11. مِّمَّاof what
  12. تُجۡرِمُونَcrimes you commit
Hud · 11:35Makkah

If I made it up, the sin is mine alone.

A pause in Nuh's story to answer Makkah

The charge and the reply
Makkah's criticshe invented this
Say
if I liedmy crime is on me
but
I am clearof what you commit
Who carries what
shared blamewe all answer together
each carries his ownmy deeds, your deeds

In the middle of Nuh's story, Allah turns to the Prophet ﷺ. The disbelievers of Makkah said he made this up. He is told to answer: if I invented it, the crime is mine alone. But I am innocent of what you do. The one who knows Allah's punishment for lying about Him would not lie.

Someone in the comments says your faith is something you were just taught and never checked. You feel defensive. You answer for your own choices, and so do they. That thought is calming, not cold.

I have to defend myself against every accusation or it will stick.

Each person carries their own deeds before Allah; I only need to be honest in mine.

Try this

Let one unfair comment about you go unanswered today, and check only that your own conduct is clean.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Or they (the pagans of Makkah) say: "He has fabricated it." Say: "If I have fabricated it, upon me be my crimes, but I am innocent of (all) those crimes which you commit (35)

An Interruption to verify the Truthfulness of the Prophet (ﷺ)

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?"

قُلْ إِنِ افْتَرَيْتُهُ فَعَلَيَّ إِجْرَامِي

(Say: "If I have fabricated it, upon me be my crimes...") This means: such sin would be mine alone.

وَأَنَا بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تُجْرِمُونَ

(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.