بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Ash-Shuraa 42:9
The Consultation · Juz 25 · Page 483
أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَۖ فَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلۡوَلِيُّ وَهُوَ يُحۡيِ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ ٩
Or have they taken protectors [or allies] besides Him? But Allāh - He is the Protector, and He gives life to the dead, and He is over all things competent.
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
Change
Commentary on 42:9–12
Allah is the Protector, Ruler and Creator
Here Allah denounces the idolators for taking other gods instead of Allah, and declares that He is the True God, and it is not right to worship anyone except Him Alone. He is the One Who is able to bring the dead back to life and He is Able to do all things. Then He says:
وَمَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِيهِ مِن شَىْءٍ فَحُكْمُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ
(And in whatsoever you differ, the decision thereof is with Allah.) means, in whatever issue you differ. This is general in meaning and applies to all things.
فَحُكْمُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ
(the decision thereof is with Allah.) means, He is the Judge of that, according to His Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet . This is like the Ayah:
فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِى شَىْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ
((And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger) (4:59).
ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبِّى
(Such is Allah, my Lord) means, (He is) the Judge of all things.
عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ
(in Whom I put my trust, and to Him I turn in repentance. ) means, `I refer all matters to Him.'
فَاطِرَ السَّمَوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ
(The Creator of the heavens and the earth.) means, the Maker of them both and everything in between.
جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا
(He has made for you mates from yourselves,) means, of your own kind. As a blessing and a favor from Him, He has made your kind male and female.
وَمِنَ الاٌّنْعَمِ أَزْوجاً
(and for the cattle (also) mates.) means, and He has created for you eight pairs of cattle.
يَذْرَؤُكُمْ فِيهِ
(By this means He creates you.) means, in this manner He creates you, male and female, generation after generation of men and cattle.
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَىْءٌ
(There is nothing like Him,) means, there is nothing like the Creator of these pairs, for He is the Unique, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who has no peer or equal.
وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ
(He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.)
لَهُ مَقَلِيدُ السَّمَوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ
(To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. ) We have already discussed the interpretation of this phrase in Surat Az-Zumar (39:63), the conclusion of which is that He is the One Who is controlling and governing them.
يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَشَآءُ وَيَقَدِرُ
(He expands provision for whom He wills, and straitens.) means, He gives plentiful provision to whomsoever He wills and He reduces it for whomsoever He wills, and He is perfectly Wise and Just.
إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
(Verily, He is the All-Knower of everything.)
Page 483
42:1
حمٓ ١
Ḥā, Meem.
42:2
عٓسٓقٓ ٢
ʿAyn, Seen, Qāf.1
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 2:1. ↩
42:3
كَذَٰلِكَ يُوحِيٓ إِلَيۡكَ وَإِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِكَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٣
Thus has He revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], and to those before you - Allāh, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
42:4
لَهُۥ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيُّ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ ٤
To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great.1
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 2:255. ↩
42:5
تَكَادُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ يَتَفَطَّرۡنَ مِن فَوۡقِهِنَّۚ وَٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَيَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ لِمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٥
The heavens almost break from above them,1 and the angels exalt [Allāh] with praise of their Lord and ask forgiveness for those on earth. Unquestionably, it is Allāh who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., from the grandeur of Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) above them. ↩
42:6
وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَ ٱللَّهُ حَفِيظٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَمَآ أَنتَ عَلَيۡهِم بِوَكِيلٖ ٦
And those who take as allies other than Him - Allāh is [yet] Guardian over them; and you, [O Muḥammad], are not over them a manager -
42:7
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ قُرۡءَانًا عَرَبِيّٗا لِّتُنذِرَ أُمَّ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ وَمَنۡ حَوۡلَهَا وَتُنذِرَ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡجَمۡعِ لَا رَيۡبَ فِيهِۚ فَرِيقٞ فِي ٱلۡجَنَّةِ وَفَرِيقٞ فِي ٱلسَّعِيرِ ٧
And thus We have revealed to you an Arabic Qur’ān that you may warn the Mother of Cities [i.e., Makkah] and those around it1 and warn of the Day of Assembly, about which there is no doubt. A party will be in Paradise and a party in the Blaze.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., all other peoples. ↩
42:8
وَلَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَعَلَهُمۡ أُمَّةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ وَلَٰكِن يُدۡخِلُ مَن يَشَآءُ فِي رَحۡمَتِهِۦۚ وَٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ مَا لَهُم مِّن وَلِيّٖ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ ٨
And if Allāh willed, He could have made them [of] one religion, but He admits whom He wills1 into His mercy. And the wrongdoers have not any protector or helper.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., those who desire His guidance and His acceptance of them. ↩
42:9
أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَۖ فَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلۡوَلِيُّ وَهُوَ يُحۡيِ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ ٩
Or have they taken protectors [or allies] besides Him? But Allāh - He is the Protector, and He gives life to the dead, and He is over all things competent.
42:10
وَمَا ٱخۡتَلَفۡتُمۡ فِيهِ مِن شَيۡءٖ فَحُكۡمُهُۥٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِۚ ذَٰلِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ رَبِّي عَلَيۡهِ تَوَكَّلۡتُ وَإِلَيۡهِ أُنِيبُ ١٠
And in anything over which you disagree - its ruling is [to be referred] to Allāh. [Say], "That is Allāh, my Lord; upon Him I have relied, and to Him I turn back."1
1 translator’s note
- In remembrance and repentance. ↩
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy