Surah Muhammad

Ta'awwudh · Seeking Refuge

أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

A'udhu billahi min ash-shaytani ar-rajim. I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed.

The Name · Bismillah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Bismillahi ar-Rahmani ar-Rahim. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

✦

The Surah · Muhammad

﴾١﴿ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَصَدُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَضَلَّ أَعْمَٰلَهُمْ

Alladhina kafaru wa saddu 'an sabili Allahi adalla a'malahum

Those who disbelieved and turned people away from the path of Allah, He rendered their deeds worthless.

﴾٢﴿ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَءَامَنُوا۟ بِمَا نُزِّلَ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍۢ وَهُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۙ كَفَّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمْ وَأَصْلَحَ بَالَهُمْ

Walladhina amanu wa 'amilu as-salihati wa amanu bima nuzzila 'ala Muhammadin wa huwa al-haqqu min Rabbihim kaffara 'anhum sayyi'atihim wa aslaha balahum

And those who believed and did righteous deeds and believed in what was sent down to Muhammad, and it is the truth from their Lord, He removed their misdeeds from them and set their condition right.

﴾٣﴿ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱتَّبَعُوا۟ ٱلْبَٰطِلَ وَأَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّبَعُوا۟ ٱلْحَقَّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَضْرِبُ ٱللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ أَمْثَٰلَهُمْ

Dhalika bi-anna alladhina kafaru ittaba'u al-batila wa anna alladhina amanu ittaba'u al-haqqa min Rabbihim, kadhalika yadribu Allahu lin-nasi amthalahum

That is because those who disbelieved followed falsehood, and those who believed followed the truth from their Lord. In this way Allah presents to people their comparisons.

﴾٤﴿ فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَضَرْبَ ٱلرِّقَابِ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَثْخَنتُمُوهُمْ فَشُدُّوا۟ ٱلْوَثَاقَ فَإِمَّا مَنًّۢا بَعْدُ وَإِمَّا فِدَآءً حَتَّىٰ تَضَعَ ٱلْحَرْبُ أَوْزَارَهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ وَلَوْ يَشَآءُ ٱللَّهُ لَٱنتَصَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَبْلُوَا۟ بَعْضَكُم بِبَعْضٍۢ ۗ وَٱلَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَلَن يُضِلَّ أَعْمَٰلَهُمْ

Fa-idha laqitumu alladhina kafaru fadarba ar-riqab, hatta idha athkhantumuhum fashuddu al-wathaq, fa-imma mannan ba'du wa imma fida'an hatta tada'a al-harbu awzaraha, dhalika wa law yasha'u Allahu lantasara minhum wa lakin liyabluwa ba'dakum biba'd, walladhina qutilu fi sabili Allahi falan yudilla a'malahum

So when you meet those who disbelieved, strike the necks, until when you have overcome them, bind firmly the bond. Then either a favor afterward or a ransom, until the war lays down its burdens. That is the command. Had Allah willed He would have taken retribution from them Himself, but it is so that He may test some of you by means of others. And those who are killed in the way of Allah, He will never render their deeds void.

﴾٥﴿ سَيَهْدِيهِمْ وَيُصْلِحُ بَالَهُمْ

Sayahdihim wa yuslihu balahum

He will guide them and set their condition right,

﴾٦﴿ وَيُدْخِلُهُمُ ٱلْجَنَّةَ عَرَّفَهَا لَهُمْ

Wa yudkhiluhumu al-jannata 'arrafaha lahum

and admit them to the Garden, which He has made known to them.

﴾٧﴿ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِن تَنصُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ يَنصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ

Ya ayyuha alladhina amanu in tansuru Allaha yansurkum wa yuthabbit aqdamakum

You who believe, if you support Allah, He will support you and plant your feet firmly.

﴾٨﴿ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَتَعْسًۭا لَّهُمْ وَأَضَلَّ أَعْمَٰلَهُمْ

Walladhina kafaru fata'san lahum wa adalla a'malahum

And those who disbelieved, ruin is for them, and He rendered their deeds worthless.

﴾٩﴿ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَرِهُوا۟ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ فَأَحْبَطَ أَعْمَٰلَهُمْ

Dhalika bi-annahum karihu ma anzala Allahu fa-ahbata a'malahum

That is because they hated what Allah sent down, so He made their deeds worthless.

﴾١٠﴿ أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ دَمَّرَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ وَلِلْكَٰفِرِينَ أَمْثَٰلُهَا

Afalam yasiru fi al-ardi fayanzuru kayfa kana 'aqibatu alladhina min qablihim, dammara Allahu 'alayhim, wa lil-kafirina amthaluha

Have they not traveled through the earth and seen how the end of those before them was? Allah destroyed them utterly, and for the disbelievers is the like of it.

﴾١١﴿ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَوْلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَأَنَّ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَا مَوْلَىٰ لَهُمْ

Dhalika bi-anna Allaha mawla alladhina amanu wa anna al-kafirina la mawla lahum

That is because Allah is the protector of those who believed, and because the disbelievers have no protector.

﴾١٢﴿ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُدْخِلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ جَنَّٰتٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يَتَمَتَّعُونَ وَيَأْكُلُونَ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ ٱلْأَنْعَٰمُ وَٱلنَّارُ مَثْوًۭى لَّهُمْ

Inna Allaha yudkhilu alladhina amanu wa 'amilu as-salihati jannatin tajri min tahtiha al-anhar, walladhina kafaru yatamatta'una wa ya'kuluna kama ta'kulu al-an'amu wan-naru mathwan lahum

Allah admits those who believed and did righteous deeds into gardens beneath which rivers flow. And those who disbelieved enjoy themselves and eat as cattle eat, and the Fire is their lodging.

﴾١٣﴿ وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ هِىَ أَشَدُّ قُوَّةًۭ مِّن قَرْيَتِكَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَخْرَجَتْكَ أَهْلَكْنَٰهُمْ فَلَا نَاصِرَ لَهُمْ

Wa ka-ayyin min qaryatin hiya ashaddu quwwatan min qaryatika allati akhrajatka ahlaknahum fala nasira lahum

How many a town stronger in power than your town which drove you out, We destroyed them, and there was no helper for them.

﴾١٤﴿ أَفَمَن كَانَ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ كَمَن زُيِّنَ لَهُۥ سُوٓءُ عَمَلِهِۦ وَٱتَّبَعُوٓا۟ أَهْوَآءَهُم

Afaman kana 'ala bayyinatin min Rabbihi kaman zuyyina lahu su'u 'amalihi wattaba'u ahwa'ahum

Is the one who stands on clear evidence from his Lord like the one whose evil deed has been made attractive to him and who followed their own desires?

﴾١٥﴿ مَّثَلُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ٱلَّتِى وُعِدَ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ ۖ فِيهَآ أَنْهَٰرٌۭ مِّن مَّآءٍ غَيْرِ ءَاسِنٍۢ وَأَنْهَٰرٌۭ مِّن لَّبَنٍۢ لَّمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ طَعْمُهُۥ وَأَنْهَٰرٌۭ مِّنْ خَمْرٍۢ لَّذَّةٍۢ لِّلشَّٰرِبِينَ وَأَنْهَٰرٌۭ مِّنْ عَسَلٍۢ مُّصَفًّۭى ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ وَمَغْفِرَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ كَمَنْ هُوَ خَٰلِدٌۭ فِى ٱلنَّارِ وَسُقُوا۟ مَآءً حَمِيمًۭا فَقَطَّعَ أَمْعَآءَهُمْ

Mathalu al-jannati allati wu'ida al-muttaqun, fiha anharun min ma'in ghayri asin, wa anharun min labanin lam yataghayyar ta'muhu, wa anharun min khamrin ladhdhatin lish-sharibin, wa anharun min 'asalin musaffan, wa lahum fiha min kulli ath-thamarati wa maghfiratun min Rabbihim, kaman huwa khalidun fin-nari wa suqu ma'an hamiman faqatta'a am'a'ahum

The likeness of the Garden promised to the God-conscious: in it are rivers of water that does not spoil, rivers of milk whose taste does not change, rivers of wine delicious to the drinkers, and rivers of purified honey. In it they have every kind of fruit, and forgiveness from their Lord. Are they like one who abides forever in the Fire and is given boiling water to drink that cuts through their intestines?

﴾١٦﴿ وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا خَرَجُوا۟ مِنْ عِندِكَ قَالُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ مَاذَا قَالَ ءَانِفًا ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ طَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَٱتَّبَعُوٓا۟ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ

Wa minhum man yastami'u ilayka hatta idha kharaju min 'indika qalu lilladhina utu al-'ilma madha qala anifa, ula'ika alladhina taba'a Allahu 'ala qulubihim wattaba'u ahwa'ahum

And among them are those who listen to you, until when they leave you they say to those given knowledge: what did he say just now? Those are the ones on whose hearts Allah has set a seal, and who followed their own desires.

﴾١٧﴿ وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱهْتَدَوْا۟ زَادَهُمْ هُدًۭى وَءَاتَىٰهُمْ تَقْوَىٰهُمْ

Walladhina ihtadaw zadahum hudan wa atahum taqwahum

And those who are guided, He increases them in guidance and grants them their God-consciousness.

﴾١٨﴿ فَهَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا ٱلسَّاعَةَ أَن تَأْتِيَهُم بَغْتَةًۭ ۖ فَقَدْ جَآءَ أَشْرَاطُهَا ۚ فَأَنَّىٰ لَهُمْ إِذَا جَآءَتْهُمْ ذِكْرَىٰهُمْ

Fahal yanzuruna illa as-sa'ata an ta'tiyahum baghtatan, faqad ja'a ashratuha, fa-anna lahum idha ja'athum dhikrahum

Are they waiting for anything but the Hour to come upon them suddenly? Its signs have already come. So how will the reminder help them once it has come to them?

﴾١٩﴿ فَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنۢبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَكُمْ وَمَثْوَىٰكُمْ

Fa'lam annahu la ilaha illa Allahu wastaghfir lidhanbika wa lilmu'minina wal-mu'minat, wallahu ya'lamu mutaqallabakum wa mathwakum

So know that there is no deity except Allah, and seek forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and the believing women. Allah knows your movement and your resting place.

﴾٢٠﴿ وَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَوْلَا نُزِّلَتْ سُورَةٌۭ ۖ فَإِذَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌۭ مُّحْكَمَةٌۭ وَذُكِرَ فِيهَا ٱلْقِتَالُ ۙ رَأَيْتَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌۭ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ نَظَرَ ٱلْمَغْشِىِّ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۖ فَأَوْلَىٰ لَهُمْ

Wa yaqulu alladhina amanu lawla nuzzilat sura, fa-idha unzilat suratun muhkamatun wa dhukira fiha al-qitalu ra'ayta alladhina fi qulubihim maradun yanzuruna ilayka nazara al-maghshiyyi 'alayhi mina al-mawt, fa-awla lahum

And those who believed say: if only a chapter were sent down. Then when a decisive chapter is sent down and fighting is mentioned in it, you see those in whose hearts is disease looking at you with the look of one fainting from death. So more fitting for them

﴾٢١﴿ طَاعَةٌۭ وَقَوْلٌۭ مَّعْرُوفٌۭ ۚ فَإِذَا عَزَمَ ٱلْأَمْرُ فَلَوْ صَدَقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَكَانَ خَيْرًۭا لَّهُمْ

Ta'atun wa qawlun ma'ruf, fa-idha 'azama al-amru falaw sadaqu Allaha lakana khayran lahum

would be obedience and a proper word. Then when the matter is settled, if they had been true to Allah it would have been better for them.

﴾٢٢﴿ فَهَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِن تَوَلَّيْتُمْ أَن تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَتُقَطِّعُوٓا۟ أَرْحَامَكُمْ

Fahal 'asaytum in tawallaytum an tufsidu fi al-ardi wa tuqatti'u arhamakum

So would you perhaps, if you turned away, spread corruption in the land and sever your family ties?

﴾٢٣﴿ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ فَأَصَمَّهُمْ وَأَعْمَىٰٓ أَبْصَٰرَهُمْ

Ula'ika alladhina la'anahumu Allahu fa-asammahum wa a'ma absarahum

Those are the ones Allah has cursed, so He made them deaf and blinded their sight.

﴾٢٤﴿ أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ أَمْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَآ

Afala yatadabbaruna al-Qur'ana am 'ala qulubin aqfaluha

Do they not reflect deeply on the Quran, or are there locks upon hearts?

﴾٢٥﴿ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱرْتَدُّوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَدْبَٰرِهِم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلْهُدَى ۙ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ سَوَّلَ لَهُمْ وَأَمْلَىٰ لَهُمْ

Inna alladhina irtaddu 'ala adbarihim min ba'di ma tabayyana lahumu al-huda, ash-shaytanu sawwala lahum wa amla lahum

Those who turned back on their heels after the guidance became clear to them, Satan enticed them and gave them false hope.

﴾٢٦﴿ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ كَرِهُوا۟ مَا نَزَّلَ ٱللَّهُ سَنُطِيعُكُمْ فِى بَعْضِ ٱلْأَمْرِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِسْرَارَهُمْ

Dhalika bi-annahum qalu lilladhina karihu ma nazzala Allahu sanuti'ukum fi ba'di al-amr, wallahu ya'lamu israrahum

That is because they said to those who hated what Allah sent down: we will obey you in part of the matter. And Allah knows what they keep secret.

﴾٢٧﴿ فَكَيْفَ إِذَا تَوَفَّتْهُمُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ يَضْرِبُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَأَدْبَٰرَهُمْ

Fakayfa idha tawaffathumu al-mala'ikatu yadribuna wujuhahum wa adbarahum

So how will it be when the angels take them in death, striking their faces and their backs?

﴾٢٨﴿ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمُ ٱتَّبَعُوا۟ مَآ أَسْخَطَ ٱللَّهَ وَكَرِهُوا۟ رِضْوَٰنَهُۥ فَأَحْبَطَ أَعْمَٰلَهُمْ

Dhalika bi-annahumu ittaba'u ma askhata Allaha wa karihu ridwanahu fa-ahbata a'malahum

That is because they followed what angered Allah and hated His approval, so He made their deeds worthless.

﴾٢٩﴿ أَمْ حَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ أَن لَّن يُخْرِجَ ٱللَّهُ أَضْغَٰنَهُمْ

Am hasiba alladhina fi qulubihim maradun an lan yukhrija Allahu adghanahum

Or did those in whose hearts is disease think that Allah would not bring out their resentments?

﴾٣٠﴿ وَلَوْ نَشَآءُ لَأَرَيْنَٰكَهُمْ فَلَعَرَفْتَهُم بِسِيمَٰهُمْ ۚ وَلَتَعْرِفَنَّهُمْ فِى لَحْنِ ٱلْقَوْلِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ أَعْمَٰلَكُمْ

Wa law nasha'u la-araynakahum fala'araftahum bisimahum, wa lata'rifannahum fi lahni al-qawl, wallahu ya'lamu a'malakum

Had We willed We would have shown them to you and you would know them by their marks, and you will certainly know them by the tone of their speech. And Allah knows your deeds.

﴾٣١﴿ وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ حَتَّىٰ نَعْلَمَ ٱلْمُجَٰهِدِينَ مِنكُمْ وَٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ وَنَبْلُوَا۟ أَخْبَارَكُمْ

Wa lanabluwannakum hatta na'lama al-mujahidina minkum was-sabirina wa nabluwa akhbarakum

We will surely test you until We make evident those who strive among you and the patient, and We will test your accounts.

﴾٣٢﴿ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَصَدُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَشَآقُّوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلْهُدَىٰ لَن يَضُرُّوا۟ ٱللَّهَ شَيْـًۭٔا وَسَيُحْبِطُ أَعْمَٰلَهُمْ

Inna alladhina kafaru wa saddu 'an sabili Allahi wa shaqqu ar-rasula min ba'di ma tabayyana lahumu al-huda lan yadurru Allaha shay'an wa sayuhbitu a'malahum

Those who disbelieved and turned people away from the path of Allah and opposed the Messenger after the guidance became clear to them will not harm Allah in anything, and He will make their deeds worthless.

﴾٣٣﴿ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَلَا تُبْطِلُوٓا۟ أَعْمَٰلَكُمْ

Ya ayyuha alladhina amanu ati'u Allaha wa ati'u ar-rasula wa la tubtilu a'malakum

You who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and do not nullify your deeds.

﴾٣٤﴿ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَصَدُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ مَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌۭ فَلَن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمْ

Inna alladhina kafaru wa saddu 'an sabili Allahi thumma matu wa hum kuffarun falan yaghfira Allahu lahum

Those who disbelieved and turned people away from the path of Allah and then died as disbelievers, Allah will not forgive them.

﴾٣٥﴿ فَلَا تَهِنُوا۟ وَتَدْعُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلسَّلْمِ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلْأَعْلَوْنَ وَٱللَّهُ مَعَكُمْ وَلَن يَتِرَكُمْ أَعْمَٰلَكُمْ

Fala tahinu wa tad'u ila as-salmi wa antumu al-a'lawna wallahu ma'akum wa lan yatirakum a'malakum

So do not weaken and call for peace while you are superior, and Allah is with you and will never deprive you of your deeds.

﴾٣٦﴿ إِنَّمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌۭ وَلَهْوٌۭ ۚ وَإِن تُؤْمِنُوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ يُؤْتِكُمْ أُجُورَكُمْ وَلَا يَسْـَٔلْكُمْ أَمْوَٰلَكُمْ

Innama al-hayatu ad-dunya la'ibun wa lahw, wa in tu'minu wa tattaqu yu'tikum ujurakum wa la yas'alkum amwalakum

The life of this world is only play and diversion. And if you believe and are God-conscious, He will give you your rewards and will not ask you for your properties.

﴾٣٧﴿ إِن يَسْـَٔلْكُمُوهَا فَيُحْفِكُمْ تَبْخَلُوا۟ وَيُخْرِجْ أَضْغَٰنَكُمْ

In yas'alkumuha fayuhfikum tabkhalu wa yukhrij adghanakum

If He were to ask you for them and press you, you would withhold, and He would bring out your resentments.

﴾٣٨﴿ هَٰٓأَنتُمْ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ تُدْعَوْنَ لِتُنفِقُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَمِنكُم مَّن يَبْخَلُ ۖ وَمَن يَبْخَلْ فَإِنَّمَا يَبْخَلُ عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ ٱلْغَنِىُّ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلْفُقَرَآءُ ۚ وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوْا۟ يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَكُونُوٓا۟ أَمْثَٰلَكُم

Ha antum ha'ula'i tud'awna litunfiqu fi sabili Allah, faminkum man yabkhal, wa man yabkhal fa-innama yabkhalu 'an nafsih, wallahu al-ghaniyyu wa antumu al-fuqara', wa in tatawallaw yastabdil qawman ghayrakum thumma la yakunu amthalakum

Here you are, called to spend in the way of Allah, and among you is the one who is miserly. And whoever is miserly is only miserly toward himself. Allah is the Free of need, and you are the poor. And if you turn away, He will replace you with another people, and they will not be the likes of you.

The Tafsir · The Breakdown

What The Surah Means

Overview

Surah Muhammad is thirty-eight verses, chapter 47, Madani. It is also called al-Qital in some of the early sources because of the passage on fighting in its opening section. It was revealed to a community that had moved from being persecuted to being responsible for its own defense.

The surah tracks two groups the whole way through. Those who disbelieved and turned people away from the path, and those who believed and did right. It is direct about the first group and demanding of the second, and its final verses are aimed squarely at the believers rather than at anyone else.

If you support Allah, He will support you and plant your feet firmly.

Verses 1–15 · Two Groups, Two Outcomes

If you support Allah, He will support you and plant your feet firmly.

In tansuru Allaha yansurkum wa yuthabbit aqdamakum: the support is conditional and the return is described twice, as help and as stability underfoot. Thabat, firm footing, is the specific thing promised.

Fa idha laqitumu alladhina kafaru fadarba ar-riqab: the passage on the battlefield is stated in the concrete terms of its time, and it is bounded in the same verse. Hatta idha athkhantumuhum fashuddu al-wathaq, fa imma mannan ba'du wa imma fida'an hatta tada'a al-harbu awzaraha. Then bind firmly, and afterward either release as a favor or take ransom, until the war lays down its burdens. The instruction includes its own termination point.

Walladhina kafaru fata'san lahum wa adalla a'malahum: the reason is given as their hatred for what Allah revealed, so He rendered their deeds worthless.

Walladhina kafaru yatamatta'una wa ya'kuluna kama ta'kulu al-an'am: they enjoy themselves and eat as cattle eat. The comparison is about consumption without reference to anything beyond the meal.

Mathalu al-jannati allati wu'ida al-muttaqun: rivers of water that does not spoil, rivers of milk whose taste does not change, rivers of wine delicious to the drinkers, rivers of purified honey, and every kind of fruit, and forgiveness from their Lord. Then the contrast in the same verse, of those given boiling water that cuts their intestines.

Support Him and your footing gets fixed. The alternative described is eating without looking up.

Verses 16–24 · The Ones Who Ask What He Just Said

And among them are those who listen to you, until when they leave you they say: what did he say just now?

Hatta idha kharaju min 'indika qalu lilladhina utu al-'ilma madha qala anifa: they sit through the whole thing, walk out, and ask the people of knowledge what he just said. They were present and absent at once, which is the exact condition Qaf 37 rules out with the word shahid.

Ula'ika alladhina taba'a Allahu 'ala qulubihim wattaba'u ahwa'ahum: those are the ones on whose hearts Allah has set a seal, and who followed their desires. The sealing follows the desire, in that order.

Walladhina ihtadaw zadahum hudan wa atahum taqwahum: and those who are guided, He increases them in guidance and grants them their God-consciousness. Guidance is described as compounding for the ones already moving.

Fa'lam annahu la ilaha illa Allah wastaghfir li-dhanbik: so know that there is no deity except Allah, and seek forgiveness for your sin. A command to know, issued to the one who already knows, which the mufassirun treat as the renewal of a knowledge rather than its introduction.

Afala yatadabbaruna al-Qur'ana am 'ala qulubin aqfaluha: do they not reflect deeply on the Quran, or are there locks upon hearts. Tadabbur is the deliberate turning over of a thing, and the alternative offered is not stupidity. It is a lock.

They heard all of it and asked what he said. The seal came after the desire, not before it.

Verses 29–34 · Tested Until It Is Known

We will surely test you until We make evident those who strive among you and the patient.

Wa lanabluwannakum hatta na'lama al-mujahidina minkum was-sabirina wa nabluwa akhbarakum: until the strivers and the patient are made evident, and your accounts are tested. The purpose of the testing is described as producing knowledge that can be acted on, not as producing suffering.

Wa law nasha'u la-araynakahum fala'araftahum bisimahum, wa lata'rifannahum fi lahni al-qawl: if We willed We would show them to you and you would know them by their marks, and you will certainly know them by the tone of their speech. Lahn al-qawl, the slant in how a thing is said. The tell is in the phrasing rather than in the content.

Ya ayyuha alladhina amanu ati'u Allaha wa ati'u ar-rasula wa la tubtilu a'malakum: do not nullify your deeds. The warning about wasted work is addressed to believers, and it appears twice in this surah.

The passage is a warning to men who are doing the work and could still lose it, which is a different audience from the deniers described earlier.

You will know them by the slant in how they say it. And your own work can still be voided.

Verses 36–38 · The Question About Your Wealth

If He were to ask you for it and press you, you would withhold, and He would expose your resentment.

Innama al-hayatu ad-dunya la'ibun wa lahw: the life of this world is play and diversion. Wa in tu'minu wa tattaqu yu'tikum ujurakum wa la yas'alkum amwalakum. And if you believe and are God-conscious, He will give you your rewards and will not ask you for your properties.

In yas'alkumuha fayuhfikum tabkhalu wa yukhrij adghanakum: if He were to ask you for them and press you, you would be miserly, and He would bring out your resentments. This is one of the most exposing verses in the Quran and it is said to believers. The full demand is not made, and the reason given is that the demand would reveal something about you that you would not want revealed.

Ha antum ha'ula'i tud'awna litunfiqu fi sabili Allah, faminkum man yabkhal: here you are, called to spend in the way of Allah, and among you is the one who is miserly. Wa man yabkhal fa-innama yabkhalu 'an nafsih. And whoever is miserly is only miserly toward himself.

Wallahu al-ghaniyyu wa antumu al-fuqara': Allah is the Free of need, and you are the poor. The direction of the need is stated flatly.

Wa in tatawallaw yastabdil qawman ghayrakum thumma la yakunu amthalakum: and if you turn away, He will replace you with another people, and they will not be the likes of you. The surah named after the Prophet ﷺ ends by telling his community that they are replaceable.

He does not ask for all of it, because asking would show you something about yourself.

Structural Summary

Thirty-Eight Verses. Support Him, Keep Your Footing.

Verses 1–3The Two GroupsDeeds rendered void for those who turn people away, and misdeeds removed for those who believe and do right.

Verses 4–6The BoundsThe battlefield instruction with its own termination point, until the war lays down its burdens.

Verses 7–15The PromiseSupport Allah and your feet are planted. Eating as cattle eat, against four rivers and forgiveness.

Verses 16–19The SealThose who leave and ask what he just said, guidance compounding for the guided, and a command to know and seek forgiveness.

Verses 20–28The ReflectionDo they not reflect on the Quran, or are there locks upon hearts.

Verses 29–35The TestTested until the strivers and the patient are evident, known by the slant of their speech, and warned not to nullify their deeds.

Verses 36–38The WealthHe will not ask for all of it, because pressing you would expose your resentment. And you are replaceable.

Why This Surah Is For You

Verse 7 is a conditional most men skip past. If you support Allah, He supports you and fixes your footing. The return named is thabat, stability underfoot, which is the thing that fails first when a man is under sustained pressure.

Verse 30 says you will know them by lahn al-qawl, the slant in how they speak. Not by what they claim. By the tilt in the phrasing. Anyone who has run a team for long knows this is true and has usually learned to ignore it out of politeness.

Verses 36 and 37 are the hardest verses in the surah and they are aimed at believers. He does not ask for all of your wealth, and the stated reason is that pressing you would bring your resentment into the open. That is a diagnosis of a thing you have not been tested on yet.

Verse 38 ends the surah named after the Prophet ﷺ by telling the community it is replaceable, and that the replacements will not be like them. Nobody is load bearing. This juz region keeps repeating that, in Al-Ma'arij, in Al-Insan, and here.

The Practice · Daily Integration

Thirty-Eight Verses. Give Before You Are Pressed.

Read verses 36 and 37 before your next large giving decision. The verse says the pressure would expose something. Give before the pressure arrives and you never find out the hard way.

Listen for the slant. Verse 30 says the tell is in how a thing is said, and it is available to you already.

Take verse 24 literally once a week. Sit with a passage and turn it over rather than reading through it.

When your footing goes, check the condition in verse 7 before you check anything else.

He does not ask for all of it. Give it before He would have to press you for it.

آمِين

Prepared with discipline · Ameen

Verse-By-Verse · Test Yourself

The Quiz

Two questions per verse. Translation and a key Arabic word. Walk through it slow. The goal is comprehension, not speed.

Verse 11 / 76

The Verse

ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَصَدُّوا۟ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَضَلَّ أَعْمَٰلَهُمْ

Alladhina kafaru wa saddu 'an sabili Allahi adalla a'malahum

What does verse 1 say?