وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْغَنِىُّ ذُو ٱلرَّحْمَةِ ۚ إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفْ مِنۢ بَعْدِكُم مَّا يَشَآءُ كَمَآ أَنشَأَكُم مِّن ذُرِّيَّةِ قَوْمٍ ءَاخَرِينَ 133
Translations
And your Lord is the Free of need, the possessor of mercy. If He wills, He can do away with you and give succession after you to whomever He wills, just as He produced you from the descendants of another people.
Transliteration
Wa rabbuka al-ghaniyu dhu ar-rahmah. In yasha yudhhabkum wa yastakhlifmin ba'dikum ma yasha kamaa ansha'akum min dhurriyyati qawmin akharin.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah is self-sufficient (al-ghani) yet possesses infinite mercy, and He has absolute power over creation—He can remove the present generation and replace them with others as He wishes, just as He created the current people from the descendants of previous nations. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain this as a reminder of Allah's sovereignty and control, serving as a warning against arrogance and ingratitude while simultaneously offering reassurance of His merciful nature. The verse emphasizes both Divine power and Divine compassion working in tandem.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-An'am, which addresses the polytheists of Mecca who rejected the message and were arrogant despite Allah's clear signs. The verse contextually follows discussions about Allah's creative power and judgment, serving as a warning to those who denied the oneness of Allah and disbelieved the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly cites this specific verse, Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim contain numerous hadiths about Allah's power to destroy nations and replace them, such as those in the context of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab's narrations about the destruction of previous civilizations and the continuity of Allah's plan.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true security comes not from worldly possessions or position but from recognizing Allah's absolute dominion and maintaining gratitude and righteousness; it is a humbling reminder that no nation or individual is irreplaceable in Allah's sight, encouraging believers to remain humble and obedient lest they face the same fate as those who came before them.
Related Ayahs
وَلَا تَنفَعُ ٱلشَّفَـٰعَةُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا لِمَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُۥ ۚ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا فُزِّعَ عَن قُلُوبِهِمْ قَالُوا۟ مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَقَّ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْكَبِيرُ
And intercession does not benefit with Him except for one whom He permits. [And those wait] until, when terror is removed from their hearts, they will say [to one another], "What has your Lord said?" They will say, "The truth." And He is the Most High, the Grand.
قَالَ إِنَّمَا يَأْتِيكُم بِهِ ٱللَّهُ إِن شَآءَ وَمَآ أَنتُم بِمُعْجِزِينَ
He said, "Allāh will only bring it to you if He wills, and you will not cause [Him] failure.
وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ ٱلسَّاعَةُ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَخْسَرُ ٱلْمُبْطِلُونَ
And to Allāh belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. And the Day the Hour appears - that Day the falsifiers will lose.
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِۦ خَبِيرًۢا بَصِيرًا
Indeed, your Lord extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]. Indeed He is ever, concerning His servants, Aware and Seeing.