رَّبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ ۖ إِن يَشَأْ يَرْحَمْكُمْ أَوْ إِن يَشَأْ يُعَذِّبْكُمْ ۚ وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكِيلًا 54
Translations
Your Lord is most knowing of you. If He wills, He will have mercy upon you; or if He wills, He will punish you. And We have not sent you, [O Muḥammad], over them as a manager.
Transliteration
Rabbukum a'lamu bikum in yasha'a yarhamkum aw in yasha'a yu'aththibkum wa ma arsalnaka 'alayhim wakilan
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah possesses complete knowledge of His servants' conditions, intentions, and deeds, and that mercy or punishment rest entirely upon His divine will and wisdom. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that this verse establishes Allah's absolute sovereignty and perfect knowledge, while the final clause reassures the Prophet (peace be upon him) that his responsibility is only to convey the message, not to force belief or guarantee outcomes—a theme of particular comfort during the Meccan period when the Prophet faced rejection.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Isra, a Meccan surah revealed during a period of intense opposition to the Prophet's message. The broader context addresses the tension between human responsibility and divine will, reassuring the Prophet that while he must deliver the message faithfully, the ultimate judgment and guidance belong to Allah alone. This provided solace during a time of limited converts and significant hostility.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Muslim (2577) states: 'None of you should wish for death because of a calamity that befalls him. If he must wish for it, he should say: O Allah, keep me alive as long as life is good for me, and take me when death is better for me'—reflecting the theme of submission to Allah's will. Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Bukhari (4777) addresses the Prophet's role: 'Your duty is only to convey the message, and the reckoning is upon Allah.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that while Allah knows us completely and holds ultimate power over reward and punishment, we are responsible for our sincere efforts and obedience, trusting that divine justice is perfect and merciful. It also reminds us not to burden ourselves with outcomes beyond our control, but rather to focus on our intentions and actions while relying on Allah's wisdom.
Related Ayahs
وَأَشْرَقَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ بِنُورِ رَبِّهَا وَوُضِعَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ وَجِا۟ىٓءَ بِٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَٱلشُّهَدَآءِ وَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُم بِٱلْحَقِّ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord, and the record [of deeds] will be placed, and the prophets and the witnesses will be brought, and it will be judged between them in truth, and they will not be wronged.
لَن تَنفَعَكُمْ أَرْحَامُكُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُكُمْ ۚ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَكُمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
Never will your relatives or your children benefit you; the Day of Resurrection He will judge between you. And Allāh, of what you do, is Seeing.
وَإِن تَجْهَرْ بِٱلْقَوْلِ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَعْلَمُ ٱلسِّرَّ وَأَخْفَى
And if you speak aloud - then indeed, He knows the secret and what is [even] more hidden.
أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ فِى مِرْيَةٍ مِّن لِّقَآءِ رَبِّهِمْ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّهُۥ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّحِيطٌۢ
Unquestionably, they are in doubt about the meeting with their Lord. Unquestionably He is, of all things, encompassing.