سُنَّةَ مَن قَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ مِن رُّسُلِنَا ۖ وَلَا تَجِدُ لِسُنَّتِنَا تَحْوِيلًا 77
Translations
[That is Our] established way for those We had sent before you of Our messengers; and you will not find in Our way any alteration.
Transliteration
Sunnat man qad arsalnā qablaka min rusulnā wa lā tajidu li sunnatinā tahwīlā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes that the Sunnah (established way, pattern, or law) of Allah regarding His messengers is unchangeable and constant—what befell the previous prophets will similarly befall Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Ibn Kathir explains that Allah is informing the Prophet that the trials, persecutions, and ultimate triumph experienced by earlier messengers represent a divine pattern that applies universally to all prophets. Al-Tabari emphasizes that "Sunnatinā" (Our Sunnah) refers to Allah's immutable laws and ways of dealing with humanity, which cannot be altered or changed.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Isra, which discusses the Prophet's Night Journey (Isra' wal-Mi'raj) and provides him comfort and reassurance during the Meccan period of intense persecution. The verse serves to console the Prophet and believers by reminding them that prophets throughout history faced similar opposition, establishing a divine precedent of trial followed by divine support.
Related Hadiths
The Hadith of Khabbab ibn al-Aratt (Sahih Bukhari) wherein he asks the Prophet why he doesn't pray for Allah's help against the Quraysh, and the Prophet responds by relating stories of previous believers who were tortured but remained steadfast, illustrating the same divine pattern mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers facing hardships can find solace in knowing that trials are part of Allah's established pattern for prophets and the righteous, and that perseverance through such trials is itself a divine Sunnah that leads to ultimate success. This teaches us to view our struggles not as anomalies but as part of a greater divine plan that has proven successful throughout prophetic history.
Related Ayahs
أَوْ يَكُونَ لَكَ بَيْتٌ مِّن زُخْرُفٍ أَوْ تَرْقَىٰ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَلَن نُّؤْمِنَ لِرُقِيِّكَ حَتَّىٰ تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا كِتَـٰبًا نَّقْرَؤُهُۥ ۗ قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّى هَلْ كُنتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَّسُولًا
Or you have a house of ornament [i.e., gold] or you ascend into the sky. And [even then], we will not believe in your ascension until you bring down to us a book we may read." Say, "Exalted is my Lord! Was I ever but a human messenger?"
وَلَا تَقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَوْلَـٰدَكُمْ خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَـٰقٍ ۖ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ قَتْلَهُمْ كَانَ خِطْـًٔا كَبِيرًا
And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Indeed, their killing is ever a great sin.
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحَاطَ بِٱلنَّاسِ ۚ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا ٱلرُّءْيَا ٱلَّتِىٓ أَرَيْنَـٰكَ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَٱلشَّجَرَةَ ٱلْمَلْعُونَةَ فِى ٱلْقُرْءَانِ ۚ وَنُخَوِّفُهُمْ فَمَا يَزِيدُهُمْ إِلَّا طُغْيَـٰنًا كَبِيرًا
And [remember, O Muḥammad], when We told you, "Indeed, your Lord has encompassed the people." And We did not make the sight which We showed you except as a trial for the people, as was the accursed tree [mentioned] in the Qur’ān. And We threaten [i.e., warn] them, but it increases them not except in great transgression.
وَقَالُوا۟ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ تَفْجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ يَنۢبُوعًا
And they say, "We will not believe you until you break open for us from the ground a spring