وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ ٱلْأُمُورُ 109
Translations
To Allāh belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And to Allāh will [all] matters be returned.
Transliteration
Wa lillahi ma fi as-samawati wa ma fi al-ard. Wa ila Allah turja'u al-umur.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms Allah's absolute ownership and dominion over everything in the heavens and on earth, and that all matters ultimately return to Him for judgment and decision. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize this as a foundational principle of Islamic theology, asserting that all creation belongs exclusively to Allah, and every affair—whether cosmic or human—is ultimately subject to His will and wisdom. Al-Qurtubi notes that this ayah serves as a consolation to believers that despite worldly trials, ultimate authority and justice rest with Allah alone.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Medinan period within Surah Ali 'Imran, a chapter that emphasizes monotheism and addresses disputes with People of the Book. The broader context (3:109-110) discusses Allah's sovereignty and the ummah's responsibility as witnesses to truth, reflecting the early Muslim community's need to anchor their faith in Allah's absolute authority amid religious and political challenges.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah, for Allah says, "To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth"' (referenced in various tafsir works). Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Muslim regarding the Day of Judgment emphasizes that all matters return to Allah: 'On the Day of Resurrection, the earth will shine with the light of its Lord.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to recognize that true power and ownership belong only to Allah, which should free us from anxiety about worldly possessions and conflicts—knowing that all matters ultimately rest in the hands of the All-Wise. It is a call to surrender our affairs to Allah and trust in His judgment, fostering spiritual humility and detachment from material preoccupations.
Related Ayahs
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ جَزَآؤُهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَجَنَّـٰتٌ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ وَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ ٱلْعَـٰمِلِينَ
Those - their reward is forgiveness from their Lord and gardens beneath which rivers flow [in Paradise], wherein they will abide eternally; and excellent is the reward of the [righteous] workers.
كَدَأْبِ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ
[Theirs is] like the custom of the people of Pharaoh and those before them. They denied Our signs, so Allāh seized them for their sins. And Allāh is severe in penalty.
وَلَا يَحْزُنكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْكُفْرِ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ لَن يَضُرُّوا۟ ٱللَّهَ شَيْـًٔا ۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَلَّا يَجْعَلَ لَهُمْ حَظًّا فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
And do not be grieved, [O Muḥammad], by those who hasten into disbelief. Indeed, they will never harm Allāh at all. Allāh intends that He should give them no share in the Hereafter, and for them is a great punishment.
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجْعَل لِّىٓ ءَايَةً ۖ قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَـٰثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلَّا رَمْزًا ۗ وَٱذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحْ بِٱلْعَشِىِّ وَٱلْإِبْكَـٰرِ
He said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." He said, "Your sign is that you will not [be able to] speak to the people for three days except by gesture. And remember your Lord much and exalt [Him with praise] in the evening and the morning."