لَهُۥ مُعَقِّبَـٰتٌ مِّنۢ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِۦ يَحْفَظُونَهُۥ مِنْ أَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا۟ مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ ۗ وَإِذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوٓءًا فَلَا مَرَدَّ لَهُۥ ۚ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ مِن وَالٍ 11
Translations
For him [i.e., each one] are successive [angels] before and behind him who protect him by the decree of Allāh. Indeed, Allāh will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And when Allāh intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it. And there is not for them besides Him any patron.
Transliteration
Lahu muʿaqqibātun min bayni yadayhi wa-min khalfihi yaḥfaẓūnahu min amri -llāh. Inna -llāha lā yughayyiru mā biqawmin ḥattā yughayyirū mā bi-anfusihim. Wa-idhā arāda -llāhu biqawmin sūʾan falā maradda lahu wa-mā lahum min dūnihi min wālin.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes the principle that Allah has appointed guardian angels who protect humans by His command, and more importantly, that Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that this verse demonstrates the interconnection between human agency and divine will: external change begins with internal reformation. The final clause warns that when Allah decrees hardship for a people, none can avert it, and they have no protector besides Him.
Revelation Context
Revealed in Medina during a period of testing for the Muslim community. This ayah appears in the context of Surah Ar-Ra'd, which discusses signs of Allah's power and the consequences of rejecting divine guidance. It addresses the broader theme of how societies rise and fall based on their spiritual and moral conditions, relevant to the emerging Muslim state facing opposition.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those who have the best character' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1162). Also relevant: 'Actions are judged by intentions, and each person will receive what they intended' (Sahih Bukhari 1), emphasizing that internal change precedes external transformation.
Themes
Key Lesson
Individual and societal progress requires sincere internal reformation before external circumstances can improve; believers must recognize that while Allah provides protection, they bear responsibility for their moral and spiritual condition. Modern readers should understand that blaming external circumstances alone, without addressing internal deficiencies of character and faith, misses the core message of accountability.