لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمْ أَن يَسْتَقِيمَ 28
Translations
For whoever wills among you to take a right course.
Transliteration
Liman sha-a minkum an yastaqim
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphasizes that the choice to follow the straight path and remain steadfast upon guidance is granted by Allah to whomever He wills among you. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that this underscores the divine will and predestination (qadr) in matters of guidance, while simultaneously establishing human responsibility and choice—a balance between Allah's decree and human agency. The ayah concludes Surah At-Takwir with a powerful reminder that both the capacity and the will to maintain righteousness are divine gifts.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears near the conclusion of Surah At-Takwir, a Meccan chapter focused on the Day of Judgment and the power of divine revelation. It serves as a fitting conclusion to the surah's themes, reminding the believers in Mecca that guidance is ultimately from Allah, contextualizing the surah's earlier warnings about accountability and the certainty of the resurrection.
Related Hadiths
The principle resonates with the hadith in Sahih Bukhari where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'None of you will have faith till he loves for his brother (or neighbor) what he loves for himself.' This relates to the collective nature of choosing guidance. Additionally, the hadith 'Verily, actions are by intentions' (Sahih Bukhari) complements the theme that sincere will and choice matter in pursuing the straight path.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that while guidance is a divine gift from Allah, we bear personal responsibility to sincerely will and choose righteousness; believers should recognize that staying on the straight path requires both Allah's grace and our deliberate commitment to goodness. The lesson invites reflection on how we exercise our God-given capacity for moral choice in daily life.