مَّا يَفْتَحِ ٱللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِن رَّحْمَةٍ فَلَا مُمْسِكَ لَهَا ۖ وَمَا يُمْسِكْ فَلَا مُرْسِلَ لَهُۥ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ 2
Translations
Whatever Allāh grants to people of mercy - none can withhold it; and whatever He withholds - none can release it thereafter. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
Transliteration
Mā yaftahu Allāhu li-an-nāsi min rahmatin falā mumsika lahā wa-mā yumsik falā mursilā lahū min ba'dihī wa-huwa al-'Azīzu al-Hakīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphasizes Allah's absolute sovereignty over mercy and provision: whatever mercy Allah opens for people, none can withhold it, and whatever He withholds, none can release it after Him. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir interpret this as affirming Allah's complete control over sustenance, forgiveness, guidance, and all forms of grace, while also establishing that no creature possesses independent power to grant or deny what Allah has decreed. The concluding names—Al-'Azīz (The Mighty) and Al-Hakīm (The All-Wise)—reinforce that His sovereignty is rooted in both absolute power and perfect wisdom.
Revelation Context
Surah Fatir is a Meccan chapter addressing the fundamental themes of tawhīd (monotheism) and Allah's unique attributes. This ayah appears early in the surah as part of its opening theological framework, establishing Allah's absolute authority and negating any partnership in His dominion—a crucial message for polytheistic Meccan society. The broader context emphasizes creation and Allah's lordship.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said in a du'ā': 'O Allah, there is no withholder of what You give, and no giver of what You withhold' (Sahih Bukhari 6373). This hadith directly echoes the meaning of Ayah 35:2, affirming that only Allah controls the opening and closing of provision.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that true reliance (tawakkul) must be placed solely in Allah, as no human intermediary, wealth, or power can secure provision or mercy independent of His will. It liberates the heart from anxiety about subsistence and encourages complete trust in Allah's decree, knowing that His control is both omnipotent and perfectly wise.