قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ فَٱسْتَقِيمُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ وَٱسْتَغْفِرُوهُ ۗ وَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُشْرِكِينَ 6
Translations
Say, [O Muḥammad], "I am only a man like you to whom it has been revealed that your god is but one God; so take a straight course to Him and seek His forgiveness." And woe to those who associate others with Allāh
Transliteration
Qul innama ana basharun mithlukum yuha ila anna ilahakum ilahun wahid fastaqimu ilayhi wastaghfiruh wa waylun lil-mushrikeen
Tafsir (Explanation)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is commanded to declare that he is merely a human like other humans, but he receives divine revelation confirming that their God is One God alone. Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir emphasize that this ayah addresses the Meccan polytheists who rejected the Prophet's message, possibly because they expected angels rather than a human messenger. The command to be steadfast toward Allah and seek His forgiveness serves as both an exhortation to believers and a final warning to those who associate partners with Allah, upon whom ruin (wail) is promised.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Fussilat, a Meccan surah revealed during the early period of Islamic propagation when the Quraysh rejected the Prophet's message. The context addresses the objections of Meccan disbelievers who doubted the Prophet's humanity and the oneness of Allah. It forms part of the broader Meccan emphasis on tawhid (monotheism) and the humanity of the messenger.
Related Hadiths
The principle reflected in this ayah relates to Sahih Muslim's hadith where the Prophet said, 'I am only a human being like you; I forget as you forget.' Additionally, Surah 18:110 carries a parallel message: 'Say, I am only a man like you to whom has been revealed that your god is one God.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that spiritual leadership and divine guidance do not require superhuman or angelic qualities, but rather sincere humanity coupled with divine revelation and moral integrity. For believers, it emphasizes that following the Prophet's example—staying steadfast toward Allah and continuously seeking His forgiveness—is the path to salvation, while rejection of monotheism leads to destruction.
Related Ayahs
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ أَرِنَا ٱلَّذَيْنِ أَضَلَّانَا مِنَ ٱلْجِنِّ وَٱلْإِنسِ نَجْعَلْهُمَا تَحْتَ أَقْدَامِنَا لِيَكُونَا مِنَ ٱلْأَسْفَلِينَ
And those who disbelieved will [then] say, "Our Lord, show us those who misled us of the jinn and men [so] we may put them under our feet that they will be among the lowest."
وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَسْتَتِرُونَ أَن يَشْهَدَ عَلَيْكُمْ سَمْعُكُمْ وَلَآ أَبْصَـٰرُكُمْ وَلَا جُلُودُكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن ظَنَنتُمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَعْلَمُ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
And you were not covering [i.e., protecting] yourselves, lest your hearing testify against you or your sight or your skins, but you assumed that Allāh does not know much of what you do.
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا مَا جَآءُوهَا شَهِدَ عَلَيْهِمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَأَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ وَجُلُودُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
Until, when they reach it, their hearing and their eyes and their skins will testify against them of what they used to do.
وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَدْعُونَ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَظَنُّوا۟ مَا لَهُم مِّن مَّحِيصٍ
And lost from them will be those they were invoking before, and they will be certain that they have no place of escape.