قَالَتْ لَهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ إِن نَّحْنُ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَمُنُّ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ ۖ وَمَا كَانَ لَنَآ أَن نَّأْتِيَكُم بِسُلْطَـٰنٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ 11
Translations
Their messengers said to them, "We are only men like you, but Allāh confers favor upon whom He wills of His servants. It has never been for us to bring you evidence except by permission of Allāh. And upon Allāh let the believers rely.
Transliteration
Qalat lahum rusuluhum in nahnu illa basharun mithlukum wa-lakinna Allaha yamunnu ala man yashau min ibadih wa-ma kana lana an natiykum bisultanin illa bi-idhni Allahi wa-ala Allahi falyatawakkali al-mu'minun
Tafsir (Explanation)
The messengers respond to their people's rejection by clarifying that they are ordinary human beings like them, not angels or divine beings, but Allah has granted them prophethood as a special favor to whom He wills among His servants. They emphasize that they cannot produce miracles or proofs (sulṭān) except by Allah's permission, thereby redirecting their people's trust entirely to Allah rather than relying on the messengers' own authority. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse refutes the false objections of disbelievers who rejected prophethood based on the messengers' human nature, while simultaneously teaching believers that true reliance must be placed on Allah alone.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the narrative of Surah Ibrahim, which recounts the stories of multiple prophets (Noah, Abraham, Moses, etc.) and their peoples' responses. The verse reflects the common pattern of rejection the messengers faced when their people demanded miracles or refused to accept guidance from ordinary humans. It serves as a response to the universal objection: 'How can we follow someone who is merely human like us?'
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'I am only a human being like you; I forget as you forget. So if I forget, remind me' (Sahih Bukhari 1/196). Additionally, the principle of tawakkul (reliance on Allah) is emphasized in numerous hadiths, such as: 'Rely upon Allah as He deserves to be relied upon' (Tirmidhi, Jami' at-Tirmidhi).
Themes
Key Lesson
This verse teaches believers that prophethood is a divine grace granted by Allah's will, not an inherent superiority of the messenger, and that true faith requires placing one's ultimate trust in Allah rather than in any human intermediary, regardless of their spiritual station. It also serves as a reminder that accepting guidance from ordinary humans through whom Allah speaks is not diminishing to faith, but rather demonstrates genuine submission to Allah's will.