إِنَّمَا تُنذِرُ مَنِ ٱتَّبَعَ ٱلذِّكْرَ وَخَشِىَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنَ بِٱلْغَيْبِ ۖ فَبَشِّرْهُ بِمَغْفِرَةٍ وَأَجْرٍ كَرِيمٍ 11
Translations
You can only warn one who follows the message and fears the Most Merciful unseen. So give him good tidings of forgiveness and noble reward.
Transliteration
Innama tundhiru mani ittaba'a adh-dhikra wa khashiya ar-Rahmana bil-ghayb, fa bashshirhu bi maghfirah wa ajrin kareem.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah clarifies that true warning (admonition) only reaches those who follow the Qur'an (adh-dhikr) and fear Allah in secret when no one is watching. Ibn Kathir explains that such believers—those who maintain taqwa (God-consciousness) in both public and private—are the only ones receptive to divine guidance. The ayah then instructs the Prophet to give them glad tidings of forgiveness and a generous reward, emphasizing that sincere believers who internalize the Qur'anic message receive both divine mercy and honor.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Ya-Sin's discussion of how people respond differently to the Qur'an and divine warnings. It comes after verses addressing those who reject the message, providing contrast by highlighting the characteristics of those who truly benefit from warning. The surah addresses the challenges the Prophet faced in Mecca when many rejected his message despite its clarity.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027). Additionally, 'Whoever fears Allah secretly, Allah will love them' relates to the concept of fearing Allah bil-ghayb (in the unseen).
Themes
Key Lesson
True faith is demonstrated not by outward displays alone, but by sincere devotion to Allah's guidance when no one is observing. Modern believers should cultivate internal God-consciousness and earnest study of the Qur'an, knowing that such sincere effort brings divine forgiveness and abundant reward from Allah.