قُل لَّآ أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِى ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۗ لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ ۚ إِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَلَا يَسْتَـْٔخِرُونَ سَاعَةً ۖ وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ 49
Translations
Say, "I possess not for myself any harm or benefit except what Allāh should will. For every nation is a [specified] term. When their time has come, then they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede [it]."
Transliteration
Qul lā amliku li-nafsī darra wa-lā nafa'an illā mā shā'a Allāh. Li-kulli ummatin ajalun. Idhā jā'a ajaluhum fa-lā yastakhirun sā'atan wa-lā yastaqdimu
Tafsir (Explanation)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is commanded to declare that he possesses no power to cause harm or benefit to himself except by Allah's will, establishing his complete dependence on divine authority. This statement refutes the polytheists' expectations that the Prophet could provide material benefits or prevent harm through his own power. The ayah further establishes that every nation has a fixed appointed term (ajal), and when that time arrives, they cannot delay it by even an hour, nor can they advance it—a principle demonstrating Allah's absolute sovereignty over life, death, and the destinies of peoples.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs in Surah Yunus, a Meccan surah revealed during the early period of Islamic preaching when the Prophet faced rejection and demands from the polytheists for material miracles and worldly benefits. The verse contextually responds to the Quraysh's skepticism and their unrealistic expectations of the Prophet's capabilities, establishing clear boundaries between the Prophet's role and Allah's exclusive divine powers.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Muslim from 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas states: 'The Prophet said, 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family,' emphasizing human limitation in controlling outcomes. Additionally, the hadith in Jami' at-Tirmidhi about 'Umar's statement regarding reliance on Allah reflects the principle that humans must acknowledge their helplessness except through divine will.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us profound humility by reminding us that our power to benefit or protect ourselves is entirely dependent on Allah's will, which should lead believers to abandon reliance on material means alone and place their ultimate trust in the Divine. It also provides solace to the believer that our appointed times are determined by Allah alone, freeing us from anxiety about premature death or延延 of destined events, and encouraging us to focus on righteous deeds rather than futile worry about the unknowable future.