Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"So if you turn away, still I have conveyed the Message with which I was sent to you. My Lord will make another people succeed you, and you will not harm Him in the least. Surely, my Lord is Guardian over all things."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَإِنfa-inSo if
تَوَلَّوْا۟tawallawyou turn away
فَقَدْfaqadthen verily
أَبْلَغْتُكُمablaghtukumI have conveyed to you
مَّآmāwhat
أُرْسِلْتُur'sil'tuI was sent
بِهِۦٓbihiwith [it]
إِلَيْكُمْ ۚilaykumto you
وَيَسْتَخْلِفُwayastakhlifuAnd my Lord will give succession
رَبِّىrabbīAnd my Lord will give succession
قَوْمًاqawman(to) a people
غَيْرَكُمْghayrakumother than you
وَلَاwalāand not
تَضُرُّونَهُۥtaḍurrūnahuyou will harm Him
شَيْـًٔا ۚshayan(in) anything
إِنَّinnaIndeed
رَبِّىrabbīmy Lord
عَلَىٰʿalā(is) on
كُلِّkulliall
شَىْءٍshayinthings
حَفِيظٌۭḥafīẓuna Guardian
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 57) ➊ {فَاِنْتَوَلَّوْافَقَدْاَبْلَغْتُكُمْمَّاۤاُرْسِلْتُبِهٖۤاِلَيْكُمْ …: ’’ تَوَلَّوْا ‘‘} was originally {’’ تَتَوَلَّوْا ‘‘}; in the Arabic language, if there are two "taa" at the beginning of a verb, usually one is omitted. That is, the purpose of sending messengers is so that no one can say that Allah's message did not reach me, therefore I am excused. Now, if you do not believe, then by all means do not believe, but my duty is fulfilled and your excuse is finished. Now Allah's rule that "He does not punish without delivering the message" cannot be used as an excuse for you. Your disbelief does not make any difference to Allah. He will destroy you and bring other people in your place, and you will not be able to harm Him in the least. It is then His will whether He brings better people in your place, as He said: «{ وَاِنْتَتَوَلَّوْايَسْتَبْدِلْقَوْمًاغَيْرَكُمْثُمَّلَايَكُوْنُوْۤااَمْثَالَكُمْ }»[ محمد : ۳۸ ] "And if you turn away, He will replace you with other people, then they will not be like you." And it is also His will that if He wants, He can bring even worse people, as when the Children of Israel began corruption in the Holy Land, Allah imposed upon them even worse servants to punish them. See Surah Bani Isra'il (5 to 7).
➋ { اِنَّرَبِّيْعَلٰىكُلِّشَيْءٍحَفِيْظٌ: } That is, just as some ignorant philosophers say that Allah created the universe and made its laws, now it is running automatically according to those laws, this is completely wrong. My Lord created the universe, and the very meaning of "Rabb" is that He is the One Who is nurturing and sustaining it. Then He alone is the Protector. Everything is running under His supervision. This also refutes those polytheists and ignorant Sufis who say that Allah, after creating the creation, handed over its management to Qutbs, Ghawths, and such saints and elders with such self-invented titles, who are running and supervising it. Allah is now free, and He has given authority to His beloved ones. Allahu Akbar! How much resemblance and similarity there is between the polytheists of previous nations and the polytheists of our nation.
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
57. 1. That is, after this my responsibility ends and the proof will be complete upon you.
57. 2. That is, by destroying you, He can make others the owners of your lands and properties, and He is capable of doing so, and you cannot harm Him in any way; rather, He continues to do so according to His will and wisdom.
57. 3. Surely, He will also protect me from your deceptions, plots, and conspiracies, and will save me from satanic tricks; moreover, He will give every good and bad person a good or bad recompense according to their deeds.
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
57. So if you turn away, then I have already conveyed to you what I was sent to deliver to you. Now my Lord will replace you with another people, and you cannot harm Him in the least [65]. Surely, my Lord is Guardian over all things.
[65] Despite all these things, if you persist in your stubbornness and obstinacy, then Allah has full power to send punishment and destroy you. After that, He can bring other people to settle in your land, and you will not be able to harm Him in the least. Therefore, your well-being lies only in bringing faith in Allah and abandoning acts of shirk.