سُوْرَةُ الْقَصَصِ
Surah Al-Qasas (28) — Ayah 86
وَمَا كُنتَ تَرْجُوٓا۟ أَن يُلْقَىٰٓ إِلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ ۖ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ ظَهِيرًا لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ﴿86﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And you were not expecting that the Book (this Qur’ân) would be sent down to you, but it is a mercy from your Lord. So never be a supporter of the disbelievers.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَا
wamā
And not
كُنتَ
kunta
you were
تَرْجُوٓا۟
tarjū
expecting
أَن
an
that
يُلْقَىٰٓ
yul'qā
would be sent down
إِلَيْكَ
ilayka
to you
ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ
l-kitābu
the Book
إِلَّا
illā
except
رَحْمَةًۭ
raḥmatan
(as) a mercy
مِّن
min
from
رَّبِّكَ ۖ
rabbika
your Lord
فَلَا
falā
So (do) not
تَكُونَنَّ
takūnanna
be
ظَهِيرًۭا
ẓahīran
an assistant
لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
lil'kāfirīna
to the disbelievers
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 86) ➊ { وَ مَا كُنْتَ تَرْجُوْۤا اَنْ يُّلْقٰۤى اِلَيْكَ الْكِتٰبُ …:} The conditions through which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was passing in Makkah Mukarramah, and the way the disbelievers had made life unbearable for him and his companions, in such circumstances, this prophecy that your Lord will bring you back to this magnificent place after migration, apparently seemed like a prediction of an impossible event. To reassure you, Allah mentioned a favor that was far greater than this. He said, you are amazed and this matter seems very unlikely to you that you will return to your city in a most honorable manner, so just reflect on your prophethood—did you ever even think, or did such a thought or desire ever arise in your heart, that you would become the Messenger of Allah? Despite this, Allah granted you this blessing and chose you for prophethood, which was not even in your imagination, so how could He deprive you of such news which you desire and long for.
➋ This verse is also a powerful proof that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is truly the Messenger of Allah. It explains that prophethood and messengership are solely Allah’s selection; even those whom He chooses do not know that they will receive such a great blessing. It is the way of false claimants of prophethood that they start advertising their prophethood beforehand. Earlier in this surah, the mention of Musa (peace be upon him) receiving prophethood is made, and that too happened suddenly. Musa (peace be upon him) did not even have a suspicion or thought of it. Likewise, when Jibreel (peace be upon him) came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the cave of Hira, it was sudden. Allah has mentioned this as a proof of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) being a true Messenger in several places—that an unlettered person, whose forty years of life passed before everyone, who neither knew how to write nor read, although he was already characterized by truthfulness, trustworthiness, and noble character, yet neither did anyone imagine this nor did he himself ever hope that he would be given such a book that even if the entire universe gathered, they could not produce a single surah like it except Allah. Thus, elsewhere He said: «{ وَ كَذٰلِكَ اَوْحَيْنَاۤ اِلَيْكَ رُوْحًا مِّنْ اَمْرِنَا مَا كُنْتَ تَدْرِيْ مَا الْكِتٰبُ وَ لَا الْاِيْمَانُ وَ لٰكِنْ جَعَلْنٰهُ نُوْرًا نَّهْدِيْ بِهٖ مَنْ نَّشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا وَ اِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِيْۤ اِلٰى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيْمٍ }» [ الشورٰی : ۵۲ ] “And thus We have revealed to you a Spirit by Our command. You did not know what the Book was nor what faith was, but We made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants. And indeed, you surely guide to a straight path.” In another place, He explicitly stated that these are news of the unseen which We are revealing to you; before this, neither you knew them nor your people. He said: «{ تِلْكَ مِنْ اَنْۢبَآءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوْحِيْهَاۤ اِلَيْكَ مَا كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُهَاۤ اَنْتَ وَ لَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْ قَبْلِ هٰذَا }» [ ھود : ۴۹ ] “These are from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you; neither you nor your people knew them before this.”
➌ { فَلَا تَكُوْنَنَّ ظَهِيْرًا لِّلْكٰفِرِيْنَ :} After reminding of the blessing of granting the Book and prophethood, Allah gave five commands, the first of which is that among your people, the Quraysh, and your brothers and relatives, those who are not supporting you in the matter of religion, rather have turned to opposition, you must not support them nor assist them in any way.
➋ This verse is also a powerful proof that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is truly the Messenger of Allah. It explains that prophethood and messengership are solely Allah’s selection; even those whom He chooses do not know that they will receive such a great blessing. It is the way of false claimants of prophethood that they start advertising their prophethood beforehand. Earlier in this surah, the mention of Musa (peace be upon him) receiving prophethood is made, and that too happened suddenly. Musa (peace be upon him) did not even have a suspicion or thought of it. Likewise, when Jibreel (peace be upon him) came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the cave of Hira, it was sudden. Allah has mentioned this as a proof of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) being a true Messenger in several places—that an unlettered person, whose forty years of life passed before everyone, who neither knew how to write nor read, although he was already characterized by truthfulness, trustworthiness, and noble character, yet neither did anyone imagine this nor did he himself ever hope that he would be given such a book that even if the entire universe gathered, they could not produce a single surah like it except Allah. Thus, elsewhere He said: «{ وَ كَذٰلِكَ اَوْحَيْنَاۤ اِلَيْكَ رُوْحًا مِّنْ اَمْرِنَا مَا كُنْتَ تَدْرِيْ مَا الْكِتٰبُ وَ لَا الْاِيْمَانُ وَ لٰكِنْ جَعَلْنٰهُ نُوْرًا نَّهْدِيْ بِهٖ مَنْ نَّشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا وَ اِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِيْۤ اِلٰى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيْمٍ }» [ الشورٰی : ۵۲ ] “And thus We have revealed to you a Spirit by Our command. You did not know what the Book was nor what faith was, but We made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants. And indeed, you surely guide to a straight path.” In another place, He explicitly stated that these are news of the unseen which We are revealing to you; before this, neither you knew them nor your people. He said: «{ تِلْكَ مِنْ اَنْۢبَآءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوْحِيْهَاۤ اِلَيْكَ مَا كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُهَاۤ اَنْتَ وَ لَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْ قَبْلِ هٰذَا }» [ ھود : ۴۹ ] “These are from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you; neither you nor your people knew them before this.”
➌ { فَلَا تَكُوْنَنَّ ظَهِيْرًا لِّلْكٰفِرِيْنَ :} After reminding of the blessing of granting the Book and prophethood, Allah gave five commands, the first of which is that among your people, the Quraysh, and your brothers and relatives, those who are not supporting you in the matter of religion, rather have turned to opposition, you must not support them nor assist them in any way.
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.
86-1. That is, before prophethood, it was not even in your imagination or thought that you would be chosen for messengership and that the divine book would be revealed to you.
86-2. That is, being honored with prophethood and the book is the result of Allah's special mercy which has been bestowed upon you. From this, it is understood that prophethood is not something that can be attained through effort and striving. Allah Almighty has continued to honor whomever He wills among His servants with prophethood and messengership, just as He declared Muhammad ﷺ the last link in this golden chain and then brought it to an end.
86-3. Now, express gratitude for this blessing and divine favor in such a way that you do not help or support the disbelievers.
86-2. That is, being honored with prophethood and the book is the result of Allah's special mercy which has been bestowed upon you. From this, it is understood that prophethood is not something that can be attained through effort and striving. Allah Almighty has continued to honor whomever He wills among His servants with prophethood and messengership, just as He declared Muhammad ﷺ the last link in this golden chain and then brought it to an end.
86-3. Now, express gratitude for this blessing and divine favor in such a way that you do not help or support the disbelievers.
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.
86. You never expected that this Book [118] (the Qur’an) would be revealed to you. It is only a mercy from Allah. So never be a supporter of the disbelievers [119].
[118]
A Prophet Does Not Know He Will Receive Prophethood Until He Is Granted It:
From this verse, it is clearly understood that no prophet knows before being granted prophethood that he will be given prophethood. The incident of Prophet Musa ؑ being granted prophethood has been mentioned multiple times in the Quran: how, on a dark and cold night, he set out in search of fire after losing his way, and Allah called him and honored him with prophethood. Exactly the same situation occurred with you in the Cave of Hira. After the first revelation, you returned home in a state of anxiety and said: "Cover me, cover me." Then, when the anxiety subsided a little, you narrated the incident of the Cave of Hira to Khadijah and said: ﴿إنِّيْ خَشِيْتُ عَلٰي نَفْسِي﴾ meaning, "I even feared for my life." Then Khadijah took you to her cousin Waraqah bin Nawfal, who was a Christian scholar and a man of good character. He told you ﷺ that this was the same angel who used to descend upon Musa ؑ. [بخاری۔ کتاب الوحی۔ باب کیف بدا الوحی الیٰ رسول اللہﷺ]
How Are You the Best of the Prophets?
Another noteworthy point is that every prophet of his era is the best human being of his time. That is why Allah selects him for prophethood. After being granted prophethood, his virtue and honor increase further and continue to do so. One principle of Shariah is: «الدال على الخير كفاعله» meaning, "The one who guides towards good is like the one who does it." That is, he receives as much reward as the one who performs the deed. In this respect, every prophet is entitled to a reward equal to those of his ummah who perform righteous deeds, and this is his additional reward. And since the ummah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is more numerous than the ummahs of all other prophets, your superiority over all prophets is also established. This is the very virtue and honor regarding which Allah said: ﴿وَكَانَ فَضْلُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْكَ عَظِيْمًا﴾ [4:113] And this favor of Allah upon you, that you were granted prophethood and given the Book, was such a favor that you had no expectation of it at all.
[119] That is, if your people, the Quraysh, your brothers, and relatives are not supporting you in matters of religion, but have instead turned to opposition, then do not consider them your relatives, nor support them or side with them in any matter. Now, only those people are deserving of your help and support who have believed in you and are supporting you. And since Allah has bestowed such a great favor upon you, as gratitude for it, do not show any consideration or leniency towards your people in matters of religion. Nor should you consider yourself one of them. Yes, you must continue to invite them towards Allah, but do not allow any flexibility in the divine commands on account of kinship.
[118]
A Prophet Does Not Know He Will Receive Prophethood Until He Is Granted It:
From this verse, it is clearly understood that no prophet knows before being granted prophethood that he will be given prophethood. The incident of Prophet Musa ؑ being granted prophethood has been mentioned multiple times in the Quran: how, on a dark and cold night, he set out in search of fire after losing his way, and Allah called him and honored him with prophethood. Exactly the same situation occurred with you in the Cave of Hira. After the first revelation, you returned home in a state of anxiety and said: "Cover me, cover me." Then, when the anxiety subsided a little, you narrated the incident of the Cave of Hira to Khadijah and said: ﴿إنِّيْ خَشِيْتُ عَلٰي نَفْسِي﴾ meaning, "I even feared for my life." Then Khadijah took you to her cousin Waraqah bin Nawfal, who was a Christian scholar and a man of good character. He told you ﷺ that this was the same angel who used to descend upon Musa ؑ. [بخاری۔ کتاب الوحی۔ باب کیف بدا الوحی الیٰ رسول اللہﷺ]
How Are You the Best of the Prophets?
Another noteworthy point is that every prophet of his era is the best human being of his time. That is why Allah selects him for prophethood. After being granted prophethood, his virtue and honor increase further and continue to do so. One principle of Shariah is: «الدال على الخير كفاعله» meaning, "The one who guides towards good is like the one who does it." That is, he receives as much reward as the one who performs the deed. In this respect, every prophet is entitled to a reward equal to those of his ummah who perform righteous deeds, and this is his additional reward. And since the ummah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is more numerous than the ummahs of all other prophets, your superiority over all prophets is also established. This is the very virtue and honor regarding which Allah said: ﴿وَكَانَ فَضْلُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْكَ عَظِيْمًا﴾ [4:113] And this favor of Allah upon you, that you were granted prophethood and given the Book, was such a favor that you had no expectation of it at all.
[119] That is, if your people, the Quraysh, your brothers, and relatives are not supporting you in matters of religion, but have instead turned to opposition, then do not consider them your relatives, nor support them or side with them in any matter. Now, only those people are deserving of your help and support who have believed in you and are supporting you. And since Allah has bestowed such a great favor upon you, as gratitude for it, do not show any consideration or leniency towards your people in matters of religion. Nor should you consider yourself one of them. Yes, you must continue to invite them towards Allah, but do not allow any flexibility in the divine commands on account of kinship.
