سُوْرَةُ الْاَحْقَافِ
Surah Al-Ahqaf (46) — Ayah 9
قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعًا مِّنَ ٱلرُّسُلِ وَمَآ أَدْرِى مَا يُفْعَلُ بِى وَلَا بِكُمْ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿9﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "I am not a new thing among the Messengers (of Allâh i.e. I am not the first Messenger) nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow that which is revealed to me, and I am but a plain warner."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قُلْ
qul
Say
مَا
mā
Not
كُنتُ
kuntu
I am
بِدْعًۭا
bid'ʿan
a new (one)
مِّنَ
mina
among
ٱلرُّسُلِ
l-rusuli
the Messengers
وَمَآ
wamā
and not
أَدْرِى
adrī
I know
مَا
mā
what
يُفْعَلُ
yuf'ʿalu
will be done
بِى
bī
with me
وَلَا
walā
and not
بِكُمْ ۖ
bikum
with you
إِنْ
in
Not
أَتَّبِعُ
attabiʿu
I follow
إِلَّا
illā
but
مَا
mā
what
يُوحَىٰٓ
yūḥā
is revealed
إِلَىَّ
ilayya
to me
وَمَآ
wamā
and not
أَنَا۠
anā
I am
إِلَّا
illā
but
نَذِيرٌۭ
nadhīrun
a warner
مُّبِينٌۭ
mubīnun
clear
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.
9. 1 That is, I am not the first and unique Messenger, rather, many Messengers have come before me.
9. 2 That is, in this world, will I remain in Makkah or will I be forced to leave here, will I die a natural death or will I be killed at your hands? Will you soon be subjected to punishment or will you be given a long respite? The knowledge of all these matters is only with Allah. I do not know what will happen to me or to you tomorrow. However, there is certain knowledge about the Hereafter that the people of faith will go to Paradise and the disbelievers to Hell. And in the hadith it is mentioned that upon the death of the Prophet ﷺ, when good expectations were expressed about him, he said: "By Allah, even though I am the Messenger of Allah, I do not know what will be done with him or with you ." (Sahih Bukhari). The author explains this means: "By Allah, despite being the Messenger of Allah, I do not know what will be done with him or with you on the Day of Resurrection." This negates the knowledge of the definite end of any particular person, except for those about whom there is a specific text, such as the ten given glad tidings of Paradise and the companions of Badr, etc.
9. 2 That is, in this world, will I remain in Makkah or will I be forced to leave here, will I die a natural death or will I be killed at your hands? Will you soon be subjected to punishment or will you be given a long respite? The knowledge of all these matters is only with Allah. I do not know what will happen to me or to you tomorrow. However, there is certain knowledge about the Hereafter that the people of faith will go to Paradise and the disbelievers to Hell. And in the hadith it is mentioned that upon the death of the Prophet ﷺ, when good expectations were expressed about him, he said: "By Allah, even though I am the Messenger of Allah, I do not know what will be done with him or with you ." (Sahih Bukhari). The author explains this means: "By Allah, despite being the Messenger of Allah, I do not know what will be done with him or with you on the Day of Resurrection." This negates the knowledge of the definite end of any particular person, except for those about whom there is a specific text, such as the ten given glad tidings of Paradise and the companions of Badr, etc.
