سُوْرَةُ المَآئِدَةِ
Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 117
مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلَّا مَآ أَمَرْتَنِى بِهِۦٓ أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبَّكُمْ ۚ وَكُنتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِى كُنتَ أَنتَ ٱلرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَأَنتَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ ﴿117﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"Never did I say to them aught except what You (Allâh) did command me to say: ‘Worship Allâh, my Lord and your Lord.’ And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them; and You are a Witness to all things. (This is a great admonition and warning to the Christians of the whole world).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
مَا
mā
Not
قُلْتُ
qul'tu
I said
لَهُمْ
lahum
to them
إِلَّا
illā
except
مَآ
mā
what
أَمَرْتَنِى
amartanī
You commanded me
بِهِۦٓ
bihi
[with it]
أَنِ
ani
that
ٱعْبُدُوا۟
uʿ'budū
You worship
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
رَبِّى
rabbī
my Lord
وَرَبَّكُمْ ۚ
warabbakum
and your Lord
وَكُنتُ
wakuntu
And I was
عَلَيْهِمْ
ʿalayhim
over them
شَهِيدًۭا
shahīdan
a witness
مَّا
mā
that
دُمْتُ
dum'tu
as long as I
فِيهِمْ ۖ
fīhim
(was) among them
فَلَمَّا
falammā
then when
تَوَفَّيْتَنِى
tawaffaytanī
You raised me
كُنتَ
kunta
You were
أَنتَ
anta
[You]
ٱلرَّقِيبَ
l-raqība
the Watcher
عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ
ʿalayhim
over them
وَأَنتَ
wa-anta
and You
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
(are) on
كُلِّ
kulli
every
شَىْءٍۢ
shayin
thing
شَهِيدٌ
shahīdun
a Witness
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.
117. 1 Hazrat Isa (peace be upon him) gave the call to the oneness of Allah and worship of the Lord even in the state of infancy, as mentioned in Surah Maryam, and also in the age of youth and maturity.
117. 2 The meaning of توفیتنی is when You took me up from the world, as its detail has already passed in Surah Al-Imran, verse 55. From this, it is understood that the prophets have only as much knowledge as is granted to them by Allah or what they witness with their own eyes during their lifetime. Apart from this, they do not have knowledge of anything. Whereas عالم الغیب is the one who, without being informed by anyone, has knowledge of everything, and His knowledge encompasses from eternity to eternity. This attribute of knowledge is found only in Allah; therefore, عالم الغیب is only the Being of Allah, and no one else is عالم الغیب. It is mentioned in the hadith that on the Day of Resurrection, some of your followers will begin to come towards the Prophet ﷺ, but the angels will seize them and take them to the other side. The Prophet ﷺ will say, "Let them come, they are my followers." The angels will come and inform, انک لاتدری ما احدثوا بعدک "O Muhammad ﷺ, you do not know what innovations they introduced in the religion after you." When the Prophet ﷺ hears this, he ﷺ will say, "At that time, I will also say what the righteous servant Hazrat Isa (peace be upon him) said: (وکنت علیھم شھیدا ما دمت فیھم فلما توفیتنی کنت انت الرقیب علیھم) (Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)"
117. 2 The meaning of توفیتنی is when You took me up from the world, as its detail has already passed in Surah Al-Imran, verse 55. From this, it is understood that the prophets have only as much knowledge as is granted to them by Allah or what they witness with their own eyes during their lifetime. Apart from this, they do not have knowledge of anything. Whereas عالم الغیب is the one who, without being informed by anyone, has knowledge of everything, and His knowledge encompasses from eternity to eternity. This attribute of knowledge is found only in Allah; therefore, عالم الغیب is only the Being of Allah, and no one else is عالم الغیب. It is mentioned in the hadith that on the Day of Resurrection, some of your followers will begin to come towards the Prophet ﷺ, but the angels will seize them and take them to the other side. The Prophet ﷺ will say, "Let them come, they are my followers." The angels will come and inform, انک لاتدری ما احدثوا بعدک "O Muhammad ﷺ, you do not know what innovations they introduced in the religion after you." When the Prophet ﷺ hears this, he ﷺ will say, "At that time, I will also say what the righteous servant Hazrat Isa (peace be upon him) said: (وکنت علیھم شھیدا ما دمت فیھم فلما توفیتنی کنت انت الرقیب علیھم) (Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)"
