سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 188
قُل لَّآ أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِى نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ ٱلْغَيْبَ لَٱسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ ٱلْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِىَ ٱلسُّوٓءُ ۚ إِنْ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿188﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "I possess no power over benefit or harm to myself except as Allâh wills. If I had the knowledge of the Ghaib (Unseen), I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings unto people who believe."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قُل
qul
Say
لَّآ
lā
Not
أَمْلِكُ
amliku
I have power
لِنَفْسِى
linafsī
for myself
نَفْعًۭا
nafʿan
(to) benefit
وَلَا
walā
and no
ضَرًّا
ḍarran
(power to) harm
إِلَّا
illā
except
مَا
mā
what
شَآءَ
shāa
wills
ٱللَّهُ ۚ
l-lahu
Allah
وَلَوْ
walaw
And if
كُنتُ
kuntu
I would
أَعْلَمُ
aʿlamu
know
ٱلْغَيْبَ
l-ghayba
(of) the unseen
لَٱسْتَكْثَرْتُ
la-is'takthartu
surely I could have multiplied
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلْخَيْرِ
l-khayri
the good
وَمَا
wamā
and not
مَسَّنِىَ
massaniya
(could) have touched me
ٱلسُّوٓءُ ۚ
l-sūu
the evil
إِنْ
in
Not
أَنَا۠
anā
(am) I
إِلَّا
illā
except
نَذِيرٌۭ
nadhīrun
a warner
وَبَشِيرٌۭ
wabashīrun
and a bearer of good tidings
لِّقَوْمٍۢ
liqawmin
to a people
يُؤْمِنُونَ
yu'minūna
who believe
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.
188. 1. This verse is so clear in stating that the Prophet ﷺ is not the knower of the unseen. The knower of the unseen is only Allah, but it is the height of oppression and ignorance that, despite this, the people of innovation insist on attributing the knowledge of the unseen to the Prophet ﷺ. Whereas in some battles, even his blessed teeth were broken, his face was wounded, and the Prophet ﷺ said, "How will this nation succeed which has wounded the head of its Prophet?" These incidents, as well as the following incidents, are recorded in the books of hadith. When Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was accused, he remained anxious and extremely distressed for a whole month. A Jewish woman invited him and mixed poison in the food, which he ate, and the companions also ate, to the extent that some companions died from the poison in the food, and the Prophet ﷺ himself continued to feel the effects of this poison throughout his life. These and many similar incidents make it clear that due to lack of knowledge, he suffered these hardships and had to bear loss, which proves the reality stated by the Quran: "If I had known the unseen, no harm would have touched me."
