سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْۣبِيَآءِ
Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 42
قُلْ مَن يَكْلَؤُكُم بِٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ مِنَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ۗ بَلْ هُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ رَبِّهِم مُّعْرِضُونَ ﴿42﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Say: "Who can guard and protect you in the night or in the day from the (punishment of the) Most Gracious (Allâh)?" Nay, but they turn away from the remembrance of their Lord.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قُلْ
qul
Say
مَن
man
Who
يَكْلَؤُكُم
yakla-ukum
(can) protect you
بِٱلَّيْلِ
bi-al-layli
in the night
وَٱلنَّهَارِ
wal-nahāri
and the day
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ۗ
l-raḥmāni
the Most Gracious
بَلْ
bal
Yet
هُمْ
hum
they
عَن
ʿan
from
ذِكْرِ
dhik'ri
(the) remembrance
رَبِّهِم
rabbihim
(of) their Lord
مُّعْرِضُونَ
muʿ'riḍūna
turn away
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 42) ➊ {قُلْ مَنْ يَّكْلَؤُكُمْ بِالَّيْلِ …:’’ كَلَأَ يَكْلَؤُ ‘‘} (F) means to guard, to protect. (Qamus) By {’’ مِنَ الرَّحْمٰنِ ‘‘} is meant {’’مِنْ أَمْرِ الرَّحْمَانِ‘‘} or {’’مِنْ عَذَابِ الرَّحْمٰنِ‘‘}. (Tabari, etc.) In the previous verse, there was mention of the past nations who mocked the messengers being surrounded by Allah’s punishment; in this verse, the address is to the present disbelievers: Who is there that can protect you from the punishment of the Most Merciful, which may come at any time, night or day? In reality, this question is to leave the disbelievers speechless, because if they answer, they will have to admit that from the countless calamities and misfortunes that occur day and night, no one but Allah protects them or can save them, so they will not answer this question at all. {’’ بَلْ هُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ رَبِّهِمْ مُّعْرِضُوْنَ ‘‘} Rather, they will avoid giving such an answer in which their Lord is mentioned. (Al-Tashil) Zamakhshari said: “Rather, they have turned away from the mention (remembrance or admonition) of their Lord; how will they fear His punishment?”
➋ Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) has interpreted {’’ مِنَ الرَّحْمٰنِ ‘‘} as {’’ بَدْلَ الرَّحْمَانِ ‘‘}, meaning: Who is there, besides the Most Merciful, who protects you from the countless calamities that occur day and night? Obviously, there is no such one.
➌ In the word { ’’ الرَّحْمٰنِ ‘‘} there is an indication that the protection of all humans, even the disbelievers, from the countless calamities and incidents that occur day and night, for a certain time, is a result of Allah’s attribute of mercy, as Allah has said: «{ لَهٗ مُعَقِّبٰتٌ مِّنْۢ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَ مِنْ خَلْفِهٖ يَحْفَظُوْنَهٗ مِنْ اَمْرِ اللّٰهِ }» [ الرعد : ۱۱ ] “For him (man) there are successive angels before him and behind him, who guard him from Allah’s command (i.e., from punishment and other calamities).”
➍ In {’’ قُلْ مَنْ يَّكْلَؤُكُمْ ‘‘} the disbelievers are addressed, then, to express aversion, they are mentioned in the third person, that {’’ بَلْ هُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ رَبِّهِمْ مُّعْرِضُوْنَ ‘‘} meaning they are not even worthy of being addressed. This is called iltifat. For another example of this, see Surah Yunus (22).
➋ Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) has interpreted {’’ مِنَ الرَّحْمٰنِ ‘‘} as {’’ بَدْلَ الرَّحْمَانِ ‘‘}, meaning: Who is there, besides the Most Merciful, who protects you from the countless calamities that occur day and night? Obviously, there is no such one.
➌ In the word { ’’ الرَّحْمٰنِ ‘‘} there is an indication that the protection of all humans, even the disbelievers, from the countless calamities and incidents that occur day and night, for a certain time, is a result of Allah’s attribute of mercy, as Allah has said: «{ لَهٗ مُعَقِّبٰتٌ مِّنْۢ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَ مِنْ خَلْفِهٖ يَحْفَظُوْنَهٗ مِنْ اَمْرِ اللّٰهِ }» [ الرعد : ۱۱ ] “For him (man) there are successive angels before him and behind him, who guard him from Allah’s command (i.e., from punishment and other calamities).”
➍ In {’’ قُلْ مَنْ يَّكْلَؤُكُمْ ‘‘} the disbelievers are addressed, then, to express aversion, they are mentioned in the third person, that {’’ بَلْ هُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ رَبِّهِمْ مُّعْرِضُوْنَ ‘‘} meaning they are not even worthy of being addressed. This is called iltifat. For another example of this, see Surah Yunus (22).
