سُوْرَةُ الزُّمَرِ
Surah Az-Zumar (39) — Ayah 7
إِن تَكْفُرُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ عَنكُمْ ۖ وَلَا يَرْضَىٰ لِعِبَادِهِ ٱلْكُفْرَ ۖ وَإِن تَشْكُرُوا۟ يَرْضَهُ لَكُمْ ۗ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ ۗ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُم مَّرْجِعُكُمْ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيمٌۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ ﴿7﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
If you disbelieve, then verily, Allâh is not in need of you; He likes not disbelief for His slaves. And if you are grateful (by being believers), He is pleased therewith for you. No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you what you used to do. Verily, He is the All-Knower of that which is in (men’s) breasts.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِن
in
If
تَكْفُرُوا۟
takfurū
you disbelieve
فَإِنَّ
fa-inna
then indeed
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
غَنِىٌّ
ghaniyyun
(is) free from need
عَنكُمْ ۖ
ʿankum
of you
وَلَا
walā
And not
يَرْضَىٰ
yarḍā
He likes
لِعِبَادِهِ
liʿibādihi
in His slaves
ٱلْكُفْرَ ۖ
l-kuf'ra
ungratefulness
وَإِن
wa-in
And if
تَشْكُرُوا۟
tashkurū
you are grateful
يَرْضَهُ
yarḍahu
He likes it
لَكُمْ ۗ
lakum
in you
وَلَا
walā
And not
تَزِرُ
taziru
will bear
وَازِرَةٌۭ
wāziratun
bearer of burdens
وِزْرَ
wiz'ra
(the) burden
أُخْرَىٰ ۗ
ukh'rā
(of) another
ثُمَّ
thumma
Then
إِلَىٰ
ilā
to
رَبِّكُم
rabbikum
your Lord
مَّرْجِعُكُمْ
marjiʿukum
(is) your return
فَيُنَبِّئُكُم
fayunabbi-ukum
then He will inform you
بِمَا
bimā
about what
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you used to
تَعْمَلُونَ ۚ
taʿmalūna
do
إِنَّهُۥ
innahu
Indeed, He
عَلِيمٌۢ
ʿalīmun
(is) the All-Knower
بِذَاتِ
bidhāti
of what (is) in the breasts
ٱلصُّدُورِ
l-ṣudūri
of what (is) in the breasts
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 7) ➊ { اِنْ تَكْفُرُوْا فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنْكُمْ :} The meaning of kufr is also ingratitude and denial, that is, if you are ungrateful for Allah’s blessings, which have been mentioned above, or if you choose kufr instead of faith, then surely Allah is very independent of you, He is in no way in need of you, neither does He benefit from your gratitude or faith, nor is He harmed by your ingratitude or kufr, you alone are in every way in need of Him. See also Surah Ibrahim (8).
➋ { وَ لَا يَرْضٰى لِعِبَادِهِ الْكُفْرَ :} Yes, He does not like kufr and ingratitude for His servants. Here it is noteworthy that instead of saying {’’وَلَا يَرْضٰي لَكُمُ الْكُفْرَ‘‘} (He does not like ingratitude for you), it is said that He does not like ingratitude for His ‘ibad (servants). The meaning is that no master likes ingratitude from his slaves, think about yourself, would you like ingratitude and rebellion from any of your slaves, even though the slave is a human like you? Then how would Allah like ingratitude and kufr from His slaves, when they are created by Him and in every way in need of Him?
➌ Here it should be remembered that Allah’s will (mashiyyah) and intention is one thing, and His pleasure and liking is another. In the world, nothing can happen without His will and intention, but He has given humans and jinn a certain degree of choice, if they wish, they can show gratitude for His blessings and believe in Him and act upon His commands, or if they wish, they can be ungrateful and commit kufr and disobey His commands. There are countless wisdoms in giving this choice, one of which is the testing of His servants, but He does not like that His servants, being His slaves, show ingratitude and disobedience. For example, the kufr of Iblis and all disbelievers is also by His will and intention, they are not overpowering Allah, but are committing kufr only because of the choice given by Him, but Allah does not like their kufr.
➍ {وَ اِنْ تَشْكُرُوْا يَرْضَهُ لَكُمْ: ’’ يَرْضَهُ ‘‘} Originally it is {’’يَرْضَاهُ‘‘}, due to being the result of a conditional clause, it has been given jazm, because of which the “alif” has dropped. The pronoun in { ’’هٗ‘‘} is referring to the gratitude found in {’’ تَشْكُرُوْا ‘‘}, meaning if you are grateful, Allah will like this gratitude for you.
➎ { وَ لَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِّزْرَ اُخْرٰى :} That is, every person among you is responsible for his own deeds, if he chooses kufr on someone else’s saying or to please someone else, then no one will bear the burden of his kufr. For the reason why {’’ وَازِرَةٌ ‘‘} is feminine and for more details, see the tafsir of Surah Fatir, Ayah (18).
➏ { ثُمَّ اِلٰى رَبِّكُمْ مَّرْجِعُكُمْ … :} That is, in this world you have the choice of gratitude or kufr, but in the end you all have to return to Allah, Who created you in the beginning. He will inform you and reward you for the very deeds you used to do, it will not happen that someone else’s deeds are placed upon you, nor will your good or bad deeds be erased.
➐ { اِنَّهٗ عَلِيْمٌۢ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُوْرِ:} This is the reason for the previous sentence, that is, it is not difficult for Allah to present the deeds of every person among you before Him, because He is fully aware of what is in the hearts, then how can any word or deed remain hidden from Him?
➋ { وَ لَا يَرْضٰى لِعِبَادِهِ الْكُفْرَ :} Yes, He does not like kufr and ingratitude for His servants. Here it is noteworthy that instead of saying {’’وَلَا يَرْضٰي لَكُمُ الْكُفْرَ‘‘} (He does not like ingratitude for you), it is said that He does not like ingratitude for His ‘ibad (servants). The meaning is that no master likes ingratitude from his slaves, think about yourself, would you like ingratitude and rebellion from any of your slaves, even though the slave is a human like you? Then how would Allah like ingratitude and kufr from His slaves, when they are created by Him and in every way in need of Him?
➌ Here it should be remembered that Allah’s will (mashiyyah) and intention is one thing, and His pleasure and liking is another. In the world, nothing can happen without His will and intention, but He has given humans and jinn a certain degree of choice, if they wish, they can show gratitude for His blessings and believe in Him and act upon His commands, or if they wish, they can be ungrateful and commit kufr and disobey His commands. There are countless wisdoms in giving this choice, one of which is the testing of His servants, but He does not like that His servants, being His slaves, show ingratitude and disobedience. For example, the kufr of Iblis and all disbelievers is also by His will and intention, they are not overpowering Allah, but are committing kufr only because of the choice given by Him, but Allah does not like their kufr.
➍ {وَ اِنْ تَشْكُرُوْا يَرْضَهُ لَكُمْ: ’’ يَرْضَهُ ‘‘} Originally it is {’’يَرْضَاهُ‘‘}, due to being the result of a conditional clause, it has been given jazm, because of which the “alif” has dropped. The pronoun in { ’’هٗ‘‘} is referring to the gratitude found in {’’ تَشْكُرُوْا ‘‘}, meaning if you are grateful, Allah will like this gratitude for you.
➎ { وَ لَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِّزْرَ اُخْرٰى :} That is, every person among you is responsible for his own deeds, if he chooses kufr on someone else’s saying or to please someone else, then no one will bear the burden of his kufr. For the reason why {’’ وَازِرَةٌ ‘‘} is feminine and for more details, see the tafsir of Surah Fatir, Ayah (18).
➏ { ثُمَّ اِلٰى رَبِّكُمْ مَّرْجِعُكُمْ … :} That is, in this world you have the choice of gratitude or kufr, but in the end you all have to return to Allah, Who created you in the beginning. He will inform you and reward you for the very deeds you used to do, it will not happen that someone else’s deeds are placed upon you, nor will your good or bad deeds be erased.
➐ { اِنَّهٗ عَلِيْمٌۢ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُوْرِ:} This is the reason for the previous sentence, that is, it is not difficult for Allah to present the deeds of every person among you before Him, because He is fully aware of what is in the hearts, then how can any word or deed remain hidden from Him?
