سُوْرَةُ فُصِّلَتۡ
Surah Fussilat (41) — Ayah 43
مَّا يُقَالُ لَكَ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ قِيلَ لِلرُّسُلِ مِن قَبْلِكَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغْفِرَةٍ وَذُو عِقَابٍ أَلِيمٍ ﴿43﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Nothing is said to you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) except what was said to the Messengers before you. Verily, your Lord is the Possessor of Forgiveness, and (also) the Possessor of Painful Punishment.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
مَّا
mā
Not
يُقَالُ
yuqālu
is said
لَكَ
laka
to you
إِلَّا
illā
except
مَا
mā
what
قَدْ
qad
was said
قِيلَ
qīla
was said
لِلرُّسُلِ
lilrrusuli
to the Messengers
مِن
min
before you
قَبْلِكَ ۚ
qablika
before you
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
رَبَّكَ
rabbaka
your Lord
لَذُو
ladhū
(is) Possessor
مَغْفِرَةٍۢ
maghfiratin
(of) forgiveness
وَذُو
wadhū
and Possessor
عِقَابٍ
ʿiqābin
(of) penalty
أَلِيمٍۢ
alīmin
painful
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 43) ➊ { مَا يُقَالُ لَكَ اِلَّا مَا قَدْ قِيْلَ لِلرُّسُلِ …:} In this, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is comforted that if the disbelievers of Makkah call you a magician, poet, soothsayer, madman, liar, arrogant, or by any other such names and cause you distress, then be at ease; there is nothing among the names they have given you that was not used as a taunt against the messengers before you. Nor are you the first messenger to be denied, nor the first person to bear hardship for the sake of Allah. In Surah Adh-Dhariyat, it is said: « كَذٰلِكَ مَاۤ اَتَى الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِّنْ رَّسُوْلٍ اِلَّا قَالُوْا سَاحِرٌ اَوْ مَجْنُوْنٌ (52) اَتَوَاصَوْا بِهٖ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ طَاغُوْنَ» [الذاریات : ۵۲، ۵۳ ] "Similarly, there never came to those before them any messenger but they said: 'A magician or a madman.' Have they passed this down as an instruction to one another? (No), rather they themselves are a transgressing people." The messengers bore patience over all such words of the disbelievers and continued to convey Allah’s message with full determination; this is your duty as well. It is said: « فَاصْبِرْ كَمَا صَبَرَ اُولُوا الْعَزْمِ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ وَ لَا تَسْتَعْجِلْ لَّهُمْ » [ الأحقاف : ۳۵ ] "So be patient as those of determination among the messengers were patient and do not seek to hasten for them (the punishment)."
➋ { اِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُوْ مَغْفِرَةٍ وَّ ذُوْ عِقَابٍ اَلِيْمٍ: } That is, despite such harm and abusive language, if these people repent and believe, then your Lord is Most Forgiving ({مَغْفِرَةٍ } the tanween is for glorification), and if they persist in their disbelief, then He is also the Possessor of a most painful punishment. It can also mean that it is not your task to repay them for their abusive language; it is Our authority and Our will whether We grant them the ability to believe and forgive them, or leave them in disbelief and make them taste a painful punishment, as He said: « لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الْاَمْرِ شَيْءٌ اَوْ يَتُوْبَ عَلَيْهِمْ اَوْ يُعَذِّبَهُمْ فَاِنَّهُمْ ظٰلِمُوْنَ » [ آل عمران : ۱۲۸ ] "You have no part in the matter, whether He turns to them in mercy or punishes them, for indeed they are wrongdoers."
➋ { اِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُوْ مَغْفِرَةٍ وَّ ذُوْ عِقَابٍ اَلِيْمٍ: } That is, despite such harm and abusive language, if these people repent and believe, then your Lord is Most Forgiving ({مَغْفِرَةٍ } the tanween is for glorification), and if they persist in their disbelief, then He is also the Possessor of a most painful punishment. It can also mean that it is not your task to repay them for their abusive language; it is Our authority and Our will whether We grant them the ability to believe and forgive them, or leave them in disbelief and make them taste a painful punishment, as He said: « لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الْاَمْرِ شَيْءٌ اَوْ يَتُوْبَ عَلَيْهِمْ اَوْ يُعَذِّبَهُمْ فَاِنَّهُمْ ظٰلِمُوْنَ » [ آل عمران : ۱۲۸ ] "You have no part in the matter, whether He turns to them in mercy or punishes them, for indeed they are wrongdoers."
