سُوْرَةُ التَّوْبَةِ
Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 129
فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَقُلْ حَسْبِىَ ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ ۖ وَهُوَ رَبُّ ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ ﴿129﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
But if they turn away, say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "Allâh is sufficient for me. Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He) in Him I put my trust and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَإِن
fa-in
But if
تَوَلَّوْا۟
tawallaw
they turn away
فَقُلْ
faqul
then say
حَسْبِىَ
ḥasbiya
Sufficient for me
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
(is) Allah
لَآ
lā
(There is) no
إِلَـٰهَ
ilāha
god
إِلَّا
illā
except
هُوَ ۖ
huwa
Him
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
On Him
تَوَكَّلْتُ ۖ
tawakkaltu
I put my trust
وَهُوَ
wahuwa
And He
رَبُّ
rabbu
(is the) Lord
ٱلْعَرْشِ
l-ʿarshi
(of) the Throne
ٱلْعَظِيمِ
l-ʿaẓīmi
the Great
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 129) ➊ { فَاِنْ تَوَلَّوْا …:} That is, such a merciful Prophet, his compassion, mercy, and eagerness for the believers, and despite such an easy religion, if they turn away, then you say: «{ حَسْبِيَ اللّٰهُ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ }» Not only hold this belief, but openly declare it and express your happiness and pride in Allah being sufficient for you.
True monotheism is that God says on the Day of Resurrection,
"This servant is displeased with both worlds for My sake."
➋ {حَسْبِيَ اللّٰهُ: ’’ حَسْبِيَ ‘‘} By coming first, it creates exclusivity in meaning, that is, only Allah is sufficient for me, even if all people abandon me. A poet has beautifully said:
What fear is there if the whole world is against me?
It is enough if one God is for me.
Indeed, Allah Almighty has made means in the world, strength comes from the help of companions, and there is also a command to help each other: «{ وَ تَعَاوَنُوْا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَ التَّقْوٰى }» [ المائدۃ : ۲ ] "And help one another in righteousness and piety." But this is the difference between a disbeliever and a believer: when worldly means end, the disbeliever becomes hopeless, and the polytheist can never have as much trust in his deities as the monotheist has in the One Allah. Therefore, a believer never becomes hopeless and never withdraws from confronting disbelief.
If he is a disbeliever, he relies on the sword,
If he is a believer, he fights even without a blade.
Therefore, the summary of the teachings of the Qur'an and Hadith is that make every effort to provide means and necessities, and even if they are gathered, do not rely on them but on Allah Almighty, and if not a single means can be provided, then still rely only on Allah, besides whom there is no deity, and He is not an ordinary king, He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne, nothing is outside His kingdom and control. The demonstration of this trust in Allah alone, when all means have ended, and the corresponding help of Allah Almighty, was shown in the Cave of Thawr, as He said: «{ اِلَّا تَنْصُرُوْهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ اللّٰهُ … }» [ التوبۃ : ۴۰ ] The same was demonstrated at the end of the Battle of Uhud, when the believers responded upon hearing of the enemy's gathering, and the same was demonstrated when all worldly support ended, at the time of being thrown into the fire, by the words of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) «{ حَسْبُنَا اللّٰهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيْلُ }» and by Allah's help, making the fire a garden without any means. See Surah Al Imran (173, 174) and in Surah Al-Buruj, when all means ended for the boy among the companions of the trench, he prayed with words similar in meaning to these [ اَللّٰهُمَّ اكْفِنِيْهِمْ بِمَا شِئْتَ ] ("O Allah! Be sufficient for me against them with whatever You will"), so those who tried to throw him from the mountain themselves fell and died, and those who tried to drown him in the sea themselves drowned, but nothing happened to him. [ دیکھیے مسلم، الزھد، باب قصۃ أصحاب الأخدود… : ۳۰۰۵، عن صہیب رضی اللہ عنہ ] Even now, if someone recites these supplications with certainty and trust in Allah, Allah's help will come in the same way, even if the whole world turns away from him. This humble servant, Abdul Salam, submits that this is among those blessed supplications which Allah Almighty commanded His Messenger (peace be upon him) to recite in the Qur'an with the word {’’ قُلْ ‘‘}, so we should also include it in our morning and evening adhkar. Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) says: "Whoever recites this supplication «{ حَسْبِيَ اللّٰهُ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَ هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيْمِ }» seven times in the morning and evening, Allah Almighty will suffice him from all worries." This hadith is not proven from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), but the chain of narrators for the statement of Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) is good; however, the words [ صَادِقًا كَانَ بِهَا اَوْ كَاذِبًا ] are not authentic, rather they are rejected. [ دیکھیے سلسلۃ الأحادیث الضعیفۃ و الموضوعۃ : ۵۲۸۶ ] Even if it is not the statement of a Companion, Allah Almighty's statement {’’ قُلْ ‘‘} is sufficient for its virtue.
True monotheism is that God says on the Day of Resurrection,
"This servant is displeased with both worlds for My sake."
➋ {حَسْبِيَ اللّٰهُ: ’’ حَسْبِيَ ‘‘} By coming first, it creates exclusivity in meaning, that is, only Allah is sufficient for me, even if all people abandon me. A poet has beautifully said:
What fear is there if the whole world is against me?
It is enough if one God is for me.
Indeed, Allah Almighty has made means in the world, strength comes from the help of companions, and there is also a command to help each other: «{ وَ تَعَاوَنُوْا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَ التَّقْوٰى }» [ المائدۃ : ۲ ] "And help one another in righteousness and piety." But this is the difference between a disbeliever and a believer: when worldly means end, the disbeliever becomes hopeless, and the polytheist can never have as much trust in his deities as the monotheist has in the One Allah. Therefore, a believer never becomes hopeless and never withdraws from confronting disbelief.
If he is a disbeliever, he relies on the sword,
If he is a believer, he fights even without a blade.
Therefore, the summary of the teachings of the Qur'an and Hadith is that make every effort to provide means and necessities, and even if they are gathered, do not rely on them but on Allah Almighty, and if not a single means can be provided, then still rely only on Allah, besides whom there is no deity, and He is not an ordinary king, He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne, nothing is outside His kingdom and control. The demonstration of this trust in Allah alone, when all means have ended, and the corresponding help of Allah Almighty, was shown in the Cave of Thawr, as He said: «{ اِلَّا تَنْصُرُوْهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ اللّٰهُ … }» [ التوبۃ : ۴۰ ] The same was demonstrated at the end of the Battle of Uhud, when the believers responded upon hearing of the enemy's gathering, and the same was demonstrated when all worldly support ended, at the time of being thrown into the fire, by the words of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) «{ حَسْبُنَا اللّٰهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيْلُ }» and by Allah's help, making the fire a garden without any means. See Surah Al Imran (173, 174) and in Surah Al-Buruj, when all means ended for the boy among the companions of the trench, he prayed with words similar in meaning to these [ اَللّٰهُمَّ اكْفِنِيْهِمْ بِمَا شِئْتَ ] ("O Allah! Be sufficient for me against them with whatever You will"), so those who tried to throw him from the mountain themselves fell and died, and those who tried to drown him in the sea themselves drowned, but nothing happened to him. [ دیکھیے مسلم، الزھد، باب قصۃ أصحاب الأخدود… : ۳۰۰۵، عن صہیب رضی اللہ عنہ ] Even now, if someone recites these supplications with certainty and trust in Allah, Allah's help will come in the same way, even if the whole world turns away from him. This humble servant, Abdul Salam, submits that this is among those blessed supplications which Allah Almighty commanded His Messenger (peace be upon him) to recite in the Qur'an with the word {’’ قُلْ ‘‘}, so we should also include it in our morning and evening adhkar. Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) says: "Whoever recites this supplication «{ حَسْبِيَ اللّٰهُ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَ هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيْمِ }» seven times in the morning and evening, Allah Almighty will suffice him from all worries." This hadith is not proven from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), but the chain of narrators for the statement of Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) is good; however, the words [ صَادِقًا كَانَ بِهَا اَوْ كَاذِبًا ] are not authentic, rather they are rejected. [ دیکھیے سلسلۃ الأحادیث الضعیفۃ و الموضوعۃ : ۵۲۸۶ ] Even if it is not the statement of a Companion, Allah Almighty's statement {’’ قُلْ ‘‘} is sufficient for its virtue.
