سُوْرَةُ الإِسۡرَاءِ
Surah Al-Israa (17) — Ayah 54
رَّبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ ۖ إِن يَشَأْ يَرْحَمْكُمْ أَوْ إِن يَشَأْ يُعَذِّبْكُمْ ۚ وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكِيلًا ﴿54﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Your Lord knows you best; if He wills, He will have mercy on you, or if He wills, He will punish you. And We have not sent you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) as a guardian over them.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
رَّبُّكُمْ
rabbukum
Your Lord
أَعْلَمُ
aʿlamu
(is) most knowing
بِكُمْ ۖ
bikum
of you
إِن
in
If
يَشَأْ
yasha
He wills
يَرْحَمْكُمْ
yarḥamkum
He will have mercy on you
أَوْ
aw
or
إِن
in
if
يَشَأْ
yasha
He wills
يُعَذِّبْكُمْ ۚ
yuʿadhib'kum
He will punish you
وَمَآ
wamā
And not
أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ
arsalnāka
We have sent you
عَلَيْهِمْ
ʿalayhim
over them
وَكِيلًۭا
wakīlan
(as) a guardian
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
54. Your Lord knows you best. If He wills, He will have mercy on you, or if He wills, He will punish [66] you. And (O Prophet), We have not sent you as a guardian over them.
[66]
No Person Can Guarantee Salvation in the Hereafter for Anyone:
We can say that those who are obedient to Allah will enter Paradise and the disobedient will enter Hell, but we cannot say that a particular (specific) person will go to Paradise or Hell. Nor can any person make such a claim about themselves, nor can any sect claim that they will definitely go to Paradise. This is because the true state and final outcome of everyone is known only to Allah. Even the Prophet of the Last Age is not a guarantor of anyone’s guidance or salvation in the Hereafter. As is evident from the following hadith: Sayyiduna Kharijah bin Zaid bin Thabit says that Umm al-‘Ala was an Ansari woman who had pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She says that the Muhajirun were distributed among us Ansar by drawing lots. ‘Uthman bin Maz‘un ؓ came to our share. We hosted him in our home. Then he fell ill with an illness in which he passed away. When he was given ghusl and shrouded, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came. I said, “O Abu al-Sa’ib (this was the kunyah of ‘Uthman bin Maz‘un ؓ), may Allah have mercy on you. I bear witness that Allah has honored you.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to her, “(Umm al-‘Ala) How do you know that Allah has honored him?” I said, “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! May my father be sacrificed for you, then who will Allah honor?” He ﷺ said, “‘Uthman has died, and by Allah, I hope for good for him, and by Allah, I do not know with certainty what will be done with me, even though I am Allah’s Messenger.” Umm al-‘Ala said, “By Allah! After that, I will never declare anyone’s greatness.” [بخاری، کتاب الجنائز، باب الدخول علی المیت بعد الموت]
[66]
No Person Can Guarantee Salvation in the Hereafter for Anyone:
We can say that those who are obedient to Allah will enter Paradise and the disobedient will enter Hell, but we cannot say that a particular (specific) person will go to Paradise or Hell. Nor can any person make such a claim about themselves, nor can any sect claim that they will definitely go to Paradise. This is because the true state and final outcome of everyone is known only to Allah. Even the Prophet of the Last Age is not a guarantor of anyone’s guidance or salvation in the Hereafter. As is evident from the following hadith: Sayyiduna Kharijah bin Zaid bin Thabit says that Umm al-‘Ala was an Ansari woman who had pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She says that the Muhajirun were distributed among us Ansar by drawing lots. ‘Uthman bin Maz‘un ؓ came to our share. We hosted him in our home. Then he fell ill with an illness in which he passed away. When he was given ghusl and shrouded, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came. I said, “O Abu al-Sa’ib (this was the kunyah of ‘Uthman bin Maz‘un ؓ), may Allah have mercy on you. I bear witness that Allah has honored you.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to her, “(Umm al-‘Ala) How do you know that Allah has honored him?” I said, “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! May my father be sacrificed for you, then who will Allah honor?” He ﷺ said, “‘Uthman has died, and by Allah, I hope for good for him, and by Allah, I do not know with certainty what will be done with me, even though I am Allah’s Messenger.” Umm al-‘Ala said, “By Allah! After that, I will never declare anyone’s greatness.” [بخاری، کتاب الجنائز، باب الدخول علی المیت بعد الموت]
