سُوْرَةُ الْحَجِّ
Surah Al-Hajj (22) — Ayah 15
مَن كَانَ يَظُنُّ أَن لَّن يَنصُرَهُ ٱللَّهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ فَلْيَمْدُدْ بِسَبَبٍ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ثُمَّ لْيَقْطَعْ فَلْيَنظُرْ هَلْ يُذْهِبَنَّ كَيْدُهُۥ مَا يَغِيظُ ﴿15﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Whoever thinks that Allâh will not help him (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) in this world and in the Hereafter, let him stretch out a rope to the ceiling and let him strangle himself. Then let him see whether his plan will remove that whereat he rages!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
مَن
man
Whoever
كَانَ
kāna
[is]
يَظُنُّ
yaẓunnu
thinks
أَن
an
that
لَّن
lan
not
يَنصُرَهُ
yanṣurahu
Allah will help him
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah will help him
فِى
fī
in
ٱلدُّنْيَا
l-dun'yā
the world
وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ
wal-ākhirati
and the Hereafter
فَلْيَمْدُدْ
falyamdud
then let him extend
بِسَبَبٍ
bisababin
a rope
إِلَى
ilā
to
ٱلسَّمَآءِ
l-samāi
the sky
ثُمَّ
thumma
then
لْيَقْطَعْ
l'yaqṭaʿ
let him cut off
فَلْيَنظُرْ
falyanẓur
then let him see
هَلْ
hal
whether
يُذْهِبَنَّ
yudh'hibanna
will remove
كَيْدُهُۥ
kayduhu
his plan
مَا
mā
what
يَغِيظُ
yaghīẓu
enrages
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.
15. Whoever thinks that Allah will not help him in this world and the Hereafter [14] (and turns to others), let him stretch a rope to the sky, then cut it off, and see if his plan can remove what enrages him. (No matter how hard he tries, he cannot change Allah’s decree.)
[14] In this verse, the one who thinks in such a manner refers to the same hypocrite who stands on the border between disbelief and Islam, worshipping Allah but not remaining content and grateful for Allah’s pleasure. And when he sees any benefit in joining the ranks of disbelief and polytheism, he immediately inclines towards that side, and for the sake of these insignificant worldly interests, he abandons Allah and goes to other thresholds, wandering from door to door. Yet, even then, he does not attain those benefits, so instead, he begins to curse Allah and His decree. He should try his utmost to change Allah’s decree and do whatever he can, and then see and tell whether by doing so he has succeeded in changing Allah’s decree. The words used in this verse about stretching a rope to the sky and then cutting it are metaphorical and not meant literally. Such expressions are used in almost every language. For example, in Urdu, words close in meaning to this idiom are: “Indeed, let him try everything, right or wrong,” and in Punjabi, there is an idiom that conveys the meaning exactly: “Tatte towe te gheesni piya kare,” meaning even if he rubs his backside on a hot griddle. The meaning of all these idioms is the same: let him try his utmost.
Planning is of No Use Against Destiny:
In the interpretation of this verse, some commentators have taken ﴿لَنْ يَنْصُرَهُ اللّٰهُ﴾ to mean the person of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from ﴿ه﴾, and have explained the meaning that the promises of worldly and otherworldly victory and help that Allah has made to His Messenger will certainly be fulfilled, no matter how unpleasant and infuriating this may be to the disbelievers and polytheists. And that, in order to prevent this divine help, they may try their utmost, even to the extent of stretching a rope to the sky and climbing up to sever the divine revelation and heavenly aid from there. Then let them see whether, by these schemes, the divine revelation and help, which so greatly distresses them, ceases to come. This interpretation is somewhat appealing, but in this context, the sequence of the passage does not support this interpretation. Previously, the mention was also of hypocrites and polytheists, and afterwards, too, the mention is of disbelievers and polytheists. And if, in between, there comes a verse about the glad tidings for the believers, it is in accordance with Allah’s practice that where the disbelievers and polytheists are being warned, the glad tidings for the believers are also mentioned, and vice versa.
[14] In this verse, the one who thinks in such a manner refers to the same hypocrite who stands on the border between disbelief and Islam, worshipping Allah but not remaining content and grateful for Allah’s pleasure. And when he sees any benefit in joining the ranks of disbelief and polytheism, he immediately inclines towards that side, and for the sake of these insignificant worldly interests, he abandons Allah and goes to other thresholds, wandering from door to door. Yet, even then, he does not attain those benefits, so instead, he begins to curse Allah and His decree. He should try his utmost to change Allah’s decree and do whatever he can, and then see and tell whether by doing so he has succeeded in changing Allah’s decree. The words used in this verse about stretching a rope to the sky and then cutting it are metaphorical and not meant literally. Such expressions are used in almost every language. For example, in Urdu, words close in meaning to this idiom are: “Indeed, let him try everything, right or wrong,” and in Punjabi, there is an idiom that conveys the meaning exactly: “Tatte towe te gheesni piya kare,” meaning even if he rubs his backside on a hot griddle. The meaning of all these idioms is the same: let him try his utmost.
Planning is of No Use Against Destiny:
In the interpretation of this verse, some commentators have taken ﴿لَنْ يَنْصُرَهُ اللّٰهُ﴾ to mean the person of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from ﴿ه﴾, and have explained the meaning that the promises of worldly and otherworldly victory and help that Allah has made to His Messenger will certainly be fulfilled, no matter how unpleasant and infuriating this may be to the disbelievers and polytheists. And that, in order to prevent this divine help, they may try their utmost, even to the extent of stretching a rope to the sky and climbing up to sever the divine revelation and heavenly aid from there. Then let them see whether, by these schemes, the divine revelation and help, which so greatly distresses them, ceases to come. This interpretation is somewhat appealing, but in this context, the sequence of the passage does not support this interpretation. Previously, the mention was also of hypocrites and polytheists, and afterwards, too, the mention is of disbelievers and polytheists. And if, in between, there comes a verse about the glad tidings for the believers, it is in accordance with Allah’s practice that where the disbelievers and polytheists are being warned, the glad tidings for the believers are also mentioned, and vice versa.
