سُوْرَةُ الزُّمَرِ
Surah Az-Zumar (39) — Ayah 38
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَرَءَيْتُم مَّا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَادَنِىَ ٱللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ هَلْ هُنَّ كَـٰشِفَـٰتُ ضُرِّهِۦٓ أَوْ أَرَادَنِى بِرَحْمَةٍ هَلْ هُنَّ مُمْسِكَـٰتُ رَحْمَتِهِۦ ۚ قُلْ حَسْبِىَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ عَلَيْهِ يَتَوَكَّلُ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ ﴿38﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And verily, if you ask them: "Who created the heavens and the earth?" Surely they will say: "Allâh (has created them)." Say: "Tell me then, the things that you invoke besides Allâh - if Allâh intended some harm for me, could they remove His harm? Or if He (Allâh) intended some mercy for me, could they withhold His Mercy?" Say: "Sufficient for me is Allâh; in Him those who trust (i.e. believers) must put their trust."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَئِن
wala-in
And if
سَأَلْتَهُم
sa-altahum
you ask them
مَّنْ
man
who
خَلَقَ
khalaqa
created
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ
l-samāwāti
the heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضَ
wal-arḍa
and the earth
لَيَقُولُنَّ
layaqūlunna
Surely, they will say
ٱللَّهُ ۚ
l-lahu
Allah
قُلْ
qul
Say
أَفَرَءَيْتُم
afara-aytum
Then do you see
مَّا
mā
what
تَدْعُونَ
tadʿūna
you invoke
مِن
min
besides
دُونِ
dūni
besides
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
إِنْ
in
if
أَرَادَنِىَ
arādaniya
Allah intended for me
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah intended for me
بِضُرٍّ
biḍurrin
harm
هَلْ
hal
are
هُنَّ
hunna
they
كَـٰشِفَـٰتُ
kāshifātu
removers
ضُرِّهِۦٓ
ḍurrihi
(of) harm (from) Him
أَوْ
aw
or
أَرَادَنِى
arādanī
if He intended for me
بِرَحْمَةٍ
biraḥmatin
mercy
هَلْ
hal
are
هُنَّ
hunna
they
مُمْسِكَـٰتُ
mum'sikātu
withholders
رَحْمَتِهِۦ ۚ
raḥmatihi
(of) His mercy
قُلْ
qul
Say
حَسْبِىَ
ḥasbiya
Sufficient (is) Allah for me
ٱللَّهُ ۖ
l-lahu
Sufficient (is) Allah for me
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
upon Him
يَتَوَكَّلُ
yatawakkalu
put trust
ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ
l-mutawakilūna
those who trust
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.
38. And if you ask them, “Who created the heavens and the earth?” they will surely say, “Allah.” Say, “Have you considered those you invoke besides Allah? If Allah intended harm for me, could they remove His harm? Or if He intended mercy for me, could they withhold His mercy [54]?” Say, “Allah is sufficient for me; in Him alone do those who trust put their trust.”
[54] Even the polytheists admit that Allah Almighty is the Creator of the earth and the heavens, that is, of this universe. And the Creator has the authority to exercise every kind of control over what He has created or made. And such authority to exercise control cannot belong to any being other than the Creator—especially when that being is itself a creation of Allah and under His control. Now, on one side is Allah Almighty, who possesses vast powers to exercise control over His creation, and on the other side, whoever else is taken as a deity will, in any case, be a creation of Allah and will have no authority whatsoever in comparison to Allah. Now tell me, between these two, whom should one trust and whom should one consider sufficient for help? And the state of these deities is such that even if they all combine, they cannot remove the hardship that Allah has decreed for me, and if Allah wishes to bestow His mercy upon me, then all of them together cannot prevent it. Because in comparison to Allah, they have no authority at all. Then, to rely on things that are utterly powerless regarding my benefit or harm would be sheer foolishness. It should be clear that, besides the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, many other messengers were also threatened by the polytheists in this manner: that if you do not stop disrespecting our deities, they will drive you mad, destroy you, do this to you, and do that to you. In response, the messengers always replied in this way.
The Response to the Threat of the Polytheists:
Say to those deities that whatever harm they wish to inflict upon me, let them do it, and let them all together take action against me immediately and do not grant me any respite. So that I may also know whether they can do anything or not, and so that you may also know.
[54] Even the polytheists admit that Allah Almighty is the Creator of the earth and the heavens, that is, of this universe. And the Creator has the authority to exercise every kind of control over what He has created or made. And such authority to exercise control cannot belong to any being other than the Creator—especially when that being is itself a creation of Allah and under His control. Now, on one side is Allah Almighty, who possesses vast powers to exercise control over His creation, and on the other side, whoever else is taken as a deity will, in any case, be a creation of Allah and will have no authority whatsoever in comparison to Allah. Now tell me, between these two, whom should one trust and whom should one consider sufficient for help? And the state of these deities is such that even if they all combine, they cannot remove the hardship that Allah has decreed for me, and if Allah wishes to bestow His mercy upon me, then all of them together cannot prevent it. Because in comparison to Allah, they have no authority at all. Then, to rely on things that are utterly powerless regarding my benefit or harm would be sheer foolishness. It should be clear that, besides the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, many other messengers were also threatened by the polytheists in this manner: that if you do not stop disrespecting our deities, they will drive you mad, destroy you, do this to you, and do that to you. In response, the messengers always replied in this way.
The Response to the Threat of the Polytheists:
Say to those deities that whatever harm they wish to inflict upon me, let them do it, and let them all together take action against me immediately and do not grant me any respite. So that I may also know whether they can do anything or not, and so that you may also know.
