سُوْرَةُ الشُّوْرٰي
Surah Ash-Shura (42) — Ayah 8
وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَعَلَهُمْ أُمَّةً وَٰحِدَةً وَلَـٰكِن يُدْخِلُ مَن يَشَآءُ فِى رَحْمَتِهِۦ ۚ وَٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ مَا لَهُم مِّن وَلِىٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ ﴿8﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And if Allâh had willed, He could have made them one nation, but He admits whom He wills to His Mercy. And the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers) will have neither a Walî (protector or guardian) nor a helper.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَوْ
walaw
And if
شَآءَ
shāa
Allah willed
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah willed
لَجَعَلَهُمْ
lajaʿalahum
He could have made them
أُمَّةًۭ
ummatan
a community
وَٰحِدَةًۭ
wāḥidatan
one
وَلَـٰكِن
walākin
but
يُدْخِلُ
yud'khilu
He admits
مَن
man
whom
يَشَآءُ
yashāu
He wills
فِى
fī
in (to)
رَحْمَتِهِۦ ۚ
raḥmatihi
His Mercy
وَٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
wal-ẓālimūna
And the wrongdoers
مَا
mā
not
لَهُم
lahum
for them
مِّن
min
any
وَلِىٍّۢ
waliyyin
protector
وَلَا
walā
and not
نَصِيرٍ
naṣīrin
any helper
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.
8. If Allah had willed, He could have made them one community, but He admits into His mercy whomever He wills [7]. And for the wrongdoers, there will be no protector and no helper.
[7]
The Result of Granting Free Will to Humans: Disagreement and Sectarianism:
The simplest way would have been that Allah did not grant humans the power of will and choice. Then, just as all other things in the universe are obedient to Allah and their obedience is compelled, humans too would have been obedient to Allah in the same way. And the question of disagreement or division into sects would not have arisen at all. But Allah’s will was to create such a creature who would be given free will, and then it would be seen who obeys Him by their own choice and who disobeys. And it is this very free will that becomes the cause of disagreement. Then those who, by their own choice, become obedient to Allah—Allah admits them into His mercy. He is kind to them in this world as well as in the Hereafter. But those who choose disobedience—it is not necessary that they be held accountable in the life of this world. Rather, they will certainly be held accountable in the Hereafter. Then, on that day, they will have no such guardian or helper who can save them from the punishment of their deeds.
[7]
The Result of Granting Free Will to Humans: Disagreement and Sectarianism:
The simplest way would have been that Allah did not grant humans the power of will and choice. Then, just as all other things in the universe are obedient to Allah and their obedience is compelled, humans too would have been obedient to Allah in the same way. And the question of disagreement or division into sects would not have arisen at all. But Allah’s will was to create such a creature who would be given free will, and then it would be seen who obeys Him by their own choice and who disobeys. And it is this very free will that becomes the cause of disagreement. Then those who, by their own choice, become obedient to Allah—Allah admits them into His mercy. He is kind to them in this world as well as in the Hereafter. But those who choose disobedience—it is not necessary that they be held accountable in the life of this world. Rather, they will certainly be held accountable in the Hereafter. Then, on that day, they will have no such guardian or helper who can save them from the punishment of their deeds.
