سُوْرَةُ الطَّارِقِ
Surah At-Taariq (86) — Ayah 4
إِن كُلُّ نَفْسٍ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌ ﴿4﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
There is no human being but has a protector over him (or her) (i.e. angels in charge of each human being guarding him, writing his good and bad deeds)
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِن
in
Not
كُلُّ
kullu
(is) every
نَفْسٍۢ
nafsin
soul
لَّمَّا
lammā
but
عَلَيْهَا
ʿalayhā
over it
حَافِظٌۭ
ḥāfiẓun
(is) a protector
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.
4. There is no soul but that it has a protector [3] over it.
[3]
The Being Who Protects Every Living Creature:
In these three verses, an oath is taken by the perfect power of Allah Almighty, who protects the inhabitants of the earth from calamities like ﴿شهاب ثاقب﴾, and an oath is taken upon the fact that a guardian is appointed over every human being who protects him in every way. Who is this guardian? It is Allah Almighty Himself, who is taking care of every small and large creature of the heavens and the earth. By His sustaining, everything remains in its place, and He has taken the responsibility to provide every living being with its necessities and to protect it from earthly and heavenly disasters until its appointed time of death. This protection often occurs in such unconscious ways that a person is not even aware of it, and whenever he does become aware, such words spontaneously come from his tongue as, "At this moment, Allah saved me by giving me a hand, otherwise there was no hope of my survival." And such incidents happen to almost every person in his life. The same subject has been stated by Allah Almighty in Surah Ra'd: that over every person, in front and behind, We have appointed angels who, by Allah's command, continue to protect him [13: 11]. It should be clear that whether protection is attributed directly to Allah Almighty or to His angels, it makes no difference.
[3]
The Being Who Protects Every Living Creature:
In these three verses, an oath is taken by the perfect power of Allah Almighty, who protects the inhabitants of the earth from calamities like ﴿شهاب ثاقب﴾, and an oath is taken upon the fact that a guardian is appointed over every human being who protects him in every way. Who is this guardian? It is Allah Almighty Himself, who is taking care of every small and large creature of the heavens and the earth. By His sustaining, everything remains in its place, and He has taken the responsibility to provide every living being with its necessities and to protect it from earthly and heavenly disasters until its appointed time of death. This protection often occurs in such unconscious ways that a person is not even aware of it, and whenever he does become aware, such words spontaneously come from his tongue as, "At this moment, Allah saved me by giving me a hand, otherwise there was no hope of my survival." And such incidents happen to almost every person in his life. The same subject has been stated by Allah Almighty in Surah Ra'd: that over every person, in front and behind, We have appointed angels who, by Allah's command, continue to protect him [13: 11]. It should be clear that whether protection is attributed directly to Allah Almighty or to His angels, it makes no difference.
