وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْغَنِىُّ ذُو ٱلرَّحْمَةِ ۚ إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفْ مِنۢ بَعْدِكُم مَّا يَشَآءُ كَمَآ أَنشَأَكُم مِّن ذُرِّيَّةِ قَوْمٍ ءَاخَرِينَ 133
Translations
And your Lord is the Free of need, the possessor of mercy. If He wills, He can do away with you and give succession after you to whomever He wills, just as He produced you from the descendants of another people.
Transliteration
Wa rabbuka al-ghaniyu dhu ar-rahmah. In yasha yudhhabkum wa yastakhlifmin ba'dikum ma yasha kamaa ansha'akum min dhurriyyati qawmin akharin.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah is self-sufficient (al-ghani) yet possesses infinite mercy, and He has absolute power over creation—He can remove the present generation and replace them with others as He wishes, just as He created the current people from the descendants of previous nations. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain this as a reminder of Allah's sovereignty and control, serving as a warning against arrogance and ingratitude while simultaneously offering reassurance of His merciful nature. The verse emphasizes both Divine power and Divine compassion working in tandem.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-An'am, which addresses the polytheists of Mecca who rejected the message and were arrogant despite Allah's clear signs. The verse contextually follows discussions about Allah's creative power and judgment, serving as a warning to those who denied the oneness of Allah and disbelieved the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly cites this specific verse, Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim contain numerous hadiths about Allah's power to destroy nations and replace them, such as those in the context of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab's narrations about the destruction of previous civilizations and the continuity of Allah's plan.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true security comes not from worldly possessions or position but from recognizing Allah's absolute dominion and maintaining gratitude and righteousness; it is a humbling reminder that no nation or individual is irreplaceable in Allah's sight, encouraging believers to remain humble and obedient lest they face the same fate as those who came before them.
Related Ayahs
۞ وَكَم مِّن مَّلَكٍ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ لَا تُغْنِى شَفَـٰعَتُهُمْ شَيْـًٔا إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَن يَأْذَنَ ٱللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرْضَىٰٓ
And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will not avail at all except [only] after Allāh has permitted [it] to whom He wills and approves.
يَوْمَ لَا تَمْلِكُ نَفْسٌ لِّنَفْسٍ شَيْـًٔا ۖ وَٱلْأَمْرُ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلَّهِ
It is the Day when a soul will not possess for another soul [power to do] a thing; and the command, that Day, is [entirely] with Allāh.
يَوْمَ يَأْتِ لَا تَكَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ فَمِنْهُمْ شَقِىٌّ وَسَعِيدٌ
The Day it comes no soul will speak except by His permission. And among them will be the wretched and the prosperous.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَقَالُوا۟ لِإِخْوَٰنِهِمْ إِذَا ضَرَبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَوْ كَانُوا۟ غُزًّى لَّوْ كَانُوا۟ عِندَنَا مَا مَاتُوا۟ وَمَا قُتِلُوا۟ لِيَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ حَسْرَةً فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
O you who have believed, do not be like those who disbelieved and said about their brothers when they traveled through the land or went out to fight, "If they had been with us, they would not have died or have been killed," so Allāh makes that [misconception] a regret within their hearts. And it is Allāh who gives life and causes death, and Allāh is Seeing of what you do.