قُلْ إِنِّى عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّى وَكَذَّبْتُم بِهِۦ ۚ مَا عِندِى مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنِ ٱلْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۖ يَقُصُّ ٱلْحَقَّ ۖ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ ٱلْفَـٰصِلِينَ 57
Translations
Say, "Indeed, I am on clear evidence from my Lord, and you have denied it. I do not have that for which you are impatient. The decision is only for Allāh. He relates the truth, and He is the best of deciders."
Transliteration
Qul inni ala bayyinatin min rabbi wa kazzabtum bihi. Ma indi ma tastajilun bihi. Inil hukmu illa lillah. Yaqussu al-haqq wa huwa khayru al-fasiliin.
Tafsir (Explanation)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is commanded to declare that he stands upon clear evidence (bayyinah) from his Lord, and that the disbelievers have rejected this truth. He clarifies that he does not possess the punishment they mockingly demand be hastened upon them, as judgment belongs solely to Allah, who alone can truly judge between truth and falsehood. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir emphasize that this ayah demonstrates the Prophet's reliance on divine guidance rather than his own authority, and his patience in the face of their arrogance and demands for swift punishment.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the broader Meccan context where the Quraysh were demanding miraculous signs and hastening the punishment threatened in the Qur'an. The disbelievers mocked the message and challenged the Prophet to bring down punishment upon them, testing his sincerity. This ayah addresses their arrogance while reassuring the Prophet of the validity of his message regardless of their rejection.
Related Hadiths
The Qur'an itself references this in 6:58 where the Prophet says his responsibility is only to convey the message. Related to this is the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet said, 'The best jihad is a word of truth before a tyrannical ruler,' emphasizing the clarity of the message despite rejection.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should ground themselves in clear evidence from Allah rather than seeking validation from those who reject the truth, and must trust in Allah's ultimate judgment rather than being swayed by the demands or mockery of disbelievers. This teaches us that steadfastness in conveying truth with clarity is our responsibility, while the timing and consequences of events remain entirely in Allah's hands.
Related Ayahs
وَزَكَرِيَّا وَيَحْيَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَإِلْيَاسَ ۖ كُلٌّ مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
And Zechariah and John and Jesus and Elias - and all were of the righteous.
۞ وَلَوْ أَنَّنَا نَزَّلْنَآ إِلَيْهِمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ وَكَلَّمَهُمُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ وَحَشَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ قُبُلًا مَّا كَانُوا۟ لِيُؤْمِنُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَجْهَلُونَ
And even if We had sent down to them the angels [with the message] and the dead spoke to them [of it] and We gathered together every [created] thing in front of them, they would not believe unless Allāh should will. But most of them, [of that], are ignorant.
وَقَالُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ أَنْعَـٰمٌ وَحَرْثٌ حِجْرٌ لَّا يَطْعَمُهَآ إِلَّا مَن نَّشَآءُ بِزَعْمِهِمْ وَأَنْعَـٰمٌ حُرِّمَتْ ظُهُورُهَا وَأَنْعَـٰمٌ لَّا يَذْكُرُونَ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا ٱفْتِرَآءً عَلَيْهِ ۚ سَيَجْزِيهِم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
And they say, "These animals and crops are forbidden; no one may eat from them except whom we will," by their claim. And there are those [camels] whose backs are forbidden [by them] and those upon which the name of Allāh is not mentioned - [all of this] an invention of untruth about Him. He will punish them for what they were inventing.
وَلَقَدْ كُذِّبَتْ رُسُلٌ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَصَبَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَا كُذِّبُوا۟ وَأُوذُوا۟ حَتَّىٰٓ أَتَىٰهُمْ نَصْرُنَا ۚ وَلَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَكَ مِن نَّبَإِى۟ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ
And certainly were messengers denied before you, but they were patient over the denial, and they were harmed until Our victory came to them. And none can alter the words [i.e., decrees] of Allāh. And there has certainly come to you some information about the [previous] messengers.