لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ 286
Translations
Allāh does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people."
Transliteration
Lā yukalliful-lāhu nafsан illā wus'ahā; lahā mā kasabat wa 'alayhā mā iktasabat. Rabbanā lā tu'ākhidhnā in nasīnā aw akhta'nā. Rabbanā wa lā tahmil 'alaynā isran kamā hamaltahu 'alal-ladhīna min qablnā. Rabbanā wa lā tuhammimnā mā lā tāqata lanā bih. Wa'fu 'annā waghfir lanā warhamna. Anta mawlānā fansurnā 'alal-qawmil-kāfirīn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This final ayah of Surah Al-Baqarah contains the fundamental Islamic principle that Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity, followed by a comprehensive supplication taught to believers. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize that the first sentence (Lā yukalliful-lāhu nafsан...) establishes divine justice and compassion, while the subsequent du'ā represents the permissible petitions of the Muslim community, balancing personal responsibility with reliance on God's mercy. Al-Qurtubi notes this ayah synthesizes Islamic theology: accountability for one's deeds, forgiveness for human weakness, and protection from impossible obligations.
Revelation Context
This ayah concludes Surah Al-Baqarah, the longest chapter of the Quran, and represents the summary of the Quran's major teachings. While not revealed as a single incident, it was placed as the final ayah to encapsulate Islamic principles and provide believers with a powerful supplication. The du'ā portion reflects the spiritual maturity of the Muslim community in Madinah, synthesizing earlier revelations about law, accountability, and divine mercy.
Related Hadiths
Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'Allah has written down good deeds and sins clearly. If someone intends to do a good deed and does not do it, Allah still writes it down as a complete good deed. If he intends it and does it, Allah writes it down as ten to seven hundred times or many times over' (Sahih Bukhari 6491). Additionally, the Prophet taught that 'my Ummah will not be questioned for forgetfulness or mistakes' (Sunan Ibn Majah 1208), directly referencing this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that Islam is a religion of ease, not hardship—Allah expects only what we are capable of—while simultaneously encouraging personal responsibility and reliance on divine mercy through sincere supplication. Modern Muslims should find comfort that honest mistakes and forgetfulness do not constitute sin, empowering them to pursue righteousness without paralyzing perfectionism while maintaining sincere intention and effort.