وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَبَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ نَّذِيرًا 51
Translations
And if We had willed, We could have sent into every city a warner.
Transliteration
Wa-law shi'na la-ba'athna fee kulli qaryatin nadheeran
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms Allah's absolute power and wisdom in His choice of sending messengers. Allah states that if He had willed, He could have sent a warner to every single settlement and community, but He chose according to His divine wisdom to send messengers to specific peoples at specific times. Ibn Kathir explains that this demonstrates Allah's mercy and justice—He does not burden people with accountability without sending them guidance, yet His selection of prophets reflects His infinite knowledge of what is best for His creation.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Al-Furqan (The Criterion), a Meccan surah that addresses objections against the Prophet Muhammad's message. The broader context discusses Allah's wisdom in the distribution of prophets and the Quran itself as a criterion between truth and falsehood. It responds to those who questioned why a prophet was not sent to every nation.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Muslim from Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) states: 'Every prophet was sent specifically to his people, but I have been sent to all of mankind.' This complements the ayah by showing how the general principle in 25:51 applies specifically to Prophet Muhammad's universal mission.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that Allah's decisions regarding guidance and revelation are based on perfect wisdom and justice, reminding us to trust in divine providence rather than question why guidance came through particular messengers at particular times. It also emphasizes our responsibility to convey the message we have received, knowing that Allah has entrusted us with His guidance.