سُنَّةَ مَن قَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ مِن رُّسُلِنَا ۖ وَلَا تَجِدُ لِسُنَّتِنَا تَحْوِيلًا 77
Translations
[That is Our] established way for those We had sent before you of Our messengers; and you will not find in Our way any alteration.
Transliteration
Sunnat man qad arsalnā qablaka min rusulnā wa lā tajidu li sunnatinā tahwīlā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes that the Sunnah (established way, pattern, or law) of Allah regarding His messengers is unchangeable and constant—what befell the previous prophets will similarly befall Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Ibn Kathir explains that Allah is informing the Prophet that the trials, persecutions, and ultimate triumph experienced by earlier messengers represent a divine pattern that applies universally to all prophets. Al-Tabari emphasizes that "Sunnatinā" (Our Sunnah) refers to Allah's immutable laws and ways of dealing with humanity, which cannot be altered or changed.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Isra, which discusses the Prophet's Night Journey (Isra' wal-Mi'raj) and provides him comfort and reassurance during the Meccan period of intense persecution. The verse serves to console the Prophet and believers by reminding them that prophets throughout history faced similar opposition, establishing a divine precedent of trial followed by divine support.
Related Hadiths
The Hadith of Khabbab ibn al-Aratt (Sahih Bukhari) wherein he asks the Prophet why he doesn't pray for Allah's help against the Quraysh, and the Prophet responds by relating stories of previous believers who were tortured but remained steadfast, illustrating the same divine pattern mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers facing hardships can find solace in knowing that trials are part of Allah's established pattern for prophets and the righteous, and that perseverance through such trials is itself a divine Sunnah that leads to ultimate success. This teaches us to view our struggles not as anomalies but as part of a greater divine plan that has proven successful throughout prophetic history.
Related Ayahs
وَلَا تَمْشِ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا ۖ إِنَّكَ لَن تَخْرِقَ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَلَن تَبْلُغَ ٱلْجِبَالَ طُولًا
And do not walk upon the earth exultantly. Indeed, you will never tear the earth [apart], and you will never reach the mountains in height.
وَلَقَدْ صَرَّفْنَا لِلنَّاسِ فِى هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانِ مِن كُلِّ مَثَلٍ فَأَبَىٰٓ أَكْثَرُ ٱلنَّاسِ إِلَّا كُفُورًا
And We have certainly diversified for the people in this Qur’ān from every [kind of] example, but most of the people refused except disbelief.
وَٱسْتَفْزِزْ مَنِ ٱسْتَطَعْتَ مِنْهُم بِصَوْتِكَ وَأَجْلِبْ عَلَيْهِم بِخَيْلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ وَشَارِكْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَوْلَـٰدِ وَعِدْهُمْ ۚ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا
And incite [to senselessness] whoever you can among them with your voice and assault them with your horses and foot soldiers and become a partner in their wealth and their children and promise them." But Satan does not promise them except delusion.
أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ لِدُلُوكِ ٱلشَّمْسِ إِلَىٰ غَسَقِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَقُرْءَانَ ٱلْفَجْرِ ۖ إِنَّ قُرْءَانَ ٱلْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا
Establish prayer at the decline of the sun [from its meridian] until the darkness of the night and [also] the Qur’ān [i.e., recitation] of dawn. Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed.